Monday, December 17, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Job Requirements Part I
In part one of this post, I have posted a collection of common themes found in job advertisements employers are looking for in an administrative assistant position. Part two will examine how my education and skills match these qualifications
HR/ Administrative Assistant
(a) What personal traits are employers looking for?
High degree of integrity concerning confidential information
Strong organizational skills
attention to detail
Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
Self directed, resourceful and results oriented.
Passion for coordinating people, projects and information.
Works independently and as part of a team.
strong interpersonal skills
(b) What skills are important?
Proven ability in Microsoft Office software
Demonstrated proficiency in administrative processes.
Proficiency with MS Word and Excel and preferably with an HRIS program
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
A proven ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment
(c) What specific experience is required?
A minimum 6 months – 3 years recent related experience
Previous experience in an HR function or equivalent working knowledge of benefits programs, payroll process, staffing and labour standards.
Knowledge of HR organizational programs, initiatives, policies, procedures and collective agreements.
(d) What educational requirements are expected?
Bachelor’s degree and a Human Resources Managment certificate
Post secondary studies in a recognized HR Management program
Completion of or working toward CHRP designation will be considered an asset.
HR/ Administrative Assistant
(a) What personal traits are employers looking for?
High degree of integrity concerning confidential information
Strong organizational skills
attention to detail
Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
Self directed, resourceful and results oriented.
Passion for coordinating people, projects and information.
Works independently and as part of a team.
strong interpersonal skills
(b) What skills are important?
Proven ability in Microsoft Office software
Demonstrated proficiency in administrative processes.
Proficiency with MS Word and Excel and preferably with an HRIS program
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
A proven ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment
(c) What specific experience is required?
A minimum 6 months – 3 years recent related experience
Previous experience in an HR function or equivalent working knowledge of benefits programs, payroll process, staffing and labour standards.
Knowledge of HR organizational programs, initiatives, policies, procedures and collective agreements.
(d) What educational requirements are expected?
Bachelor’s degree and a Human Resources Managment certificate
Post secondary studies in a recognized HR Management program
Completion of or working toward CHRP designation will be considered an asset.
My Personal Characteristics
As I looked over my past accomplishments. I searched for common themes. I was trying to find key personal characteristics that stood out. I also read over reference letters that had been given to me by past employers and managers.
Strong work ethic – Due to my strong work ethic I recently graduated from University of Phoenix with honors. It took just over 3 years to complete my bachelors degree in Business Management.
- I started working at Mainframe in June of 2000 as a production assistant. Within 5 months, due to my personal commitment and hard work, I was promoted to junior animator.
Integrity – I’ve been described by people I work with as having a high level of integrity. I remember one situation at the college, where I was working with a potential instructor. Prior to his employment, he had prepared in detail an impressive course outline. Unfortunately, due to financial issues we were not able to establish a working relationship. Although, I had the digital copies of the course outline, I never used them.
Driven – I’m very driven, having a strong internal motivation to succeed at things I am passionate about. At the College of Interactive Arts I really wanted to see the students succeed. To achieve my goal, I effectively led the College in the development and refinement of their curriculum to the point where we were ready for accreditation. In addition, I researched the industry and networked with professionals in order to provide our students the knowledge and skills they needed most. As a result, I helped change the school’s atmosphere from students who were unmotivated and resentful to passionate, motivated students who got jobs within the industry.
Dedicated – While working at Nova Group, I wanted to demonstrate my interest in the student’s English progress. I constantly looked at ways to improve my own teaching abilities, setting and achieving personal goals. I also encouraged students to study outside of class by providing my own homework assignments and marking the assignments on my own time. Many of the students have expressed their appreciation both personally and to the staff.
Strong work ethic – Due to my strong work ethic I recently graduated from University of Phoenix with honors. It took just over 3 years to complete my bachelors degree in Business Management.
- I started working at Mainframe in June of 2000 as a production assistant. Within 5 months, due to my personal commitment and hard work, I was promoted to junior animator.
Integrity – I’ve been described by people I work with as having a high level of integrity. I remember one situation at the college, where I was working with a potential instructor. Prior to his employment, he had prepared in detail an impressive course outline. Unfortunately, due to financial issues we were not able to establish a working relationship. Although, I had the digital copies of the course outline, I never used them.
Driven – I’m very driven, having a strong internal motivation to succeed at things I am passionate about. At the College of Interactive Arts I really wanted to see the students succeed. To achieve my goal, I effectively led the College in the development and refinement of their curriculum to the point where we were ready for accreditation. In addition, I researched the industry and networked with professionals in order to provide our students the knowledge and skills they needed most. As a result, I helped change the school’s atmosphere from students who were unmotivated and resentful to passionate, motivated students who got jobs within the industry.
