How to Write a Winning CV? · Font can be “Arial” or “Times New Roman” Font size: 12 pt....

transcript

Daniel Ying

Career Advisor, City U - SDS

(Director, Achievers International Ltd.)

How to Write a Winning CV?

Take Away

1. Purpose of your CV

2. Set your Career Objectives!

3. Create You CV: Step-by-Step in 8 Sections

4. Powerful Tips and Examples

Gain First Impression

your History

Purpose of CV:

get the job &

start MY Career

Get ready & well prepared

Get an interview

GET an Offer

GET your career

GET to the top!

How to Win with Your CV?

Hard skills

Soft skills

Attitude and values

Hard skills

Soft skills

Attitude and values

CV Length

No absolute rules but normally:

no more than two sides of A4 paper

single side

CV Format

Reverse Chronological order with recent experience on top

Use past tense and action words

Font can be “Arial” or “Times New Roman”

Font size: 12 pt. (but larger sizes for headings and subheadings)

Margins: 0.5 to 1 inch on all sides

NO graphics or colors

Use Bullets with concise phrases, not paragraphs

Text and “white space” is balanced

If print, on high quality paper (cotton bond, 24lb min, white, off-

white, beige color)

1. Personal Data

2. Personal Profile / Objectives

3. Education

4. Work and Internship Experience

5. Extra-Curricular Activity

6. Award and Professional Qualifications

7. Skills (must have) & Interests (optional)

8. References

Formal CV Content (Total 8 sections)

• Name – CHAN, Tai Man Simon (陳大文)

Simon, Tai Man CHAN (陳大文)

• Contact Numbers – Mobile / home

• Email – simon.chan@gmail.com.hk

• Address - optional

1. Personal Data

Marital status Gender

Nationality

HKID number

Place of Birth Photo

1. Personal Data

A useful way of flagging an interest and skills for

a particular career on your CV.

2. Personal Profile

• short and to the point

• Contain a sentence or two about the type

of work you are aiming for

• Tell an employer who you are and what you can

do for them

• Focus on your skills, competencies and

personal qualities

2. Personal Profile - Example

Bad…..

• A university graduate seeking a job in which my

skills can be applied.

• I want to do entry level duties in a famous

company.

Good…..

• A Computer Science graduate with both strong

analytical ability and a keen interest in practical

application and information systems.

• An outgoing, down-to-earth person who enjoys

being involved with new technical challenges,

and has encountered and solved many

problems with both machines and people.

Even Better…..

• A self-motivated, result-oriented and responsible

Business Administration graduate with hands-on

experience of both sales and marketing, and the proven

ability to meet and surpass sales targets.

• A proficient communicator at all levels who enjoys

meeting challenges and seeing them through, while

remaining resilient and positive under pressure.

• Period of Study (most recent first)

• Name of university

• Postgraduate / undergraduate programs

• Academic exchange

• Name of secondary school

• Name of public examinations

• Mention grades unless poor (GPA not include if

below 3.0)

3. Education

3. Education - Example

Bad…..

• CityU TESL (minor in AMIS), 2007.09 – 2010.06

with English (B+), System Analysis (A-), Project (B-) English Writing (B+), Gender Studies (B+)

• St. Joseph’s College, 2001.09 – 2007.05 passed in HKALE and HKCEE

Good…..2011-2014 City University of Hong Kong

BSc (Hons.) Applied Physics – GPA 3.2

2009-2011 King’s College

HK Advanced Level Examination

2004-2009 St. Joseph’s College

HK Certificate of Education Examination

Even Better…..2011-2014 City University of Hong Kong

BSc in Applied Physics - GPA 3.6 /4

2012-2013 Technical University, Germany

Academic Exchange

2009-2011 SCOPE, University of Hong Kong

Associate Degree in Marketing - with Distinction

2004-2009 St. Paul Boys’ School

HK Certificate of Education Examination

• Period of work/ internship (most recent first)

• Name of company (+ short description, +

location if overseas)

• Job Title (state “Internship”) + Department

name (if applicable)

• Projects involved (if any)

• duties and achievements - with figures!

