september 2012 cems career forum · 4 cems career forum newsletter curriculum vitae – your ticket...

CEMS CarEEr ForuMNewsletterSEptEMbEr 2012

Kind contributors:

16-17 November 2012Budapest, Hungary

Corporate Partners present at the Career Forum

Programme of the event & preliminary calendar

Tips on “application preparation” from contributing companies

2 CEMS CarEEr ForuM NEWSLEttEreditorial

CoNteNtS

Dear CEMS students and alumni,besides providing CEMS students and alumni willing to participate in the CEMS Career Forum with information on the participating companies, programme and key dates, the aim of this newsletter is also to provide CEMS students and young alumni who are currently preparing their applications for Career Forum pre-scheduled interviews with useful tips and recommendations from the recruiters.

produced with the kind participation of eight Corporate partners from various sectors, we hope that this edition of the Career Forum Newsletter will offer tips to students and young alumni looking to make that next step up.

We believe that the testimonials offered by our kind contributors will help the Career Forum applicants in fine-tuning their applications and understanding the needs and expectations of their potential future employers.

We would like to offer thanks to our generous contributors and the best of luck to all CEMS students and young alumni who are currently preparing their ap-plications for Career Forum pre-scheduled interviews.

regards

// 3 a.t. Kearney: “Cover letter and CV writing tips”

// 4 beiersdorf: “Curriculum Vitae – Your ticket to an Interview”

// 5 KoNE: “Tips for CV and Cover Letter Writing”

// 6 LVMH: “Dos and Don’ts of CV writing”

// 7 Shell: “CV writing – the platform for your attributes”

// 8 Siemens Management Consulting: “Choosing the right company”

// 9 Société Générale: “You wish to join Société Générale’s teams?”

// 10 unibail-rodamco: “Thinking a CV”

// 11 Corporate Partners present at the 2012 Career Forum

// 12 Career Forum programme and key dates

Denisa ZichackovaCorporate Services ManagerCEMS Head office

3 CEMS CarEEr ForuM NEWSLEttEr

Cover letter and CV writing tips

Christian Kukwa Senior associate

Cover lettera cover letter is the introduction of any good application and should be short as well as concise. Convince the reader that you are the right candidate. Follow a logical structure, ideally tripartite: argument – rationale – clos-ing. With regards to content, list the arguments, why you are applying to a.t. Kearney; strongest arguments always come first. build up a rationale that supports these arguments. Don’t forget to mention a desired start date or if applying for an internship, the duration.

Do’s: // demonstrate confidence// clarify motivation// state relevant experience// mention specific recommendations// refer to first contacts with a.t. Kearney (e.g. work-

shops, presentations, career fair)

Don’ts:// exceed one page// reproduce your CV// state irrelevant facts// use the subjunctive// make spelling mistakes// start the cover letter with “I hereby apply…”

Cvthe curriculum vitae adds all necessary detail to the cover letter. Show the reader what you have achieved. the structure is simple and has to include: name and contact details, academic background, professional experience, stays abroad (if not including in previous segments), extracurricular activities, awards, language/It skills (including level), and do not forget your in-terests. Within your CV, state clearly all your academic grades, degrees as well as majors and theses. prioritise information relevant to the consulting industry. Dem-onstrate that you rise to the challenges of management consulting.

Do’s: // use a clear and consistent structure// be precise and without gaps// mention recent experience first// formulate brief descriptions// highlight stays abroad and internships// state extracurricular activities// clarify degree sought and expected grade

Don’ts:// exceed two pages (for an intern one page is sufficient)// state irrelevant facts for the position// use dates that don’t tie// include education before secondary school// make spelling mistakes// use different fonts and inconsistent formatting

Most important for the cover letter and CV will be that you have made the effort to understand a.t. Kearney and what defines us, that you know what it takes to become a management consultant, and that you adapt your application documents accordingly.

We are looking forward to receiving your application and seeing you in budapest.


