2. Focused Let your résumé show that you are a focused person knowing what you are good at and what you can do for the company.

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1 Résumé Writing What is a résumé? A résumé is a summary of your skills and assets prepared specially for a certain job. Think of it as your personal self-marketing tool to your prospective employers - a way to draw the employers' attention to your significant skills and achievements and how they are related to the job you are applying for. Remember, a résumé opens or closes the door to a job interview. Where to begin with? Successful salespeople must know their product well in order to promote it effectively to the customers. So before writing your résumé, sit back and think thoroughly about the skills you have and what you want to sell to your prospective employers. The Skills Identification Worksheet in Appendix 1 will help you. Try it out. What makes an effective résumé? 1. Concise Summarize your strengths concisely. One to two pages will be enough for fresh graduates. 2. Focused Let your résumé show that you are a focused person knowing what you are good at and what you can do for the company. 3. Businesslike Use appropriate style and tone. Be professional - nothing casual or fancy. 4. Fair & accurate Don't be too boastful or bashful. Present the best image of yourself, but be honest and sincere. 5. Use action verbs Use action verbs to add power and impact to your résumé. For details, refer to the "The Power of Action Verbs" in Appendix 2. Emphasize accomplishments over duties. 6. Tailor-made Standard or universal résumés are not good enough. For the best result, you must customize your résumé according to the requirements of different positions. Revise your résumé from time to time to keep it updated. 7. Attractive presentation Be neat and tidy. Be well organized, with clear headings and indentations. Use an easy-to-read font, in 12-point, and wide margins. 8. Error-free Make sure there are no errors in spelling, punctuation or typing before sending out your résumé. Job Search Guide 3-1

2 SKILLS IDENTIFICATION WORKSHEET Appendix 1 STEP 1 A) Choose one experience or achievement in any one of the following aspects which is significant and valuable to you. Courses/Knowledge/Projects/Internship Extra-curricular Activities Awards/Scholarship Paid Work (full-time, part-time, summer) Voluntary Work/Community Interests Hobbies B) Use one sentence to describe your experience or achievement. (e.g. Summer job: Market Research Assistant - interviewed customers, compiled and analyzed data, and drafted a report on customer satisfaction on the new broad band service.) STEP 2 A) Any kind of experience involves these three types of skills: Work Content Skills -technical knowledge or skills which enables you to do a particular job, usually acquired through courses, training, internship, etc. e.g. programming, laboratory testing, auditing, credit analysis Transferable Skills Personal Skills -skills which can be used in different job settings, learnt through work experience, extra-curricular activities as well as daily living. e.g. writing, analyzing, organizing, communicating -what you are like as a person and how you do things, including personality traits, attitudes, work habits, etc. e.g. punctuality, patience, perseverance, flexibility B) Review your experience in Step 1B and identify your skills or strengths which are pertinent in a work setting. Try to think of at least one for each type of the above skills. e.g. Market Research Assistant Work Content Skills - conducting interview, data compilation and analysis by certain computer software, market research method Transferable Skills - communication, organization of data, statistical analysis, numeracy, report writing Personal Skills - outgoing, articulate, meticulous, dependable, tactful Now discover your own skills! Work Content Skills - Transferable Skills - Personal Skills - Job Search Guide 3-2

3 STEP 3 To get a full list of your various skills, repeat Step 1 & 2 many times and fill in the following: Work Content Skills Transferable Skills Personal Skills Job Search Guide 3-3

4 Appendix 2 The Power of Action Verbs Action verbs can help you transform your résumé from a simple list of job duties to a dynamic picture of your achievements and abilities. Achievement statements are short sentences which highlight your specific work-related accomplishments. A typical achievement statement includes the following information: * Action Verb...who/what/when/where...results produced Example: Created an efficient filing system for a catering company, transforming haphazard records into readily retrievable form. A list of suggested action verbs below may help you identify your skills and accomplishments. Since all job tasks involve some combination of people, ideas, information, things and procedures, we have arranged the words in those categories. You can also use this list to explore the extent to which you prefer working with people, ideas and/or things and focus on achievements which reflect your preferences. People Accomplished Chaired Enabled Led Referred Achieved Coached Encouraged Managed Rehabilitated Activated Collaborated Explained Mediated Screened Adapted Conducted Governed Motivated Stimulated Addressed Consulted Guided Negotiated Supervised Administered Coordinated Hired Organized Surveyed Advised Counselled Identified Persuaded Taught Affected Delegated Influenced Presided Trained Analysed Diagnosed Inspired Promoted Arranged Directed Interviewed Recommended Assisted Educated Introduced Recruited Ideas and Information Adapted Created Implemented Negotiated Researched Advertised Defined Initiated Obtained Solved Analysed Demonstrated Innovated Presented Standardized Applied Devised Instituted Processed Surveyed Assessed Edited Integrated Promoted Synthesized Authored Established Interpreted Proposed Translated Balanced Evaluated Launched Publicized Transmitted Budgeted Exchanged Maintained Published Wrote Clarified Executed Manipulated Recommended Communicated Explained Marketed Recorded Conceived Forecast Modified Rectified Coordinated Illustrated Monitored Related Job Search Guide 3-4

