My Real CV

The real CURRICULUM VITAE for NAOMI STEVENS

I had intended to jump straight to jobs part of the content of my CV, but when I opened the original CV file, I thought it might be more realistic if I start from the actual opening page. The only bits I’ll miss out are the basics like my name, address and age at the time of writing cos they’re not really relevant. So here goes with the rest.

BTW In case you hadn't sussed it out, the stuff in brown is what was on that original CV. My chatting to you is in green.

1955 - 1960

Kingsway Day College, London

1960 - 1961

Hatfield Polytechnic

1989 ish

CERTIFICATES GAINED:

These first two were all taken whilst I was at Kinsgway Day College.

This last one was earned at Hatfield Poly. which later became a university, so I suppose I can now say I went to uni.

All the jobs (well nearly all of them) from here on were included in the CV I sent out to companies when I was looking for new employment. On one side I’ve put the chat which prospective employers would've seen. On the other side is a link to what actually happened and how I felt about it all.

Links are as always, in blue and underlined. Any jobs which I haven't yet written about are shown in brown. The list below isn't complete though. There are several more to add before I start prattling on about my self-employment. (I have included a few snippets about that in Computer Training Trials.)

What a prospective employer saw

1961 - 1962   BURROUGHS MACHINES LTD., OXFORD ST., LONDON, W.1. MACHINE MFTRS

FIGURE CLERK - I learned general office procedures and how to use many of the company's accounting machines.

1962 - 1963   C. RAMON, OXFORD ST., LONDON, W.1.   MONEYLENDERS

FIGURE CLERK - I learned about mortgages, other money repayments and banking procedures and was taught to use the National 32 machine, manual ledgers and Kalamazoo system.

1963 - 1965  BASIL A. COHEN, SOUTH KENSINGTON, LONDON.    QUANTITY SURVEYOR

RECEPTIONIST/FIGURE CLERK - Using calculating machines to work out and check quantities & final figures and proof-read Bills of Quantity.  I also operated a switchboard and did secretarial and reception work.

1965 - 1967   BISHOP, SKINNER & CO. LTD., LONDON, W.C.1.     INSURANCE BROKERS

ACCOUNTS SUPERVISOR - In charge of accounts, doing complex reconciliations of premiums using a Burroughs Sensimatic.

1967 - 1971   I started a family so only did temporary office work.

In offices I used several different calculating machines, reprogramming when necessary.

I also trained to be a beautician. This involved giving beauty treatments, selling beauty products and giving talks about the skin and the best way to care for it.

1971 - 1973   LEE, MEREDITH & CO. LTD., DAGENHAM, ESSEX.   ADVERTISING AGENCY

ACCOUNTS MANAGERESS - In charge of all accounts including payroll and reporting to the Managing Director.  Originally using a manual ledger system, I chose and implemented a Burroughs Sensimatic, taught a school leaver assistant double entry book-keeping and using the Sensimatic.

1973 - 1974   MONTIN ENGINEERING, ROMFORD, ESSEX  ENGINEERING EMPLOYMENT AGENCY

SECRETARY/BOOK-KEEPER - Responsible only to the Managing Director, I controlled the office, doing accounts, secretarial duties, interviewing and contacting companies, created and placed newspaper ads for contract staff, arranged interviews and calculated payments.

1974 - 1976 HAY, POLLOCK & CO. LTD., COPPEN ROAD, SELINAS LANE, DAGENHAM, ESSEX. FREIGHT FORWARDERS

BOUGHT LEDGER SUPERVISOR - Responsible to the Chief Accountant and the Financial Director, I was originally in charge of Bought and Sales ledgers. When the work load increased, I specialised on Bought Ledger. Taught two assistants double entry book-keeping up to Trial Balance.

1976 - 1979 SUPAGLIDE LIMITED, EASTERN AVENUE WEST, ROMFORD, RM7 7PX. ALUMINUM DOOR & WINDOW MANUFACTURERS

BOOK-KEEPER - Responsible the Company Secretary I sorted out, then maintained the all the company's accounts, including wages. Trained two assistants in all aspects of accounts work using a double entry manual ledger system and a Kalamazoo payroll system.

