Organisation: Victoria University
Job Title: Student Service Liaison Officer
Word Limit: 1 page per criterion
Location: Footscray Park Campus
Knowledge and/or education/training equivalent to: An Associate Diploma level qualification with relevant work related experience or a certificate level qualification with post-certificate relevant work experience is required; or completion of an Advanced Certificate and extensive relevant experience and on the job training; or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training.
With almost two years of relevant experience in a Student Advisor role, and my recent completion of a Graduate Diploma in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems as well as holding a Bachelor of Information Technology, I have acquired the skills and knowledge that are necessary to undertake the duties of Student Services Liaison Officer with Victoria University.
In my current position as Student Advisor with Open Universities Australia (OUA), I provide first point of contact to university clients, particularly current students via telephone or face-to-face meetings. I am proactive in my relationship with clients and have established a loyal client base. Utilising my superior customer service skills, I assist students with their enrolments, help them to plan their studies and answer any questions in regards to studying with Open Universities. Further responsibilities that I have include:
• The creation of brand awareness, promotion of TAFE and Higher Education Programs to maximise sales and enrolments. This involves utilising materials from the marketing department and providing information and career options to clients in relation to the courses OUA has on offer.
• Working efficiently and effectively in accordance with quality assurance obligations in order to meet and exceed set key performance indicators.
• Volunteering under the guidance of the marketing and communication team at expos to represent and promote the university.
• Communicating effectively with, and building positive relationships with other departments and stakeholders within the university.
• Providing clients with updated university information in regards to the 21 partner universities of OUA.
My current position requires me to demonstrate considerable judgement when responding to client queries, as I have to balance being informative, honest and helpful with trying to steer the customer towards decisions that would not only benefit them but also be positive for the university. An example of this is when I negotiate with students to add on extra units to their current study which creates increased revenue for the university.
Throughout my studies I have gained valuable knowledge and skills in the areas of:
• Understanding and taking account of social consequences of work and acting in accordance with the codes of professional conduct and practice.
• Effectively applying methods, tools, research skills and techniques to implement and manage correct information products and systems.
• Thinking creatively and critically to provide productive solutions to issues.
• Effectively using computer hardware and software.
As a result of my studies, I am also skilled in the areas of enterprise resource planning systems operation and enterprise resource planning project management, with the ability to drive the flow of information between all internal business functions while managing connections with outside stakeholders.
Experience working in a client service environment and demonstrated high level customer service aptitude and skills.
Throughout my career, I have worked in client service environments and have demonstrated achievement in and enthusiasm for the provision of high quality customer service. I am experienced in providing superior customer service that is timely, accurate and professional via email, telephone, internet and face-to-face meetings and I have been the recipient of numerous testimonials from students, thanking me for my outstanding service.
I currently work as a student advisor for Open Universities Australia (OUA) which involves a high volume of client contact. I regularly liaise with students, their families, academic staff and key stakeholders to ensure their needs and goals are met. My responsibilities include building rapport with students in order to determine their needs and career goals and providing relevant advice as to how they can reach their goals through the courses OUA has on offer. When communicating with clients I focus on listening to their needs, and respond appropriately. I believe strongly in educating myself in the business of my clients, as I believe this individual approach assists in developing appropriate solutions, and this demonstrates to the client that their needs are important and that they come first. An example of this was an instance when I was providing support and advice to a student in regards to his career path. He had attended the meeting with his mother who was very impressed at the high level of service and advice that I was providing. As a result of this, she ended up enrolling into the same course as her son as she was excited about the prospects the course could provide for her future.
Additionally, in this role I am required to demonstrate high levels of customer service when processing applications for undergraduate courses and recognition of prior learning (RPL) applications. This involves liaising with a number of departments throughout the university, including administration, OUA provider universities, academics and the students themselves. I must ensure that all documents are completed accurately prior to submitting them to the relevant provider university, which involves open and clear communication with the students. It is also my responsibility to check the students RPL status and ensure they are enrolled into the desired course and appropriate credits are applied. Due to the diverse range of clients that I deal with on a day-to-day basis, I have confidently developed and increased my skills in customer service which enables me to maintain the highest performance standards.