Dedicated – While working at Nova Group, I wanted to demonstrate my interest in the student’s English progress. I constantly looked at ways to improve my own teaching abilities, setting and achieving personal goals. I also encouraged students to study outside of class by providing my own homework assignments and marking the assignments on my own time. Many of the students have expressed their appreciation both personally and to the staff.
Reflection of Past Achievement
With my direction in place I began to reflect on my past challenges. the actions I took, and what results I achieved in my various positions I held.
At Nova Group, a major private English teaching company:
Challege: The school held a series of special topical English lessons each month which instructors were required to create and present. However, after each lesson was completed there was no formal record of event for future planning.
Action: As the coordinator, I created a form which listed the instructor, topic, date, and number of students attended.
Result: The statistical information on these forms helped improve the planning of future lessons by focusing on the days and lesson topics that were more popular.
Challenge: The school had a resource for assisting instructors in preparing plans for their special topical English lesson. This resource was underutilized because it was unorganized and therefore inefficient.
Action: I arrived at work early for over a week organizing and labeling the files.
Result: After informing the instructors of the newly reorganized resources, usage of the materials increased.
Challenge: One of the younger students had moved from a group class to one-to-one lessons. She was a quick learner and the course material did not help her to reach her full potential.
Action: Using the existing material, I modified activities to help suite her abilities. In addition, since I was not the only instructor who taught the student I assisted other instructors in creating more suitable activities.
Result: As a result, we were able to provide the student with a higher quality service which not only pleased the student but also her parents.
Challenge: One of our students was struggling to achieve his desired score on an English proficiency test. He had been taking classes at the school but was not seeing the results he wanted.
Action: I saw his concern and approached him after class. We addressed his weak areas and drew up a plan, outlining specific actions he could take outside of the class. I continued to follow-up with him.
Result: Happily, he improved his weak areas and his test score increased.
At the College of Interactive Arts, an entrepreneurial private college specializing in animation and video game design:
Challenge: When I arrived at the school there were two small classes of fewer than 10 students each. The majority of the students were from overseas. Unfortunately because of program costs, attracting local students was challenging. At that time the school was registered with the regulatory agency in BC, but was not yet accredited, meaning we could not accept students with government student loans.
Action: My job was to prepare the accreditation report for the school. This was challenging because there were no formal documents in place aside from a registration form. Even, the program itself was not documented. So essentially I was starting from scratch. Fortunately, the report requirements are clearly laid out. So, most of my time was spent developing and writing business objectives, policies, forms, and programs and courses. I also needed to analyze and evaluate the existing business and what we offered. I completed the report over a 3 month period and we submitted it for review
Result: As a result we were cleared for an audit.
Challenge: Being an unaccredited school students were unable to apply for government student loans in order to pay for the program. As a result of the high cost, we were struggling to attract local students. At that time, I was responsible for recruiting new students.
Action: As I discussed the situation with my boss, we decided to offer a significant discount on the programs by providing scholarships to talented artists. Our strategy was to hold an art contest and after judging the contestants work and holding an interview the winners would be notified and offered a scholarship.
Result: As a result, we were able to gain new students and increase the image of our school. The school was registered with the regulatory agency in BC, but was not yet accredited, meaning we could not accept students with government student loans; coupled with the price of tuition made attracting local students challenging.
Challenge: College of Interactive Arts was supposed to be an animation and video game design school. However, walking into the school, you did not necessarily feel that. I wanted the students to be proud of their school and to feel as if this was the beginning of their careers in animation and game design.
Action: So I decided to revamp the curriculum. Through industry research, networking with key people working at animation and video game companies and my own experience, I was able to get a benchmark of what companies expected and develop a curriculum that prepared our students for the industry. In addition to revamping the curriculum, I interviewed and hired instructors who were active in the industry. Finally, through my networking, I was able to bring in guest speakers and even get the students a tour of a game and animation company.
Result: This helped increase the students confidence in the school and ultimately in their careers. The atmosphere changed and students wanted to spend more time at the school working on their projects and doing their own networking.
Challenge: The school was under a tight budget. We needed instructors but the salary we offered was low compared to what other schools were paying; so attracting the right people was challenging
Action: I posted positions on internet job boards and used my network as a resource to find potential candidates.
Result: In the end, even with the budget restrictions, I was able to persuade talented instructors to join our team by offering a family atmosphere, flexibility in scheduling, and potential growth opportunities with the school. Many of the instructors, who left the school due to workloads within the industry, provided replacements for their position.