Curriculum Vitae – Your ticket to an Interview

Christoph Fellinger talent relationship Management/recruiting

as a recruiter I come across a lot of CVs. there is a stunningly wide range in quality that is not necessarily coherent with the person’s actual qualification. thus one can conclude that CV writing is something that can easily be improved, if you stick to some simple rules. Here are my personal favourites:

1. Is your CV clear and concise? recruiters often have very little time to look at CVs, therefore you must make sure that they can pick up the most important things at a glance. test it yourself: give your CV to a friend for 10 seconds and ask them what they remember.

2. Work on your layout: compare your CV to those of friends. Spread out the CVs on a table and compare their readability from a distance. Which profiles are easy to pick up? optimise yours accordingly.

3. there’s no one-CV-fits-all! Just like you will adapt cover letters for each application you should do likewise for your CV. Closely read the job descrip-tion and reflect on your own experiences. Whatever supports your application should go into your CV, including selected interests and hobbies. Delete any unnecessary information as it will dilute your profile! If you are missing practical experience in a certain area you might want to highlight relevant courses from university.

4. put yourself into the shoes of the recruiter: do they know the company/position of e.g. your last intern-ship? probably not. State necessary information about the company and your tasks. take it a step further and add what you accomplished and what you learned.

5. use the “Interests” section to add references to skills that might be relevant for the position. Looking for a Leadership career? then your role as a coach of a volleyball team indicates that you already have some experience in leading a team. trigger the recruiter with relevant information and don’t spoil your op-portunity by simply stating hobbies.

Following these few tips will make your CV already stand out from the lot. but remember: never over-promise, always stay true - because your next stop might be a professional interview.


Tips for CV and Cover Letter Writing

Sari Keihtä Hr Specialist, talent Management, Global Hr

regardless of the position you are applying for you should have both a CV and cover letter for presenting yourself to potential employers.

Cva CV gives a quick overview of you as a candidate to the reader.

Key points to remember when writing your CV: keep it simple, easy to read, well-organised and concise. abso-lute maximum length is 2 pages. recruiters might only use 30-60 seconds to review your CV!

In your CV we recommend you cover the following topics:// Education

/ Mention major and minor subjects/ remember exchange studies/ Give an estimate of graduation date

// Work experience/ List your experience, starting with the most re-

cent ( if you have a lot of work experience pick the 3-5 most relevant) and describe briefly your tasks

/ also summer jobs and internships are relevant// Language skills

/ Describe the level of your language skills, no need to divide into oral and written unless specifically asked

// It and other skills// Extracurricular activities/positions of trust// Hobbies/Interests// references

/ You should always ask permission from the per-son you’re using as reference

Cover letterWith an attractive cover letter you can differentiate yourself from a big pool of candidates and get yourself to the interview. For the cover letter there are three words: customise, customise and customise! With your cover letter, try to answer 3 questions: Why me? Why this company? and why this job?

Divide it into 3-4 paragraphs: in the first paragraph, grab the recruiter’s attention, in the second and third paragraphs show your motivation and skills and then in the fourth paragraph close it smartly. Leave the reader with the feeling that they want to know more.

KoNE wishes you all the best of luck in your career hunt and application processes!

I believe answering the three principle questions in the cover letter will guide you to find a great match

between the company and yourself. The purpose of the cover letter is not about showing how excellent you

are. It is to present how you can add value to the posi-tion and to the company.

Anqi Huang – CEMS student and International trainee

CEMS Career Forum was a turning point in my re-cruitment process with KONE. By showing my interest

and active character during the individual interview as well as the main career fair I believe to have left a

positive impression that ultimately led to my selection in the KONE International Trainee Programme.

Teemu Kärnä – CEMS student and International trainee: Marketing & Change Management in

KoNE australia


Do’s and Don’ts of CV writing

Constantin Le Blanc Campus & Employer Image Manager, LVMH Group

Do Go StraIGHt to tHE poINt: recruiters will only spend a couple of minutes looking at your CV; the main points should pop out.

Do MaKE EVErY WorD CouNt: you should aim at the shortest possible version of your CV. Make sure that every sentence brings something new and interesting to the table or remove it.

Do bE SpECIFIC IN Your pErSoNaL INtErEStS: eve-ryone enjoys travelling, listening to music and watching movies.

Do uSE a poSItIVE toNE aND aCtIoN VErbS: show that you are proactive and motivated.

