CV & Cover letter writing

2014, Vilnius

CV & Cover letter writing

2014, Vilnius

Welcome!

Agenda

• Self Awareness and Evaluation

• CV & Cover letter

• How to use these skills in the interview?

EXPECTATIONS

CV & Cover Letter

How Important? • CV will give chance to evaluate yourself

• CVs are mostly used to screen candidates for interview

• CVs are the first introducer to the interviewer and explains your complete background

Concrete representation of:

• who you are

• where you have been

• what you are doing now

• where you are going

Contents of your CV

• Name, contact details

• Career Objective(s)

• Educational Qualification

• Experiences / Employment history

• Awards (if any)

• Skills / qualifications

• Extracurricular activities, interests and hobbies

• References

Career Objectives

• Your career objective tells the employer what you are really looking for in a position.

Educational Qualifications • Should be written in a reverse chronological order

• With percentage of marks and name of the Institution

• Year of passing

Bachelor of Arts – Franklin College Switzerland

• Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland August 2009 – May 2012

• International Banking & Finance and International Economics Double Major

• Honors Program acceptance

• Dean’s List, Franklin Merit Scholarship, Life-long Learning Scholarship

Awards

• Awards demonstrate your achievements to your employer

• Forget about any awards you received prior to 7 years

• Give the award details with quantifiable terms

• Can be skipped and put throughout if related to work/education experience

Skills / Qualifications • This section tells the employer what skills you have that fit the

position they are looking for. • Try to describe the skill you have and how you have

demonstrated it. • For eg., Key boarding skill – with wpm • MCSE – Certified

• Cross-Cultural international leadership, management, and communication;

• Organizational and strategic development;

• Agenda creation, session facilitation, and individual/group training;

• Computer proficiencies: Windows and Mac OS, Office Suite (Advanced) Excel, Projects, Visio, Adobe Photoshop, Quickbooks, CRM;

Employment History • State your employer, position held, responsibilities, Duration

and Key achievements • For eg: Sales Assistant, Rama retails shop, 02.06.2005 to Present • Key achievements: Demonstrated excellent customer service Communicated effectively with customers to ensure that their

needs were met. • Vice President Human Resources AIESEC Lugano

• Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland March 2010 – January 2011

• Talent planning, recruitment, induction, talent allocation, education and training, talent pipeline management, performance assessment, leadership development, talent transition

• Increased local membership 213%

• Awarded national HR Award (3) for exceptional contribution

Hobbies & Interests • In this section you can demonstrate your strengths to an

employer • If you have a limited experiences, this is a valuable tool for

demonstrating your abilities to an employer. • Playing Football / any team games • Please avoid jokes and irrelevant hobbies such as sleeping etc.,

• Travel: 31 countries in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia;

• World Issues: Global poverty, sustainable development, renewable energy;

• Creative: Solving puzzles & sculpting

• Sports: Running, ice hockey, basketball;

References • This is the final part of the C.V.

• Include the names, organisations and contact numbers of people who can act as referees for you.

• Give them a call and ask their willingness to act as a referee for you.

• List relevant

• Available upon request

Things to Do

• Be concise

• Prepare CVs for individual companies

• Customize your resume for your target job

• Use verbs over nouns– it will create strong impact. eg. motivated, monitored, created, analyzed, coordinated etc.

Things to Avoid • Don’t include irrelevant information – previous Salary, unproved

awards, prizes and publications etc.

• Personal information – marital status, religion, health, native place etc.

• Avoid unusual font size, stylish letters, graphics, underlining and unusual spacing etc.

• Avoid repeating information

• Avoid personal pronouns (I, my, me)

• Don’t outsource, do it yourself.

• Acronyms – Use only if known in field, is jargon that shows qualification, part of group

CV Writing Tips

• Focus on the job you want

• Emphasis on achievement and results

• Easy to read design and language

• Spelling mistakes are unforgivable

• Education or employment first

• Quantify every statement

• Ask someone to review your CV

Best

“Increased reported

customer satisfaction

rate by 20% by

providing effective

training for more than

15 new employees in a

six month period.”

ACOMPLISHMENT

STATEMENTS:

Better

“Trained more than 15

new employees over a

six month period

resulting in increased

customer

satisfaction.”

Good

“Trained new

employees resulting in

increased customer

satisfaction. OK

“Trained new

employees.”

Types of CVs • Chronological CV: Education and Training is given

importance. The latest qualification comes first – reverse order

• Functional based CV: CVs are created with concentrate on skills and responsibilities or experiences. Usually meant for experienced persons

• Speculative CV - sent not based on any advertisement – match your skills, experiences, education with the skills of the job

requires

– Sent to right person if possible by name

– Emphasis on achievements and results. It should be given in quantifiable terms

Culturally Acceptable CV

• Picture? No Picture?

