上大学城的男生洗手间，发现所有小便器上面都贴了一块小广告牌。我不禁惊讶：现在的广告已经渗透到洗手间，甚至是学校的洗手间了。唉，什么世道！

 

        广告运营商是“汤臣广告”，这个洗手间广告有个挺别致的名字，叫做“几米空间”。很不错的名字，在小空间，用一个小广告框，展示小广告。与“几米”这个词挺切合。

 

        可能业务刚刚起步，还没有企业在上面登广告，于是这些“几米空间”都在做公益广告。不过里面也有对自己的宣传。我觉得这些宣传语很有特色，也让我很有想法，特此记录下来，跟大家分享。

 

        其中一块这样写到：媒体已覆盖会展、食肆、娱乐、医院、写字楼等各大公共场所。在户外媒体极度贫乏的年代，试试我们吧。几米空间。

 

        这个介绍，清晰告诉我们，几米空间的覆盖面很广，的确是不错的选择。不过，我突然想到以下几点：

        1、这句话有点前后不对应。前面说的会展、食肆、娱乐、医院、写字楼等，都是室内的，为什么后面突然来了个“在户外媒体极度贫乏的年代”，反过来讲户外呢？既然覆盖的是室内，就不要突然来个户外作对比，看不出可比性啊。可以考虑改成：在室内媒体极度贫乏的年代。毕竟，几米空间，也是在打造室内广告。

        2、户外媒体极度贫乏？谁说的？现在满街都是广告，居然说户外媒体贫乏？既然“几米空间”做室内广告的，应该是室内贫乏，所以才要用“几米空间”吧？

 

        其实上述1、2两点都不是什么重点，最多就是我玩玩文字游戏而已。关键是“试试我们吧”一种很不负责任的说法。对于广告主而言，投放广告就是希望有效果。投了钱，当然不是希望试试看。什么时候才会“试试”？一般是新事物，而且廉价，试了不行也亏不了什么，这样就会试试。遗憾的是投放广告的成本一般不低，谁愿意试试呢？现在“几米空间”还没开始就抱着“试试”的心态，似乎未战先输了。既然刚才说得自己那么厉害，覆盖会展、食肆、娱乐、医院、写字楼等各大公共场所。为什么不自信点，说自己的效果一定行呢？对自己有信心，才能给广告主信心嘛。可以考虑：在室内媒体极度贫乏的年代，用我们吧，包你满意！

 

        其实洗手间广告真的挺有创意。我突然想，自己去嘘嘘的时候，都在做什么？其他人在做什么？东张西望？观察对比？发呆？哼歌？闭目养神？都有！反正就是消磨时间。那么这个时间有多长？我不知道。我突然有冲动想嘘嘘的时候拿个计时器算一下，可惜一来不方便，二来不雅观，三来没有空闲的手。于是上网查了一下，得到一个这样的说法：健康男性，小便时间在一分钟以内。一分钟能做什么？按照中央电视台的播音员一分钟的播音标准是120至130字。如果不读出来，心理阅读，可以快很多，但是是否有印象，得重新评估。还是保守一点，一分钟也就阅读120字左右。

 

        现在情况就很清楚了：

        1、男人嘘嘘要消磨时间，正常而言，不超过一分钟；

        2、一分钟文字阅读量，最保守也有120个字。

 

        所以，我们在“几米空间”投放的广告，内容就应该如下：

        1、能够让人消磨时间，能够有完整内容让人看完；

        2、如果是图片，至少可以让人在上面研究1分钟；

        3、如果是文字，文字数量可以达到120个字。

 

        这样下来，我们做洗手间广告，才有针对性。

 

        “几米空间”的又一则自我推广广告：正如你所见，几米空间卫生间媒体正以每月数千块牌的数量在广州、深圳、东莞、惠州、佛山等地蔓延。这有可能是继电梯广告之后，广告主最低千人成本，最高记忆度的媒体首选。珠三角二十万块几米空间广告位。

 

        看完这条广告，我又想：洗手间广告的重点不是什么最高记忆性。因为上洗手间是我们必要的，于是在嘘嘘，消磨时间的时候，看广告就成了一个不错的娱乐节目。因为上洗手间的必要性，使得看里面的广告也搭了便车，成为必要性。所以，如果要自我推广，还不如这样说：电梯可以不坐，公车也可以不坐，但洗手间你一定要去。几米空间！

 

        前两天广州有冷空气，于是收到手机短信，大致内容说：广州有冷空气，请注意保温，将信息通知朋友，请发某某到某某号码，信息订阅费每月2元。

 

        看完后我觉得很新鲜。以前我们一直都是自己给自己订阅短信，原来我们也可以帮他人订阅短信。其实原理很简单，就是帮他人开通一个服务，自己付款，对他人而言，是免费的。这样的方式在其他领域也可以看到。例如信用卡，有主卡和附属卡。附属卡持有人进行消费，主卡持有人负责埋单。又例如移动以前也曾经推出一种子母套卡业务。子卡和母卡可以单独使用，子卡获得的电话积分归入母卡，费用也由母卡持有人承担。

 

        这就给我们一种很好的商业理念：不向客户提供服务获得收益，而是向客户的亲戚朋友提供服务，向客户收费获得收益。

 

        这样的商业理念，无形中绕开了更多理性思考成分，让原来的理性消费者可能成为冲动型消费者，也让冲动型消费者可能变得更加冲动。

 

