| A
new Chair for Greater London Region |
|
As Colin Linton takes up a new post this month
on the CIM Board of Trustees, he is obliged to stand down as GLR
Chair. As we say goodbye and thank you to Colin, we also welcome
Mocky Khan who will be standing in the role until the next election.
Mocky has been Vice-Chair of GLR for the last 18 months.
 A
word from your new GLR Chair:
“I feel very privileged
to be taking over from Colin. He‘s had a very positive impact
on the Region and under his leadership, the profile of GLR has
risen with better quality events, sponsoring local business awards
and liaising with the local branch teams. He’s going to
be tough to replace, but I never shy away from a challenge!
The Institute is going through some exciting times and I believe
that with my commercial experience, my understanding of marketing
and my familiarity with The Institute, I can help move central
plans forward and also develop resources for members in the Greater
London Region.
My key aim as Chair will be to engage and interact
with members – from students to board level marketers –
by making The Institute a key partner as they progress up the
career ladder. I also want to strengthen relationships with businesses
of all sizes in the Region – as well as with other trade
and professional bodies. I believe that all institutes like ours
can learn from each other for the benefit of members.
To make GLR the premier region, I ask for continued
support from a great Board and contribution from all GLR members.
Please feel free to get
in touch and send me your ideas and opinions on what your
Institute should be doing for you.”
I look forward to hearing from you.
Mocky Khan, CIM
GLR Chair |
New
Vice-Chair
Long-time
Board Member and former Central London Team Leader Steve Revill
will be taking on the role of Vice-Chair to support Mocky. |
New
West London Team Leader
Louise Elliott will be
taking over Mocky’s role as West London & Heathrow team
leader. You can say hello to Louise at the West London team’s
Meet
and Drink event on 5 June in Hammersmith. |
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| CV
yourself as you really are… |
 Telling
lies on your CV is becoming common practice. According to new
research from The Risk Advisory Group, one in four job-seekers
have put porkies on their résumé. Inflated job titles,
increased salaries, length of service, grades and qualifications
are the areas most frequently embellished by candidates.
The increase in fake CV content is another symptom
of the huge competition in today’s job market. Since it
is a criminal and sackable offence to ‘make pecuniary advantage
through deception’, it must be blind determination or sheer
desperation that drives job-seekers into the realms of CV fiction.
But who can blame us for being tempted to the dark
side? We’re told that a professionally-crafted, thoughtfully-designed
CV is the job-seeker’s frontline weapon. It has to look
good, sound great, make you leap out from the crowd – all
within 10 seconds reading. Let’s face it - there’s
only so much you can do with clever design and creative copy.
The facts remain the facts, and good recruiters are trained to
sift these out.
So what can we use to enhance our CV without troubling
our conscience – or the law? “Anything you can
provide evidence for will make recruiters sit up and take notice”
says Yngve Traberg at ClickATest, an online assessment centre.
“Avoid puffery and stick to the facts. You’ve got
to demonstrate that you’re as good as you say you are. Of
course have a CV that reads well and looks good but back it up
with hard evidence of your actual skills and strengths”.
| Viewpoint
from Yngve Traberg at ClickATest:
“Psychometric
tests are hugely valuable in helping people decide on a
career change. Many people wonder ‘Can I handle a
big change? Have I got what it takes to measure up?’
Since issues like these depend on attitude and commitment,
psychometric tests are just about the only way of finding
out. It's a lot safer to take a test and be reassured than
take the plunge into uncertainty and battle to keep confidence.”
|
Skills tests and psychometric assessments are two
ways you can enhance your CV and voluntarily prove up front that
you’re everything you say you are. Assessments and tests
such as numerical or verbal reasoning are a more usually part
of the recruiter’s toolkit, not the candidate’s armoury.
"But there’s nothing stopping innovative job-seekers
doing these tests for themselves and using them on their CV. As long as the tests reflect the job criteria, they are solid proof that you can perform as expected and psychometric
personality assessments can show that you are right for a role,
giving your CV an authentic head-start".
So instead of waiting for a recruiter to ask you
to sit a test, consider putting yourself through one voluntarily
before you apply. There are free tests available but you will
need to buy the more widely recognised ones such as Myers Briggs
Type Indicator. Consider it as an investment in your career. Plus
once you’ve done the test you will be able to use your results
or profile for subsequent job applications, and even at review
time. |
Free
online tests
www.cim.co.uk/professionaldevelopment
Get a free personality test from PeopleMaps.
www.practicetests.co.uk
Some interesting background on psychometric testing and a few
free tests.
www.psychometric-success.com
A non-commercial site with information on psychometric and aptitude
tests. 50 free downloadable practice tests.
www.clickatest.co.uk
UK’s largest online selection of ISO 9001-2000 skills-based
tests. |
Job-seeking?
