by Beckie Knowles

Created on: August 21, 2009   Last Updated: August 22, 2009

To stand out as a good candidate when applying for a job, it is essential to have relevant experience. Many people consider customer service to be a net that falls over all people-related positions of employment. However, experience working behind a till at a supermarket isn't what an employer is looking for when they advertise a customer service role.

Customer service is about direct contact with customers, giving advice and assistance. This can vary greatly, covering many types of positions, including telemarketing, after sales, new business, and retail customer service. Depending on the level of experience you have, which will take into account the relevancy of your previous roles, the companies you have worked for and the length of time in each position, you will be able to apply for a variety of different roles.

The basic experience required to begin an entry-level customer service role, such as working in a call centre, is working with people. Although retail and till experience may be considered, in the current employment climate, it is unlikely. The best kind of experience is gained from at least a year working in a direct contact environment. This may be as a sales assistant in a mobile phone shop or as an advisor, where your role is to interact directly with customers and you are required to have sufficient knowledge about the advice you are giving.

To apply for a role such as a customer service advisor at a car dealership, your experience will need to be of a higher standard. The best experience for applying successfully for a customer service role is working at a call centre. Previous employment is often discounted by employers or recruiters if a candidate has only stayed in a position for a few months. Unless a good reason is given, hopping around from job to job does not substantiate a good working history. Therefore, you should try to remain in a position providing you with experience for a minimum of 12 months unless you are given an opportunity to take a more highly paid or higher-experience role.

Remember that direct interaction is the best experience for customer service jobs. When applying for entry-level roles, consider whether you are advising or selling directly rather than being approached by a customer. Cold calling, after sales calls, help lines and dealing with enquiries, rather than processing a sale that has already been made, is the most valuable experience you can gain before moving up into more prestigious customer service positions.

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