4. Working Experience (include Internship)

4a.Working Experience - Example

Bad….Summer 09 IBM Hong Kong, Consultant Intern

• Assisted in technical consulting projects

• Helped administrators to enter data for various projects

2007-2008 City University of HK, Student Helper

• Worked with departments to carry out fun-

raising project

Summer 07 Toys “R” Us, Shop Assistant

• Handled merchandise display

• Took orders and arranged delivery of products

• Use action words such as “developed”,

“planned” and “organized”

• If you are working part-time in a shop, bar or

restaurant, you can write:

Servicing customers with the best quality of

services

Dealing tactfully with complaints

Use “Action” & “Active” Words

Use of Action wordsAchievement Analytical Skills Communication Financial Leadership

Skills Skills

accomplish classify correspond allocate assign

award evaluate influence analyze coordinate

attain identify mediate audit direct

complete interpret moderate balance execute

earn organize negotiate budget oversee

expand process persuade manage priorities

receive summaries promote plan strengthen

solve systematize publicize project supervise

Initiative Interpersonal Skills Teamwork Skills Technical Skills

conceptualize assess aid assemble

create clarify arrange calculate

design educate assist devise

establish facilitate collaborate engineer

improve guide cooperate operate

initiate instruct develop programmed

institute motivate produce solve

market represent support upgrade

Before & After

BEFORE AFTER

Helped administrators to enter data for

various projects

Assisted administrators to develop 4

databases. Generated statistical reports for

key projects on Attendance Analysis.

Worked with departments to carry out fun-

raising project

Partnered with 3 Departments to raise

$100,000 for Child Care Fund

Took orders and arranged delivery of

products

Handled 100+ phone orders daily and

arranged the product delivery logistics by

SAP system.

Good…..IBM Summer 09 Consultant Intern

• Assisted administrators to develop 4 databases

• Generated statistical reports for Attendance Analysis

WWF (Canada) Jan 2007-now Part-time Clerk

• Partnered with 3 Departments. Raised $300,000 for Penda Protection Fund

Bank of China (Shanghai, PRC) Summer 07

Credit Card Promotor

• Worked with sales departments to promote credit cards

• Increased 40 percent sales volume

Even Better....IBM - Consultant Intern Summer 09 (A Fortune 500 company and international Business Machine Corp, which

provides integrated solutions that leverage IT and business processes)

• Assisted administrators to develop 4 databases

• Generated statistical reports for Attendance Analysis

WWF (Canada) - Part-time Fund Raising Clerk Jan 2007-08(An international NGO working on projects regarding the conservation, research

and restoration of environment)

• Partnered with 3 Departments. Raised $300,000 for Penda Protection Fund

If you can summarize your competencies & achievements,

4b. Non-related Work Experience….?

It reflects:

1. Your commitment to university

education

2. Your leadership/ experience and capability in servicing others

5. Extra-curricular Activities (ECA)

• Period(most recent first)

• Name of organization (+ location if overseas)

• Capacity

• Duties

• Projects name (Include pro bono work), if any

Good…..

2014-2015 The Salvation Army, Volunteer

- Organized two camps for 100+ members in Tibet

- Raised HK$80,000 from private companies to subsidies 5 seminars with 20+ overseas speakers

Summer 14 Outward Bound Training, Participant

- Completed a 6-day outward bound training

- Led team 8 members and won the 1st

runner-up

• Period (most recent first)

• Name of organization

• List location if overseas

6. Awards and Professional Qualifications

Good…..

2011 Champion, Joint University Football Competition

2010 Dean’s List, City University of Hong Kong

2009 Gold Award for Volunteer Service, Social Welfare

Department

2010 Associate Member, Hong Kong Institute of Human

Resources Management

6. Awards and Professional Qualifications

Good English is a MUST!!!

7. Skills

(Language & Computer)

• Fluent in spoken and written English (IELTS

8.0), Cantonese and Putonghua

• Conversational German and Shanghainese

dialect

Skills

7a. Language Proficiency

Skills

7b. Computer Skills

Good Computer skill is a MUST!!!

7c. Interests and Hobbies (Optional)

• Intellectual

• Artistic

• Physically active

“- will be provided upon request –”

8. References

How to Write a Winning CV? · Font can be “Arial” or “Times New Roman” Font size: 12 pt....

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