        如果向某个客户提供一种服务，客户要思考的就是该服务对自己有没有用，毕竟受用对象就是客户自己，要考虑的使用者范围也就是一个人，太容易下结论了。然而，现在是向客户的亲戚朋友提供服务，让客户付钱。这就给客户更广阔的考虑空间。客户可能觉得某个亲戚朋友需要，如果这个亲戚朋友不需要，可能又有另外一个需要。也就意味着，客户的思考点不再立足自己，而是更加发散。对服务商而言，增加了服务提供的机会。

 

        同时，这样的手段打出了感情牌。世界上有很多人只爱自己，但同样，世界上也有很多人除了爱自己，也很爱其他人。我们也经常看到这样的人，对自己很吝啬，但对自己的亲戚朋友却很大方。如何把商业理念植入这样的人当中，就是需要打感情牌。这种手段利用人的感情因素，增加了服务提供的渠道。我一直认为，喜欢一个人、爱一个人、关心一个人，都是一个人的事情。你可以喜欢对方、爱对方、关心对方，但不需要理会对方是否愿意、是否接受——当然，如果过激而伤害对方，这就是另外一回事。可是你喜欢对方、爱对方、关心对方，也需要有表达的机会，这种为他人提供服务，自己承担费用的方式就是一种很好的表达。

 

        还有一点，这样的服务收费要让支付者能够轻易承担，就如帮他人订阅短信，一个月也就2元，却给自己的亲戚朋友带来有价值的信息，也表达了自己对他们的关爱，一举两得。

 

        过去我们在设计服务和收费方式的时候，经常都是围绕：向谁提供服务，就向谁收费。其实我们可以跳出这个框框，思考更远一步，包括：

        1、不向客户提供服务，向客户的其他人提供服务；

        2、不向客户收费，向客户的其他人收费。

 

        思考走得更远，才有可能产生更多的新商业理念和模式。这才是创新！

 

 

        大学城一号线上的移动电视有一则广州珠江宽带广告。其中两句广告语很有趣：

        1、我们不是第一，所以我们更努力。

        2、珠江宽带，广州网络第二大品牌。

 

        看完之后我一直在笑，因为觉得经典，广告语当然经典，不过更经典的是抄袭，完全照搬《定位》这本书里面的例子。当然，也不排除从其他地方借用过来。

 

        书里面的例子是这样说的，不过还有原版和改进版。

 

        原版，海报开头写着：Avis is only No. 2 in rent a cars. So why go with us? 海报最后写到：The line at our counter is shorter. Avis是美国出租车公司。刚才那句话是说：爱维斯在出租车行业排第二。那么干嘛还找我们？我们柜台前的队伍比较短。这样的广告太幽默了。其实中外都有“人气”这样的说法，“人气”少的产品服务，消费者一样不敢轻易采用。这样的广告好像在给消费者提供方便，实际就暴露了自己没有“人气”。谁还会选择没有“人气”的服务呢——肯定服务不行，才没有人气。

 

        后来出了改进版：爱维斯在出租车行业排第二。那么干嘛还找我们？因为我们更努力。跟上述珠江宽带的广告基本一样了。别忘了，爱维斯的这条广告是在七十年代出来的。

 

        既然广告策划者借用了《定位》里面的例子，相信也应该看过定位理论，那么应该清楚定位理论一直推崇“做第一”。但是为何后面出现“珠江宽带，广州网络第二大品牌”，反而做第二呢？

 

        当前广告过多，人们每天都受到大量广告轰炸，要消费者记住产品，按照定位理论，最好的捷径就是争当第一。因为第一才会被不断报道，第一才被人们记住。世界第一高峰是什么？珠穆朗玛峰。第二呢？08北京奥运会男子100米冠军是谁？博尔特。第二名呢？我们很容易说出第一的人和事，至于第二就不一定能说处来。第二和默默无闻没有区别。

 

        其实这个广告语利用了两点：

        1、广州网络第一大品牌是电信，这个广告让人们把珠江宽带与第一位的电信联系起来，提升了前者的地位。这叫对比法。

        2、承认自己地位，希望利用人们与生俱来的对弱者的同情，以退为进。

 

        如果珠江宽带通过这个广告获得成功，并不是说他们如何努力，而是把自己与电信联系在一起。不客气说，珠江宽带有没有更努力我们不知道，反正没有人跟踪，于是等于说废话。

 

        其实珠江宽带可以考虑“做第一”，当然要选择好自己的竞争范围和对手。珠江宽频是广州市有线电视的宽带品牌，竞争范围应该在广州。另外，针对接入技术，竞争对手应该是视讯宽带。视讯宽带是广东省有线电视的品牌。既然如此，不妨考虑这样的口号：珠江宽带，广州电视上网第一品牌。

 

        当然，如果想和电信竞争，真的很有难度。除非可以有速度又快，价格又便宜。但是目前珠江宽带可以做到便宜，不过速度也是2M，与电信一样。广告口号可以考虑：珠江宽带，广州性价比第一的宽带。模糊了价格和速度，用性价比突出自己的位置。

 

        其实利用有线电视网络传输，理论上传输率可以很高，不妨再提高一些，例如去到3M，比其他网络都高。然后广告口号又可以变成：珠江宽带，广州速度最快的宽带。当然，实际上有没有3M，没有人知道；甚至可以考虑去到10M，用共享方式接入。这都是数字游戏，这里不方便讨论。

