Got a question for our resident agony uncle?

Email stanley@mediasalesjobs.co.uk

At an interview, the sales director kept mentioning ABC stats - what does this mean?

ABC stands for the Audit Bureau of Circulation - an official body that independently verifies circulation / data figures - e.g. how many readers a magazine achieves - to facilitate the buying and selling of advertising space.

It is a non profit organisation owned by the media industry that serves B2B print media and exhibitions, newspapers, consumer magazines and more with their ABCe arm reporting on websites, emails and similar electronic media.

Website: www.abc.org.uk

Unless you are some obvious kind of sociopath (read: unemployable) then it's just not possible to say how your test results will affect your chances of securing the job - companies will have their own set of criteria in terms of the mix of abilities and personal qualities that they believe are desirable and fit with their company's ethos and needs.

There are no right or wrong answers so you'd be a fool to try and anticipate the 'winning' response - be honest and you'll end up working somewhere that suits you and will do better as a result.

There isn't strictly a better or best time to apply, job vacancies arise all the time due to company expansion or an existing staff member moving on.  The best time to look for a job is when you need one!

Larger companies may have scheduled graduate (training scheme) intake at certain times of year - you can check this out for specific companies that interest you in our employer guide.

Some people send their CVs in to companies 'on spec' and many companies are happy to receive them although a lot of the time you will end up filed away until a vacancy arises - this can be a frustrating route to take as you may get no feedback.  Then, if you see a vacancy that you feel you are suitable for, you may be unsure as to whether your CV has been considered and rejected or whether you should apply again.

If you are new to media sales then you may be best placed to work with a recruitment consultant who will be abreast of the latest vacancies suited to your skills and experience and will provide invaluable advice and support throughout the job hunting process.

Oh, and if you have experience, wouldn't do you any harm to check out the job vacancies direct from employers on The Friday Pint...

Stanley, our resident agony uncle has been selling ads since before you were a twinkle in your Dad's eye...

If you have any questions about starting your career in media sales, he's your man...