In my previous role as Outbound Call Centre Operator with Country Energy, I was required to interact by phone with current and potential customers and identify sales opportunities with new and existing customers. I was also required to make calls to customers who had questions or concerns related to their purchase experience or product use and when problems arose on customer accounts. This role involved utilising my high level customer service skills in order to build a positive rapport with customers to assist me with meeting sales targets.
I have also been trained in customer service at a McDonald’s store. McDonalds is a company renowned for providing superior levels of customer service. It was my responsibility to ensure that I delivered the highest level of customer service, in a clean and safe environment while adhering to McDonald’s policies and procedures. As a result of my exceptional customer service, being a leader in the restaurant, exceeding McDonald’s employee standards and receiving compliments from customers I was successful in receiving recognition and was awarded with Crew Member of the Year.
Demonstrated ability to work in a small integrated team, and contribute to the continuous improvement of the team.
Supporting productive working relationships, I have demonstrated myself to be an active team member with a proven track history of cultivating relationships and building trust to enhance productivity and achieve improved workplace communication and team relationships. I have built excellent relationships with students and staff members at Open Universities Australia (OUA) and many previous colleagues with whom I remain in regular contact with. I often attend tertiary information sessions and expos with co-workers which have proven to assist in sustaining ongoing relationships.
Throughout my employment history, I have demonstrated my ability to work effectively in teams, in fast changing environments and have consistently achieved personal as well as company goals. On numerous occasions I have provided constructive suggestions to teams that I have been working with in order to produce accurate work and achieve set deadlines. As a team member, I am mindful of my role and the roles of others to ensure successful outcomes. I have been part of teams that take a problem-solving approach to tasks and have helped formulate action plans. In such situations, I enjoy the ability to work together to brainstorm ideas. In my current position as student advisor with OUA, I meet with other members of the advisory team twice per week in order to discuss new ideas for improving productivity. We have recently come up with some incentives to promote continuous improvement; such as providing gift vouchers to the top performer of the week and running team competitions where the winning team receives a free lunch sponsored by the university. This helps to foster an environment where we all work collaboratively to achieve common goals.
Additionally, I have been involved with the student success hub team through each study period at OUA in my role as student success advisor. The student success hub team is required to contact new undergraduates and guide them through their first steps of success. Recently we were proposed a target of 3000 new students who needed to be contacted within the first three weeks of their studies. Working together to achieve this goal, we managed to contact them in two and a half weeks which gave us some extra time to recontact those students who were not available during the first contact attempt. Campaigns such as this bring team unity followed by the positive aspect of celebrating when set goals are achieved. I am committed to being a positive contributor to the team in order to bring desirable success to the university.
I was selected for my role as customer service representative/trainer with McDonald’s based on my ability to work as part of a team, as teamwork forms a large part of the company training programs and performance appraisals. In order for the restaurant to operate efficiently, it was important that I worked well with all members of the restaurant team and that we worked together, following the systems in place to ensure that the best quality food and service was provided to customers. In this role I worked with others to achieve results and engaged those around me by demonstrating a positive attitude and commitment to achieving results. I ensured that I made a personal and constructive contribution to my team and readily involved others to accomplish individual and team goals.
Demonstrated ability to source and communicate relevant information based on interpretation of rules and standard procedures for the resolution of customer enquiries.
Throughout my employment history, I have demonstrated a high level of problem solving skills and research/analytical ability including the ability to obtain and interpret information and make specific recommendations.