 

        不管如何，我们都可以找到很多“做第一”的方式，既然如此，何必做第二？毕竟第一才会被记住。

 

 

        这两天坐车去大学城上课，看到车上一则电视广告：太太乐蔬之鲜。广告由沈星演绎，里面有几句广告语给我印象深刻：

        1、味精用了一百年，现在我们有了健康味精。

        2、和味精的用法一样，味道更鲜美，也更健康了。

        3、健康味精就是太太乐蔬之鲜。

 

        反正坐车没事做，于是又开始思考：

 

        “蔬之鲜”这个名字一开始挺吸引我，不过后来这句“健康味精”，我就觉得诧异。很小的时候，老师就对我们讲，味精是化学物质，对人体不好。我很小的时候，家里就不用味精了。现在出了个“健康味精”，味精这个化学品什么时候变成健康了？健康与否不是厂家说了算。如果厂家给你说“我们的三聚氰胺是健康的三聚氰胺”，有人信吗？Al Ries和Jack Trout的经典营销理论《定位》里面就说到：你是什么不中重要，重要的是人家认为你是什么。消费者都认为“味精”是有害的东西，厂家还公然挑战消费者的想法，说“健康味精”，直接否定了消费者的想法。人嘛，最怕自己知道的东西被否定。很遗憾，厂家现在做了这个事情。

 

        “和味精的用法一样”，是不是和味精一样有害呢？人们不认识“蔬之鲜”，厂家说到“蔬之鲜”是“味精”，不管是否健康，人们就会自然而然把蔬之鲜和味精联系起来。这是人之常情，利用已有的知识和经验，推导未知的事物。于是，我们很容易有这样的联想：蔬之鲜是味精，味精是化学物，是对人体有害的东西，因此蔬之鲜也是有害的东西。现在问题来了，厂家说“蔬之鲜”是健康的。那么厂家和消费者之间只有一个是对的。是谁呢？肯定是消费者。因为消费者是厂家的衣食父母。

 

        “蔬之鲜”本来是一个很有趣的名字，可能广告策划者觉得这个名字对于消费者而言，不清楚是什么，于是想利用“挂钩”法，把蔬之鲜与一种人们熟悉的产品挂钩，让消费者容易认识，于是选择了“味精”。策划案的出发点很好，遗憾的是调味世界那么多东西，偏偏选择了“味精”，这就不太合适了，毕竟味精不是一个太好的东西。如果实在想不出来，直接说是：炒菜健康调料，让你的菜式倍增鲜味。不过这个广告有点像“李锦记”的酱油广告。又或者说：炒菜健康调料，补充蔬菜精华。后者广告语有点像“脑白金”的广告，什么补锌、补钙之类的。

 

        其实如果真的想用挂钩对比的方式，还不如用“非可乐”法。以前七喜的广告：七喜——不是可乐。把自己与可乐挂钩，但是又突出自己。不过这个广告有个遗憾，就是告诉人们不是什么，没有告诉人们是什么。因此，“蔬之鲜”可以考虑这样说：蔬之鲜——不是味精——是炒菜植物精华。

 

        还有一个画面，沈星举起产品，产品包装左上标注：健康味晶。就是“晶体”的“晶”。

 

        如果结合这个画面，我想上述广告语1、3，应该是这样的：

        今天无意中看到一篇旧文，是11月19日《信息时报》上的一篇报道，题目是《近400贫困生获资助》。

 

        我节选里面一段话：“广州市的6家企业共认捐267.4万元善款，用于资助中山大学、广东外语外贸大学、广州大学、华南师范大学、华南理工大学的近400名的贫困大学生。这批大学生们将在四年内，每年将获得1840元至2000元不等的学业和生活资助。此次，捐赠仪式上还为捐赠人与受助学生之间颁发了“结对卡”，受助学生必须按照结对卡上的地址给捐赠人回信，以便捐赠人监督款项的去向。”

 

        其实看完这篇报道，我挺有感触，不过我就不从道德伦理上过多讨论，反而愿意从商业视觉看这篇旧了的新闻。

 

        现在不少企业喜欢“认捐”。不过认捐不等于已捐。请原谅我小人之心度君子之腹，目前的确有不少企业，利用事件营销，声称认捐多少，等媒体曝光，提升知名度。至于是不是真的捐了，就没有下文。即使款项没到帐，企业也可以说，暂时资金周转有问题，过几天就好，或者说分期捐款，不了了之。

 

        我当然不是说上述6家企业这样作假，毕竟媒体也没有报道这些企业的名字。如果真的为了事件营销，这样绝对亏了。但是我在思考，如果我是企业管理者，如果要进行企业捐款，我该如何处理？

 

        那种具有非常高尚情操，捐款不张扬，低调行事，完全为了回报社会的少数企业，我就不讨论了。 而且这样的企业不应该捐钱的大学生，应该捐给中小学生，让他们参加普适教育。这才是做好事不留名。

 

        我想思考的是那些主要目的在于宣传自己，捐款是手段的企业。如何捐，如何做，才能够让社会觉得自己又高尚，又不用怎么花钱。

 

