1. Veneti di Cina, presents ....
“FIRST-TIME JOB SEEKERS WORKSHOP 2012”
Career Development Booklet
& CV Writing Guide
By Hannahlise Barlow
Senior Trainer & Coach

2. VDC CV Writing Guide 2011
What makes a good CV?
There is no single "correct" way to write and present a CV but the following general rules apply:
• It is targeted on the specific job or career area for which you are applying and brings out the
relevant skills you have to offer
• It is carefully and clearly laid out: logically ordered, easy to read and not cramped
• It is informative but concise
• It is accurate - in content, spelling and grammar
Targeting your CV
If your CV is to be sent to an individual employer, which has requested applications in this format,
you should research the organization and the position carefully.
If your CV is to be used for speculative applications (general application), it is still important to
target it - at the very least, on the general career area in which you want to work!
What information should a CV include?
• Personal details
• Current Objectives (most important part! Say what direction you want to take in life, or what
exactly you want to do, what interests you)
• Education & qualifications
• Work experience (if you have any)
• Interests and achievements
• Skills
• Referees
How long should a CV be?
There are no absolute rules on this but, in general, a new graduate's CV should cover no more
than two sides of A4 paper.
(Remember that for companies, time is money and you should make life easy for them not give
them 6 pages of your life story to read)
Tips on Style…
1) Your CV should be carefully and clearly laid out - not too full but not with large empty white
spaces either.
2) Use bold and italic typefaces for headings and important information
3) Be concise - a CV is an appetizer and should not give the reader indigestion. Don't feel that you
have to list every exam you have ever taken, or every activity you have ever been involved in -
consider which are the most relevant and/or impressive.
4) Be positive - put yourself confidently and highlight your strong points. For example, when listing
your A-levels, put your highest grade first.
5) Be honest - although a CV does allow you to omit details (such as exam results) which you would
prefer the employer not to know about, you should never give inaccurate or misleading information.
6) If you are taking your CV to a company, don't fold it - put it in a full-size A4 envelope so that it
doesn't arrive creased.
7) Times New Roman/Arial/Georgia, Size 11 for all paragraphs and 12 for headings.

3. Using a Cover Letter via Email
Applying For a Specific Job Advertisement:
I. One of the most common mistakes job seekers make is sending a general letter rather than
a letter individually written to each employer. Even if you use a basic template for all your
cover letters, make sure you customize each one you send out.
II. State the reason for your message, explain why you are worthy of consideration, ask for an
interview, and tell the recipient how you are going to follow up.
III. Be concise and make sure you proofread your message.
IV. Address your letter to a person, not “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam.” If a
person's name is not indicated in the job listing, call the company if a phone number is given.
If you have tried and you still can't obtain the actual name of the intended recipient, then
address your cover letter to the job title of the recipient, e.g., “Dear HR Manager”
V. Many job seekers forget to say what job they are applying for. State the job in your letter. As
mentioned earlier, human resources departments receive hundreds of letters for many
different positions. You want to be clear about which one you want.
VI. Look through your resume and pick out attributes — skills and experience — that are most
pertinent to each position you apply for. Highlight those attributes in the appropriate cover
letters. If you send the same letter for every job opening, merely highlighting a few of your
(possibly unrelated) qualifications, you won't come across as a strong candidate for the job
at hand.
VII. DO NOT Mass produce; all letters must be specific to the organization and job.
Self-descriptive Words for Cover Letter or CV
Active Enterprising Loyal
Resourceful Forceful Self-reliant
Ambitious Loyal Will travel
Dependable Objective Creative
Productive Personable Diplomatic
Punctual Productive Efficient
Determined Resourceful Tactful
Marketing Your Transferable Skills
Transferrable Skills are those that can be used at almost any job, and that you have gained through
many of your experiences. Employers want to see the skills that you bring with you to a position.
Here are the most desirable skills:
1. Analytical skills
2. Communication Skills
3. Computer skills
4. Creativity
5. Detail-oriented
6. Entrepreneurial skills/risk-taker
7. Flexibility/adaptability
8. Friendly/outgoing personality
9. Honesty/integrity
10. Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
11. Leadership and management skills (gained through higher experience and age)

