Labour Department - Employment Services

8/10/2019 Labour Department - Employment Services

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Applying for a Job

As the fi rst step, you have to write application letters; complete application

forms or call the employer to apply for the targeted job vacancies.

Copies of all application letters, resumes, application forms and job

advertisements should be retained for future reference

Making Phone Call to the Employer

Some job advertisements require you to call t he employer directly to apply for

a particular post. You should note the following techniques when calling the

ur Department - Employment Services http://www.careers.labour.gov.hk/2000/cas/web_gui/eng/training

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employer by phone:

Indicate clearly the post which you apply for and how you get the

vacancy information

Be polite and maintain a confident tone:

As the employer can only rely on your voice and tone in making a

preliminary assessment, confident tone and expressions can always

give a reliable impression and the employer will consider it worthwhile

to grant you an interview. On the other hand, if you behave nervously

during the very short telephone conversation, the other party will

become skeptical about your dependability

If the employer invites you to an interview, you should jot down all the

details (e.g., date, time, venue, name and post title of the contactperson) to avoid forgetting the appointment or muddling up the time or

venues of different interviews

Be polite and avoid hanging up the phone before the other party does

so. You should wait for him/ her to hang up first

Avoid calling the employer in a noisy environment as this will cause

interference during communication. Moreover, you may confuse the

details of the interview or appear disrespectful towards the employer

Writing Application Letter

Recruitment staff receive a large number of application letters and resume

every day but they only shortlist a small portion of candidates for interviews.

Therefore, only application letters or resumes which give employers good

impression can secure an interview for you.

Time

Act fast by mailing your application letter on the day of reading the job

advertisement or on the next day

Appearance

Use clean paper and envelope and print the letter by a good quality

typewriter or printer

If the employer requires the applicant to write the letter in his own

handwriting, write it carefully and tidily

Do not use correction fluid or rubber to correct the mistakes. Prepare a

new printout

Content

Write precisely and avoid sentences and paragraphs which are too

long. Application letter and resume should be kept within one page and

not exceeding two pagesAnalyse the job advertisement. You should highlight the strengths you

wish to introduce to the employer at the beginning of the passage and

to emphasise that you are the most suitable candidate for the job

Use active voice if you are writing an application letter in English to

strengthen the effect

Check the application letter carefully to avoid grammatical mistakes or

using wrong words

Do not use the same content for all posts. Customise your application

letters for individual organisations and posts. You may make reference

to different samples of application letters but do not copy word by word

Collecting Company Information

To write an application letter and resume which match the company's

requirements, you need to know more about the company. Otherwise, how

can you convince the employer to single you out among the batch of

candidates?

1. Job Information

Nature and duties of the job opening (study your past working

experience, training records or other activities and incorporate the

related parts in the application letter and resume)

Requirements on qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge

(emphasise that you can match with the company's expectation)

Salary level in the market

2. Company Information

Basic information(Is your last job in the same field?)

Company name, scope of business, business nature, product/ service

provided


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Company size (international/ local) and its state of development

Sales performance and financial conditions in the previous year

Parent company or subsidiaries

Future development (Does the future development of the company match

your expectation?)

Special achievement (e.g. prizes awarded)

Future dynamics of the company

Important events or policies affect ing the company or industry

Other information

Name of the director(s) or general manager(s) of the company

Employment size

You may obtain the job and company information through the following

channels:

Ask the industry practitioners or experienced persons

Refer to the annual reports if the employer is a listed company or

government department

Pay attention to the media coverage about the company or industry

Enquire at the associations or professional bodies in fields like

accounting, engineering, tourism

Browse the company's or other related websites

Call the company directly and enquire politely if the information cannot

be obtained through other channels

Approach the Careers Information Centres of the Labour Department

Sample of Application Letter

Notes:

1. Applicant's address

2. Date

3. Write in the following sequence:

Name of the responsible officer

Post title of the responsible officer

Name of the organisation

Address of the organisation

4. Addressee

Address to the responsible offi cer as far as you can, e.g., Mr

Lee

5. Title


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State the relevant post

6. Firs t Paragraph

State again the post you are applying for and explain how the

vacancy is known

In the first paragraph of an unsolicited application letter, you

should state the post or job area you are interested in and the

reason for making self-referral

7. Content

List the relevant academic qualifications and experience to show

that you are the best person for the post

8. Last Paragraph

Indicate your wish for an interview

9. Closing

Use "Yours sincerely" if you are addressing to the responsible

officer; otherwise, use "Yours faithfully"

Sign your name below the closing remark and type your name

under the signature

10. Enclosures

Resume and copy of certi ficates should be attached to the letter

Resume

Use point form to make it easy to read

Limit it to one to two pages

If the employer asks for the attachment of a photo, it is advisable to

employ the professional service in taking a smart and confident photo

to give the employer a good impression.

Sample of Resume

Notes:

1. Personal Information

2. Academic qualifications and work experience

In reverse chronological order


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3. Main duties of past jobs

4. Extra-curricular Activities

Give the employer a more comprehensive picture of your

personality and abilities

5. Skills

List the skills relevant to the post

6. References

List two to three references (e.g. teachers, relatives or

ex-employers)

Their prior consent must be sought

If referees cannot be sought before sending out an application, the

note "References: available upon request" may be put on the

resume. You may continue to i dentify the appropriate persons after

sending out the application.

Completing Job Application Form

Some employers require applicants to complete job application forms. Filling in

a form may seem easy but you still need to pay attention to the following

points:

Write with a black/dark blue ball pen

Write properly in block letters

Use a typewriter or a computer to print the information on the form, if

possibleYou should study the form and read the instructions before completing

it. You can refer to your resume and cautiously decide on the

information which need to be filled in to avoid making too many

corrections on the form

Write concisely when completing a form. You only need to fill in the

necessary and relevant information. Other information can be simplified

or left out

If there is not enough space in the form, additional paper can be

attached for providing supplementary information. Remember to put

down the remark "please refer to the at tachment" in the relevant sect ion

and mark on the attachment clearly which section it refers to (e.g.

section 10 continued)

If there are sections on the form which are not applicable to you, you

should write the words "Not Applicable" in the column to show that you

are not omitting these parts

Check the information you provide carefully to prevent any mistakes

Remember to sign your name on the form

Remember to keep a copy of the application form for easy reference

before attending an interview in future

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Labour Department - Employment Services