How to achieve your New Year's Resolution
The article "Hot Job" provides tips on CV writing.
An Article by The CV Workshop writer Lynda Tan-Shen
Friday, January 13, 2012
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Effective CV / Resume Writing For Job Search
Whether you're just about to enter the job market or have been working for a few decades, you must understand that it is a matter of time that you will have to deal with the task of preparing your own CV or Resume. Since this is not the sort of task one does everyday, it could be quite daunting to undertake.
Thus I have designed the set of slides to briefly introduce the ways to write an effective CV or Resume. (Slides will change after 30s). More than 90% of all CVs / Resumes I received over the past 3 years as a Resume writer needed major editing / updating to be effective.
I hope you have enjoyed the slide show. However, if you still feel that you need help in writing one, please call (Tel: 3960-6440) to book an appointment for a Pre-Writing interview - (available only for those in Hong Kong).
Thus I have designed the set of slides to briefly introduce the ways to write an effective CV or Resume. (Slides will change after 30s). More than 90% of all CVs / Resumes I received over the past 3 years as a Resume writer needed major editing / updating to be effective.
I hope you have enjoyed the slide show. However, if you still feel that you need help in writing one, please call (Tel: 3960-6440) to book an appointment for a Pre-Writing interview - (available only for those in Hong Kong).
Monday, October 12, 2009
West Kowloon Cultural District Authority e-newsletter and Job Opportunities
The (WKCD) West Kowloon Cultural District (in Hong Kong) has issued its inaugural issue of the e-newsletter in September 2009. Job seekers and the general public who are interested in the development of this huge project may subscribe or read online news pertaining to it.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES related to the WKCD may be updated on this site: http://www.wkcdauthority.hk/en/job/jobOpp.htm
JOB OPPORTUNITIES related to the WKCD may be updated on this site: http://www.wkcdauthority.hk/en/job/jobOpp.htm
Monday, April 20, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Job Recruitment Sites in Hong Kong
For the convenience of job-seekers who make use of online search to look for jobs in Hong Kong, I have compiled a list of major online job listing sites in Hong Kong. The link menu is also found on the right column to this blog.
JobsDB.com, Executive Jobs, Recruit Online
Headline Jobs, Classified Post, JiuJik
CareerTimes, Hong Kong eRecruitment, JobMarket
JobFinder, Civil Service Bureau, Gemini
Employment Service, Monster.com, Recruit.net
51Job.com, Kelly Services, eFinancial Careers
MichaelPage, CareerJet
JobsDB.com, Executive Jobs, Recruit Online
Headline Jobs, Classified Post, JiuJik
CareerTimes, Hong Kong eRecruitment, JobMarket
JobFinder, Civil Service Bureau, Gemini
Employment Service, Monster.com, Recruit.net
51Job.com, Kelly Services, eFinancial Careers
MichaelPage, CareerJet
Monday, February 23, 2009
Hong Kong Government's Effort In Helping Job-Seekers
[Taken from the press release on Statistics issued on Feb. 17, 2009 by the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong]
Some of The Figures
Unemployment: 4.6%
Total persons employed: 3,530,000 (Nov 2008 - Jan 2009)
Total persons unemployed: 157,700 (Nov 2008 - Jan 2009) increased by 16,400 over previous 2 months
Job losses: 14,300
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr. Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said that the Government would adhere firmly to the strategy of "stabilising the financial system, supporting enterprises and preserving employment" ...
HOW?
- creation of 55,000 jobs in the next financial year through accelerating infrastructure and minor works projects
- recruiting 7,700 civil servants and create 4,000 temporary openings in the next 14 months
- 20+ statutory bodies to recruit some 6000 employees and create some 2000 temporary jobs or internship opportunities this year
- Labour Department will continue to organise large-scale job fairs in shopping malls, community halls, and mini-job fairs at its Job Centres
JOB FAIRS
Date: Feb.27, Friday
Venue: Lei Yue Mun Plaza
Date: Mar.10-11, 2009
Venue: Olympian City II
Thursday, February 19, 2009
"Creative Industries" - The Promising Future
These few months have been a busy stretch for us and many of our clients were mainly from the finance and banking sector! Globally the whole sector is suffering, thus getting employment in the same sector will be an uphill task for some time, if not impossible. So what other sectors look promising, both in Hong Kong and around the world?