4. 12. Motivation/initiative
13. Organizational and time management skills
14. Real Life Experiences
15. Self-confidence
16. Strong work ethic
17. Tactfulness
18. Teamwork skills (works well with others)
19. Technical Skills
20. Well-mannered/polite
Email Cover Letter Examples:
Subject: Application for Marketing Assistant
From: Samuel Carron
Dear Ms Wu (if you know) HR Manager (if you don't know the name)
I wish to apply for the position of Marketing Assistant within your company. I have recently
graduated from Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Italy in Oriental Languages where I studied in
depth about the culture, history and Mandarin language of China and its people. I want to follow a
career in Marketing because ……………………………..I have followed an internship in Coca-Cola
China where I learnt how to………….......................which has given me a solid understanding of
how a Marketing department functions and how its projects can determine the success of a brand in
China.
I am mature minded person with a strong will to succeed in all I do, I am not afraid of hard work and
possess strong communication skills. I enjoy working in a team and being given challenges.
Please find attached my CV for your interest and I hope you will find me a good match for the
marketing position. I am available for interview at any time and look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Samuel Carron
+ 15000 2234 590
_______________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Seeking Secretary Internship
From: Sylvia Lorenzi
Dear Ms. Kramer,
I am interested in applying for the position of Executive Secretary as an Internship which you listed
in Shanghai Daily newspaper. I have some internship experience working in the administration
department of a fashion company, but would like to gain in depth experience by working with your
company in Shanghai. My eventual goal is to become a PA to the GM specializing organizing
projects and delegating work to subordinates in the admin department.
Please review my attached CV. I would be happy to provide additional information or come to your
company for an interview. I can also provide excellent references to support my candidacy.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Kind regards,
Sylvia Lorenzi

5. VDC Career Guidance Tips
Self-Assessment Questions for CV’s and Interviews
In order to be competitive in this market you should have an idea about your direction in life, HR
Managers do not find it attractive to meet students who have no clear idea about what they want to
do. Never use the phrase “Well, I’m happy to do anything” even if you feel that way you must try
to give a clear idea to a company. A person with direction and determination is a more attractive
candidate.
To help you make that decision and prepare for job hunting you may like to consider the following
points:
1. What industry interests me? Or do I know about more?
2. What kind of career direction do I want to take?
3. What things am I sure I don't want to do?
4. From any part time jobs I have done, what did I learn from them?
5. What skills have you developed as a result of your experiences?
6. What were your job responsibilities?
7. How did they change or otherwise develop over the course of the experience?
8. Did you supervise or lead any people?
9. Did you help other people in any way?
10. Have you worked on a team?
11. Were you involved in any planning responsibilities?
12. Did you operate any equipment?
13. Did you produce any written documents and/or written reports?
14. Can you quantify the results of your work? (e.g., number of customers served, percentage
increase in sales)
15. What were your major accomplishments in each position?
Be Realistic !
“I’m looking for a Marketing Manager position”
If this is your first job after school then you are “entry-level” not Managerial level especially if you are
less than 30 years old with zero work experience.
Be Competitive !
China is taking care of its own people now, and slowly closing the doors to foreigners but your
advantages make you competitive to bigger companies because you are more:
Creative, Innovative, Independent, Tri-lingual, Confident, Well dressed and Well travelled compared
to the average Chinese student.
Be Positive & Confident !
You may have been job hunting for a while now, you may feel low and frustrated about your
rejections. Don't let this affect your job interview style and approach, and don't let it lower your
standards by starting to apply to random jobs without any choice or system of selection ! Stick to
what you WANT TO DO, not what you are desperate to do !

6. Handling Rejection
While you were in school you were pretty much in charge of your own destiny. If you studied hard,
your grades would usually reflect your efforts. When you are trying to get a job, however, you may
feel like everything is out of your hands. You are partially right. Even those with excellent resumes
or CVs sometimes find it difficult to get hired.
Because it's that much harder to get a job as a recent graduate, it's all the more important to make
yourself stand out. Put in the extra work it takes to make yourself visible and appealing to
employers. As a young, single person with no children, you have more freedom than an older parent
or homeowner — and almost nothing to lose. Go for it! Think of every experience, including bad
ones, as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Rejection hurts. It doesn't matter if you're a 22-year-old being turned down for a job because you
don't have enough experience or a 45-year-old being told you have too much experience. The good
part of being a younger job seeker is that you have fewer responsibilities at this point in your life, so
spending a bit of extra time unemployed won't be too painful, at least not financially.
Remember that your job search will be over someday. Someone will hire you !
In the meantime, you must remain as positive as you can and BE COMPETETIVE !!
Veneti di Cina & Hannahlise wishes you all the best of luck and
supports your dreams and goals. We hope that this information
can be of good use to you for your future career.
Keep in touch !