Celebrating the rejuvenation of our new look Millers brand!

This week we are celebrating the rejuvenation of our new look Millers brand! They have a fresh new style with beautiful logo, feminine colour palate and have launched a new brand campaign ‘Millers & Me Made for each other’ featuring our real Millers customers as the stars of the multi-channel advertising campaigns.

This blog will provide an overview of the rejuvenation and over the next few weeks we are going to share more details behind the Millers & Me and Seeing Me projects.

Brand rejuvenation

In order to truly understand what our customer was thinking and feeling we undertook Australia’s largest survey of women over 40 – and had 4,200 responses:

• 75% didn’t feel defined by their age
• 80% believed they were under represented in popular culture
• 50% felt invisible

 

The new look Millers logo 

Millers Brand Director, Jane McNally explained the ethos behind the new look Millers; “At Millers, everything we do is for the love of our women. Our women are used to putting everyone else’s interests ahead of their own and our customers felt very misrepresented in the media. The way they were being presented was dowdy and frumpy. So we put out a call on Facebook for models to be able to give them something back. We talked to customers and found out about what they really wanted. In response we created the biggest multi-channel brand campaign since our launch. It is a brave step in a way - to use real women.”

Take a look at the new look Millers website: Millers

The new look Millers stores - Bankstown, NSW

Millers & Me

Over the years, the brand has struggled to find mature models through the usual casting agencies. We’ve always wondered why this age group are so under-represented. Particularly when we see so many beautiful women in our stores!

 

New campaign image

Our new campaign is called ‘Millers & Me’ and it’s where we showcase our real customers. We wanted our women to feel proud of who they are, and who they’ve become.

Our women deserve to look and feel amazing, because they are amazing!

Seeing Me

As part of the new Millers & Me campaign featuring ‘our women’, the Seeing Me Project is also being launched.

In society, culture, fashion and advertising the mature woman is under-represented, some might say invisible, and we’d like to change this. 

The Seeing Me Project is a long-term commitment by Millers to celebrate the mature woman. Our mission is to encourage the world to see women the way we do. Our women have raised families and supported them. They’ve given love and life. They’ve given everything. They’re stronger than they realise, wiser than they know and more loved than they could ever imagine. Our women are amazing. And they deserve to be seen and celebrated! Seeing Me Project

Tracey Spicer, respected journalist, presenter & human rights activist has published a great article around The Seeing Me Project and new research on Debrief Daily here - Tracey Spicer on The Seeing Me Project

Meet Justin Pigozzo, Marketing Assistant for Rivers and recent winner at the Australasian Catalogue Awards!

Today we would like to celebrate some more SFG success and introduce you to Justin Pigozzo who is fresh from his win at the 24th Australasian Catalogue Awards. Over to you Justin…..

24th Australasian Catalogue Awards

“Hi, my name is Justin Pigozzo and I’m a Marketing Assistant for Rivers. I began my career with SFG back in May 2014. Like every new grad I trawled the internet everyday hoping to find a dream job and someone who would give a recent graduate a go!

With a degree in Graphic Design and a true passion for fashion and retail I was determined to work within the Retail Fashion industry. Whilst I was visiting family in Western Australia, I had a Skype interview for the role in Rivers, I then caught an earlier flight home to come in for a face to face interview and… a few days later I found myself as a new employee at SFG!

The Rivers Marketing team celebrating success

I joined SFG when Rivers was still a new brand to the Group. I am very fortunate to say that I have been part of the Rivers amazing transformation journey since the acquisition… and I look forward to what becomes of the brand in the future!

Working with the Rivers brand has definitely lived up to the “fast paced environment” it stated on the job description! My main role within the brand is Creative Producing – this means helping execute our frequent photo-shoots and TV commercials. With a catalogue produced every two weeks and over 3.5 million copies printed and delivered across Australia, along with countless TVC spots hitting the screens weekly, the need to be accurate and on time is hugely important. The role is hectic but that’s exactly the way I like it! No two days are the same, one day I’ll be casting models for our upcoming catalogue and TVC shoots and the next I am helping to organise a new store opening.

Justin and his giant cheque!