According to an article "An Inevitable Trend" on CreativeTaiwan.net, 'Noted futurist Alvin Toffler once predicted that creative and cultural industries would become the dominant sector in the world economy, that whoever takes the high ground of creativity can take the world, as creativity will be the force controlling the 21st century economic lifeline.
These "chimneyless" industries that turn experience into pleasurable memories, and creativity into fortune as well as career opportunities are indeed the hottest and most environment-conscious sector which thrive the knowledge-based economy!
“Creative economy” has been taken as one of the major projects each country works on to strengthen its competitiveness, which indicates that “Cultural & Creative Industries” will become the trend in the future. These “industries without smokestacks”, or “knowledge-based industries”, turn experiences into great memories, and ideas into fortune and job opportunities. '
This is food for thought, especially for those who would be thinking of diversifying their skills to gain an edge in the future employment market. The needs of the world is changing - so must we.
Watch 2 short video introductions about the West Kowloon Cultural District:
#1 A cultural hub in the making
#2 A cultural hub in the making
For those interested in attending courses related to Creative Industries management, HKU SPACE is currently offering such a programme called "Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Industries Management", and some of the modules in the programme are CEF reimbursable.
Education and Careers Expo, 19-22 Feb. 2009
There is an Education and Careers Expo held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 19 -22 Feb. 2009. Names of exhibitors can be found here. There are a wide variety of Education Forums / Talks held by different institutes of higher learning at Hall 5. The whole event schedule is available.
If one is currently looking for employment, widening one's search and attending careers fair is one good way to gain exposure and get more information. If you're in a sector that is currently experiencing crisis and the few jobs available are already saturated with many applicants, it may be time to spend some moment upgrading your skills/knowledge through professional training (while waiting to get employed), or seriously widening your knowledge in other fields which may promise better prospects in the coming future!
For example, do you have any interest in the Creative Industries? Find out more about Creative Industries in Hong Kong. Courses are available and one such course called "Post Graduate Diploma In Creative Industries Management" is currently being offered by the HKU SPACE.
Therefore if you have been looking for a job unsuccessfully in a sector that has been very hard hit by the economic/financial crisis (which you think may take long to recover) it is time to re-evaluate other alternatives and take the opportunity to upgrade yourself.
MORE ARTICLES about the Creative Industries in Hong Kong ...
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Many Job Candidates Chasing Far Fewer Job Vacancies
Too many job applicants for too few job vacancies; this is a scenario for disappointment. But the truth is that if a post is very popular because the basic entry requirements are not demanding and yet the starting salary is attractive, chances are high that application for the post will be oversubscribed.
According to the Feb. 21, 2008 online version of SCMP, "every year, thousands of young Hongkongers apply to the Fire Services Department and the Hong Kong Police Force" and although several thousands applied, only a handful were accepted! For example, the Fire Services Department wanted to hire 100 ambulancemen and women and received a total of 3,300 applications! Sometimes, despite the vast number of applicants, few people pass the final tests. In a 2007 report, the Civil Aviation Department introduced the post of student air-traffic control officer, with 20 vacancies available but received a total of 2,248 applications (SCMP, Feb. 21, 2008).
These examples illustrate the point of how competitive it can be in some chosen career fields. A candidate must understand the total requirements that the post demanded, and evaluate if he/she meets them all. The jobs mentioned above require that the candidate have mental and physical toughness, be team players and ready to accept strict discipline and training, have perfect vision without eyeglasses, possess integrity, courage, confidence and the commitment to serve the community. Academic qualifications alone is not sufficient!
Now assuming that one meets all the qualifications perfectly, has a strong interest in the post, and even has the right attitude and aptitude, these must still be communicated to the recruiters. How would you do that effectively?
One tip:
Be armed with a powerful resume/CV if you want to have a higher chance of getting your dream job. Make sure that you have several file format types of your CV (printed, scannable, ASCII text) because different recruiters may ask for different types of CV file format. But no matter how attractive a post may be, always be honest with yourself; what makes you think you will be the right and best person to do the job. Then your CV must reflect that. Let not attractive salaries and perks lure you into a job does not suit you.
According to the Feb. 21, 2008 online version of SCMP, "every year, thousands of young Hongkongers apply to the Fire Services Department and the Hong Kong Police Force" and although several thousands applied, only a handful were accepted! For example, the Fire Services Department wanted to hire 100 ambulancemen and women and received a total of 3,300 applications! Sometimes, despite the vast number of applicants, few people pass the final tests. In a 2007 report, the Civil Aviation Department introduced the post of student air-traffic control officer, with 20 vacancies available but received a total of 2,248 applications (SCMP, Feb. 21, 2008).
