Careers Education

1
Careers Education Placement Centre

• English Cover Letter Résumé Format
• Date 18 February,2000 (Friday)
• Time 615 - 715 p.m.
• Venue T5, Meng Wah Complex

2
Careers Education Placement Centre

• Louisa Li
• Director
• Email louisali_at_hkusua.hku.hk
• Homepage http//www.hku.hk/cepc

3
Slides from this presentation

• lecture notes are available at the CEPC Enquiry
  Desk for photocopying
• lecture notes are available at the CEPC
  homepagelthttp//www.hku.hk/cepcgt
• Students ?
• Services for students ?
• Careers Education Courses ?
• Lecture Notes ?

4
Competition is fierce in 98 - 99
Information Technology
5
Competition is fierce in 98 - 99

• Banking

6
Competition is fierce 98 - 99

• Management

7
How long do they spend on each application?

• For most of the companies,
• less than
• one minute
• per application.

8
Application Letter

• I. follow the 4S Rule
• - Short
• - simple
• - succinct
• - specific
• II. include competency statements
• - should say what the candidate can DO
• - should make it clear what results they have
  achieved
• - should be related to the employers needs and
  organised so as to show how the candidates
  qualifications can help to meet them

9
Covering Letter

• Why are you interested in the company and the
  job??
• Research!!
• recruitment talk
• career booklet
• company file/newspaper cutting file
• world wide web (e.g. South China Morning Post
  Archive)
• alumni contact/friends
• CEPC homepage

10
Format for Cover Letter

Your Address Date The persons name Job
tile Employer name Address Dear (Mr/Mrs/Ms
Surname), Ref (Position) Introduction -
Explain why you are writing Middle paragraph/s
- Match your qualification, experiences, and
achievements with the primary tasks of the
appointee. Make them interested in meeting you!
11
Format for Cover Letter contd
Penultimate paragraph - Say why are you attracted
to this employer, occupation, and/or
industry. Closing paragraph - Leave the way
open for further communication. Yours
sincerely, Your name
12
Exercise I - Match your qualification,
experiences and achievements against the primary
tasks of the appointee
13
(No Transcript)
14
Resume Format
Name Address Contact Numbers Summary
Career Objective Education Qualification
Extra-Curricular Activities Position,
Organisation, Period, Statement of
responsibilities (use action words to show
skills) Statement of achievement (showing
results)
15
Resume Format contd
Work Experience Position, Organisation,
Period, Statement of responsibilities (use
action words to show skills) Statement of
achievement (showing results) Hobbies and
Interest Skills and other qualifications
relevant to the employer and post References
(Ideally three referees, not relatives, to
comment on your ability, character, attitude to
work, achievements) Expected Salary (unless
asked for)
16
Exercise II - Phrase your skills and achievements
in action words and statements of result
Example XXX University Student Union Newspaper
XXX Co-editor for dance / techno
music Creative contributor. Developed
relations with record companies (e.g. arranging
supply of sample CDs to review). Developed
critical appreciation of different musical
styles. Kept up-to-date with trends in music
and its culture.
17
Exercise II - Phrase your skills and achievements
in action words and statements of resultcontd
Learned to take constructive criticism.
Twelve monthly music reviews were
published, received form all the 5 top record
companies free supply of over 100 CDs to
review, introduced 4 new styles of dance and
techno music to the readers and wrote
accompanying articles on the culture of
------. Your Task Name an experience that is
relevant to the needs of your targeted
employer and phrase it in the style of this
example.
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
Action Words
23
Action Words contd
24
Action Words contd
25
Action Words contd
26
Action Words contd
27
The DOs

• write the resume yourself
• make it error free
• make it look good
• stress your accomplishments
• be brief and specific
• be honest
• keep it lively - use action words (e.g.
  organised, participated, handled..etc)
• address to the right person

28
The DONTs

• Incomplete Information
• Poor layout
• Too fancy/complicated
• Incorrect dates (e.g. date of birth, year of
  graduation)

29
Other Resources on Website

• 1. CEPC Homepage lthttp//www.hku.hk/cepcgt
• - Application Writing/Interview Techniques/
• Assessment Centre ?
• - Application Writing ?
• Websites
• Student Centre http//www.aboutwork.com/rescov/c
  over/
• Proven Resume http//www.provenresumes.com/
• Resume Writing Guide by Job Web
  http//www.jobweb.org/catapult/guenov/restips
  .html
• College Grad - how to post your resume on the
  Internet http//collegegrad.com/resumes/reslinks
  .shtml

30
Other Resources on Website contd

• 2. Prospect(HE)
• - HKU Library Homepage lthttp//www.hku.hk/libgt
• - Resources
• Digital Library Collections ?
• - Keyword Search ?
• type Prospect(HE) ?
• - Prospect(HE) Career exploration
• Windframe ?
• - Start ?
• select Route 4 to plan and make your
  applications
• e.g. more than 20 teaching posts for you to
  choose

31
Other Resources

• The Resume Writing Workbook
• Write for the job
• Getting the job you really want
• Write, giving full details (video)
• The Miracel Resume (video)
• Language Centre
• More .......
• Careers Library, 3/F, Meng Wah Complex

32
ANSWERS
QUESTIONS