Organisation: Queensland Building and Construction Commission
Job Title: Senior Executive Assistant
Word Limit: 2 Pages Maximum
Location: Brisbane Queensland
Please accept my application for the position of Senior Executive Assistant (Job No. QLD/194696) as advertised on the Queensland Government Smart Jobs careers board. Leveraging off a successful career in real estate spanning over 18 years, I have extensive experience delivering comprehensive and superior customer service in a commercial environment. With a strong background in office management, administration and sales, I possess an impressive skillset that will allow me to successfully carry out the duties of the position and support the QBCCs strategic plans and objectives. In accordance with the QBCC application process, I have outlined my knowledge, skills, achievements and experience below.
Communicate with others in a warm and helpful manner while simultaneously building credibility and rapport
Throughout my career, I have assumed a high level of responsibility that has demanded exceptional communication skills, including supervising staff, collaborating with key stakeholders, facilitating meetings and acting as the first point of call for customer enquiries and complaints. This is best demonstrated in my current role as a Real Estate Salesperson where I have been commended on multiple occasions by both clients and colleagues for my warm and helpful manner and empathetic approach to daily interactions. A good example of this occurred recently when I negotiated a sale on behalf of a client who had recently lost her husband. During this highly emotional time, I acted in the interests of the client at all times, building credibility and rapport to ensure the best possible outcome. Following the successful sale of her property, she expressed her appreciation for my compassion and patience in helping her to deal with the legal and practical problems and providing her with great comfort and assistance.
Accustomed to liaising at a senior level, I am comfortable consulting, negotiating and providing authoritative information and advice within the scope of my role as evidenced by my successful track record in property sales. Confident in using my initiative and sound judgement to manage or escalate problems and requests, I am able to recommend an effective course of action, or assist in any way I can to ensure the smooth operation of the department. Utilising good listening and interpretation skills, I am able to engage others and influence outcomes in order to build relationships that are formed on trust and respect. With the presence, experience and gravitas to represent the organisation at all levels, my ability to interact with a diverse range of people and situations will make me a great asset to the QBCC.
Display confidence when dealing with others as well as well-developed interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
A confident and professional communicator, I have developed the innate ability to tailor my communication to my audience in order to deliver relevant information to suit the needs of the enquirer. I possess superior oral and written communication skills and the ability to interact with stakeholders at all levels, supported by my experience delivering information in the form of contracts, reports, meetings and professional correspondence. I strive to meet stakeholder needs through effective questioning, active listening and careful analysis of information as well as the provision of services and solutions in accordance with organisational guidelines. Testament to my well-developed communication skills, I have received multiple endorsements from clients in relation to my high level of integrity, negotiation and interpersonal skills, in addition to my strong commitment to the customer. My skills in this area have been particularly valuable in real estate sales where I act as the liaison between clients, property owners, contractors and solicitors, lending me the ability to facilitate cooperation and form meaningful partnerships to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes. My ability to communicate effectively in writing has been developed through extensive experience in a corporate environment. This has provided me with systematic training in professional communication and the ability to prepare complex documents and correspondence that meets the needs of all parties, such as representation contracts and purchase agreements. Effective communication is the most important issue in any organisation and I endeavour to be clear and concise at all times to mitigate the risk of confusion or misunderstanding; common factors that may lead to conflict.
Set and manage competing priorities, plan workloads, meet deadlines and achieve outcomes through the efficient use of time while maintaining an eye for detail and focusing on getting things right first-time
Throughout my employment, I have demonstrated superior time management and organisational skills across a range of valuable functions, including administration services, regulatory compliance and stakeholder management. The nature of the real estate industry means that change in the workplace is inevitable and I have regularly demonstrated my ability to remain flexible, adapt to uncertain circumstances and successfully manage conflicting priorities. For example, due to regular changes with the realestate.com.au platform, I am often required to learn new systems and processes quickly and efficiently, and adapt to rapid advancements in technology. With experience utilising a wide range of contemporary systems, databases and programs, I am confident in my ability to acquire a strong working knowledge of Sharepoint or other programs relevant to this position to maximise the efficient use of my time.
Committed to achieving quality outcomes, I pride myself on providing a high level of accuracy and attention to detail in tasks encompassing customer service, program delivery, project management, data entry, computer operation and report writing. As a self-employed professional, I have extensive experience monitoring and actioning my own workload to uphold a high standard of work and overcome any challenges. Using short and long-term planning techniques, I organise my tasks in order of importance and deadline; however, I remain aware of the need to be flexible and cope with shifting priorities. To do this, I implement strategies such as utilising Microsoft Outlook to prioritise workloads, schedule meetings and keep track of daily, weekly and monthly routines. Additionally, I prepare agendas, take minutes in meetings and produce action lists to ensure that all duties are completed within the allocated timeframe.
Work independently with minimal direction and collaboratively in a team environmentThroughout my career, I have built a reputation as a collaborative team player with a proven track record for consistently going beyond the required levels of day to day business activity. With a high degree of self-motivation, I am able to lead by example and take full accountability and ownership for achieving positive work outcomes within a diverse team environment. Committed to team performance and often assisting others, I remain responsive to the demands of the department and am prepared to work overtime or complete additional tasks to ensure all work is completed in accordance with key performance indicators.
Acting as a valuable and productive member of the team, I understand that the quality of the service I provide directly affects the service levels of other departments. I encourage and provide feedback to create an environment that is conducive to sharing ideas and responsibility, seeking input and recognising contributions made by each individual. Making the necessary effort to contribute to regular meetings and forums, I remain up-to-date with employer objectives and am able to constructively challenge business issues and justify my own position to verify my ideas and beliefs. While I thoroughly enjoy working within a team, I also relish the additional challenges that come with working independently with minimal direction as demonstrated through my success managing my own real estate franchise.
