Tina+(wio)


 * //Starting Work It Out// ** 

//My name is Tina. I’m originally from China. I came to Australia 13 months ago. I’ve been studying English at the Polytechnic for one year.

I enrolled in Work It Out because I would like to learn about working in Australia and build up my confidence. I hope that I can find a similar job as I did in China, which was office staff. I would like to do some work experience in shops as sales assistant as well because I can practise my speaking by communicating with people in English.

My goal of short term is to do some work experience through Work It Out program. I dream of having a clothes shop in the future. Since I came here I have been selling clothes on ebay which is an internet shop.//


 * //Past education and work experience// **

//Before I came to Australia I lived with my parents in China. I studied in Nanjing Institute of Science and Technology from 1995 to 1998. My major subject was World Trade. I didn’t finish my studies because of some personal reasons.

The first job I did was working in my parents' shop after I left school. After six years helping my parents' business I thought it was time to leave to do something I was really interested in. I got a position in a law firm as an administrative assistant in 2005. Two years later I left the law firm because I did some training to become an assistant accountant and wanted to get some accounting experience. In 2007 I got a job in a property company as an assistant accountant. I really enjoyed my job.

Everything changed when I met my husband in Shanghai in August 2007. We got married after we had been together for one year. I quit my job to move to Australia three months later.

I wanted to learn more English as soon as possible so I enrolled immediately in Certificate 3 English course at Polytechnic after I had been in Australia for one month. I have finished my 510 hours. I am doing the Work it Out program now. I would like to do some work experience to learn about working in Australia and build up my confidence.// //​ ​//

​ 
 * //My workplace//**

//I'm going to do work experience at Target which is a mid-market department store renowned for delivering to its customers great quality and great value apparel and homewares. I will be in workplace for 5 weeks but only two days a week. My position is customer service assistant and my duties are about to advise customers on the location, selection, price, delivery, use and care of goods available from the store, price, stack and display items for sale and keep the store tidy and attractive. Target has a website where we can fill out application form applying for vacancies online.//


 * Sales assistants may perform the following tasks:**


 * advise customers on the location, selection, price, delivery, use and care of goods available from the store, with the aim of encouraging them to buy and to return to buy in the future
 * operate cash registers and accept payment, or prepare finance arrangements (e.g. invoices and contracts)
 * take special orders for items not currently in stock, or not normally stocked, and notify customers when the items have arrived
 * package goods for customers and arrange delivery
 * price, stack and display items for sale, and keep the store tidy and attractive
 * be aware of health, safety and welfare issues and practices
 * participate in stocktaking (counting and describing the goods in stock)
 * arrange for the repair of damaged goods, or advise on needed repairs
 * order items.
 * Personal Requirements**


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">enjoy working with people
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">a helpful, courteous manner
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">neat personal appearance
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">good communication skills
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">able to deal accurately with money
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">motivation and drive
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">no skin disorders if working with food
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">willing to work as part of a team.


 * //What will work experience be like?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-weight: normal;">I'm doing work experience at Target. I guess I might be required to stack goods on the shelves and help customers to find where the goods are, or keep the areas tidy and comfortable. I am not quite sure that I can do these duties properly because I do not know much about those products in English. Also I am wondering that I would get along with people there very well though I can speak English very well if I am confident but sometimes I just get so nervous that I can't even speak properly. Besides these I also worry about understanding the instructions especially when people talk fast with strong accent and use lots of slang which I have never heard before. Anyway I will try my best. //**

//**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">What do I feel about work experience so far? **//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">

// I've been doing work experience for two weeks. It was embarrassing on the first day because I couldn’t remember people’s names. I am just not good at names. The shop is so big that I got lost in the first week. Our lunch room is in basement which I don’t really like, so I went out when it was break. I need fresh air to refresh my mind. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">// The second week I decided to have my breaks in the lunch room in order that I might get better rest and get along with co-workers well. I’m getting better with names now. // //This work experience is better than I had expected. If I did work experience in office I would not have had opportunities to talk with people as much as in shops. I am really pleased with it.//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">I feel more familiar with my workplace this week. What I did this week were to stock shelves, tidy up shelves and match labels with products. I still worked in cosmetics and shoes section. My supervior Michelle was very nice and patient with me. I had fun in my workplace this week. //
 * //The third week of my work experience//**