These examples illustrate the point of how competitive it can be in some chosen career fields. A candidate must understand the total requirements that the post demanded, and evaluate if he/she meets them all. The jobs mentioned above require that the candidate have mental and physical toughness, be team players and ready to accept strict discipline and training, have perfect vision without eyeglasses, possess integrity, courage, confidence and the commitment to serve the community. Academic qualifications alone is not sufficient!
Now assuming that one meets all the qualifications perfectly, has a strong interest in the post, and even has the right attitude and aptitude, these must still be communicated to the recruiters. How would you do that effectively?
One tip:
Be armed with a powerful resume/CV if you want to have a higher chance of getting your dream job. Make sure that you have several file format types of your CV (printed, scannable, ASCII text) because different recruiters may ask for different types of CV file format. But no matter how attractive a post may be, always be honest with yourself; what makes you think you will be the right and best person to do the job. Then your CV must reflect that. Let not attractive salaries and perks lure you into a job does not suit you.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Your CV/Resume is UNIQUE
Every CV is unique. Like your fingerprint, there will be no other CVs exactly like yours. Yet a majority of CVs 'blended in with the crowd' and never get noticed at all! Why?
A good CV goes beyond telling the facts about your work history. It has to present them in a clear and convincing way. The recruiter has to (very quickly) perceive from your CV that what you can offer matches well with what the company is looking for. Your CV is your marketing document, it markets your brand (what you stand for) and how you and you alone can fulfil your prospective employer's needs! Quite a daunting task, especially when you probably have around 15 seconds to prove your point!
What about CV styles? There are various that you can employ to develop your CV. Depending on your circumstances, one style may be more effective/suitable than the rest. Common examples are the chronological, functional, combo, and competency-based formats; so which one should you use? Preparing an effective CV involves a great deal of work and time invested in researching, analytical thinking, organization of information, needs identification, devising appropriate layout formats, understanding industry trends, and of course - effective writing skills ... and this list is not even exhaustive yet.
CV preparation is very rewarding if done well but can be immensely frustrating too. A couple of people (my CV clients) have done hiring, understood the importance of an effective CV, and know how a good one looks like! It is not uncommon to hear of people having spent more than a year on their CV and still unable to get it "right". That is when some finally sought out the help of professional CV writers.
Writing an outstanding CV depends very much on the skills and dedication of the writer, and the cooperation of the candidate. A dedicated writer strives to make every single CV a masterpiece, and keeps himself/herself updated and informed about industry practices at all times. If you are considering using the service of one, your best bet in finding the right professional writer is to use one who has the credentials/training, who can build a good rapport with clients fast, and preferably through referral by someone who has used his/her service.
A good CV goes beyond telling the facts about your work history. It has to present them in a clear and convincing way. The recruiter has to (very quickly) perceive from your CV that what you can offer matches well with what the company is looking for. Your CV is your marketing document, it markets your brand (what you stand for) and how you and you alone can fulfil your prospective employer's needs! Quite a daunting task, especially when you probably have around 15 seconds to prove your point!
What about CV styles? There are various that you can employ to develop your CV. Depending on your circumstances, one style may be more effective/suitable than the rest. Common examples are the chronological, functional, combo, and competency-based formats; so which one should you use? Preparing an effective CV involves a great deal of work and time invested in researching, analytical thinking, organization of information, needs identification, devising appropriate layout formats, understanding industry trends, and of course - effective writing skills ... and this list is not even exhaustive yet.
CV preparation is very rewarding if done well but can be immensely frustrating too. A couple of people (my CV clients) have done hiring, understood the importance of an effective CV, and know how a good one looks like! It is not uncommon to hear of people having spent more than a year on their CV and still unable to get it "right". That is when some finally sought out the help of professional CV writers.
Writing an outstanding CV depends very much on the skills and dedication of the writer, and the cooperation of the candidate. A dedicated writer strives to make every single CV a masterpiece, and keeps himself/herself updated and informed about industry practices at all times. If you are considering using the service of one, your best bet in finding the right professional writer is to use one who has the credentials/training, who can build a good rapport with clients fast, and preferably through referral by someone who has used his/her service.
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