What’s also really amazing about working at SFG is the opportunity to succeed and be recognised for your achievements. Last month I was given the greatest honour to be nominated and become a finalist at the Australasian Catalogue Awards. I was up for the “Best Young Talent” category and was really excited at the prospect of winning! A group of us from Rivers Marketing flew to Melbourne for this fantastic event dubbed the ‘Catalogies’ that was held at the Crown Casino. We had an awesome night celebrating success as a team and enjoying dinner and a few drinks. When it came to the award announcements, I was nervous, but elated when I won my category (and a giant novelty Cheque) which was truly amazing!”

Sally Patman, Creative Director for Rivers said: “Justin’s ability and logical approach to creative production is a true asset to the team. His ability to negotiate model contracts, location fees whilst keeping the art production rounds on track is to be admired.”

Well done Justin – awesome achievement, keep up the hard work, creativity and dedication – here’s to many more years of awards & recognition!

How a creative approach to job applications can work in your favor

• Want to know how to secure your dream job?
• Want to stand out from the crowed and get noticed?
• Tired of applying on-line and not knowing if your application gets seen?

If you’ve ever been on the hunt for a new role then it’s likely you have answered ‘Yes’ to one or more of the above. In a crowded and competitive market it can be hard to stand out and grab your perspective employers attention. However, one of our newest Team Members did just that! Hear how Stuart Christie took control of his job search and landed a Buying role with our Katies brand!

“When I first moved to Australia I became aware of SFG through a friend who was temping on reception; she raved about the offices, the team members and of course the SFG culture in general. After working in fashion in various capacities in the UK I had set my sights on re-joining the industry and when the time was right SFG was my first choice. I did some investigations and set my eyes on the prize, coming up with a plan of how I would make it happen.

I had been working in an Australian Government recruitment role trying to place people with disability into work and we had to employ various innovative strategies in securing opportunities for the candidates. This got me thinking about my own job search and I came up with a creative way to put myself in front of the right people at SFG. I wanted to show that all my previous (and very varied) work experience, in the fashion industry, would be right for them and make for a great investment for the company.

Having had a great deal of contact with employers and businesses it was clear to me that many candidates fail at the first hurdle due to their resume so I wanted to tackle this head on. I set about creating a document that was both visually different and also included content presented in a fresh and easily digestible way. I used logos instead of company names and formatted the whole thing to A5; placing the finished document into a blank cardboard folio style binder.

With the use of LinkedIn I created a mailing list of all the important people in HR and Buying across every brand under the SFG umbrella. This list ensured I had a targeted approach and made sure my document landed on the right desk. In addition to my creative resume & target list I decided to give each recipient an incentive to take time out of their day to review my skills for relevancy; so  I popped a gorgeous, individual tea bag into each 'resume pack' in the hope they would enjoy it while reading 'my story'. 

 

Stuart's awesome resume 'pack'

It worked. 

I was contacted by SFG a couple weeks later to arrange a telephone interview, they didn't have any opportunities at the time but thought my approach and initiative, coupled with my skills(!), suited SFG's ideology and of course the SHIRT values at the core of the business.

I wasn't hired immediately, as there wasn't an opportunity, but as soon as one came up I received the phone call I had been waiting and here I am working at SFG and I am VERY happy about it. The team at Katies are amazing and have been very supportive in me learning the role and business. Everyone is really friendly, approachable and hard working.

I thank SFG for being open to my unusual approach and I really feel it is a true reflection of the open-mindedness and resourcefulness of the business to go outside the box to improve the business at every level. I hope to be a member of the team here for a very long time to come." By Stuart Christie

Stuart Looking very happy in his role at Katies! 

Notes from the Editor - As a lucky recipient of a 'resume pack' including yummy peppermint tea bag I can assure readers that this was one of the most innovative job applications I have received in over 10yrs. We LOVED receiving it! Well done Stuart we hope you have a long, happy & successful career with SFG!  

SFG’s expansion in to the USA

SFG’s expansion in to the USA

Last week our CEO Gary Perlstein was on the road in California visiting our City Chic stores in the USA!

2014 was a milestone year for SFG as we opened our first stores overseas as part of SFG’s growth strategy into international markets.

Gary Perlstein with some of our glamorous City Chic Team Members 

SFG’s purpose is that: We will be a global market leader as or brands change the perception of fashion; our City Chic brand is our first as they lead a world of curves through fearless fashion.

Gary spent time with our City Chic team in California, sharing with them our new purpose and seeing and hearing WHY they come to work every day.

