Presenting yourself in writing - University of Manchester · Promote University • 2013-2017 BSc...
Transcript of Presenting yourself in writing - University of Manchester · Promote University • 2013-2017 BSc...
PG Essentials:
Beyond the Basics
Presenting yourself
in writing
Elizabeth Wilkinson
Careers Consultant (Postgraduates)
What we’ll cover
• The Basics – Revision: a test!
• Curate your life
• From description to insight
• Make every word count
CV Rules – Revision test
• How long should a CV be?
• Personal profile at the top of your CV –
yes or no?
• Is there such a thing as
a “CV rule”?
www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduates/howtoguides/writecvsandapplicationsasapostgraduate
Curate your life –
Select, Describe, Promote
or
or
Curate your life
• “About me” … what would you include, for
a panel reviewing:
– Applications for a
Presidential Scholarship?
– Applications for a
PG Wellbeing
Officer with the
Students’ Union?
Select
• What is the reader looking for?
• For each part of your life:
– Will it reassure them you’ve got the
experience, knowledge, skills they need?
– Will it give them an idea of who you are and
why you might “fit in”?
If not, then
PromoteUniversity
• 2013-2017 BSc Biology
• 2017-2018 MSc Biotechnology
• A levels
• GCSEs
• Young Enterprise competition
Skills
• SDS-PAGE, western blotting, antibody
staining, RT-PCR …
• Teamwork, communication, sewing
• Projects …
Work experience
• November 2012 Work experience, Greater
Manchester Police
• April 2013 Lab experience, Syngenta
Work experience (continued)
• Summer 2014 Retail assistant, Trinkets
• 2015-2016 Researcher, Astra Zeneca
• Summer 2017 Set up pop-up shop retailing vintage & vintage-inspired clothing
Positions of responsibility
• Chair, Young Enterprise team, High School
• PASS coordinator, Faculty of Life Sciences
Awards
• Winner, Faculty Enterprise competition
Interests
• Travel
• Reading
• Making vintage inspired-clothing
Promote - Research scientistUniversity
2017-2018 MSc Biotechnology
Modules studied include
Projects …
2013-2017 BSc Biology
Modules studied include
Projects …
2007-2013 School
A levels
Technical Skills
• SDS-PAGE, western blotting, antibody
staining, RT-PCR …
Industrial experience
• 2015-2016 Researcher, Astra Zeneca
• April 2013 Lab experience, Syngenta
Other Work experience
Summer 2017 Set up pop-up shop retailing
vintage & vintage-inspired
clothing
Summer 2014 Retail assistant, Trinkets
Positions of responsibility
• PASS coordinator, Faculty of Life
Sciences
Awards
• Winner, Faculty Enterprise competition
Interests
• Travel including …
• Making vintage inspired-clothing
Promote – Business rolePersonal Profile:
Highlight business achievements
University
2017-2018 MSc Biotechnology
Modules studied include
Project: Commercialisation of …
2013-2017 BSc Biology
Modules studied include
Enterprise, IT skills
Enterprise project …
2007-2013 School A levels
Business experience
Summer 2017 Set up pop-up shop retailing
vintage & vintage-inspired
clothing
Awards
• Winner, Faculty Enterprise competition
Other work experience
2015-2016 Researcher, Astra Zeneca
Developed …
Summer 2014 Retail assistant, Trinkets
Positions of responsibility
• PASS coordinator, Faculty of Life
Sciences
• Chair, Young Enterprise team, High
School
Interests
• Making vintage inspired-clothing
• Travel, including …
Promote
• Balance convention with presenting your story effectively – risk management!
• Help the reader navigate using helpful headings and bullets
– In general, summarise/group experiences rather than omit them
• Change the order - get the good stuff on the front page
• Allocate space according to how relevant an activity is to the reader (not how long you did it)
From description to insight …
Evidence Insight
• It’s not just what happened which is important
– Why is it relevant to the reader?
– What does it say about you?
It’s your job to make sense of it for the reader
From description to insight …
“ I am a hardworking, motivated & energetic individual with excellent
communication and team work skills. I have unparalleled numerical skills and a
fierce ambition to succeed.”
• I organised the summer ball for the Postgraduate
Society. I booked a venue, got extra funding,
booked a band, got tickets and posters printed and
sold tickets. On the night, took tickets on the door,
dealt with problems with the venue and sorted out
the disco when the DJ didn’t turn up.
Both examples need improving
From description to insight …
“Economics postgraduate with over 3 years retail experience and commercial skills
gained from a successful internship with PWC. Seeking a graduate project manager
role within your organisation.”
• Led the organisation of the summer ball for 230 people, as social secretary of the Postgraduate Society. Negotiated £400 sponsorship from local businesses and developed a communications campaign which increased attendance by 40%. Dealing with issues on the night taught me that when under pressure, I can keep calm, be resourceful and solve problems effectively.
