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1 SDS Daniel Ying Career Advisor, City U - SDS (Director, Achievers International Ltd.) How to Write a Winning CV?
1SDS
Daniel Ying
Career Advisor, City U - SDS
(Director, Achievers International Ltd.)
How to Write a Winning CV?
2SDS
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
Q & A
3SDS
Gain First Impression
with
your History
4SDS
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!
5SDS
How to Win with Your CV?
Job
Hard skills
Soft skills
Attitude and values
You
Hard skills
Soft skills
Attitude and values
6SDS
CV Length
No absolute rules but normally:
no more than two sides of A4 paper
single side
7SDS
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)
8SDS
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)
9SDS
• Name – CHAN, Tai Man Simon (陳大文)
Simon, Tai Man CHAN (陳大文)
• Contact Numbers – Mobile / home
• Email – [email protected]
• Address - optional
1. Personal Data
10SDS
Marital status Gender
Age
Nationality
HKID number
Place of Birth Photo
1. Personal Data
11SDS
A useful way of flagging an interest and skills for
a particular career on your CV.
2. Personal Profile
12SDS
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
13SDS
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.
14SDS
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.
2. Personal Profile - Example
15SDS
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.
2. Personal Profile - Example
16SDS
• 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
17SDS
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
18SDS
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
3. Education - Example
19SDS
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
3. Education - Example
20SDS
• 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)
21SDS
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
22SDS
• 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
23SDS
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
24SDS
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.
25SDS
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
4a.Working Experience - Example
26SDS
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
4a.Working Experience - Example
27SDS
If you can summarize your competencies & achievements,
YES!
4b. Non-related Work Experience….?
28SDS
It reflects:
1. Your commitment to university
education
2. Your leadership/ experience and capability in servicing others
5. Extra-curricular Activities (ECA)
29SDS
• Period(most recent first)
• Name of organization (+ location if overseas)
• Capacity
• Duties
• Projects name (Include pro bono work), if any
5. Extra-curricular Activities (ECA)
30SDS
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
5. Extra-curricular Activities (ECA)
31SDS
• Period (most recent first)
• Name of organization
• List location if overseas
6. Awards and Professional Qualifications
32SDS
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
33SDS
Good English is a MUST!!!
7. Skills
(Language & Computer)
34SDS
• Fluent in spoken and written English (IELTS
8.0), Cantonese and Putonghua
• Conversational German and Shanghainese
dialect
Skills
7a. Language Proficiency
35SDS
Skills
7b. Computer Skills
Good Computer skill is a MUST!!!
36SDS
7c. Interests and Hobbies (Optional)
• Intellectual
• Artistic
• Physically active
37SDS
“- will be provided upon request –”
8. References