Challenge: There was no system in place for collecting student’s work to display on the schools website, during open houses or during presentations.
Action: I spoke with our IT person and asked to create a specific database to collect submitted student works. Then in a school assembly I explained how the system worked.
Result: With all the students work we were able to put together a presentation which we used as a marketing tool at local high schools.
At Nova Group, a major private English teaching company:
Challege: The school held a series of special topical English lessons each month which instructors were required to create and present. However, after each lesson was completed there was no formal record of event for future planning.
Action: As the coordinator, I created a form which listed the instructor, topic, date, and number of students attended.
Result: The statistical information on these forms helped improve the planning of future lessons by focusing on the days and lesson topics that were more popular.
Challenge: The school had a resource for assisting instructors in preparing plans for their special topical English lesson. This resource was underutilized because it was unorganized and therefore inefficient.
Action: I arrived at work early for over a week organizing and labeling the files.
Result: After informing the instructors of the newly reorganized resources, usage of the materials increased.
Challenge: One of the younger students had moved from a group class to one-to-one lessons. She was a quick learner and the course material did not help her to reach her full potential.
Action: Using the existing material, I modified activities to help suite her abilities. In addition, since I was not the only instructor who taught the student I assisted other instructors in creating more suitable activities.
Result: As a result, we were able to provide the student with a higher quality service which not only pleased the student but also her parents.
Challenge: One of our students was struggling to achieve his desired score on an English proficiency test. He had been taking classes at the school but was not seeing the results he wanted.
Action: I saw his concern and approached him after class. We addressed his weak areas and drew up a plan, outlining specific actions he could take outside of the class. I continued to follow-up with him.
Result: Happily, he improved his weak areas and his test score increased.
At the College of Interactive Arts, an entrepreneurial private college specializing in animation and video game design:
Challenge: When I arrived at the school there were two small classes of fewer than 10 students each. The majority of the students were from overseas. Unfortunately because of program costs, attracting local students was challenging. At that time the school was registered with the regulatory agency in BC, but was not yet accredited, meaning we could not accept students with government student loans.
Action: My job was to prepare the accreditation report for the school. This was challenging because there were no formal documents in place aside from a registration form. Even, the program itself was not documented. So essentially I was starting from scratch. Fortunately, the report requirements are clearly laid out. So, most of my time was spent developing and writing business objectives, policies, forms, and programs and courses. I also needed to analyze and evaluate the existing business and what we offered. I completed the report over a 3 month period and we submitted it for review
Result: As a result we were cleared for an audit.
Challenge: Being an unaccredited school students were unable to apply for government student loans in order to pay for the program. As a result of the high cost, we were struggling to attract local students. At that time, I was responsible for recruiting new students.
Action: As I discussed the situation with my boss, we decided to offer a significant discount on the programs by providing scholarships to talented artists. Our strategy was to hold an art contest and after judging the contestants work and holding an interview the winners would be notified and offered a scholarship.
Result: As a result, we were able to gain new students and increase the image of our school. The school was registered with the regulatory agency in BC, but was not yet accredited, meaning we could not accept students with government student loans; coupled with the price of tuition made attracting local students challenging.
Challenge: College of Interactive Arts was supposed to be an animation and video game design school. However, walking into the school, you did not necessarily feel that. I wanted the students to be proud of their school and to feel as if this was the beginning of their careers in animation and game design.
Action: So I decided to revamp the curriculum. Through industry research, networking with key people working at animation and video game companies and my own experience, I was able to get a benchmark of what companies expected and develop a curriculum that prepared our students for the industry. In addition to revamping the curriculum, I interviewed and hired instructors who were active in the industry. Finally, through my networking, I was able to bring in guest speakers and even get the students a tour of a game and animation company.
Result: This helped increase the students confidence in the school and ultimately in their careers. The atmosphere changed and students wanted to spend more time at the school working on their projects and doing their own networking.
Challenge: The school was under a tight budget. We needed instructors but the salary we offered was low compared to what other schools were paying; so attracting the right people was challenging
Action: I posted positions on internet job boards and used my network as a resource to find potential candidates.
Result: In the end, even with the budget restrictions, I was able to persuade talented instructors to join our team by offering a family atmosphere, flexibility in scheduling, and potential growth opportunities with the school. Many of the instructors, who left the school due to workloads within the industry, provided replacements for their position.
Challenge: There was no system in place for collecting student’s work to display on the schools website, during open houses or during presentations.
Action: I spoke with our IT person and asked to create a specific database to collect submitted student works. Then in a school assembly I explained how the system worked.
Result: With all the students work we were able to put together a presentation which we used as a marketing tool at local high schools.