Come to this Chartered Institute of Marketing event
23 June: Charter
Your Way to Career Success in Marketing,
Central London |
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|
Win a Personal Psychological Profile
worth £30! |
|
We’ve got 10 free Personal Review tests
(worth £30 each) to give away to GLR readers.
 This
online test from UK test experts ClickATest provides a psychological
profile of you with general recommendations for maximising your
potential. It determines what kind of professional you are, how
you tend to behave in a work situation and what you could do to
increase your output. View a sample.
 Win
this Personal Psychological Profile and get:
- a review of your personal style
- a summary of your basic personality traits
- a snapshot of typical behavioural patterns at work and in relationships
- an assessment of preferred working environment and principal
beliefs
- advice on the most efficient ways to realise your personal
potential
- suggestions as to which responsibilities are most appropriate
to consider
|
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| What’s
so good about Marketing Management anyway? |
|
 Are
you wondering if marketing management is right for you? Maybe
you’ve recently achieved your marketing qualifications and
wondering about the next step forward. Or are you a new manager
finding it tough? Whatever your reasons for thinking about a management
career, take your time considering the pro’s and cons and
decide if it’s the right path for you.
What’s good
about management: the 5 P’s
|  “There’s
nothing quite like the feeling that, as a manager,
you’re helping others get ahead in life. When
I see one of my team get a buzz from a successful
campaign or project, I get a buzz too. Knowing you’re
helping others develop their careers and seeing them
progress makes everything worthwhile.”
Steve Revill
FCIM
Marketing Director, Feltham |
People
If you like people, being with them, talking to them, getting
to know them, getting the best out of them, helping them
achieve their potential, you may enjoy being a manager.
A manager’s primary role is helping other people with
their own work.
Pride
When someone you have developed goes off on their own and
becomes successful, you can take a certain amount of pride
for having helped them get started. And when it all comes
together, when all your people are pulling together toward
the same targets and setting new records it can be a great
feeling.
Power
While managers do have functional authority over the people
in their groups (such as setting deadlines and targets)
it is often not the kind of heady Dr Evil power you can
enjoy for its own sake. A manager is as powerful as his
or her team is successful. If you agree with this idea,
you could find management highly satisfying. Managers get
a broader picture of the business they work in and more
strategic planning control leading to greater job enjoyment.
Pay
Management or supervisory positions usually offer better
remuneration and benefits than non-managerial positions.
In some cases however in-depth knowledge or specialist expertise
is rewarded much more highly, even in the absence of direct
reports. Generally speaking however marketers get paid more
as managers, especially those who hold qualifications from The Chartered Institute of Marketing. See The Institute’s
last Marketing
Reward Survey.
Prestige
We value titles. ‘Senior Brand Manager, Worldwide
Marketing’ may sound more impressive than ‘Research
Specialist’ but titles can be deceptive. The Brand
Manager may work for a two-person company and make £25K
a year while the specialist works for a major FMCG company,
supervising five other researchers, making £5Ok per
year. |
What’s tough
about management: the 5 L’s
|  “You
really cannot underestimate how much time you will
need to devote to your direct reports when you become
a manager. In addition to scheduled meetings and reviews,
it’s good for people to just drop in and chat
at any point. Being available most of the time can
take some getting used to.”
Dr Ashley Gray
MCIM
Marketing Director, London |
Lonely At The Top
Managers by definition need to be a little distanced from
their employees in order to be able to make tough decisions.
Many first time managers, promoted from within a group to
the head of it, are dismayed when former allies and cohorts
become cold.
Lack of feedback
Managers often manage their own day-to-day development.
If you need quick and regular feedback on how well you're
doing, management may not be for you. Management goals are
usually long-term i.e. annual or even bi-annual.
Looking over your shoulder
The higher you go, the fewer jobs there are and the greater
the competition. You have several people within your company
who are after your job and more people on the outside who
want it as well. If you ever make a wrong decision they
can use that as leverage to try and push you aside.
Legal responsibility
Managers have legal liabilities that most workers don't.
