During a seminar or musical concert, the MC (master of ceremony) who comes to introduce the performer. They do so in such a glorifying manner that the audience expects an experience like never before. MC’s could be Hype-men in entertainment circles. Believe it or not, everyone should be able to hype themselves with verifiable evidence. Words which describe a person’s profile are verifiable hype while the résumé provides further details and a cover letter is a signpost.

Topics in this category:

1. From Application to Employment
2. Aptitude Test Preparation
3. Interview Day Preparation
4. The 4 Areas of an Interview

Personal Profile

A profile is a short description of someone’s life, education, work, character etc.

Personal Brand

A profile is a short description of someone’s life, education, work, character, evidence, ambitions etc.

In simple terms, a profile is a person’s abilities while a brand is a person’s accomplishments, abilities and promise.

Characteristics of a profile and/or brand:

• A profile/brand is typically 100 to 200 words
• A profile/brand is written in third person (he, she, it, they, ‘name of person’)
• A profile is the introductory paragraph of a résumé
• Usually placed in a person’s About page on places like LinkedIn or other professional website
• Other social media platforms could be of less words
• Other social media platforms could be less formal

See video courtesy of National University of Singapore. Free online course:

Résumé

A person has the full responsibility of determining what goes into their résumé. Whether it is being developed as they work and grow their career or it is based on a 5 or 10 year plan of future education, qualification, experience and skills, an individual has to be deliberate about what goes into the CV.

Every CV should contain detailed information of a candidate in a concise manner. Unnecessary words to lengthen a CV should be avoided. CV’s are to be written in third person for the most part. (See references).

Résumés should also have proper structure and alignment when typed.

Important elements in a CV:

• Contact details of candidate
• Profile statement
• Accomplishments
• Experience
• Education
• Professional qualifications and certifications
• Professional memberships
• Training
• Voluntary activities
• References

Cover letters

Cover letters serve as introduction of a candidate’s profile to an employer. It is simpler than the CV. The cover letter should sound persuasive; attract attention, engage interest, create desire and elicit an action also known as AIDA.

Cover letters should also have proper structure and alignment when typed.

Elements of a Cover letter

• Contact details of candidate
• Introduction paragraph
  • Who you are and why you are applying
  • How you heard about the job
  • A brief overview of why they are suitable
• Body paragraph(s)
  • Persuasive reasons of your abilities with evidence
  • Provide details of most significant points of the CV
• Closing paragraph
• Endorsing of the letter

References:

1. Coursera course with National University of Singapore: Establishing a Professional ‘Self’ through Effective Intercultural Communication
2. National University of Singapore – Resources and materials for cover letters and résumés: https://nus.edu.sg/cfg/students/career-resources/cover-letter