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BBC wanting to try it in HK again.

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  1. #11

    Join Date
    May 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    We are currently recruiting for similar roles but I would not consider your CV (2.2 is too low; we don't take people with Accounting background as we find they are not actually particularly analytical, only think they are!).

    But, that aside, I can tell you I have seen literally hundreds of CV's and cover letters in the past couple of months and I have been absolutely ASTOUNDED by the quality - or rather lack of quality - in them.

    First point, READ THE ADVERT. If the advert says "we do not take applications from accountants, engineers or people in marketing" - don't apply. You are wasting their time and yours. If they say "please ignore the online application button below and apply by email to the following email address..... " USE IT! You may be surprised to learn that employers actually know who they want and sometimes spend a great deal of time trying to make that clear in their adverts - when you ignore that, all they read is "this guy has a reading and comprehension difficulty - fail".

    So if you can structure a CV well and write a decent cover letter you will get past the initial screening. Getting past the initial screening is 80% of the battle. Our initial screening is brutal. People get about 10 seconds of my time before their email gets binned.

    If there are spelling errors in the first sentence or two - they are out.
    if the first sentence or two is not grammatically correct - they are out.
    If the cover letter is full of reasons why they want to work for my "esteemed company" or similarly stupidly "over the top" remarks - they are out.

    Often, less is more. Let your CV to the talking. But make it a GOOD CV - clear, factual, neat and without excessive number of hobbies!

    Basically, you have to actually research the company you send the application to. Find something about what that company does, and tailor your cover letter in a way that makes what you can do fit with what they need, without sounding either too pushy to too pathetic or using overly flowery language.

    If you have nothing useful to say, say nothing. The following was a cover email for the guy that got the job:

    To whom it may concern,

    I am writing this email to apply for the Consulting Analyst Position as advertised on yyyy.

    Please find attached my CV and my transcripts for your consideration. Should you have any problem, please do not hestiate to contact me through my email or my HK telpehone no. (+852xxxxxxx).

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Kind regards,
    xxxx
    While I think a well written cv & cover letter is mildly important , I wouldn't give a rats ass about a small error in punctuation. For me, you better come recommended from someone. I haven't closely looked at a Cv in decades, yet I've hired dozens of people in Asia. It's all about networking and meeting people in my business. If I wanted to hire someone tomorrow I wouldn't place an advertisement, I'd pick up the phone.
    MandM! likes this.

  2. #12

    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Open Casket:
    While I think a well written cv & cover letter is mildly important , I wouldn't give a rats ass about a small error in punctuation. For me, you better come recommended from someone. I haven't closely looked at a Cv in decades, yet I've hired dozens of people in Asia. It's all about networking and meeting people in my business. If I wanted to hire someone tomorrow I wouldn't place an advertisement, I'd pick up the phone.
    Hard to do for brand new grads though, which is what we were hiring. For more senior people these days we use a headhunter. A decent one saves an awful amount of time. A bad one gets fired pretty quickly. We do also go via recommendations but honestly I'd say the better people came via the headhunter.

  3. #13

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    May 2006
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    Pampanga, Philippines
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    29,763
    Quote Originally Posted by threelittlepigs:
    Stay in the UK. You are better off there. 2.2 GPA, you won't even make it to an interview.
    The 2:2 is his UK degree classification not his US GPA. 2:2 is lower second.

  4. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    We are currently recruiting for similar roles but I would not consider your CV (2.2 is too low; we don't take people with Accounting background as we find they are not actually particularly analytical, only think they are!).

    But, that aside, I can tell you I have seen literally hundreds of CV's and cover letters in the past couple of months and I have been absolutely ASTOUNDED by the quality - or rather lack of quality - in them.

    First point, READ THE ADVERT. If the advert says "we do not take applications from accountants, engineers or people in marketing" - don't apply. You are wasting their time and yours. If they say "please ignore the online application button below and apply by email to the following email address..... " USE IT! You may be surprised to learn that employers actually know who they want and sometimes spend a great deal of time trying to make that clear in their adverts - when you ignore that, all they read is "this guy has a reading and comprehension difficulty - fail".

    So if you can structure a CV well and write a decent cover letter you will get past the initial screening. Getting past the initial screening is 80% of the battle. Our initial screening is brutal. People get about 10 seconds of my time before their email gets binned.

    If there are spelling errors in the first sentence or two - they are out.
    if the first sentence or two is not grammatically correct - they are out.
    If the cover letter is full of reasons why they want to work for my "esteemed company" or similarly stupidly "over the top" remarks - they are out.

    Often, less is more. Let your CV to the talking. But make it a GOOD CV - clear, factual, neat and without excessive number of hobbies!

    Basically, you have to actually research the company you send the application to. Find something about what that company does, and tailor your cover letter in a way that makes what you can do fit with what they need, without sounding either too pushy to too pathetic or using overly flowery language.

    If you have nothing useful to say, say nothing. The following was a cover email for the guy that got the job:

    To whom it may concern,

    I am writing this email to apply for the Consulting Analyst Position as advertised on yyyy.

    Please find attached my CV and my transcripts for your consideration. Should you have any problem, please do not hestiate to contact me through my email or my HK telpehone no. (+852xxxxxxx).

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Kind regards,
    xxxx
    'Should you have any problem, please do not hestiate to contact me through my email or my HK telpehone no'





    Very articulate.

  5. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Char Siu King:
    'Should you have any problem, please do not hestiate to contact me through my email or my HK telpehone no'





    Very articulate.
    You should have seen the rest of them.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    1,674
    Quote Originally Posted by threelittlepigs:
    Stay in the UK. You are better off there. 2.2 GPA, you won't even make it to an interview.
    2.2 isn't a GPA, it is an honours degree classification.


    Edit: Just noticed this was mentioned already. Carry on.

  7. #17

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    Aug 2011
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    HK
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    Quote Originally Posted by si0001:
    2.2 isn't a GPA, it is an honours degree classification.


    Edit: Just noticed this was mentioned already. Carry on.
    OK, I misunderstood, but still have no clue what 2.2 means since I am not UK educated. I work for a bank, and a fair number of my back office staff come from places like Cambridge and LSE with top class marks. Many others are grads of HKU, HKUST and Chinese U. Almost all of the secretarial staff are uni educated, and those that are not are older generation (40 yr old +). On the retail side, all front line staff (ie tellers) are local. We have a white girl in reception but she is like the one in tens of thousands case. The secretarial staff do surprisingly well(>$28k/mth) but the clerical staff do not (<$15k/mth) for fresh grads. 20 years ago my friend came to HK straight out of uni and got a job in securities house trading assistant. Those days are long gone.

  8. #18

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    Mar 2007
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    Apparently a 2:2 is equivalent to around 3.0 - 3.32 GPA is the US.

    threelittlepigs likes this.

  9. #19

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Hong Kong
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    I've never shared my GPA with anyone, don't think it's relevant. Any recommendation on headhunters?


  10. #20

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    Aug 2011
    Location
    HK
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    1,781
    Quote Originally Posted by MandM!:
    I've never shared my GPA with anyone, don't think it's relevant. Any recommendation on headhunters?
    No recommendation for headhunters. All the ones that I know require GPAs, which you are not willing to share so they can't be of service to you.