        说实在，260多万，资助近400位贫困生4年，真的僧多粥少。4年之后呢？260多万用完了，难道再找企业捐款？这样就不是可持续发展了。而且对企业而言，也就是捐款那一次被报道，后面就没有人记得，不符合经济效益。说句不好听，260多万6个企业捐，平均一个企业也就捐40多万。这样下来，一个企业单独每年捐10万，也能被报道4次。

 

        因此，站在企业角度设计捐款方案我会考虑几点：

        1、捐款活动可持续；

        2、企业出名可持续；

        3、除了树立品牌，还应该给企业带来其他利益；

        4、少捐钱，多收益。

 

        我建议，企业牵头捐钱成立一个基金。基金可以以这些企业的名字命名，树立企业品牌。然后找专人士管理基金，钱生钱的方式，把基金的收益的一部分作为捐赠，剩下的收益放回基金，使基金增大。我初步算了一下，即把260多万定期存款，1年利息也有近10万了。这样下来：

        1、每个企业不用出很多钱；

        2、企业出名是可持续的，只要基金还在，企业名声就保持；

        3、捐款活动也可以持续。

 

        当然，这里只是说个大致，具体还有很多细节要完善，很多问题要克服。而且开始的时候，真正到学生手的款项也不多。不过我想，款项少的时候，可以采用竞争方式，重点奖励学习优秀的学生。我会考虑这几点：

        1、大学教育已经不是义务教育、不是普适教育，是出人才的时候了。把有限的资源用于容易出成绩的人身上，出人才的机会相对比较高。这样的情况在很多方面都是如此，包括体育。军事等。即使教育，例如奥数竞赛，最后能够代表国家的，国家专门培养的，还是一些精英而已。

        2、社会发展，优胜劣汰，人人挨饿，结果是人人饿死。大家都想共同富裕，但是可以吗？邓伯伯都说了：让一部分人先富起来。况且，读书学习，已经不是人的低层次需求，是高层次需求了。

        3、企业捐款的时候，别想着自己开心，贫困生说自己愿意要这些钱了吗？说接收捐赠了吗？捐赠和别人接受是两回事。硬要人家接受捐赠，就是满足自己虚荣心，强奸他人的意愿。

        4、我一直坚持，白给的东西，是没有多少人会感恩的。所以我看到这个“结对卡”的时候，心都寒了。

 

        如果觉得这样的方式还不够好，不妨再加一条：给贫困生提供课余兼职工作的机会。当然，要考虑工作内容和工作时间，不能影响学习。说句不好听，就当企业每个月花几百元请个贫困生打杂，一年下来这位学生也有几千元的收益，比纯粹接受捐款要多。

 

        授人以鱼不如授人以渔，给钱学生是给“鱼”，提供工作机会才是给“渔”。我会思考：

        1、学生自力更生，容易珍惜自己劳动的收获。

        2、学生是否感恩，已经不重要了，至少不用在乎所谓的“结对卡”。企业和学生双方都没有社会舆论负担。

        3、企业多了一个选拔人才的渠道，最后行不行不重要，毕竟只是锦上添花而已。也算是除了树立品牌，给企业带来其他利益。

        4、最关键的是，企业少捐钱，多收益。不用出什么钱，就获得良好名声。

 

        我不由想起某次赈灾活动，刘德华没有捐款，但是很卖力出席赈灾演出，筹集善款。他的经纪人解释，刘德华用自己的知名度帮助灾区筹集了善款，这样的贡献远远大于亲自捐款的力度。当然，我不讨论这条信息的真实性，毕竟娱乐新闻出来的。但是这的确是一条很好的“少捐钱，多收益”途径。跟企业不捐钱，提供工作机会，异曲同工。

 

  

        申请信用卡后，经常收到银行打电话来推销保险。上海浦东发展银行信用卡客服就打电话给我推销一个保险服务，内容大致入下：信用卡持有人每月在信用卡扣四、五百元，参加该保险计划。发生意外、疾病等，可以获得理赔。如果20年后，没有出现任何意外、疾病等，这20年每月扣的钱，可以全部赎回。

 

        这个保险服务属于储蓄保险，客户不用“花钱”就享受了保险服务，但是客户的利息就没有了。银行就是通过零利息获得客户的资金，用这些资金投资或者借贷获利，这就是这个业务的商业模式。

 

        如果我是上海浦东发展银行，我就会这样改动：20年没有出现任何意外、疾病等，这20年每月扣的钱，加上利息，可以全部赎回。至于利息是多少，得计算一下，但是至少比银行活期高，应该要达到定期利息。这样的方式，对客户而言是又能享受服务，资金又能增值。

        上海浦东发展银行信用卡客服给我打电话，开场白大致如下：陈先生您好，之前您成功申请一张麦兜信用卡，到现在已经一个多月了，我们想调查一下您对该卡的使用情况，希望听取您的建议和意见。听完开场白，我觉得很新鲜，少有银行问我信用卡的意见。

 

        虽然一直没有使用该卡，既然人家问到，还是多少说点：这张卡很好，终身免年费，可惜只能在银联消费，不支持Visa或Master。客服马上接过话题：您可以申请我们的WOW信用卡，该卡可以支持境外消费。

 

        本来我还想继续就信用卡功能聊几句，说说自己的意见，但是客服突然转话题：其实这次我们给陈先生打电话的主要目的，是向陈先生推荐一份我们尊贵客户专享的全球保险服务。

 

