I AM…
April 22, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
“I AM…BORED!” by Nicola Christoffersen
Graduates who are new to the working world often face difficulties in adjusting to the work environment. During the adjustment and learning phase, it is natural to feel nervous; particularly while the work-load is low.
During these times, they key is not to get disheartened. One of the biggest challenges faced by new employees is a feeling of boredom. Boredom can simply be a mis-communication between employer and employee. Like any relationship, expectations need to be made clear from the outset. From the first few days in a business, both parties need to be clear about what they each expect from the other.
If you are new to a company, the first thing to demonstrate is a positive working attitude. Attidue is everything. Many skills can be taught, and employers will enjoy teaching a willing participant. The “go-getter” is likely to receive extra investment from an employer, often because they are vocal about their needs. Proactivity is key.
ProGrad have placed thousands of graduates over the years and we’re graduate employers ourselves. “Graduates require constant stimulation and fresh challanges. I don’t believe they get bored easily, however they do require some clear goals to achieve. More importantly than that, there needs to be a level of reward upon achieving those goals”. Davinia Noble, General Manager, ProGrad Pty Ltd
“Most employers recognise the value in recruiting young talent into the workforce, and are willing to invest heavily in the long term development and success of those individuals. That said, it is essential that candidates are being proactive in driving their own careers. Boredom is unacceptable in the workforce. If you’re bored, then change it. Take initiative, speak to your manager and set new personal and professional goals. Take a proactive and positive approach to changing the way you feel in the office environment”, Davinia adds.
Here are a few tips if you want to kick boredom in the workforce:
1) Be proactive and organise a time to meet with your manager to ask for more responsibilities
2) Set clear and defined goals to achieve and allocate time frames in which you would like to achieve them
3) During face to face meetings with management, approach them with clear, well considered plans which you would like to achieve. Most employers will be impressed by these actions and will assist to prepare something more formal ongoing.
4) Don’t dwell on it. Boredom is an attitude.
If you would like to speak to ProGrad about any of these suggestions, please contact the Graduate 
Management Team on 02 8235 8300
Alternatively, you can email info@prograd.com.au
ProGrad 3 Minute Presentation
March 11, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
The 3 minute presentation:
During the ProGrad Assessment Day, you are asked to deliver a three-minute presentation titled, “Why should we select you for a career in business to business sales?”
This presentation should be prepared in advance of the day to ensure you do well. Here are some hints and tips which might assist you in preparing.
When you enter the presentation room, you will be faced by a panel of assessors and clients. As soon as you walk into the room, they will put three minutes on the stop-watch and your time begins. Your presentation should be well structured and well rehearsed. You are welcome to use palm cards or notes if that makes you feel more comfortable. Often, we see candidates using visual aids (such as handouts) which can really leave an impact with the panel. Please bear in mind that with so many presentations being viewed, it can work well to take a unique approach.
There is a title of the presentation which does need to be addressed. Please do talk about the reasons why you feel you are suitable for a career in business to business sales. Do some research about what a role in B2B sales involves and then discuss why you feel it would be a suitable career path.
ProGrad are able to offer assistance with your presentation prior to the day and therefore we encourage you to send us your speech in advance so that we can assist you as required.
If you have any questions about the 3 minute presentation which needs to be prepared, please contact one of the ProGrad Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300.
Interview Questions
March 5, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
Employers are always going to ask a series of questions in an interview, and you will have a lot of time to talk about yourself. The trick is finding the right balance. You need to speak honestly and truthfully about yourself in a pragmatic yet friendly manner. Always be conscious not to waffle around an answer.
Depending on the interview style, you may come across some “behavioural based questions” which are quite common. These are the types of questions which start with, “Give me an example of a time when….”
There are literally hundreds of these questions which you will be asked. Be prepared for them, and try to have a few answers rehearsed.
Interviews are indeed a two-way process and therefore you must also ask questions in an interview. Always try to prepare a few to take with you, and think about what you need to know. When you leave an interview, you need an idea of whether the role is right for you. Think about what that means to you, and position your questions around that. For example, think about asking questions about the market, the company, the teams, the people, the role, whatever you feel is important to you.