Managers frequently have to sign documents, they have to
ensure the workplace is free from harassment, they have
to keep their people safe. If a manager fails in any of
these responsibilities, they may be held legally liable.
Liability
If a project or activity goes well, good managers praise
their team. If something goes wrong, good managers shoulder
the blame. The responsibility for all final decisions rests
with the manager and you have to make those decisions even
if you don’t have all the facts. |
Management life not for you?
If you decide management is not for you there are
plenty of ways to progress in marketing. Look at ways of honing
your talent and increasing your value as a specialist in your
particular field. Deepening your knowledge and becoming an expert
in your area will give you opportunities for advancement without
necessarily being responsible for other people.
As Juanita Cockton, Managing Director of the Marketing
Studio points out in Shape the Agenda paper Managing Marketing
People ‘Too often it is assumed that if you are a marketer
you can do all marketing jobs and tasks. That has never been the
case and as with most professions these days expertise requires
deeper skills – not just broader ones.’ |
Think
you’ll enjoy management?
If you decide you do want to start down the marketing
management path, one of The Institute is a great place to start.
Try this one-day training course in June:
3 June or 16 September: Leadership
Skills for New Managers, London |
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| Mountain
money goes to British Paralympic Association |
|
 Pictured
here at the GLR Board Meeting on April 7th, next to outgoing GLR
Chair Colin Linton (left), Board Member Julie Walker presented
the proceeds of her Kilimanjaro climb to Mike
Brace OBE, Chairman of the British Paralympic Association.
Huge thanks to all those who sponsored Julie and helped her raise
£1,570.
| So
what difference will £1,570 make?
According to the BPA it costs £7,000
to enable one athlete to compete in the Paralympic Games.
Julie is delighted to think her effort has
helped nearly a quarter of one talented athlete compete!
Or get an athlete one quarter of the way to Beijing!
|
Short on inspiration? Introducing Mike Brace…
Blinded by a firework at
the age of ten, Mike used his passion for sport as a crutch to
aid his adjustment and rehabilitation. Mike was national race-walking
champion for many years and still holds many of the records for
a totally blind walker. Mike has completed two London Marathons,
two Ski Marathons in Norway and Switzerland and the 125-mile Devises
to Westminster Canoe Marathon. Mike first represented Britain
at cross-country skiing in the first Winter Paralympics in 1976
and has since represented his country in three World Championships,
six Paralympics and two European Championships. He managed the
Cross-Country Ski Team from 1988 until 1994 and then was appointed
Chef de Mission for the Great Britain Team for the 1998 Winter
Paralympics in Japan. Mike has also managed athletics teams in
European and World Championships and was the Manager for the first
England Blind Cricket Team which participated in the inaugural
World Cup of blind cricket in India.
As well as founding the Metro Sports Club for the
Blind, Mike was involved in the setting up of a number of national
sports bodies for the disabled including British Blind Sport British
Ski Club for the Disabled and the British Paralympic Association.
Mike has been Chairman of British Blind Sport and was elected
Chairman of the British Paralympic Association in February 2001.
GLR is proud
to support the British
Paralympic Association. |
 4
Easy ways to support The Prostate Cancer Charity this Father's
Day (Sunday 15 June)…
1. Buy him a card
Buy your Father’s Day card from Tesco
or Marks & Spencer this year and part of
your money will be donated to The Prostrate Cancer Charity.
2. Buy him a gift
Buy your father a £50 gift from www.themalegroomingcompany.co.uk
and they’ll donate £1 to The Prostate Cancer Charity.
3. Take him for dinner
Book a restaurant table through www.whichtable.com
and they make a donation to the charity of your choice –
Prostate Cancer is one of the charities listed.
4. Sign him up
for The Real Man Cycling Challenge on 14 September 2008
Sign up at www.realmancyclingchallenge.com
- 34km with 4 x 1km sprint sections
- Starts and finishes Excel centre, heads east to city airport
for sprint sections then back west around Canary Wharf.
- Teams of four – find team-mates on the website
- £400 per team to enter and raise sponsorship of £2,500
GLR is proud to support The
Prostate Cancer Charity.
|
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| What’s
your preferred Learning Style? |
|
 Confucius
said “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a
day in your life.” Well the same goes for studying and revision.
