Recruitment Talk The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Date: Feb 16, 2005 Speaker: Antonio Yu (Resources Explorer)

Agenda  Cover Letter and Resume  Interview  Experience Sharing  Q & A

Cover Letter and Resume

Questions  What is the purpose of resume?  What is a good resume? What is a bad resume?  Do we need cover letter?  Can we use the same resume and covering letter for all job hunting?

Purpose of Resume  To get an interview opportunity

Sample Cover Letter

Contents in Cover Letter  Your address / Date  The person you attend to  RE:  The position, source, date  Your curriculum and other qualifications  Project / Placement experience before  Your characteristics, activities participated (Refer to the R & R)

Do’s…  Check carefully that you send to the right person to apply for the right job !!!  Send both soft & hard copies if possible  Check with the company and make sure they receive your information  Be polite in your wordings  Make it short and stick to JD

Do’s…  Follow up – Ask for interview…  Use PDF format but not PostScript  Remember, looking for job is your job before you are employed  Search in Google.com for more examples

Dont’s…  Don’t mention too much about previous part-time jobs experience  Don’t make jokes by saying “You can drink a lot with customers”  Don’t make too many English mistakes  Avoid using FAX

Bad Examples  Dear Sir With regards to the above position, attached is my CV …  Actually there’s nothing “above”

Bad Examples  I would be grateful if we could communicate using for more detail or even to have a telephone conversation before we may have an interview in HK if possible.  Isn’t it too complicated?  Make it short. – It would be great if we could arrange a phone interview before I come back to Hong Kong.

Sample in MS Word

Contents in Resume  Personal Details  Contact Details  Education & Professional Qualifications  Working/Project experience  Career Interest  Skills and Others  Salary (You may state negotiable)  Other Key Achievements

Remember…  State appropriate details  Make sure that the look and feel is consistence and professional  See example  If you can, put your supervisor in the University as your reference  Don’t scan your result slips/certificates into your resume  Resume Template – MS Word

Remember…  Don’t put too many “designs” and “graphics”  Make the contact details being seen easily  Organize it properly  Tailor made covering letter and resume for each job opportunity

Bad Example

 First Impression ~ some problems here  The phone number is in a different color  There’s no “Hong Kong University” in Hong Kong  The date format is inconsistent  Italic & regular characters mixing together  There is some inconsistency in the grammar  Responsible for user requirement study  Solve problem  System develop’t

Bad Example  More problems  The applicants should match the skills with her previous working experience  Though she has written a lot of skills she may know, the employer may not pay any attention to it.  When the employer prints the resume, the border of the table is not printed

Good Example

 Good resume  Systematic and clear  With all your personal details that can be seen easily  Appropriate details  Good Format  Good English

Interview

Things you have to know  Preparation  Presentation  Communication  Evaluation Criteria  Questions to prepare  Questions to ask

Preparation  Review the job advert – understand the job duties and their requirements  Know more about the company. Remember to visit their website!  Practice your spoken English and Mandarin.  CV in both Traditional & Simplified Chinese.  Think about the potential question and answer.  Certificate, project report, etc…

Presentation  Outlook e.g formal dressing  Hand Shaking  Eye Contact  Body Language  Attitude e.g. pleasant and cheerful  The way to present yourself – systematically

Communication  Interactive conversation – two way communication  Listen carefully!  Never answer in “yes” and “no” only, elaborate your answer  Systematic and well Organized

Evaluation  Cultural Fit  Are you open-minded?  Are you obedient? Following to the rules set?  Personality  Potential to be a contributor or grow in the company  Communication skill  Organization skill  Your Commitment

Questions to prepare  What is your career goal?  What you expect from this job?  Give me the reason to hire you?  How do you view our company?  Expected salary?  Can you work with the others?  How can you solve conflicts?  How can you handle pressure?  Your strength and weakness

Questions to ask  What’s the future direction of the company?  Would you tell me more about the culture of the company?  What can I do for the company?  What is your expectation on me?  The career path?  How frequent do I need to travel?

Experience Sharing  More about ‘IT Industries’.  Being +ve towards company politics.  Communication skills vs technical skills.  Techies vs managers  New technologies.  Certification and other academic qualifications (MBA, MSc. Etc).  Travel  $$$

Q & A

Thank you for coming!