        在介绍这份保险的时候，客服一直强调全球服务、免费等，把该服务与一般健康保险、意外保险区分。内容这里暂时不讨论。

 

        介绍完后，客服又补充：该保险服务是我们给尊贵会员的特别优惠，市场上是没有的，我们之前联系的客户，一致认可，都已经享受了该服务，陈先生您是我们的尊贵会员，也采用我们的服务吧。

 

        这样电话，我不是第一次收到了，不过我还是很欣赏他们的营销：

        1、懂得声东击西，不是开门见山说卖保险，而是说客户体验调查，获取用户的信任，有继续交流的余地，不会过快被拒绝；

        2、懂得顺水推舟，客户说某种产品有缺陷，马上推销另外一种产品；

        3、懂得阿谀奉承，动不动就把客人提高到尊贵地步，让客户飘飘然，失去理智；

        4、懂得自卖自夸，强调自己优势，尤其把全球服务、免费这些有杀伤力的词轰炸客户；

        5、懂得借刀杀人，借舆论压力，圈子压力，让客户就范。

        6、懂得先斩后奏，说完一大堆，趁客户还没反应，也不等客户考虑，马上想帮客户下决定。

 

        很好的营销流程，也是很经典的流程。如果一般非理性消费者，或者愁着有钱没地方花的人，或许已经采用了这个服务。至于我，对这样的营销已经免疫了，而且我是理性消费者，加上又是愁着有地方没钱花的人，结果不言而喻。

 

 

---

Quite simply, an official offer of employment comes in the form of a letter or document inviting you to accept a specific post. It should be signed by someone in authority, eg a director or manager of the organisation. It is possible that you will receive a telephone call to offer you the job in the first instance, or be told on the day of your interview, but remember until you receive something in writing the offer is not legal. A formal written offer should include the following information:
• your name, and the name of the employing organisation;
• the date of the offer;
• the job title and department/location;
• salary details;
• period of notice required for either party to end the contract;
• your start date (or it may state that this is negotiable).

 

It may also give:
• your hours of work;
• your holiday entitlement;
• details about pension schemes, bonuses, salary reviews, company car schemes and other benefits.

Telephone or write as soon as possible if there is any information you feel you need before accepting the job.

Conditions
The offer may be conditional upon a number of things:
• satisfactory references from your nominated referees;
• a satisfactory medical examination, because of the nature of the work or as a means of meeting the requirements of the company's pension scheme;
• a specific classification of degree. This could be a requirement of the employer or an associated professional body if professional training is part of the job. If you don't make the stated grade, don't assume that all is lost; contact the employer to discuss the situation;
• satisfactory completion of a probationary period. The time should be specified;
• acceptance by a given date. This can pose problems if you have other applications in the pipeline.

---

Timing
A common problem for finalists and graduates can be the timing of offers. The employer of your dreams is running later than expected in completing its selection process, but you have an offer from another, less preferred, organisation. Should you cut your losses and secure the offer you have, or take a risk, turn it down, and wait for the one you really want? The following pointers may help.
• It is worthwhile going to see a careers adviser, re-examining the options and weighing up the pros and cons of each. Think beyond starting salaries and look at the total packages being offered. Firm A might offer you a generous joining bonus, but Firm B might offer better training and prospects in the long run.
• Contact your preferred employer and ask how far they have proceeded with your application and when you are likely to hear of their decision.
• Contact the employer who has made you the offer and ask if they are prepared to extend the acceptance date.

• Don't accept an offer that you feel unhappy about. You have successfully secured one offer - you can do it again.

It could be the case that you have an interview approaching with an employer who you view on equal grounds as the one making the offer, but would still like to go to the interview to find out more. Explain to employer A that you have another interview and, in order to make a fully informed decision, you would like to attend. If the interview with employer B is several weeks away, contact them explaining that you have another offer and can the interview be moved forwards. As long as you keep both employers informed and work to reach a decision as soon as possible, they should be happy. It can cost a company over £10,000 to recruit a single graduate, and it is important for recruiters to secure the right candidates. If they do insist on your making a decision quickly, you might ask yourself whether you want to work for an organisation which is pressuring you to make a hasty and ill-informed choice. Remember, however, that you can't stretch their patience forever - they need to know your decision so that they can offer the position to someone else, if necessary.

Multiple offers
If you are fortunate enough to have several offers, and there appears to be little between them, you may need to revisit your original list of needs and reflect these against the current offers in terms of location, company culture, approach to training, how you felt at interview, and so on. It is probably worth trusting your instincts, but you still have time to do some extra research if it will help you to make a better decision. Again, talk the situation through with a careers adviser if you can.

Try to answer these questions
• What are the responsibilities, pressures and demands, both intellectual and physical, of each job? Does the work that you will be expected to do conflict with your values?
• Will you be given training? Few employers expect you to be 100% effective from the start and most expect to train you while you are working for them. What form will the training take? Who pays the fees? Is study leave given where appropriate?
• What will the salary be? How much of your salary will be commission or performance-based? Are there shift allowances or overtime payments? Are there any fringe benefits? What are the opportunities for promotion and salary increases?

Remember that if you accept a job, and later find you have made the wrong decision, all is not lost. Applying for other jobs in the light of this experience and with a greater knowledge of your needs usually results in a positive outcome. After all, if you were successful in being offered a job which you did not, in retrospect, want, you should be able to obtain the job that you really do want and to which you feel your skills, experiences and values are best suited.