• Why do we do what we do?
• What makes us get out of bed in the morning? 
• How will my contribution make a difference? 

No matter what your role is at SFG we want out Team Members to understand they are impact on SFG’s PURPOSE. Whether you work in a store directly interacting with customers or if you work in a support function, it’s important you remember the WHY so that you can deliver the best customer experience and having a great time doing it.

If you share a passion for our purpose being a global market leader as our brands changes the perception of fashion then we would like to hear from you! Please feel free to send your CV through to recruitment@sfg.co

Part 2 of our Company Purpose launch: Fail fast, surround yourself with extraordinary people, hire your weaknesses, and tap into your customers...

Last week we blogged about our Company Purpose launch evening and shared with you SFG’s purpose. Now that you know what makes us jump out of the bed in the morning – we want to share more about the event, the inspirational special guest, along with insight into what some of our fabulous brands have been doing to change the perception of fashion!

After we indulged in some tasty canapés, drinks and had an update on the State of Origin scores, we welcomed the motivational entrepreneur, Lisa Messenger, author, publisher, Founder and Editor in Chief of the Renegade Collective magazine. The Collective Magazine appeals to game changers, rule breakers and thought leaders with a common appetite for challenging the status quo.

Lisa is a dynamic, high energy individual with strong values led ambition. She lives and leads with purpose!

Gary Perlstein & Lisa Messenger 

Lisa’s philosophy and approach to life had such an uncanny alignment to our PURPOSE that it was a bit surreal. She is passionate and 100% living & breathing her PURPOSE – she believes that anything is possible if you back yourself, never give up and surround yourself with an amazing team. She told us to “Fail fast, surround yourself with extraordinary people, hire your weaknesses, and tap into your customers…”

To read more about Lisa Messenger or the Renegade Collective check out her site The Collective

After Lisa’s inspiring segment, our CEO, Gary, took to the stage once again and asked representatives from three of our brands to join him to share the brand journeys and how they are bringing our purpose to life.

First up, was Carly Turner, Marketing Manager for City Chic who spoke about their passion for their customer by giving her both what she wants and needs.

She told us about the brands light bulb moment that they could be more than just a clothing retailer; “We could be a community, a sisterhood and a brand that our customers really wanted to be part of.

It was from the creation of our community and sisterhood that we learnt our customers wanted to look like their skinner friends and have the same shopping experiences as them. They didn’t want to wear daggy moo moos, they wanted to wear fashion they could pick-up in, that made them look hot but more importantly feel hot!

Our customers showed us they wanted to be bold, sexy, glam and chic, they wanted to be part of a brand that embraced and celebrated curves, a brand that would change the face of the plus size industry.

To show the customers we were listening we knew we had to do something bold that would make a stand for curvy women everywhere.

City Chic made history as the first plus size fashion brand to walk the catwalk along straight size designers at Rosemont Fashion week. In true City Chic form we shocked the crowd and the press as international model Laura Wells tore off her skirt revealing a display of curves that had never been seen on the Australian runway!”

City Chic has grown from strength to strength and recently opened its’ 100^th store and is our first brand to spearhead SFG’s international growth as they launch stores in South Africa & the USA. The City Chic customer is bold, sexy & glam; she isn’t afraid to showcase her curves & lead a world of curves through fearless fashion.  To see more of what CC is up to Click Here and check out Inside CC!

Carly Turner, Linda Whitehead, Christabel Warner & Gary Perlstein

Next, our Crossroads Brand Director, Linda Whitehead, spoke to us about the Crossroads woman; she is real, down to earth and fun, she wants to feel comfortable in her clothes but she feels she doesn’t fit in the world of fashion today – this was their challenge! They had to redefine fashion for their customer and they took it upon themselves to deliver great products that build our customers confidence by understanding what she really wants.

A significant step was to start using a gorgeous size 12-14 model in their advertising campaigns as she represented the reality of Australian women. The feedback from our Facebook fans has been overwhelming! Women were suddenly telling us that they can finally see how the product would look on them and it was about time ‘average’ sized women were being used to advertise clothing. To check out our beautiful model In the Crossroads Style Edit

Crossroads is here to support busy women at different stages of her life and as her body changes. The brand has created jeans that fit and flatter woman at any age of any size. Through their ‘Fit Bus’, launched a the Easter Show in Sydney earlier this year, they are touring the east coast of Australia, helping women find great fitting pants, no matter what their shape or size.