In my current role as student advisor with OUA, I am often required to identify key facts in an array of information. I utilise my skills to recognise when pertinent facts are incorrect, missing or require supplementation or verification. I actively distinguish information that is not pertinent to a decision or a solution. An example of this is when I dealt with a cross-institutional student who wanted to participate in second year unit online with OUA. I was required to search for the appropriate study unit based on instructions given by the student’s current provider. I read the unit outline, compared it with units OUA had on offer and provided the best solution by suggesting a similar unit for the student to partake in. In keeping with OUA rules and standard procedures, it was my responsibility to ensure that the student had written approval from their current university and obtained copies of transcript to verify that he had completed the first year units to fulfil pre-requisite requirements. As a result of my ability to source and communicate the relevant information to the student, he was able to submit his application to the course coordinator who approved his status to enrol with OUA.
In another instance in my role as student advisor, I worked with a student who had called to enquire about a Bachelor of Nursing degree. Due to the fact that OUA no longer provided this degree, I utilised my ability to source information on a university that could deliver this course to the student. I obtained relevant information from the client to relay to the new provider university to determine whether or not she met the entry requirements. Due to the fact that she did not meet the requirements, I liaised with the new provider university to obtain relevant information on courses she would be required to complete to gain entry. I communicated this information to the client and suggested some bridging courses that she could complete with OUA that would give her relevant qualifications to later enter the nursing course.
In my role as library worker with the University of Ballarat, I provided a responsive and innovative service when providing information for the resolution of customer enquiries. I was responsible for providing collection, services and facilities to support the learning, teaching and research programs of all university staff and students who were on campus and at partner universities. As well as providing a range of services, including lending resources and responding to IT and library reference queries, I was also involved in the provision of information literacy programs and support with the aim of encouraging staff and students to develop lifelong learning abilities through independent research, information acquisition skills and knowledge. I often assisted new students by providing information and instruction on how to use the printers and other equipment in the library or how to access WebCT; an online virtual learning environment.
Additionally, in my role as Outbound Call Centre Operator with Country Energy, I was often required to source and communicate relevant information for customers in relation to matching competitor’s prices. In line with company policies I would obtain the relevant information required to make a suitable comparison of prices. I could then relay this information back to the customer so they could easily make a decision as to which provider to sign up with.
Demonstrated computer literacy in the use of a range of applications, including: word processing, database, spreadsheets and multimedia systems.
Demonstrating a high level of attention to detail, I offer advanced technical and computer skills, with the ability to acquire new skills quickly and easily. I am proficient using various software and systems including:
• Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Front Page, Works & Access.
• Skilled in the use of Windows XP, Vista, SalesForce CRM, SAP CRM and Oracle.
• A wide variety of telephone systems.
• All internet and email applications.
Duties and responsibilities I have undertaken that demonstrate my highly developed computer literacy skills include:
• Account management – utilising Excel spreadsheets to keep track of student account details and to ensure they are contacted when necessary.
• Developing academic plans – using MS Word to provide an accurate record of student goals and degree requirements.
• Typing of minutes, letters and correspondence – using MS Word to collate the information and MS Access to distribute it.
• Emails – using MS outlook on a daily basis to send emails, check calendars and make to do lists to prioritise tasks.
• Generating reports – using Excel Spreadsheets to generate reports used during team meetings.
• Research – I utilise the internet to research relevant information, policies and legislation.
During my studies at Victoria University and University of Ballarat, I often utilised Microsoft PowerPoint to support both group and individual presentations. I used PowerPoint to combine text, graphics and multi-media content to create professional presentations. By using PowerPoint I could improve the clarity of my presentations and it assisted me with illustrating my message and engaging my audience. While studying at Victoria University I worked with a study group who created a presentation on how CRM systems create values to customers.
The completion of a Bachelor of Information Technology with University of Ballarat has provided me with the skills and knowledge to design and implement up to date computer-based systems, including those related to internet technology, multimedia and web-based applications. This program has provided me with fundamental knowledge of IT along with skills in key areas including cloud computing and mobile application development.