• English? More than one type?

• Education differs, know differences with each country? Ex. “college”

• Research differences

– German: very specific, lots of additional forms, 0 gaps

– French: projet professionnel

What is a Cover Letter?

• A cover letter is a letter sent alongside your resume to introduce yourself, explain why you are sending in your resume, and provide more information about yourself.

What’s the Point of a Cover Letter?

• Introduce yourself

– Cover letters should carry a message about you

• Get you noticed

– Project the desired image of you or your business

• Convey special information

• Highlight accomplishments

• Get employers, award judges and scholarship committees to read your resume

You Should Include… • Your address and the date the letter

was written • The name and address of the person

to whom the letter is being sent • A salutation (Dear ____:) • The body of the letter • A complimentary close and signature • A title of respect, such as Dr., Mr., or

Ms. • A return address and zip code • Can also include reference initials,

enclosure notifications (such as your resume), copy and postscript

The Body of the Letter • First paragraph –

reason for writing

• Second paragraph – point out qualifications

• Third paragraph – call attention to resume, reiterate interest

Your street address Your city, state, zip code Month, Day, Year Mr./Ms./Dr. Name Title Name of company/organization Company address City, State, Zip code Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Last Name: Paragraph 1: Answers “Why am I writing?”

Identify the position and the company

Indicate how you learned about the position

Request the employer’s consideration Introduce basic information about yourself

Paragraph 2: Answers “Who am I, and why should you hire me?”

Contain a brief summary of your personal data and work experience.

Relate your skills, experiences, and qualities that would benefit you in this

position

Paragraph 3: Answers “What is my next step?”

Refer the reader to your enclosed resume

Reiterate your interest in the position

Specify how you will follow up

Sincerely, Your signature Your name Telephone number Email address

Cover Letter Opening

• The position you are applying for and the competition number if given

• Where you saw the posting. Include name and date of publication

• If you were referred for the position, give the name of that person

• Express your interest for the position

Cover Letter Body

• Why you are suited for the job

• How your skills and qualifications match the specific job requirements listed in the add

• Include related experience, training, and attributes

• Try to list at least 2 examples

Research the Company

• What makes that company/organization

• Why are they there?

• Hiring trends/employment needs

• The companies history

• Desired qualifications and skills

• General job information

Continue

TELL THE READER:

What makes you well suited to the job or company

• How your values, work ethic, skills align with the mission, vision and values of the organization.

• Talk about why you are the right type of person for this job/team or company

• Clearly explain how you are the missing piece in their employee puzzle.

• Focus on the EMPLOYER

Closing

• Restate your interest in the position and mention how you will be an asset to the company

• State your interest in meeting with the employer for an interview to discuss your skills and passion in person

• List your contact information and when you can be reached to book your interview

• Include your home phone number, cell number and or email address.

• Include an action/next step informing the employer you will be in contact with them.

Best

Better

CLOSING PARAGRAPHS

OK

I look forward to hearing

from you soon and having

the opportunity to discuss

my qualifications for the

position

I would like to thank you

for taking the time to

consider my resume. I

am looking forward to

meeting with you to

discuss this

employment

opportunity. You can

contact me at 604-555-

5555 or by email at

I would welcome the

chance to meet with you

to discuss how my

qualifications will exceed

your expectations. I can

provide excellent

references upon request.

I can be reached at 604-

555-5555 or by email at. I

will follow up with a

phone call next week to

discuss things further.

Helpful Hints: • Be assertive – the first 20 words are the most important

• Value to employer – tell your story in relation to how you can be of value to the employer

• Use simple and direct language and grammar

• Let your letter reflect your individuality

• Send it to someone by name

• Get it right – spell recipient’s name right

• Be friendly, not pushy

• Target your letter – tell your reasons for sending the letter, for example, desiring an interview

Preparation

First Contact ? TN Manager

What to prepare ?

Company / TN Manager First interview ?

What to prepare ?

MEDIA

RESEARCH

COMPANY INTERVIEWER

TOP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS • What is your greatest strength? • What is your greatest weakness? • How do you handle stress and pressure? • Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you

overcame it. • Why are you leaving or have left your job? • Why do you want this job? • Why should we hire you? • What are your goals for the future? • Tell me about yourself. • What is your greatest accomplishment? • What would you like to be doing five years from now? • Do you have any questions to ask me?

TIPS

“80% of all hiring managers google a candidate before or after an interview” Wall Street Journal

“45% of employers use Twitter and Facebook to screen job candidates” Careerbuilder.com

FOLLOW UP !!!