---

Accepting an offer
A contract of employment has two parts:
• the letter offering you the job;
• your letter of acceptance.

Write to thank the person making you the offer, mentioning any reference number they have given you and enclosing any information that has been requested. You should also mention the date of the letter and quote the full job title and the starting date if stated. Say that you wish to accept the offer and that you are looking forward to starting work with the organisation. Keep a copy of this letter as, along with their letter, it forms your contract of employment. As the word contract implies, if you accept the offer you are making a legal undertaking. You should not accept a job with the intention of rejecting it later if something better turns up.

 

Declining an offer
If, after serious thought, you decide that the job is definitely not for you, write back thanking the organisation for the offer and politely declining it. You might find yourself working with or even applying to that organisation again at a later date, so it is worth remaining on good terms. Try to send the letter as soon as possible so that they can offer the job to someone else.
 

---

If you are concerned about not being invited to attend for interview, look critically at your CV, application forms and covering letters. Are you making it clear that you know what the job you are applying for involves? Have you a reasonably clear picture of the sort of person the employer is likely to be looking for? Are you being unduly modest about your accomplishments? You cannot change your history but you can:
• expand it, rearrange it, or alter the emphasis;
• acquire more relevant experience by taking new courses or taking part in voluntary activities or temporary jobs;
• read the Making Applications for more details;
• make an appointment to see a careers adviser.

 

Sometimes you have to accept that an employment area is very competitive and that your particular qualifications and experience are insufficient to get you in. It may be necessary to undertake more research, perhaps arranging to meet people in the field to get their opinion of your qualifications and strengths.

It is better to send a limited number of good applications than to flood the market with more generic efforts. Have you been focused enough in your approach, or have you, at a more basic level, not really thought hard enough about what you want to do? If recruitment in your chosen profession or industry operates through a network of contacts, you may have to consider starting at a more junior level than you would normally expect in order to find out about possible openings. Having carried out your review, you will then have to decide whether to rethink your career ideas or just rethink the strategy for gaining entry.

 

---

If you are getting invited to interview you can safely assume that, on paper, employers consider you capable of doing the jobs for which you have applied, but that once at interview their opinion is changed in some way. There are two areas to consider here - are you able to back up and substantiate in person the messages you have given in your applications, and are you presenting a professional, confident image at interview? Look again at the sections in this booklet on preparing for interview and ask yourself whether you have been making adequate enough preparation. Be honest with yourself and replay in your mind some of the answers you gave, particularly the ones you found more difficult. Be very honest with yourself and consider whether you are actually pursuing the right career.

It is always worth asking an organisation for feedback after an interview; at worst they will say no, and at best you will receive a detailed critique of your performance. It may be that the impression that the interviewer formed of you strikes a chord with your own reflections, but it may be that they have rejected you on entirely different grounds, which you can now address. If it isn't obvious how you can improve your performance in future interviews, visit your careers service and see if an adviser can run through the interview with you. It may be possible to arrange a mock (or practice) interview with an adviser, so that you can discuss where you're going wrong. These are sometimes videotaped, so that you can see yourself in action afterwards and learn from any mistakes you are making.

---

It's worthwhile making some notes of your own, whilst they are still fresh in your mind, about areas in which you did well and areas where in retrospect you could have done better. Most firms who ask you to selection centres will give you feedback on your performance. If you were faced with a similar situation again, would you react differently and how could you demonstrate the qualities which they were looking for?
 

Some companies run a series of extended selection procedures (assessment centres) each lasting one or two days, and sometimes longer. Usually these are after the first round of interviews and before making the final selection, but they can be used as an initial selection process. They are usually held either on company premises or in a nearby hotel, and are considered by many employers to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff. This is because they give a number of different selectors a chance to see you over a longer period of time than is possible with a single interview, and the chance to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations.

Assessment centres typically include a number of elements.
• Social/informal events, where you could meet a variety of people, including other candidates, the selectors, recent graduates and senior management. This is an excellent opportunity for you to find out more about the organisation and to ask questions in a more informal setting. Although these events may be billed as informal, and not part of the assessment process, behave in a way that reflects well on you. Avoid any excesses of food, behaviour and alcohol, and don't use drink as a crutch for failing nerves.
• Information sessions, which provide more details about the organisation and the roles available. Listen carefully, as it is likely to be more up-to-date than your previous research. If you are unclear about anything, ask. It is often good to have a question prepared for these sessions, but make sure it is a sensible question and not one that has already been covered. Asking inappropriate questions just to get noticed does not impress the selectors.
• Tests and exercises designed to reveal your potential.

Selectors at assessment centres measure you against a set of competencies, and each exercise is carefully designed to assess one or more of these areas. Do not worry if you think that you have performed badly at any stage; it is more than likely that you will have the chance to compensate later on. It is also worth remembering that you are being assessed against these competencies and not against the other candidates, so rather than trying to compete against them, make sure that you demonstrate the qualities the organisation is looking for. Remember that assessment centres are extremely expensive to run and that you have already come a long way to be invited - you may have as much as a one in six chance of being selected.

Ask if careers service delivers aptitude tests or run presentation skills workshops and look on employer files for information about the exercises used. If you have a disability which could affect your performance in any of the exercises mentioned, you might wish to discuss the matter with the employer prior to attending the assessment centre.