Don’t necessarily rely on the interviewer to tell you everything about a role. In accepting a position you really need to know everything about it. If you haven’t questioned effectively in an interview, you might take a role which isn’t appropriate for you.
A good interview will last between 45-60 minutes and should leave both parties feeling confident with the information discussed. If ever you are finding interviews are only lasting 20 minutes, it means there is room for improvement.
ProGrad is a specialist graduate recruitment company working with over 600 companies across Australia. For more information about our process, please contact our ProGrad Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300.
ProGrad are looking for Young Achievers
December 17, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
ProGrad have placed over 2,000 graduates in the last 4 years in Australia and in that time have had some huge successes with our placed graduates. We are often hearing wonderful feedback from their managers, and occassionally from the graduates themselves - however we don’t hear enough!
In 2010, we’re launching the ProGrad Young Achievers awards ceremony which is designed to highlight top performance of our candidates and acknowledge superb achievement. We are encouraging entries from many different industries and we’re already starting to have entry forms returned.
If you would like to enter this awards ceremony, to be held in 2010, please click on this link:
http://www.prograd.com.au/Contacts/Contacts/Young%20Achievers%20Entry%20Form-502.aspx
Please ensure your application form is complete by 14th January 2010 as our panel of judges will be reviewing the applications at the end of January.
We hope you will be a part of this fantastic evening and we look forward to seeing you there.
Davinia
What exactly is a career in sales?
September 9, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
ProGrad have a core activity in placing graduates into business to business sales roles across a variety of industries….but what exactly is a sales job? Is it all about telemarketing and knocking on doors?
In a word…no. Its not about that at all. Many people have an exposure to selling at an early age, when sitting at home hearing parents tell the telemarketer to “bugger off”. That is what is called “business-to-consumer sales”, and is not our core activity at ProGrad.
Business to business sales is essential for all companies. Every organisation will have overheads (think about office costs, staffing costs, bills etc) and to cover these costs (and make some profit) they need to sell. Easy.
Everything around you is sold from one business to another. Look in a magazine, and you’ll see advertising. That advertising was sold business to business. At ProGrad, we utilise technology systems and telecommunications equipment. That was all sold to us from another business.
When you visit a retail outlet to do some grocery shopping, the merchandise has likely come from another business. When you go to the pharmacy, and pick up your prescriptions…they were sold business to business.
It truly is overwhelming, and just goes to show that businesses NEED to sell. All corporations need to sell their services or products in order to sustain turnover. It is the most important facet of any company…and one could argue, the most important department to be working within.
Many of the senior management teams of organisations (large and small) will have started their career in business to business sales. Where better to learn the fundamentals of buying and sales cycles, than in the role yourself.
At ProGrad, we work with over 500 companies and the majority of our roles are within B2B sales. These roles offer candidates an ideal grounding to launch into management roles or other areas within the business. That said, when you’re one of the highest earners in the business, its hard to understand why you’d want to move to another department!
For more information about ProGrad and the roles available, please contact us on 02 8235 8300. Or, you can email us at info@prograd.com.au
ProGrad…ready for Graduation Time!
September 9, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
Whilst we are recruiting for Graduate positions all year-round, we always notice a huge rise in applications received at prime graduation periods. With November on the horizon, we would be keen to hear from those candidates soon!
In order to beat the November/ December rush - please contact the ProGrad team on 02 8235 8300. We will discuss the process from here to ensure that your application is dealt with, and not put into a long waiting queue.
Prior to being proposed to any ProGrad roles, it is essential that each candidate has passed the ProGrad assessment day. To be considered for an assessment day, please contact the ProGrad graduate management team on 02 8235 8300.
ProGrad looking for Graduate Account Exec - Media Company
September 9, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
- Recent University Graduate Required
- Diverse Roles and Responsibilities
- Opportunity for Fast Progression
Located in Chatswood, Our client is a market leader in developing sales aids and finance schemes for business equipment suppliers. Vendors including Leap Legal, Canon and Toshiba use this organization to assist in increasing their sales and profitability and most importantly customer retention.