1979 - 1980 I moved home and to improve my career prospects I applied to K.B.S. Computer Services to study as a Systems Analyst. I passed their aptitude test and was trained by them.

K.B.S. COMPUTER SERVICES, OLD KENT RD., LONDON. TRAINING CENTRE & SOFTWARE HOUSE

STUDENT - I attended a full-time Systems Analysis course and learned about computers, how to prepare and give presentations using overhead projectors and/or leaflet distribution.

1980 - 1982 WEST OF ENGLAND SHIPOWNER'S MUTUAL INS. ASS. LTD., ST. CLARE HOUSE, MINORIES, LONDON, E.C.3. MARINE INSURANCE CLUB

ANALYST PROGRAMMER - Investigating current codes and reporting suggested new ones. Investigating existing systems and designing and planning new ones. Including program specifications, writing, testing and maintaining batch programs and User Manual.

1982 - 1983 FREIGHT COMPUTER SERVICES LTD., 400 GREAT CAMBRIDGE ROAD., ENFIELD, MIDDX. SOFTWARE HOUSE

SYSTEMS ANALYST/PROGRAMMER - Amending existing programs and running live programs, altering, designing and writing, live payroll programs.

1983 - 1984 DATAPORT MICROSYSTEMS LTD., DATAPORT HOUSE, UPPER ICKNIELD WAY, TRING, HERTS., HP23 4JX. MICRO COMPUTER MANUFACTURERS

PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR - Reporting to the Financial Director. I was responsible for all personnel matters, e.g. job offer letters, recording and maintaining employee details, processing any necessary amendments to salaries, status or departments, liaising with staff (including councelling if and when necessary) and management, etc. At the start of my employment I investigated various payroll packages for the IBM PCXT, chose and implemented the system for a staff of 150, did a parallel run and produced the payroll in two weeks, in order to save the company the outlay for an outside agency. Subsequently I was fully responsible for the regular monthly payroll, from input of data, (time sheets, production bonus and S.S.P. calculations as well as regular monthly payments) to delivery of completed giro slips to bank and production and distribution of payslips.

1984 - 1987 D.C.E. SYSTEMS LTD., D.C.E. HOUSE, BESSEMER CRESCENT, AYLESBURY, BUCKS., HP19 3TH. MICRO COMPUTER DEALERS AND DISTRIBUTORS

CUSTOMER SUPPORT/OFFICE CO-ORDINATOR - Reporting to my immediate superior the Sales Manager who later became the Sales Director, I was originally employed solely in the capacity of Customer Support. This was basically making things as simple as possible for end users especially those with little or no knowledge of Personal Computers. I trained staff in various software packages with which I was familiar, and organised training through outside agencies for those packages which I did not know well enough.

I often travelled to the user's premises where I set up hardware, including upgrading RAM if necessary, installed any software which may have been purchased and created menus for ease of use of programs and Operating System utilities. I provided telephone support, converted computer files into different formats or attempted to recover user's files which had been accidentally damaged or corrupted. I demonstrated hardware and/or software to prospective customers, either alone or with one of the salesmen. I also purchased software and hardware, negotiating prices and preparing relevant paperwork.

The company expanded from dealership to distributorship, selling mainly to dealers with their own training staff. Sales to end users consequently decreased, whilst sales order processing increased. I had "/Office Co-ordinator" added to my job title and became responsible for organising sales order processing and invoicing.

Preparatory to computerisation of S.O.P. and invoicing and the associated stock control, I developed a temporary system on a personal computer using macros in a word processing package. With this system I logged orders according to salesman and product type, I prepared and processed invoicing and despatch documentation and where necessary produced works orders for engineers. My system provided information to enable me to produce weekly and monthly sales figures for management and various other necessary reports. A sales order processing clerk was employed to use my temporary system, giving me time to organise the setting up of information onto Tetraplan, the full accounts package chosen by the company.