Finally, we passed the mic over to Christabel Warner, National Operations Manager for Autograph. Christabel spoke about the brands journey of reconnecting with the customer and really understanding the struggles she has in life but also in finding clothes that make her look & feel confident.

We were introduced to the body image movement led by Taryn Brumfitt, and watched her thought provoking video. Watch this space for the brands collaboration with Taryn and the body image movement! We encourage everyone to take a look Body Image Movement

A little gift for our Team Members to keep the PURPOSE fresh in their minds

As the evening was drawing to a close we turned our attention to the screens to watch another short video – but this time shot by SFG’ers - where some of our Team Members and customers spoke about their roles bringing our PURPOSE to life & WHY they do what they do.

Here at SFG, we don’t take ourselves to seriously and always enjoy a good laugh so we prepared a bloopers reel! Some will say it was the highlight of the night!

The lights went up and each attendee was a presented with a copy of Lisa Messenger’s book, Daring & Disruptive and were given the opportunity to have it personally signed and even a photo with her!

It was a busy, full-on, fun packed event. We had a serious message to communicate but we had some laughs along the way. We left inspired, motivated and connected to our purpose. We appreciate everyone’s commitment in attending and really hope that they got something out of the event. Maybe inspiration, a new idea, a connection to their PURPOSE? As Gary said “The characteristics we look for in our team members include; consistency, fair play, authenticity, scope to grow, learn & develop & persistence.”  

We’ll leave you with one final thought:

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.

And what you do simply proves what you believe.

Do you know why you jump out of bed every morning? Do you know why you do what you do

#ourculturecode

Last week we launched our new Corporate Purpose, or Mission Statement, to our 400 Support Office Team Members in Sydney. We kept the event a secret and built the suspense and excitement through enticing (but ambiguous) emails and teaser posters throughout the building – after weeks of speculations we had some very interesting theories about what we were doing!

The night was a huge success and a milestone in SFG history as it was the first time we had everyone together in one forum.

Beautiful product in the Ivy ballroom

From 4pm our Team Members started to fill up the Ivy Ballroom and at 5pm the doors shut when Gary Perlstein, our CEO, took to the stage. Gary started SFG back in 1993 and is a key figure in our business. Gary gave us an update on the business performance in FY15 and delivered our key focus for the new year ahead. He outlined our group KPI’s and goals to emphasise that whilst we are a multi-brand group, where each brand has its own targets and goals, we are one #sfgfamily, and it is important we all know what our common goals are.

Then our Leadership Team took to the stage to introduce their individual brands/departments along with key focuses for FY16 – we even learnt their star signs, both Western & Chinese which included everything from a Rat to a Tiger! We had a Q&A with Gary, with questions from Team Members, asking what they really wanted to know about him. They ranged from personal to the professional; one of the stories he told resulted in him rolling around on stage to re-enact a key store moment for him, early on in SFG history!! (there’s no photo of that unfortunately!)

Gary Perlstein, CEO

After this, Gary got to the core of the event – WHY were we all there? He introduced us to Simon Sinek’s, Leadership expert and Author, principle: The Golden Circle. Most of us know WHAT we do and HOW we do it – but how many of us know WHY we do it? If you can identify your WHY you will be inspired and inspire others. Successful, authentic and respected companies (and people) are connected to their WHY, they live it and breathe it.

As SFG has changed and grown over the years it was important for us to re-evaluate our WHY and make sure we knew not only what we did and how, but more importantly WHY we did it. To see more of what we are talking about visit Simon’s website: Start with Why

So, what is our WHY? What inspires us?

Our new corporate PURPOSE …….

We know our reason for being is a little aspirational, but we dream BIG because we believe we CAN!

You might be asking, WHY such an ambitious statement? You’d be right in stating it is ambitious – but we aren’t afraid of that. Let’s ask a different question?

•         WHY is fashion just for the young or the skinny?
•         WHY doesn’t everyone deserve to look and feel great in what the wear?
•         WHY should anyone feel marginalised because of their age or size?

Our brands don’t exclude anyone and cater for the mature and curvy because our customers deserve the right to look great and feel confident. To quote Gary on the night “We want to build confidence and self-esteem to help change people’s lives – to be life changing!”

Our lovely City Chic Team - looking bold, sexy & glam! 