'Above all you can actually enjoy this sort of thing -really. The assessors just want to get to know you and see how you react to different situations'.

---

You are still likely to encounter either one-to-one or panel interviews at assessment centres. These are likely to probe any doubtful areas that may have emerged at a first interview, so it is worth reflecting back and thinking about how to handle them. Interviews at this stage are likely to be much more in-depth than those you experienced during the first stages of selection, and could be with someone from the department/division to which you are applying, or even with the person with whom you would work if you got the job. Questions may refer back to your first interview, to assessment centre activities or to aptitude test results; be prepared to be challenged on your answers, but keep calm, consider your answers, and avoid being defensive. You may be asked many of the same questions that you were asked at first round. Don't assume that your interviewer is familiar with the answers you gave at that stage, but treat this subsequent discussion independently. Whatever the type of interview, the same principles mentioned earlier apply.

---

These are timed tests, taken under examination conditions, designed to measure your intellectual capability for thinking and reasoning, particularly your logical/analytical reasoning ability. More and more organisations are using these tests at a much earlier stage in the selection process and it may be that you are not tested at the assessment centre itself. The tests should be carefully designed for the role for which you have applied, and are meant to be challenging, but do not depend on your having prior knowledge or experience of that role. It is more important to get the right answers than it is to finish. Most tests are designed so that only very few candidates both finish and get the correct answers. Most tests are multiple-choice in format, and you should be given sample questions with your letter of invitation.

Before the testing session begins you have the opportunity to work through some example questions, which are not taken into account when the tests are marked, but are there to ensure you understand what is expected of you.

If English is not your first language or if you are dyslexic, you are advised to declare it before doing the test, as the organisation might be able to allow you extra time or grade your results more appropriately. Test materials can be adapted for the visually or hearing impaired, but you need to alert the assessors of your circumstances in advance.

Practice tests are available on the websites listed in the Information sources, and may be available through your careers service. These give you an indication of your likely performance as well as familiarising you with the types of questions posed. Whatever your experience:
• pay careful attention to the instructions;
• ask for clarification if you don't understand the examples;
• work as quickly and accurately as you can;
• skip over any questions you get stuck on, but make sure that you record the answer to the questions in the correct boxes;
• practise working without a calculator as you may not be allowed to use one, and revise basic mathematical operations if you haven't done numerical work for a long time; your careers service may be able to suggest some useful books.

Personality inventories
These assess what you are like as a person and how you might react in different situations. They are not usually timed, have no right or wrong answers, and are often used to help ensure you would fit into the employing culture and to identify a working situation which would suit you. You cannot practise for these tests, but you should answer honestly and avoid trying to second-guess correct answers. There are several personality inventories available across the Internet, but these are of variable quality and won't, in any case, affect your performance in a recruitment situation.

---

In this kind of exercise you are given a set of papers relating to a particular situation and asked to make recommendations in a brief report. The subject matter itself may not be important; you are being tested on your ability to analyse information, to think clearly and logically, to exercise your judgement and to express yourself on paper. 'The exercise was very time-pressured and I made the mistake of reading all of the information given before starting to write anything down. I got the impression that not all of the info was supposed to be relevant and that they were testing our ability to sift through written material to extract the most important things.'

---

In this type of business simulation exercise you are given a heaped in-tray full of company memos, telephone and fax messages, reports and correspondence, together with information about the structure of the organisation and your place within it. You are expected to take decisions on each item: deciding priorities, drafting replies, delegating tasks or recommending action to superiors, and so on. The exercise is designed to test how you handle complex information within a limited time, and gives you the chance to show you have the communication and planning skills necessary for the job. Some organisations also want to know why you have made certain decisions and may ask you to annotate items in the tray or discuss your decisions later.

---

You may be asked to prepare a short talk for presentation to the other candidates and/or the selectors. Sometimes you are asked to bring a prepared presentation to the assessment centre, but usually it has to be prepared on the day. You may be given a subject or have completely free choice; it can be worthwhile to have a brief presentation on a subject dear to your heart already prepared. Whatever the case, try to avoid talking about anything too commonplace or technical. Remember that you could be asked supplementary questions, so it needs to be a subject on which you have further information to hand. Again, the subject matter is not necessarily important in itself; the organisation wants to know whether you can structure a talk and put information across effectively.

• Plan your presentation carefully along A-B-A lines: Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you've told them.
• Limit your points to no more than six main messages.
• Pitch the level of your talk at your audience and keep it clear. Don't give too much detail.
• Support your ideas and themes with anecdotes, examples, statistics and facts. Don't be afraid to use humour appropriately.
• Aim for a conversational delivery and talk from notes, rather than memorising or reading from a full script. You may find it helpful to fold or cut notes to hand size (5"x 4" index cards are just right).
• Make eye contact at some point with all members of the group.
• Talk to the group, not at it.
• Keep to time. Bear in mind that your nerves can speed you up or slow you down on the day.
• Speak clearly, don't gabble or mumble, and talk louder than you think necessary.
• Be aware of your body language and don't fidget as you talk.
• Try to get someone to listen to you talk beforehand, so you know if you have any annoying habits, or if you repeat words like 'OK', 'er...' or 'you see' too often.
• If you are using an overhead projector, avoid walking in front of the screen, or reading the transparencies out loud to your audience. Refer to them by all means, but let them illustrate/back up/summarise what you are actually saying -images are generally more effective than words.
• Handle any questions using the mnemonic, TRACT - Thank the questioner, Rephrase the question for the rest of the audience, Answer the question to the group, Check with the questioner that they are satisfied, and Thank them again.