Defining my destination
As I began revamping my resume I began I thinking about the type of company I wanted to work for and what position I wanted to hold.
"I’m looking for a position in Human resource, possibly an assistant or administrative position. I want to work in a creative industry such as music, or arts and entertainment. My ideal company is a mid-sized company that offers growth opportunities. It should have strong values and demonstrate integrity in its business practices both internally and externally".
"I’m looking for a position in Human resource, possibly an assistant or administrative position. I want to work in a creative industry such as music, or arts and entertainment. My ideal company is a mid-sized company that offers growth opportunities. It should have strong values and demonstrate integrity in its business practices both internally and externally".
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Complete Guide to Resume Writing
I recently downloaded a e-book called "The complete guide to resume writing" by Louise Fletcher, founder of the company Blue Sky Resumes. Anyone looking to revamp their resume, I highly recommend this book. It provide deep thinking exercises which required reflection and research. In the end, I had a wealth of valuable information for my resume; as well, I feel better prepared for my expected interviews. I will post the results from my inspection and research.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Networking Recommendations
I received some recommendations to improve my network
1. add my membership with BCHRMA to my resume
2. post my resume to monster.ca, workopolis, bcjobs, and of course the BCHRMA website.
3. contact recruitment agencies which specialize in HR jobs including:
- Adecco
- Holloway Schulz
- Hunt Personnel
1. add my membership with BCHRMA to my resume
2. post my resume to monster.ca, workopolis, bcjobs, and of course the BCHRMA website.
3. contact recruitment agencies which specialize in HR jobs including:
- Adecco
- Holloway Schulz
- Hunt Personnel
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Any Questions?
Having successfully completed an interview the tables are now turned and the infamous "Any questions" is now asked to the interviewee. From the website best-interview-strategies.com, the author lists three questions to ask the interviewer and the completion of the interview
Other questions that I would consider asking include:
- "What do you enjoy most about working here"? (Assuming you are speaking to an employee)
- "Is there anything I've mentioned that makes you think I'm not the best candidate for this job"?
- "When do you expect to make your final decision"?
Other questions that I would consider asking include:
- "What is the first problem or issue that needs the attention of the person you are hiring"?
- "Can you describe the opportunities for training and professional development"?
Monday, November 19, 2007
Resume
JIMMY RAE OCKEY
jimmyraeockey@hotmail.com
CAREER TARGET: HUMAN RESOURCE ASSISTANT
Recent university graduate brings proven ability to achieve results through communication and organizational skills.
Internally driven and dedicated professional, known for a strong work ethic and integrity. Earned a reputation for a positive and motivated attitude in all working conditions.
“Jim Ockey is a man of the highest integrity with excellent communication skills and is organized, thorough and responsive.” Rick Kleiman, President, F.R. (Rick) Kleiman and Associates, Consultants
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- Maintaining Computer Database
- Policy & Procedure Development
- Project Management
- Job Design
- Recruitment & Interviewing
- New Hire Orientation & Training
- Employee Relations & Retention
- Scheduling
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
- Improved the quality of a private college’s programs, administrative policies and procedures, and management of resources to the point where the school was ready for accreditation by the governing agency.
- Created an environment which substantially increased student and instructor satisfaction and motivation.
- Recruited industry-experienced instructors under difficult circumstances.
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
B.S., Business Management, September 2007
University of Phoenix, (Program GPA: 3.85)
Relevant Coursework: Organizational Behaviour, Employment Law, Human Resource Management, Diversity Issues in Communication, Human Motivation, Ethics in Management
Diploma in Digital Arts, May 2000
Center for Digital Imaging and Sound, Burnaby, BC
Professional Affiliation
Member, BC Human Resource Management Association (BCHRMA)
Working towards Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) designation
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
NOVA GROUP/ G-EDUCATION, Japan, 2004 to Present
Major private English teaching company
English Language Instructor
Started teaching beginner to advanced English to adults and children; assessed their abilities to meet specific learning objectives, and provided verbal and written feedback. Quickly given additional responsibility at the branch coordinating and scheduling special monthly programs and managing the program’s resources.
- Revitalized the usage of the program’s resources by organizing and labeling files for more efficient use and promoting availability.
- Improved the program’s processes by designing forms and collecting statistical information.
COLLEGE OF INTERACTIVE ARTS, Vancouver, BC, 2001-2004
An entrepreneurial private college specializing in animation and video game design
Instructional Supervisor (2002-2004)
Promoted to this position to help shape the direction and services of a newly renovated college. Accountabilities included: preparing and organizing accreditation support documents, improving student moral, and assisting in building the schools influence within the industry.