In all of my employment positions I have quickly developed a reputation as someone with a high level of computer literacy and I regularly help colleagues with some of their basic computer needs. For example showing colleagues how to perform mail merges in Microsoft Word and assisting with the design of spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel.
My practical experience combined with my knowledge gained from university study clearly demonstrates my high level of computer literacy in the use of a range of applications, including word processing, database, spreadsheets and multimedia systems.
Demonstrated ability to manage and practice duties within limited time constraints and confliction demands.
As a self-motivated, results orientated professional, I take responsibility for achieving outcomes and meeting targets while managing and practicing my duties within limited time constraints and confliction demands. My ability to manage time, set priorities, possess vision and plan and organise my own work has been clearly demonstrated throughout my employment history. I have been regularly required to meet objectives within time constraints, conflicting demands and within budgets as well as manage a number of tasks simultaneously to meet agreed outcomes.
Throughout my employment history, I have been committed to demonstrate my highly flexible approach with the ability to work on multiple tasks simultaneously and handle frequent interruptions with completing deadlines and changing work priorities. Dedicated to ongoing improvement, I believe it is important to challenge the ways of working on a regular basis in order to determine if there is an improved way of performing a task that can deliver highly priorities work first.
In my role as Student Advisor with Open Universities Australia (OUA), in order to optimise my organisation and time management, I prioritise my workload to ensure I meet deadlines by creating a “to do” list each morning and rescheduling them as needed throughout the busy working day. I have used various tools to organise my work, including the MS Outlook diary, reminders and to do list. As I am a liaison contact person between the university and students, I can often face problems and pressures daily which are proficiently maintained by remaining highly organised.
Additionally in my role as Student Advisor, I am required to maintain a high level of flexibility when dealing with student enrolments as students can often change their minds at the last minute in regards to their study path. There have also been instances where with the deadline for enrolments approaching, students have not submitted their relevant documents on time. I have taken it upon myself to follow this up with students to ensure they don’t miss out on a place with OUA. Hence there is an apparent need to consider enrolment time limitations and any potential hold-ups to achieve maximised client service levels.
When receiving phone enquiries from current or potential students at OUA, I am required to adhere to average talk time (ATT) requirements in order to meet set KPI’s of the department. This requires ensuring that queries are resolved within twelve minutes, providing the call is not in relation to a complaint. The ATT is measured from initial greeting and ends when the call is disconnected. I am required to pay attention to the student enquiry queue, as well as responding to emails at the same time. I have often been commended on my ability to meet and exceed this KPI.
While employed at McDonald’s as a customer service representative/trainer, I often demonstrated my time management and organisational skills. Working in a fast-paced environment, it was important that I met the needs of the customers by simultaneously greeting customers, taking their orders, transmitting them to kitchen staff and presenting their meals within a set timeframe. It was important to manage and practice my duties with adherence to the quality and work standards of the chain. I also gained valuable event management experience through the involvement with McHappy Day, raising funds for children suffering with cancer and the FIFA World Cub sweep event.
Well-developed interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
A confident and experience communicator, I possess well developed interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills which can be demonstrated throughout my employment history. I have communicated with internal and external stakeholders, both verbally and in writing on a daily basis. This has included clients, students, university educators and representatives as well as members from my direct team.
Throughout my career, I have assumed a high level of responsibility that has demanded exceptional communication, including customer enquiries and complaints, developing academic plans, working closely with senior management as well as facilitating and attending staff meetings. I strongly believe that effective communication is the most important issue in any organisation and needs to be clear and concise. I have demonstrated interpersonal skills that are of very high standard, paving the way for performance appraisals by supervisors, who have commended me on many occasions for my clear speaking manner, understanding and empathetic attitude whilst performing my duties.