If you have been asked to prepare a presentation beforehand, make sure that you do and practise it in front of an audience. Even the most confident presenters come unstuck if they have not prepared sufficiently.

---

Most graduate jobs involve you working with other people in some way, and most assessment centres involve a substantial element of groupwork. Whether you have to complete a practical task or take part in a discussion, the selectors are looking for your ability to work well with other people. It is important to remember that good teamworking is not necessarily about getting your ideas taken forward, but listening to, and using, others' ideas. There are some basic rules to follow in this type of exercise.
• Get a good grasp of any information you are given, but don't waste time on minute details.
• In the light of the information given, decide your objectives and priorities, then make a plan and follow it.
• Be assertive and persuasive, but also diplomatic.
• Remember that the quality of what you have to say is more important than how much you have to say.
• Actively listen to what everyone else has to say, through nodding, smiling and eye contact, and try to get the best contribution from everyone in the group. Don't assume that shy or quiet members have nothing to contribute.
• Find the balance between taking your ideas forward and helping the group to complete the task set constructively.
• Keep your cool and use your sense of humour.
• Make sure the group keeps to time.

Don't be put off if a member of your group takes over and dominates the conversation not allowing anyone else to have a say. The worst way to deal with this type of candidate is to try and compete and shout over them. A better way of dealing with the situation is to listen to what they have to say and then calmly suggest that other members have some input too. Even if this doesn't stop them the selectors will have heard you trying to include all members of the team, which will reflect well on you, much more so than just making your voice heard.

Group activities - practical tasks
As a group, candidates may be asked to use equipment or materials to make something - a paper clip and pipe cleaner bridge capable of taking a golf ball from one table to another, for example. The selectors are more interested in how the group interacts than in the quality of the finished product, but they are also assessing your planning and problem-solving skills, and the creativity of your individual ideas. As with any group activity, get involved - however silly you consider the task to be.

Group activities - discussions and role plays
You may be asked to take part in a leaderless group discussion, or in a more formal role-playing exercise where you are given a briefing pack and asked to play the part of a particular person. The assessors are looking for your individual contribution to the team as well as your verbal

communication and planning skills. 'Everyone was given a different company to represent, all of which wanted money from a central charity fund. We had to hold a board meeting to decide which were worthwhile in the area (we were given some information about this) and which met the criteria, and how much to give everyone.'

---

For most candidates, an assessment centre represents the final round of selection activity, although some employers might invite you back for another interview or round of interviews. It is normal for an organisation to let you know when they expect to have made a decision and how you will be notified of that decision. Do not be afraid to ask if this has not been made clear.

---

(Example from a major graduate employer)

Preparation
• Visit the website and read our recruitment brochure and any other recent information you can about us.
• Draw up a list of your main strengths, particularly those which you feel may be applicable for the area to which you have applied.
• Consider any areas that could be improved and think about how you will address them.
• Think of questions you may want answered at this stage.
• Plan your journey carefully so that you arrive in plenty of time for the start of the assessment centre.
• Try to make conversation with other candidates - it will help you when it comes to the group exercises if you have already formed relationships.

What to expect
• You will be one of six to eight candidates and four assessors - these are usually managers from the part of the business to which you have applied.
• You will be interviewed, asked to take part in a number of exercises, and given a numerical reasoning test. The exercises will be based on the type of work for which you have applied.
• The exercises, usually undertaken with a number of other candidates, will take the form of an in-tray or case study exercise, a presentation and a group discussion.
• At the end of the assessment, we will ask you for feedback on the process. This will have no impact on any decisions we make about your performance and we will encourage you to be honest in your comments.

Your performance
• You do not need to prepare for the assessment centre - we are not assessing what you know, but how you think. Be yourself - at your best.
• Listen carefully to the instructions given to you at the start of the day, and always read the information you are given carefully.
• Not everyone is good at certain exercises, but remember that the assessment centre will give you a number of chances to meet our criteria.
• Remain focused and motivated for the whole day. You will find it tiring, but we will be assessing your level of motivation throughout the assessment centre.
• You are not in competition with the other candidates, but with pre-determined criteria; it is quite possible that every candidate will achieve the standard, in which case offers will be made to all.
• Have fun and enjoy the day!

You will learn
• About how you react in different situations - you may identify strengths of which you were not previously aware.

• More about the company - recruitment is a two-way process. You will have the opportunity to talk with the assessors, and to meet a number of young graduates with whom you can talk informally over dinner. The dinner is not part of the assessment but will give you a chance to learn what life in the company is like and whether it is for you.
• More about the type of activities in which you may be involved if you are offered a position with us - the assessment is loosely based on samples of real work.

Criteria
We will assess your performance against predetermined criteria that we have identified as being important in our organisation:
• interpersonal skills;
• team working skills;
• communication skills - both written and oral;
• leadership skills;
• time management skills;
• listening skills;
• motivation and enthusiasm;
• data analysis skills;
• decision-making skills;
• influencing skills;
• creativity;
• integrity;
• initiative.

 
        陈欣版权所有，欢迎传播，请注明作者"陈欣(Sincere Chen)"和出处"www.sincerechen.com"。