Some of the stories we hear from customers in our stores would shock and upset you; women who have been abused because of their size, by both strangers and supposed loved ones; made to feel insignificant, not worthy and disgusting. People should not determine their success or failure based on their clothing size. Whether you lose or gain weight your self-worth should not fluctuate. There needs to be a shift in society towards promoting a body positive image and fashion retailers have a key part to play. 

This is WHY we are on a mission, we are living with PURPOSE.

In the second part of our blog next week we will talk about our inspirational guest speaker and provide more insight into what some of our fabulous brands have been doing to change the perception of fashion! 

Crossroads Pop-Up Fit Bus

We are very excited to announce the arrival of the Crossroads Pop-Up Fit Bus!!!  We launched this last week at the Sydney Royal Easter Show where we will open for business for the next two weeks before we head off on a 20-week trip down the East Coast of Australia with Westfield centres. 

The Fit Bus is a pop-up shop where new and existing customers can come and see the Crossroads brand and our fantastic fit proposition brought to life. In the ‘store’ are skilled ‘fit specialists’ who help ladies chose the best fit pant’s for them. With 5 styles, 7 colours and 3 leg length we have got you covered! Some of the features of our range include:

• Tummy smoothing 
• Waist adjuster 
• Tummy control 
• Rear shaping 
• Elastane rich fabric 

Our first day was really busy and we had an opportunity to really engage with customers on a more intimate basis.  The bus has some great features that allow us to showcase our Denim and Black Pants range and allows the customer to get the best fitting product! 

This concept was pulled together in record time by the Crossroads team.  In just 5 weeks the team have worked to get the bus fully re-built on the interior, stocked, staffed, video made, marketing collateral created and printed, tour organised and new bags printed to name a few of the core activities!

Well done to team Crossroads!

Job search tips that make a real difference…

Whether you’re actively on the hunt for a new role or just passively looking at what’s going on in the job market, we've compiled a few tips to revamp your search to get the best out of your job hunting!

Network, network and network some more!

This is crucial - here at Specialty Fashion Group, the first thing our recruitment team do when embarking on a new search is to review who’s in our network/ talent pool. You need to network and create relationships with recruiters as well as directly with companies you are interested in regardless of job search status. You never know when you will want to tap into your network. Think outside of job hunting; you might want to call on some market intelligence, a consulting offer or competitor information!

You would be surprised at the amount of roles employers do not advertise; therefore don’t rely on your typical job boards, wishing and hoping your dream role will just appear! This is where your network is crucial - key relationships are at a core of how you tackle your job search and networking will be instrumental to finding and securing the perfect job for your career progression.

Follow-up

Do you want to leave a great impression? Do you want to leave a lasting impression? Then follow up!! Make notes of who you have contacted and when, then diarise a follow up with those professionals you want to keep in contact with. A quick phone call, short email or Inmail via LinkedIn means that you remain front of mind and demonstrates your interest in actually working for the company. Persistence is key and it definitely pays off! (Just don’t harass them!)

Get social

Like, share, follow & comment!! Social networking on various platforms is a great way of getting insights into the organisations you are interested in. Companies are increasing turning to social media tools to connect with talent. Sometimes advertising a role but more often than not showcasing what it is like to work for their business. Follow companies that interest you on LinkedIn, like their pictures on Instagram, share their content on Facebook! By becoming their biggest fan and a brand advocate you are demonstrating genuine interest and gaining knowledge about the business.

Identify yourself with a top-notch cover letter and resume

Show your skill set, abilities and accomplishments with a clearly organised and well thought out resume. Here are some tips:

• Don’t over complicate it with fancy font’s and borders
• Check  spelling grammar & syntax 
• Do not include a photo
• Make sure all your contact details are there 
• Check that your work history is chronological 
• Explain any gaps in employment that are longer than six months 
• Keep the length of the document appropriate to the volume of experience you have – if you have two years’ experience don’t send us a seven page resume! 

It won’t be a sure successor to landing you the job, but a bad resume with errors and a poor layout will eliminate you.

Job Alerts

Not actively looking around but still curious to know what’s going on out there in the market? For all the passive job seekers, why not let the jobs come to you? Sign up to receive job listings by email from a range of websites that are tailored to what you are looking for. This tip is a great time-saver plus you can track what’s going on in the market & industry.