- Prepared and organized the necessary documents to the point where the school was ready for accreditation by the governing agency, including:
- Developing and implementing policies and procedures, performing job analysis and preparing detailed job descriptions through attention to detail.
- Revamping the curriculum through analyzing, researching, and networking with industry experts.
- Recruited industry-experienced instructors on a minimal budget.
Animation Instructor (2001- 2002)
Hired to prepare and organize curriculum documents necessary for the opening of an animation and video game design program at a large college in China after the previous program manager left abruptly. Prepared, taught, and maintained files for various classes on animation principles.
- Prepared and organized the curriculum documents to be sent to China’s Peking University Founder Technology College for the animation and video game design program.
- Helped the student’s improve their portfolio by teaching industry-relevant skills and designing assignments that highlight student’s ability.
MAINFRAME ENTERTAINMENT, Vancouver, BC, 2000-2001
Industry leader in computer generated animation for television and direct-to-video
Animator (2000-2001)
Initially hired as production assistant; promoted after 5 months to position of animator. Created complex animation sequences and managed digital files efficiently under demanding production schedules.
- Actively pursued challenging animation sequences delivered under tight deadlines.
- Consistently met and exceeded weekly quota, while still producing quality animation.
In addition, my resume can be found on-line at " jimmyockey.emurse.com"
Interview Questions Part I
In order to better prepare myself for my job interviews I have began to reflect upon my past experiences and future goals with the following questions and answers.
1. Tell me about yourself
2. What do you feel has been your greatest work-related accomplishment?
3. What is your greatest strength?
4. How do you handle stressful situations?
5. What is the toughest problem you've had to face, and how did you overcome it?
6. Have you ever had to discipline a problem employee? If so, how did you handle it?
1. Tell me about yourself
"I’m looking to get into Human Resource. I have two years experience in various HR roles both administrative and strategic. Prior to returning to school, I developed various administrative and strategic documents necessary for the completion of the accreditation report for a regulatory agency in BC. I’ve recently graduated from university and would love to apply my business degree. I like working with people and enjoy group projects, but am also a self-starter who doesn't mind working on my own. My goals are to obtain my CHRP designation and broaden my experiences with Human Resources. What I am looking for now is a company that values its employees, where I can join a strong team and have a positive impact on employee relations and the organization".
2. What do you feel has been your greatest work-related accomplishment?
"When I arrived at the school there were two small classes of fewer than 10 students each. The majority of the students were from overseas. Unfortunately because of program costs, attracting local students was challenging. At that time the school was registered with the regulatory agency in BC, but was not yet accredited, meaning we could not accept students with government student loans. My job was to prepare the accreditation report for the school. This was challenging because there were no formal documents in place aside from a registration form. Even, the program itself was not documented. So essentially I was starting from scratch. Fortunately, the report requirements are clearly laid out. So, most of my time was spent developing and writing business objectives, policies, forms, and programs and courses. I also needed to analyze and evaluate the existing business and what we offered. I completed the report over a 3 month period and we submitted it for review. As a result we were cleared for an audit".
3. What is your greatest strength?
"I'm good at organizational skills, prioritization and time management. But my greatest strength is my ability to effectively handle multiple projects and deadlines."
"At the college, a particular stressful time was around our open house events. There was a lot of preparing that needed to be done in order for it to be successful. To maintain stress levels, I used time-management skills like making “to do” lists and delegating tasks when possible. I remember one particular time, at the last minute my boss wanted to display our student’s work on the computer screens. However, I didn’t have easy access to the student’s work. I was able to find a few images and animations. However, I made a point of talking to the students and collecting their best work for the next open house".
5. What is the toughest problem you've had to face, and how did you overcome it?
"Being an unaccredited school students were unable to apply for government student loans in order to pay for the program. As a result of the high cost, we were struggling to attract local students. At that time, I was responsible for recruiting new students. As I discussed the situation with my boss, we decided to offer a significant discount on the programs by providing scholarships to talented artists. Our strategy was to hold an art contest and after judging the contestants work and holding an interview the winners would be notified and offered a scholarship. As a result, we were able to gain new students and increase the image of our school".
6. Have you ever had to discipline a problem employee? If so, how did you handle it?
"I remember one of the instructors was constantly coming in late for class. He had been with the school since the beginning and was not satisfied with his personal progress with the company. I knew he needed someone to talk to so I listened to his situation and empathized with him. I then tried to help him see from the student's perspective. I challenged him to be on time and said I would follow up with him about his progress. Unfortunately, his bad habits didn't change. We sat down again, and again I empathized with his situation. However, this time I stated the consequences if his behavior didn't change".
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