Student Admin. Officier Key Selection Criteria

MARY HIGGINS: EXPERIENCE AND ESSENTIAL SKILLS

As a mature student I undertook and attained a Degree in Management and Food graduating in 1996. I returned to insurance as a supervisor and subsequently general manager. All of the roles I have undertaken in the last 13 years have demanded excellent time management and the ability to prioritise to meet deadlines. They have also required attention to detail and accuracy. For example: a head house keeper ensures all rooms have been prepared to a precise and rigorous standard; a field supervisor vouches for the accuracy of the entire census in her region; lunchtime catering must deliver on time or go out of business; an insurance manager has myriad tasks and constantly judges what to do next. As a supervisor and manager I was responsible for drafting correspondence and reports for my superiors in relation to client accounts and additionally correspondence and reports for my own accounts. Accuracy, either written or oral, together with attention to detail are of paramount importance to a successful brokerage. During my years in insurance I have worked at a senior level responsible for teams of officials. I have extensive experience in liasing with directors/proprietors both within the work place and with clients. In my own business I dealt with individuals every day both customers and suppliers. Additionally I prepared business lunches for groups of people. As part of the Census and after a period of training Field Supervisors were expected to manage their team of ten to ensure critical deadlines were met whilst maintaining the integrity of the census. As head housekeeper I successfully worked with and supervised a diverse ethnic workforce to tight deadlines. I used a variety of specialised database/diary/word processing programs during that time (eg Relay) to co-ordinated personal and commercial business. When I ran my own business I used Word to design my menus and for correspondence. I used Excel for billing and my financial statements. I set up e-mail as the primary contact with customers both for ordering and billing. As part of the Census 2006 I had to submit weekly reports to my Regional Field Supervisor by e-mail. As head housekeeper I prepared monthly staff rotas on Excel and I ordered linen/cleaning chemicals weekly by e-mail. All of these roles have afforded me a wealth of administrative and financial experience in a variety of workplace environments.

During my career I felt I thrived because I could manage my time effectively and use my initiative and judgment to get the best out of each and every member of my teams and to ensure I contributed as much as possible to each organisation. I have learnt how important it is to be fair but firm and consistent when dealing with those in my charge. With all colleagues I feel I am considerate, flexible and amenable. I am meticulous, efficient and very organised and take great pride in ensuring my work is done to the highest standards. I feel I have very good interpersonal skills and believe my experience in a variety of organisations would allow me to contribute significantly to the success of the Assessments and Graduations Group at Deakin College.