If you can pinpoint your learning ‘personality’ and
adapt your approach to revision, preparing for exams and assignments
will never seem like an uphill battle again. Discover your Learning
Style by doing a quick quiz at www.studentsupportgroup.co.uk
or email caroline@studentsupportgroup.co.uk.
|
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| Student
Support Group Revision helpline |
|
What is the revision
helpline?
Provided by study experts
Student Support Group, the helpline is a telephone service you
can use to get guidance on any aspect of your marketing studies.
Why should you
use the revision helpline?
It’s an invaluable
CIM-specific source of practical advice, revision planning support,
academic expertise, study tips and even moral support. You can
book telephone tutorials or workshops (in London in May or via
teleconference for SMIP) to get help with specific parts of your
course.
Who’s it
for?
Members studying for any
Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification (exam or assignment) including the Certificate,
the Professional Diploma, the Professional Postgraduate Diploma
(including the SMIP Case Study) and the E-marketing Award.
How to get it?
Call
01784 463057 between 9am and 5pm. During the six week run-up to
Exam/Assignment deadlines (so throughout May and early June),
lines are open until 7pm every day. Just when you need it most!
Outside of these hours (for those of you burning the midnight
oil, visit www.studentsupportgroup.co.uk
or email caroline@studentsupportgroup.co.uk
and get a speedy response. |
|
Revision
notes getting out of hand? Try mind mapping…
Jon Twomey of Student Support Group is a big fan
of mind maps. "Try mind maps at any stage in your studies.
They’re especially good for those who are 'visual/holistic'
learners. Mind mapping won’t suit everyone but for many
it’s a great way to tackle a new marketing topic, create
personalised and memorable revision notes and to dissect exam
questions and assignment briefs."
Making notes
Even if you happen to
be a whizz at Pitman shorthand, just copying down what you hear
in lectures or what you read in text books is not the only way
to take notes. Mind maps can help you start processing information
while recording it. Lines, arrows and bubbles make you think conceptually
which helps you make connections, linking ideas together in ways
that may not have occurred to you if you were writing the more
usual 'line-by-line' notes.
Memorising topics
Because completed mind
maps show the 'shape' of a subject, the relative importance of
individual points and the way one point relates to other, they
can be extremely useful as recall tools. Simply scanning a mind
map you’ve created previously can refresh a whole topic
area in your mind quite quickly.
Testing your recall
If you’re trying to remember a sprawling
topic with multiple elements such as the Marketing Planning Cycle
or a Market Research Brief, get yourself a blank sheet of paper
and sketch a quick mind map to see how much you’ve remembered.
Cross-check it against your notes or text book to fill any gaps.
Exams and assignments
Chartered Institute of Marketing assessors remind students that the highest
scoring submissions always manage to answer each and every part
of the question or task. To help you methodically dissect a complex
or long brief, plan an outline to your answer by creating a rough
mind map as you read through the question. Don’t forget
to review the mind map at the end to check you covered off all
the key points.
|
Further
information
For more information about Mind Maps you
can refer to the founding father of mind-mapping Tony
Buzan. |
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| Volunteer
profile |
|
Marie Lake is Branch Secretary for GLR’s
Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire team. A worthy nominee in last
autumn’s GLR Volunteer of the Year Award, Marie is an active
organiser of Chartered Institute of Marketing events in her home region. We thought it was
time you were introduced properly to one of our most proactive
regional members…
 Name:
Marie Lake
CIM
member since: 2005
Day
job: Senior Marketing Executive with
regional law firm.
Volunteer
role with regional team: Branch
Secretary Herts & Beds team
Highest
marketing qualification achieved: Professional
Postgraduate Diploma
Career
route into marketing: BA Honours degree
in International Marketing. “When I was looking to go to
university while studying my A Levels, I felt that a Business
Studies degree was too broad and general. I was attracted to knowing
why consumers buy what they buy and the thought process behind
it.”
Worst
thing in marketing: Limited budgets
Best
thing in marketing: Implementing a plan
that has a huge success. Hugely satisfying.
Reason
for getting into volunteering with GLR: Through
my Diploma tutor. “I felt that extra experience, like organising
events, would look great on my CV and would help me progress my
career. I also thought that networking with marketers would be
advantageous in actually finding a new job.”
Reasons
for continuing to volunteer with GLR regional team:
To meet people and talk about marketing. To hear other people's
experiences. “Being a Virgo, I also like organising events.”
Dream
job: Marketing consultant, working on
lots of different brands in various locations for all types of
organisations. “Best of all worlds!” |
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|