As a recruitment team, we encourage our candidates to keep in touch with any changes in their situation even if at the time we don’t have a suitable opportunity. By developing those professional relationships, along with persistence and interest in a company, you’ll be the first to be contacted when a new opportunity arises!

Best of Luck!!!

SFG Recruitment Team xx

Anything is possible.........

Knowledge is power 

This weekend 20 SFGer’s headed off to the Women on Top Conference held in Sydney. This was a forum for smart and savvy business women to share their secrets to getting on top in business and in life. The day was filled with learning & being inspired by women at the top of their game from all walks of life. We took something away from their stories and journeys - for ourselves personally as well as for our careers @ SFG.

Here are some of our key takeaways:

• Amanda Gore introduced us to The Joy Project… remember that your thinking determines your story, which determines your beliefs & behaviours - be conscious of your thinking & what you say out loud. So be a spirit ‘igniter’ not a spirit ‘foofer’, eradicate fear, find your joy spot & leave joy bombs all around the office. 

• Mia Freedman took us on the journey of remembering not to compare our behind the scene life with other people’s highlight reel. She wanted to change the conversation of women by women for women. Make sure you build strong foundations, so that when the wind blows you’re ok. Life balance is about setting boundaries & the art of delegating is about managing your ego. 

• Louise Fowller & Loral Langemeier talked about having self-worth; looking for things to give yourself credit for, create a deep fulfilling life by selling from your souls rather than selling your soul (why do you come to work every day?). So live out loud, say yes & worry about ‘how’ later, find a person that knows how to do that thing better than you & then do as they say. Design a life/career you want.

• Chloe Morello showed us that anyone can be successful if you’re passionate about your strengths & skills. We also learnt some interesting things about monetising social media.

•  Lisa Messenger taught us to ‘know our why”. Have purpose, passion and say yes & figure out how later. Be a disruptive entrepreneur, be nimble flexible & fast. Feed your soul and your brain by talking, following & being inspired by others. Finally, get feedback - listen, shift your thinking & ask what you can do with it. 
• 
  
  

           A big "Thank you" to all the lovely ladies for attending; we hope you all enjoyed it and left feeling inspired and empowered! If you would like further information on the event please go to their website http://womenontop2015.com/ 
      
      Team Member Testimonials:
      "It was a fascinating insight into how women who have overcome careers that had both turbulent times and amazing times but learnt from the two are still passionate about what they believe in and what/who they work for. It was lovely to see they are now living the dream with jobs that they love with values they believe in!" Laura, from Millers Marketing Team  

Top 5 questions to ask in an interview

"Do you have any questions for us?"

It’s the one question that comes out in just about every interview but many job seekers out there overlook preparing for this.  

As the recruitment team here at Specialty Fashion Group, we encourage candidates to ask questions at an interview as it demonstrates a candidates’ interest in the job and their enthusiasm to work for our company. Asking questions helps build rapport with your interviewer and enables you, as the candidate, to get a good idea if the company is really where you want to work.

We have complied a list of the top 5 questions you could ask in an interview – Obviously, there loads more to consider but we think if you prepare a list of a few good questions to bring to an interview, you’ll be on the fast track to success and landing your dream job!

1. Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?
Don’t forget how much a company culture can impact your job performance. Generally speaking, this is a great question to show your interest in hearing about the company culture and how your personality would fit into the current team. A company is defined by its culture, values and core purpose. Get a good understanding of this aspect to ensure you understand how you will contribute to the team. 

2. What qualities and skills will make me successful in this job and what are some of the challenges I might face?

This question is great for demonstrating your ambition to succeed as well as gathering an insight into the expectations of role. As you query the challenges that may be faced, this helps to bring out possible skill gaps and highlights areas for growth and development.

3. What are the opportunities for growth and development within the company?
Show your interest in the job by emphasising you are looking for a stable long-term opportunity with prospects for growth, development and a strong desire to improve and learn new things. By putting this question forward, you are showing curiosity in making a difference in the company and a willingness to participate in training for self-improvement.
 
4. What does a typical day in the job look like?
An interview can only give you so much information about the company and role. A great question to ask is what the actual day-to-day duties will involve and how a normal working week will look. You want to ensure this is the right job for you from the onset and by hearing what the responsibilities involved would be, it shows you are realistically considering the role and how well you will fit into the job.
 