As a ProGrad graduate, you will asume the role of an Account Executive and will be responsible for sourcing new business opportunities, engaging with customers and driving sales. Working closely with the Directors your key responsibilities will also involve:
• Identifying and qualifying new business opportunities
• Training and managing existing vendor partners
• Visiting customers
• Settling finance contracts
• Providing quotations
Our client is looking for a recent graduate who is commercially minded with strong numeracy skills. It is essential that the graduate has excellent communication skills and the ability to influence and persuade others.Having had great success with this organisation in the past, the manager is a ProGrad graduate themselves, ensuring you have a great mentor who has been through the process also.
The successful candidate will receive:
• Excellent support
• Industry and sales training from ProGrad
• Opportunity for careers progression
• Excellent remuneration skills
This is a fantastic opportunity for a recent graduate with an interest in media, publishing or marketing to join a market leading organisation. If you are looking for a role where building relationships, then this could be a great position.To be considered for this role, you need to have passed a ProGrad assessment day. To be considered for an assessment, please apply immediately by calling the ProGrad office on 02 8235 8300. Alternatively you can email us on info@prograd.com.au
The 80/20 principle
September 9, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
During some analysis of ProGrad’s revenue stream, we came to realise very quickly that 80% of our organisation’s revenue is currently coming from our existing client base, and only 20% of the revenue can be seen from new business development.
It is a principle which has been utilised in business for years, and yet we have tended to assume it didn’t apply. ProGrad have always had a strong focus on new business development, and that will never change. That being said, it has certainly alerted us to the importance of effective account management, especially during the economic downturn. It is our existing account base which has really been an area where we have seen great growth opportunities.
ProGrad are an assessment, placement and training company with over 500 clients in Australia. We have had the pleasure of working with some of Australia’s leading organisations and ensuring their junior roles are filled with high calibre University graduates.
ProGrad certainly intend to ensure even higher levels of customer service can be delivered over forthcoming months, especially during these critical times of uncertainty.
A little bit certainly does go a long way.
If you would like to hear more about ProGrad, please contact us on 02 8235 8300.
Calling ProGrad Graduates!
September 9, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
ProGrad are looking to profile some of our biggest successes over the last 4 years and would love to hear from you. If you were placed through ProGrad over the last 4 years and have a story to tell, please let us know. We are looking for several “young achievers” who can be profiled by ProGrad to understand some of the reasons behind their success.
This type of information is essential when putting together information for potential graduate employers. So, if you feel as though you are an example success story, please contact the ProGrad Graduate Management team now on 02 8235 8300.
Graduates Training Feedback
August 7, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
ProGrad is an assessment, placement and training centre that aims at assisting recent university graduates in securing a full time position within a fast growing international company. Once we place graduates into client partner companies of ours, we invite them back to attend 4 training courses in their first year of employment.
ProGrad Module 1: An Introduction to Professional Sales and Marketing is a 3 day course that is run to assist graduates in learning the business basics such as time management, goal setting and how to build a strong pipeline.
Below are some comments that were left by Sydney ProGrad graduates who attend the Module 1 course in July.
“Kingsley is an engaging and extremely likeable speaker. The course gave me a clearer sense of understanding and also actually really motivated me to set achievable and measurable career related goals.” David, ProGrad Graduate.
“The trainer made it easy to participate and very engaging. Excellent use of real life credible examples made it really interesting.” Jess, ProGrad Graduate
“The workshop was very much applied to the business world and the examples used were very beneficial. I found the course overall to be very enjoyable and memorable.” Lucas, ProGrad Graduate
Here at ProGrad the more feedback we receive the better! If you have recently been through a ProGrad training course, please feel free to let us know what you thought of the course by calling the ProGrad Graduate Management team in Sydney on 02 8235 8300.
If you are interested in attending a ProGrad training course, please visit our website for more information at www.prograd.com.au