In my role as Student Advisor with Open Universities Australia, one of my duties is to respond to cases by email and telephone. I am required to liaise with students from a diverse range of backgrounds. When dealing with complaint cases, I ensure that I ask questions and listen carefully to determine exactly what the student wants me to do. Often, just listening to the complaint is just as important as doing something about it. I ensure that I repeat what the student has said, to check that I have understood and I am aware of what they want me to do. In instances when I cannot solve the issue directly I am required to participate in inter-departmental communication in order to attain a solution for the student’s complaint. There have been occasions when I have not been able to do exactly what the student would like me to do. In such situations I have clearly outlined the alternatives and what I am capable of doing. Dealing with complaints professionally and tactfully fosters positive relationships and helps to maintain a positive reputation of the university.
I have also participated in student success campaigns where I have assumed responsibilities such as; guiding the new undergraduate students on how to commence their studies, mentoring them on essay writing and referencing as well as how to navigate the university’s blackboard system. This has allowed me to expand my communication skills and gain confidence in presenting to a diverse range of people.
My role as Outbound Call Centre Operator with Country Energy relied on my well developed communication skills, the ability to speak clearly at an appropriate pace, convey information succinctly, present key points and write in an uncomplicated manner. In this role I developed the ability to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds and gain their trust to foster and maintain ongoing relationships.
University study has given me systematic training in communicating professionally in writing. The quality of my work is demonstrated by my consistent achievement of credits/distinctions for assignments across both Information Technology and Enterprise Resource Planning Systems. Through the submission of assessments I have clearly demonstrated my commitment to rigorously editing all of my written work prior to submission.
In addition, through my participation in regular student advisor meetings with OUA, I have also developed skills in preparing succinct and accurate minutes on a regular basis. As a result of these diverse experiences, I can contribute the ability to communicate in writing at a very professional level to this role.
Demonstrate capacity to implement OHS policies, procedures and safe work practices.
I recognise the supreme importance of a safe and healthy work environment, and always endeavour to play my part in promoting one. I have read the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 and do what I can to put it into practice in the workplace. My current workplace at Open Universities Australia (OUA) has a well-defined OH&S policy framework. Each employee is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of themselves and their colleagues, and all work is performed in accordance with the requirements of the OH&S policy and procedures. I’ve attended regular training sessions in safe work practices including manual handling, correct workstation setup, risk and hazard identification, and the reporting of accidents or incidents.
OUA promotes regular self-audits where any risks or hazards are identified and appropriately dealt with. All team members share the responsibility of these audits. In one instance, I identified a fault with an air-conditioning that was situated above my desk and not compliant with a safe working environment. The unit was making an unusual noise and the temperature would often drop. This went on for over a month and caused me to fall ill with a lung infection. My colleague at the workstation next to me also suffered health issues. After returning to work after being ill I took initiative and arranged a meeting with our OHS consultant to report an incident. As a result the air-conditioning unit was repaired to ensure optimum health and safety outcomes. After the repairs, my own health and that of my colleagues significantly improved.
In my role as Student Advisor with OUA, I have been required to complete certificates and training to ensure that I am up-to-date with current and ongoing changes within the university in regards to OHS policies, procedures and safe work practices. This training has included:
• Equal Employment Opportunity for Employees.
• Alcohol and other Drugs in the Workplace.
• Work Health and Safety.
• Office Ergonomics.
More generally, I am always on the lookout for unsafe work practices such as obstructions to walkways, spills on surfaces that might become slippery, and heavy items being lifted in a manner that is likely to cause injury. My view is that if responsibility for OHS is shared by everyone then it is very easy to comply with.
While working at McDonald’s, there were many health and safety procedures that I was required to adhere to, with the emphasis on providing hot, quality food products that were free from chemical, physical or bacterial contamination. I had to ensure that I washed my hands regularly, used the appropriate tongs for the food products, using separate vats for vegetables, meat and fish, keeping the food warm at temperatures that reduce bacterial growth, using cones and dry mops when mopping the floor just to name a few. Through identifying workplace hazards I assisted to eliminate and minimise risks to health and safety.
