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How to Sell How to Sell YourselfYourself
Interviews and Personal Interviews and Personal StatementsStatements
Dr Rodney JonesDr Rodney Jones Department of English Department of English
City University of Hong KongCity University of Hong Kong
Rule # 1Rule # 1Know your productKnow your product
Know YourselfKnow Yourself
WriteWrite 3 Greatest Strengths3 Greatest Strengths 3 Greatest Weaknesses3 Greatest Weaknesses Interests/PassionsInterests/Passions Role ModelRole Model Career Ambition/s Career Ambition/s Programmes you would like to studyProgrammes you would like to study
Rule # 2Rule # 2SHOW, don’t tell.SHOW, don’t tell.
Talking about who I
am.
Talking about what I’ve done.
STAR StrategySTAR Strategy(1) describe a (1) describe a
specific specific SSituation or ituation or TTask ask in which you in which you were involved, were involved, (2) explain your (2) explain your role and what role and what AAction you took, ction you took, and (3) illustrate and (3) illustrate the the RResults you esults you achieved.achieved.
Try it Try it
With your greatest With your greatest strength.strength.
With an interest. With an interest. With an extracurricular With an extracurricular
activity.activity. With a programme you With a programme you
would like to study.would like to study. With your greatest With your greatest
weakness.weakness.
(1) describe a specific (1) describe a specific SSituation or ituation or TTask in ask in which you were which you were involved, (2) explain involved, (2) explain your role and what your role and what AAction you took, and ction you took, and (3) illustrate the (3) illustrate the RResults you achieved.esults you achieved.
PracticePractice
A: What do you think your greatest strength A: What do you think your greatest strength is?is?
B: Well, I think I’m very ___________. Let me B: Well, I think I’m very ___________. Let me give you an example: give you an example: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rule # 3Rule # 3Know your customer.Know your customer.
ResearchResearch
What are the requirements for the programme or What are the requirements for the programme or scholarship?scholarship?
What are the kinds of things taught in the What are the kinds of things taught in the programme?programme?
What are the kinds of jobs graduates get?What are the kinds of jobs graduates get?
Who are the people you are likely to be talking to?Who are the people you are likely to be talking to?
What format will the interview take?What format will the interview take?
What kinds of questions are likely to be asked?What kinds of questions are likely to be asked?
Most common Most common questionsquestions
Tell me about yourself. (You should focus on about three things.)Tell me about yourself. (You should focus on about three things.)
Why do you want to attend X university/X programme?Why do you want to attend X university/X programme?
What is your strongest/weakest point?What is your strongest/weakest point?
What have you done to prepare for university?What have you done to prepare for university?
What has been your greatest experience in secondary school?What has been your greatest experience in secondary school?
What do you want to do in the future?What do you want to do in the future?
Tell me about your interests.Tell me about your interests.
Tell me about your involvement in extracurricular activities.Tell me about your involvement in extracurricular activities.
What do you think about (insert an important current event)?What do you think about (insert an important current event)?
Which of your accomplishments are you the most proud of?Which of your accomplishments are you the most proud of?
PreparationPreparation
DO prioritize DO prioritize (What are the (What are the three things three things you most want you most want to say?)to say?)
DO prepare DO prepare intelligent intelligent questionsquestions
• DO NOT DO NOT memorize memorize answersanswers
• DO NOT practice DO NOT practice in front of the in front of the mirrormirror
The Interview is an The Interview is an English Test!English Test!
Reviewing key words and phrasesReviewing key words and phrases
Names of interviewersNames of interviewers
LISTEN to the questionsLISTEN to the questions
Asking for clarificationAsking for clarification
Writing Personal Writing Personal StatementsStatements
Qualities of a good personal statementQualities of a good personal statement ReflectiveReflective HonestHonest Strives for depth, not breadthStrives for depth, not breadth Clearly and accurately writtenClearly and accurately written Argues from evidenceArgues from evidence Answers not just ‘what’ but also ‘why’ and Answers not just ‘what’ but also ‘why’ and
‘how’‘how’
BrainstormingBrainstorming
Look at the list you made before…Look at the list you made before…
Choose no more than three things to focus Choose no more than three things to focus on.on.
Consider how your choices are interrelated.Consider how your choices are interrelated.
Consider how each of these can be Consider how each of these can be developed using the STAR strategy.developed using the STAR strategy.
Greatest DangerGreatest DangerClichés Clichés
Ever since I was young, I have always Ever since I was young, I have always wanted to be a doctor. I have always wanted to be a doctor. I have always enjoyed helping people, and I want to do it enjoyed helping people, and I want to do it for a living. In particular, I would like to do for a living. In particular, I would like to do medical research where my work would medical research where my work would have a positive effect for many people. have a positive effect for many people.
Fighting Clichés Fighting Clichés
Ask yourself honestly: Does it interest you?Ask yourself honestly: Does it interest you? Boredom is the first sign of exposure to a cliché. If you find Boredom is the first sign of exposure to a cliché. If you find
yourself bored by your personal statement, you can’t yourself bored by your personal statement, you can’t reasonably expect your reader to respond any differently. But if reasonably expect your reader to respond any differently. But if you find yourself excited or intrigued by it, then you’re you find yourself excited or intrigued by it, then you’re probably on the right track. probably on the right track.
Add concrete detail. Add concrete detail. These might seem irrelevant to you, but names, place-names, These might seem irrelevant to you, but names, place-names,
concrete situations, and sparse, but well-chosen, adjectives all concrete situations, and sparse, but well-chosen, adjectives all add up to make you and your story more vivid and memorable add up to make you and your story more vivid and memorable to the reader. to the reader.
Storytelling.Storytelling. Don’t tell us what you learned or experienced, but show Don’t tell us what you learned or experienced, but show
yourself learning and experiencing. For example, rather than yourself learning and experiencing. For example, rather than telling your reader you learned leadership qualities during an telling your reader you learned leadership qualities during an extracurricular activity, narrate how you learned it. extracurricular activity, narrate how you learned it.
StructureStructure
Proposition
Reason
Reason
Reason
Evidence
Evidence
Evidence
What about What about after after
university?university?
Your ChallengeYour Challenge
Economic ConditionsEconomic Conditions
More CompetitionMore Competition
Global Business EnvironmentGlobal Business Environment
What Employers WantWhat Employers Want
More Than Just EnglishMore Than Just English
BA (Hons.) English for BA (Hons.) English for Professional Professional
CommunicationCommunication
Programme Core
BA (Hons) English for BA (Hons) English for Professional Professional
CommunicationCommunication
How do we compare?How do we compare?
University English Language Studies
Literary and Cultural Studies
GlobalBusiness Communi-cation
Language Teaching
European Languages
Hong Kong U
✔ ✔
Chinese U ✔ ✔
Poly U ✔ ✔
Baptist ✔ ✔
Lingnan ✔ ✔
HKIEd ✔ ✔
City U ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Jobs in…Jobs in…
Management and Management and AdministrationAdministration
TeachingTeaching
Civil ServiceCivil Service
Writing and PublishingWriting and Publishing
Marketing, PR, Marketing, PR, AdvertisingAdvertising
Tourism and Cultural Tourism and Cultural ManagementManagement
Finance, Banking, Finance, Banking, InsuranceInsurance
Real World Learning Real World Learning ExperiencesExperiences
InternshipsInternships
Professional Professional CommunicatioCommunication Projectsn Projects
Foreign Foreign ExchangeExchange
Study ToursStudy Tours
Entrance Entrance RequirementsRequirements
Talk to us!Talk to us!
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/cityu/dpt-acad/fhs-en.htm
Talk to me!Talk to me!
2788963627889636