5 Things and Procedures Built Diversified Expedited Increased Reduced Calculated Drafted Fabricated Indexed Repaired Compiled Eliminated Facilitated Innovated Revised Completed Engineered Formulated Installed Scheduled Constructed Established Generated Invented Specified Created Evaluated Handled Operated Streamlined Decreased Examined Identified Programmed Systematized Designed Expanded Improved Purchased Upgraded Taken from The USF Career Services Center Guide to Writing Résumés & Cover Letters. Job Search Guide 3-5

6 YIM Chun, Adrian ( 嚴俊 ) Flat 4, 3/F, 12 Chung Ching Street, Tsuen Wan, N.T. Tel No.: Mobile: ph_ycaa@stu.ust.hk adrianyim@yahoo.com.hk CAREER OBJECTIVE Appendix 3 A management trainee position in banking utilizing my analytical and communication skills EDUCATION 2003-present Sep Dec 2005 The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) Candidate for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in June 2006, majoring in Physics Cumulative grade average B+ Academic Exchange to the University of California, Los Angles (UCLA) GPA: Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School Form 6 to Form 7. Hong Kong A-Level Examination (2003) with two distinctions and two passes; credit in Use of English Good Faith Secondary School Form 1 to Form 5. Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (2001) with two distinctions, three credits, and two passes. SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS 2005 HSSC IT Entrepreneurship Competition 2 nd Runner-up 2004 ABC Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement 2002 Best Volunteer Award by Shun Tin Youth Centre FINAL YEAR PROJECT (ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR TECHNICAL POSITIONS) Present Time Series Analysis of Stock Data WORK EXPERIENCE (INCLUDING OVERSEAS/MAINLAND/LOCAL SUMMER INTERNSHIP) Summer 2005 Summer 2004 Summer Intern, Worldwide Bank Ltd. - Undertook research projects on the popularity of visa cards among university students - Provided administrative support to the managers of Operations Department Mainland Internship Program, HKUST - Stationed in Shanghai s ABC Logistics Corporation - Provided administrative support to the Customer Service Department Part-time Interviewer, Hong Kong Market Research Co. - Conducted face-to-face and telephone interviews - Compiled and analysed data Job Search Guide 3-6

7 EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 2005 Present Confluence Mentorship Program, HKUST -Paired up with a mentor from the banking sector -Maintain constant communications with the mentor through s and monthly meetings -Actively participate in networking activities arranged by the mentor -Took part in the job shadowing opportunity offered by the mentor External Vice-chairman, Science Students' Union, HKUST - Liaised with 20 companies for organizing a 3-day careers exposition with an attendance of Solicited $20,000 sponsorship from 5 corporations for the exposition Chairman, House III Students' Association, HKUST - Planned and executed more than 15 cultural and recreational activities - Organized a two-day residential orientation camp for 180 freshmen Volunteer, Shun Tin Youth Centre, Kwai Chung - Participated in leadership training and outward bound training - Assisted in conducting summer programmes and fun days - Provided voluntary tutoring service to a group of deprived children for 18 months SKILLS Language: Computing: Cantonese (native), English and Mandarin (proficient), Japanese (elementary) Familiar with MS Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Eten and SAS REFERENCES Professor H. K. Cheng Department of Physics The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Tel: Mr. David Wong Manager, Operations Department Worldwide Bank Ltd. Tel: (or Available upon request.) Other information if applicable: OTHER QUALIFICATIONS INTERESTS DATE AVAILABLE SALARY EXPECTED No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from the Career Center, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. Job Search Guide 3-7