Last Friday morning, we were invited to speak in front of a group of final year students at The University of Saint Joseph in Macau to deliver some expert advice on how to write a great CV and cover letter.
The talk was attended by around 50 students, who are all in the process of putting together their CVs in order to apply for jobs after they graduate. As we all know, a CV is absolutely vital in any job application process, as it gives your potential employer key information about your educational and employment background before they meet you. If you don’t have a good CV, you may never even get to the interview stage and therefore stand no chance in landing that job.
One thing that people often don’t realise is that a cover letter is just as important, if not even more important than their CV. It is absolutely critical to personalise the cover letter and make it relevant to each job for which you are applying. You can of course have a template that can be used for multiple job applications, but take the time to research the job you are applying for and make sure that what you’re saying in that letter is completely relevant. Trust me, employers can tell if you have copied and pasted the same cover letter a dozen times and will toss it aside before giving it a moment’s consideration.
Finding your first job after graduation is a very daunting time for everyone. It’s a competitve market, and especially so in Macau. It therefore really helps to set yourself up as best you can from the start, and this means making sure that your CV and cover letter are perfect.
This talk at the University of Saint Joseph was the first in a series to help these final year students reach their potential. The next one will focus on interview tips and will be an interactive session that takes the students out of their comfort zone and get them learning the dos and don’ts of what to do in an interview.
If you’d like some tips on how to write the perfect CV and how to advance in your career, please do not hesitate to contact us.