Top example – now more specific and less “personal opinion without evidence”
Bottom example – quantified achievements, good use of skills verbs, adds insight
Uncovering insights
What you’re looking for, eg:
• Why something worked well
• What you learned from an experience
• Why you enjoyed or hated something,
what that tells you – and the reader -
about your skills, motivation, values …
• Business or organisation insights
Business insights
Uncovering insights
Enlist the help of others
• Explain a situation – get them to ask questions
– Why do you think they …? Why did you react that
way? What made you decide to …?
• Get them to replay what they heard or put their
own interpretation on it
– So, what you were doing was …
– Do you think they might been worried about … ?
• Get them to simplify/sum up
– Cut to the chase: takes out the fluff, great for editing
Disadvantage?
Don’t these examples take up space?
– Yes. Be selective
– Which examples best show the skills needed
by the employer?
– Fewer high quality examples often better than
lots of irrelevant (or “me too”) ones
– Covering letters (or application forms) may be
a better place than CVs for these
– Use to enhance your LinkedIn profile
Make every word count
• Create emphasis
– Use strong verbs – adds emphasis and colour
• “sorted out” – Better: established, persuaded, negotiated
• “made” – caused something to happen - how? Better: doubled, generated, introduced
– Avoid “excellently”, “tremendously”, “extremely”;
could use “very” or “really” – but sparingly
– Avoid “I had to …” – sounds like you were forced
• Chose, opted, elected, determined, decided – all sound more positive
Good writing tips - https://thewritelife.com/edit-your-copy
Lean CVs – cut the padding!
• Focus on the verb
– I made an improvement to … Improved …
• Don’t “start to”, just do
– Started to develop … Developed …
• Don’t do something “in order to”, just do
– “I set up a meeting in order to sort out the disagreements” – alternatives?
– Stronger example? “Convened a meeting to resolve the conflicts”
Good writing tips - https://thewritelife.com/edit-your-copy
Keep it simple - & skimmable
• Almost every recruiter loves bullet points
– Focus the bullet – put the verb at the start
– Start with the verb
• Keep paragraphs short.
– Rule of thumb: 4 lines or more is hard to skim(feedback from non-academic employer reviewing a PG CV;
academics less bothered by length)
• Keep sentences shorter
– Avoid combining sentences just to save words
Good writing tips - https://thewritelife.com/edit-your-copy
Lists …
• Should you use lists of techniques?
– Can be needed for agency applications/CVs
• Allows agency to match you to vacancies by keyword
– Direct applications - can be better to choose the
most important techniques and add context:
• “Used technique X in context Y to achieve outcome Z”
• Shows you understand the value of the technique and
can apply it
Professional - but human
• Use the language of the world you want to enter to show
understanding
– Relevant concepts rather than random technical terms
– Targets, objectives, deliverables
– Collaborations, outreach, peer review
• Top Tip: Listen to podcasts from the world
you want to enter
• Keep some passion and personality
– Interests can work in your favour
– 100 perfect, identikit CVs are boring to read
– Every recruiter wants someone who sounds like they would love
to do the job
Enlist some help• What’s your “tell”?
– Mine? • “We were starting to deliver …”
• Starting with the negatives
• Someone else with normally find mistakes in your final, final version.
• CVs for postgradswww.careers.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduates/howtoguides/writecvsandapplicationsasapostgraduate
• Applications advice
– The Atrium, Monday to Friday, bookable up to 24 hours in advance.
– www.careers.manchester.ac.uk
Oops – will!
Careers support
for Postgraduates• Online
– www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/pg
– http://bit.ly/PGTPlan http://bit.ly/PGRLife
– Social media: www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/services/socialmedia
• In groups - talks/events– www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/events
– www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/postgraduates/events
– CareersLink: for vacancies and events: www.manchester.ac.uk/careerslink
• In person– 15 minute “getting started” & drop-in appointments (30 minutes later in the
semester)
– 15 minute “Application Advice” – feedback on applications
– Email support for queries
– Careers Help Desk: The Atrium, 1st floor Uni Place, 9-5, Mon – Fri
– Details: www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/services
PG Career talks – Semester 1 2019
• Finding a job this academic year1.00-1.50, Tuesday 1st Oct, Uni Place 2.220
• CVs/applications – The Basics1-1.50, Friday 4th OctUni Place 2.220
• CVs/applications –Beyond the Basics1.00-1.50, Monday 7th Oct, Uni Place 1.218
• Interviews/assessment –The Basics1.00-1.50, Monday 14th Oct, Uni Place 1.218
• Interviews/assessment –Beyond The Basics1.00-1.50, Tuesday 22nd Oct, Uni Place 1.218
• Becoming an Academic1.00-1.50, Thursday 24th Oct, Alan Turing G.107
Slides and podcast available after each talk – seewww.careers.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduates/events