5. What is the next step in the process?
A vital last question not to be overlooked by any candidate as it shows your interest in moving forward to the next stages of the recruitment process and gives you the clarity around time frames to help manage your expectations. 
 

With this interview preparation on some of these key questions we can assure you will be well on your way to landing that dream job you've always wanted!

Best of luck!

SFG Recruitment Team

Meet the team - blog post from our new Team Member, Jess!

Meet Jess our new Return to Work Administrator in our Support Office HR team. In this blog Jess talks us through her choice in degree, tips for graduates and her experience at SFG so far! Over to you Jess……

Why did you choose an HR degree?

I originally started out doing a mix of commerce and primary school teaching. After about three weeks into my degree I had fallen in love with the commerce aspect and especially the HR subjects. From recruitment through to occupational health & safety I knew I was on the right path because they all involved working with people and influencing strategic business decisions. HR is an evolving profession and I’m excited to be part of that innovation and problem solving along the way.

What areas of HR engaged you most whilst studying?

My favourite subjects were defiantly Training & Development as well as International Human Resources. Training and development taught me about engaging with an audience and understanding that each individual has their own preferred way of learning; this has already helped me in my HR career and studies especially when I have to do presentations.

What other jobs have you had prior to SFG?

My first ever job was at a local cafe, I worked for maybe two weeks before it was obvious that hospitality was just not for me! Not to mention, I'm not the greatest cook, the omelette I made last night that somehow turned into scrambled eggs is proof of that!

Although it’s early days the best job I’ve had so far would have to be the one I am currently doing. I have been working as the Return to Work Administrator at SFG for just over one month and have learnt so much already. The HR team have welcomed me with open arms and I already feel like part of the family. The role is really varied; I spend a lot of the day on the phone speaking with team members up and down the country and no two people are the same. Each person is an individual and all circumstances are different and require a unique approach which is why I'm loving this role; I'm constantly learning new things!

What advice would she give to other graduates?

First up - get some experience. I know this can be tricky for graduates but I believe every bit of work experience counts!

Before I started working at the Support Office for SFG I was living in Shellharbour and working part-time in Retail as well as studying for my degree full-time. I was actually working in store for our Autograph brand.

I was lucky enough to secure an HR internship at a company called, Hilti and on my only day off I would drive up to Sydney from the South Coast. The internship was great - I was mostly focused in the recruitment team where I learnt the basics right through to being given the opportunity to present to the senior management team. All of this has proven to be really useful in my new role at SFG as I felt I could really hit the ground running and add value from day one.

It can be a tough world out there for graduates. There is so much pressure to get that perfect job and sometimes you can just feel like another number. But for me it was all about choosing a company with a great culture that I could really see myself fitting into. I wanted a good job but I also wanted to be happy in my role and be with an organisation where I can have fun!

Once you have worked out the type of company you want to work for I suggest a bit of a stalking!! Now, I'm not talking about waiting outside reception ready to pounce on the first HR person you see but rather getting social and connecting with professionals. Get yourself onto LinkedIn, follow what your preferred companies are doing, research their website and connect with the key stakeholders in the business.  

Next, and most importantly, is to tailor your resume to every job you apply for. Yes I know this can be time consuming but trust me I've been there. If a recruiter can see that you have read the job description and explained where your skills, experience or study matches those requirements they're looking for you will be moved to the top of the list. Just make sure you use examples, where possible, that are measurable and to show you're genuine interest in the position.

What’s your impression of SFG so far?

SFG is like one big family. As you can expect, on my first day I was quite nervous but when I arrived, waiting for me on my desk, was a welcome card that the whole HR team had signed. It made me feel so at ease and I felt like this was the place that I am meant to be. My team have been incredibly patient with me and my billion questions a day! It’s been the small things, like people coming up to introduce themselves and welcoming me to the team when I bump into them in the kitchen which has made settling in very easy and enjoyable.

Tell us a bit about Jess - what do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time I like to work on my personal Blog and YouTube channel. I started a plus size fashion Blog about two years ago and it has opened up so many windows of opportunity. A new avenue for me has been adding a beauty aspect to my Blogging on YouTube which has been so much fun! Also, I have just moved from the South Coast to Sydney so I’m spending lots of my spare time exploring new places to go out with friends in this beautiful city of Sydney.

Welcome Jess- we hope you have a long and successful career with Specialty Fashion Group!