Willingness to commit to Victoria University’s values which are:
• Values – Access, Excellence, Respect
• Behaviours – Engagement, Collegiality, Courage
I understand that Victoria University’s values underpin the vision and mission and are integral to guiding the implementation of the strategic plan. I am committed to empowering students from diverse countries and cultures, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds, to be successful lifelong learners, grow their skills and capabilities for the changing world of work and encourage them to be confident, creative, ethical and respectful local and global citizens.
I am prepared to do this through:
• The promotion of Victoria University as an accessible and friendly university to students and staff from diverse countries and cultures, socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as to industry, government and community partners.
• Committing myself to provide excellent services in education, research and knowledge exchange.
• Demonstrating respect for others from diverse countries and cultures, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and for the natural environment.
In living out these values, I am prepared to encourage and demonstrate the following behaviours in the pursuit of the university’s vision and mission:
• Being proactive in building relations with industry, government, community and other education and training providers for the mutual benefit of the partners and the university.
• Demonstrate collegiality and teamwork with fellow students and staff.
• Align myself with Victoria University’s mission with courage, boldness, innovation and agility.
I would be proud to be part of one of Australia’s leading professional and vocational universities and I see this as an opportunity to establish a lifelong career for myself where I can provide superior levels of customer service to both current students and other university stakeholders while representing the university in a highly professional manner.
Demonstrated prior experiences in a tertiary education setting, prior experience in a client focused role, prior experience using a CRM.
Through tertiary studies that I have completed and whilst undertaking practical employment at Open Universities Australia, University of Ballarat and Australian Technology and Management College I have gained 7 years of relevant experience in tertiary education settings. My experience has involved being both a client of a university and an employee which has provided me with valuable insight to assist me in undertaking the role of Student Advisor in my current role at Open Universities Australia (OUA). I have experience in the areas of admissions, enrolments, fees, assessments, completions, student systems, government reporting, training and innovation in a tertiary education setting.
My passion for helping others, making a difference and a dedication to enhancing student experiences at university coupled with my skills and experience makes me an ideal candidate for the role of Students Services Liaison Officer with Victoria University.
In all previous employment positions I have gained valuable experience in client focused roles which has involved having direct client and customer contact on a continuous basis and I have often been the first point of contact for clients and customers. In my current position as Student Advisor with OUA I work collaboratively with the Student Advisor team to provide first contact enquiry resolution and referral services for current students while ensuring best practice customer service to the university community and external customers. I have worked one-on-one with students to mentor them on university policies, regulations, programs and procedures and have developed academic plans that satisfy degree requirements. In previous roles customers have been the main focus of my work having provided quality customer service face-to-face in taking orders and serving meals and over the phone while working as an Outbound Call Centre Operator.
My in-depth understanding of university history, culture, values and strategic agenda coupled with my ability to ensure that a high quality, efficient and effective service is provided to all clients of a university makes me an ideal candidate for the role of Student Services Liaison Officer with Victoria University.
I have prior experience using a Customer relationship management (CRM) system to manage customer data and customer interaction, particularly in a tertiary education setting. In my current role as Student Advisor with Open Universities Australia I have gained exceptional skills in the use of Oracle PeopleSoft and SalesForce CRM. I effectively utilise these systems to collect, compile and process student related records to support management reporting and the maintenance of the data collected on these systems. Demonstrating my commitment to ongoing learning and development I have commenced a SalesForce CRM System Administrator Certificate which will provide me with the skills and knowledge at a technical level to enable me to further contribute to the success of university. While studying for my Graduate Diploma in Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, I gained skills and hands on experience in the use of SAP CRM.
I have the skills and the confidence to efficiently and effectively a range of CRM systems which coupled with my intermediate computer and IT skills makes me an ideal candidate for the role of Student Services Liaison Officer with Victoria University.
