Annual Jobs Fair Aberdeen

The Bon Accord St Nicholas Shopping Centre’s annual jobs fair will get underway today (Wednesday 27 September 2006), in the lower atrium of the Bon Accord centre, in a one day recruitment drive to secure seasonal staff to keep up with the annual stampede of Christmas shoppers who will descend upon the shopping centre from November onwards this year.

The third annual Bon Accord St Nicholas Centre Christmas job fair, which will run from 1 pm – 5pm, will see various staff from the centre’s units on hand distributing application forms and answering queries on skills and experience required for various jobs, as well as carrying out interviews.

Frank Sutherland, centre manager of the Bon Accord St Nicholas Shopping Centre, says, “The last two job fairs have been a great success so we’re hoping for a good turnout this year as usual. We are inviting the public into the centre for interviews for various positions during the Christmas period and are looking for applicants for replenishment duties, customer service, greeters, till operators, stock room duties and sales assistants.

“By holding the festive recruitment drive, we are providing an ideal opportunity for potential employees to meet with several potential employers under the same roof,” continues Frank. “During last year’s one day fair our retailers saw over 500 applicants - and employed a good proportion of those who attended. The one day approach seems to make life easier for the candidates, providing them with a number of retailers to visit under one roof. It also provides a fast track approach to recruitment, since candidates move from the initial meeting to interview all in the space of a day, thus avoiding the need to schedule future interviews around other commitments.”

To make the one day recruitment fair as effective as possible for potential applicants, staff at The Bon Accord St Nicholas Shopping Centre have come up with the following pointers for those seeking seasonal work:

Bring your C.V. The first page should contain personal details for an employer if they need to contact you and make sure that the format of your C.V. is in key headings e.g.
a. Key skills
b. Key achievements etc
Your employment history should commence with your current or most recent position and work backwards and you should provide information that demonstrates your ability to do the job – such as previous retail experience.

Dress for success – Remember to dress smartly. Even though you are in informal surroundings remember that this is a formal interview. Applicants should have a smart appearance as many of the jobs will be customer facing.
Job description – Be specific about which type of job you are looking for and stress your key skills. If you are a good communicator and enjoy dealing with the public then you would be most suited for a sales assistant position. If you feel you are more suited to a manual job then try for a position which deals with stock room and delivery duties.

Temporary to permanent? – Remember that even though the majority of the Christmas positions will be temporary this will stand you in good stead for future employment within the same stores.

Enthusiasm – Be enthusiastic and show how much you want the job! There will be lots of people looking for Christmas employment and last year saw many applicants.

Chris

World Vision Aberdeen

The Bon Accord St. Nicholas Shopping Centre is backing international relief and development agency World Vision’s current ‘3,000 Sponsors Appeal’, that was launched this month by Miss Scotland Nicola McLean. All this week until September 23 the centre will be joining celebrities such as Clare Grogan, Sian Lloyd and Noel Edmonds in supporting the current search for 3,000 new Scottish child sponsors before the end of September.

Representatives from World Vision will be chatting to Bon Accord St. Nicholas Shopping Centre shoppers and locals about child sponsorship and encouraging people to sign up to help change the lives of children living in extreme poverty.

Matt Marlow, World Vision’s Marketing Manager for Child Sponsorship said: “We’ve already had a fantastic response from the people of Scotland and we are look forward to heading to Aberdeen’s Bon Accord St. Nicholas Shopping Centre to help gain the support of the people of the north of Scotland.”

“Last years ‘Big Month’ Child Sponsorship campaign in Scotland successfully recruited thousands of new sponsors, people who are now helping to provide the life-saving basics, like clean drinking water and immunisation for children in the developing world, so we are hopeful that we can beat the target again this time round,” continued Matt.

Bon Accord St. Nicholas Shopping Centre Manager, Frank Sutherland said: “World Vision currently help thousands of children in developing countries through Child Sponsorship. When the staff at the centre heard that for as little as 60p a day – probably less than the price of a cup of coffee - a child in the developing world can be given the basics like clean drinking water we felt we had to get on board and offer our support.”

World Vision representatives will be rallying support and offering further information on their ‘3,000 Sponsors Appeal’ in the Bon Accord St. Nicholas Shopping Centre until September 23. Alternatively, to sponsor a child with World Vision log onto www.sponsor.org or call 0800 50 10 10.

About World Vision

● World Vision is one of the world’s leading relief and development agencies. It is a Christian charity currently helping people in nearly 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs.


Children in the developing world - Key Facts

● As parents and other family members become ill, children take on responsibility for income generation, food production, and care of family members.
● Children often face inadequate nutrition, basic health care, housing and clothing.
● Few families can afford to send their children to school, particularly young girls.
● Many orphans are struggling to survive on their own in child-headed households, or forced to live on the streets.
● Children impacted by HIV/AIDS are also at serious risk of exploitation, including physical and sexual abuse.
● After the death of a parent children often suffer from fears about the future; economic circumstances, discrimination and isolation, all affect orphans.

● World Vision is a member of several major agency groups including the Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC), British Overseas NGOs for Development (BOND) and the Consortium for Street Children (CSC).

Chris

Millie’s Cookies Aberdeen

Free Cookies


Shoppers in the Bon Accord St. Nicholas shopping centre will be treated to frer cookies this weekend (afternoon of Friday 15 and all day Saturday 16 September 2006) as Millie’s Cookies celebrates 21 years of business, with National Cookie Week.

Cookie Vouchers

Representatives from the cookie counter will be wandering the Bon Accord St. Nicholas shopping centre handing out vouchers to shoppers entitling them to a free cookie from a range of their famous 13 flavours, including white chocolate, milk chocolate and double chocolate. Cookie fans should hurry to the shopping centre however, as the cookie company has only 1,000 free cookies to give away.

21st Birthday Cookies

“We are encouraging shoppers to share in the celebrations as we reach this milestone, by offering them vouchers for free cookies,” explains Elaine Mitchell, Assistant Manager at the Aberdeen branch of Millie’s Cookies. “Cookie fans can also pick up a voucher for free Millie’s cookies in this Sunday’s News of the World. Also, if customers can prove that it is their 21st birthday or 21st anniversary, they will also be entitled to a free limited edition pack of 21 cookies.


“We have been in the Bon Accord St. Nicholas shopping centre for over ten years now and are grateful to the people of Aberdeen for their continued custom and support, and are really looking forward to inviting them to share in the celebrations.”


Centre manager Frank Sutherland says: “Biscuit fans across the city should get themselves along to the St. Nicholas centre as soon as possible, to make sure they don’t miss out on the chance of a few tasty – and free – cookie creations. On behalf of the Bon Accord St. Nicholas shopping centre I’d like to congratulate Millie’s Cookies on their 21 years in business and wish them all the best for the future.”