how to write a good cv and cover letter

Summer Job Day

Otaniemi January 19, 2012

Heini Hult-Miekkavaara

Career Counsellor

Academic Architects and Engineers in Finland - TEK

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD CV

AND COVER LETTER

Heini Hult-Miekkavaara2

You want a job

• What can you do?

• What do you want to do?

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The employer wants a person who

• Can do the job• Fits in the

organisation

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Job application in Finland = CV + cover/application letter

• Compliment each other• Can work on their own

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Heini Hult-Miekkavaara5 January 19, 2012

COVER LETTER CV INTERVIEW

6 January 19, 2012 Heini Hult-Miekkavaara/TEK

CV


A good CV is

• Your personal, professional description

• Concrete, concise and informative

• Understood by an outsider

• Easy to read with a glance

• Written with a specific job and/or employer in mind

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A good CV has…

• A date• Your picture• Your personal information• Name• Contact information – address, telephone, e-

mail• Date and place of birth• Links to your professional social media profiles

(LinkedIn)

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A good CV has your…

• Education• Degrees• Current/latest first• M.Sc (Technology) student• School• Year of graduation/number of study points or

credits• Major and minor subjects• Matriculation examination (high school)

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• Work experience• Your title/position• Name of employer• Employment period

• A short description of your company and department

• Your tasks and responsibilities concretely- what you did- what you achieved- in proportion to the company

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A good CV has…

• Verbs!• Accelerate, accumulate, acquire, act, adapt, add,

administrate, advise, alter, amend, analyse, anticipate, arrange, assign, assist, audit, automate, begin, budget, build, buy, calculate, capture, change, clarify, code, combine, communicate, compete, conduct, connect, construct, consult, control, construct, convince, coordinate, counsel, customise, cut, edit, decide, decrease, define, deliver, design, determine, develop, direct, discover, distribute, draft, edit, educate, eliminate, employ, ensure, establish, estimate, examine, experiment, facilitate, finance, finish, form, found, generate…

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For example…

• I worked on a software project• What was the product?• Who is the product for?• In which part of the project did you

participate?• How much responsibility did you have?• Which tools did you use?• Who else participated in the project?• How important was it for the company?

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• Language skills• IT skills

• Proficiency (excellent, good, basic)

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• Positions of trust• Active participation in e.g. student

organisations• Excellent when you don’t yet have much work

experience• Show that you have networks

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• Hobbies• Active hobbies

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Nature photography…Off-road cycling…German detective stories…


A good CV can even have…

• A summary of your• Key skills OR• Career objective OR• Professional profile

• In the beginning of your CV• Must be short, concise and have focus• Avoid bullshit bingo

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A good CV does the thinking for the reader• Don’t assume that the reader

understands what you mean• Different positions have different

meanings in different companies• Something that is ordinary for you can

be very special somewhere else

• Remember – you are not there to answer any questions or explain things

• Don’t take unnecessary risks

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Heini Hult-Miekkavaara18 January 19, 2012

COVER LETTER


Cover letter

• Always addressed to the applied position and/or employer

• Answers the criteria the employer is looking for

• What you have to offer for the employer

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Cover letterFirst paragraph – Introduce yourself

• Be brief• Professional perspective• Why the position and company interest

you – show your motivation!

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Cover letterSecond paragraph – Your competence

• Study the job advert• Match the position’s requirements with

your relevant competence• Be concrete; give examples

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Cover letterThird paragraph – You as an employee

• Your personality• The way you work

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Cover letterLast paragraph – Final details• When you can start• Salary request only if it has been asked

for• End salutation

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Always call, if given the chance!

You’ll get ideas on what to emphasise on your cover letter

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Five easy tips

• Keep it short• Be clear about what job you are applying

for• Show that you have researched the

company• Address it to the right person• Use standard business fonts

www.careerealism.comJanuary 19, 2012


Applying via employers’ web pages• Applications go to a database searches

with keywords• Carefully fill in the whole form• Use complete words, avoid abbreviations• “Here you can tell more about yourself”

attach your cover letter

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Here’s the beef

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The employer is interested in…• Your role and responsibilities on a

concrete level• The results and meaning of your work;

significance for the employer• Who you’ve worked with• What tools you’ve worked with• The scale and proportion of your work;

comparison to other tasks

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…so that she can evaluate whetheryour competence can be applied to the job she is offering.

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More tips and information:

Aalto University Career Services

http://www.teekkarintyokirja.fi

http://www.facebook.com/teekkarintyokirja

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http://www.aalto.fi/en/cooperation/career_services/

http://www.teekkarintyokirja.fi/

http://www.facebook.com/teekkarintyokirja


Thank you!

Slideshare: heinihm

January 19, 2012

QUESTIONS?