Do prINt It bEForE You SEND It: most recruiters will print your CV at some point in the recruitment process so you should check that it prints properly (including in black and white). Sending a pDF file is always a safer option.

DoN’t oVErDo It: keep your CV simple and neutral. Now is not the time to show that you are a creative person.

DoN’t tELL uS EVErYtHING tHErE IS to KNoW about You: the point of a CV is to raise interest in the recruiters’ mind and make them want to find out more. Keep some surprises for the interview.

DoN’t MaKE aNY SpELLING or tYpo MIStaKES: enough said.

DoN’t uSE a pICturE FroM Your LaSt bEaCH HoLIDaYS: no picture at all is better than a bad pic-ture. Make sure you are wearing professional clothing, are in a neutral setting and that the definition of the picture is excellent.

DoN’t LIE: even a little.

PrePariNg for your iNterview at lvMH// understand the history, the DNa and the main char-

acteristics of the Maison. all of our brands have different business models, strategies and values and you shouldn’t be vague.

// Learn about the LVMH group and not just the Maison you are applying to.

// be prepared to explain what Luxury means to you and why you want to work in this sector.

// List the qualities and competences required for the job and think of a way to demonstrate that you have them.

// avoid Yes or No answers. You should be doing much of the talking.

// Smile, be positive and confident. We are looking for passionate people!


CV writing – the platform for your attributes

Angelika Eberhardt regional Channel advisor Europe & africa

Whatever role you play within Shell, there are certain qualities and attributes we look for in our people. one of our key selection criteria assess against the Shell Capacity, achievement, relationship (Car) programme. Your CV is a platform for you to demonstrate your key attributes and qualities and recognise your own achievements and key challenges you have overcome.

taking the time to ensure you effectively communicate evidence of the (Car) qualities in your CV will not only help in your application being more successful but also help prepare you for the interview and subsequent stages in the assessment process.

CaPaCity// are you able to provide evidence of identifying,

gathering and analysing multiple sources of infor-mation?

// Do you have experience of understanding the stra-tegic context in which an organisation operates and being able to reach informed conclusions through broad thinking?

// Have you produced solutions to a problem based on information from a variety of sources?

// are you familiar with working with incomplete or conflicting data and taking well calculated risks?

aCHieveMeNt// Can you demonstrate a personal motivation to con-

sistently achieve results by setting targets, monitor-ing progress and dealing with setbacks?

// are you skilled in working by yourself as well as in a team environment – can you provide evidence of this?

// You should be practiced in identifying opportunities to learn and develop and demonstrating an aware-ness of personal strengths and development areas.

// Do you take on new and unfamiliar tasks?

relatioNSHiPS// Can you give examples of communicating honestly

and interacting respectfully with a wide range of people?

// Have you been in situations where you have had to influence people through tailoring communication style appropriately?

// treating others with respect and appreciating the value of involving people with different viewpoints and styles is essential within Shell.

// Exposure to different cultures and environments is also important – can you demonstrate knowledge in this area?

Cv CHeCKliSt// Find out what the organisation looks for in an em-

ployee and adapt your CV to mirror this.// Include your achievements – all experiences count,

whether paid, voluntary or shadowing. Focus on your responsibilities and achievements in the role and re-member to highlight what your contributions were, where skills were used or developed and the outcomes.

// Don’t make general statements about your qualities. Make sure you can support your statements with evi-dence.

// try to link your skills and experience to the require-ments of the job you are applying for.

// Keep it short – preferably two sides. // beware of exaggerating your achievements.// Do not have unexplained gaps in your work history.

Before the start of the interview, write down concrete examples from past experiences. Express

why you are particularly proud of an achievement, what went well and what could be improved. Focus

hereby on your role in the team. Koen - business performance reporting advisor


Choosing the right company

Bing Wan project Manager

Whether you are a recent graduate or a seasoned pro-fessional, choosing the right company to realize your career aspirations can be a daunting puzzle, especially when you have multiple seemingly attractive options. If you are desperate for work, accepting the first job that is offered to you might seem like a good idea. However, in the long run, this might not be the best choice, con-sidering your opportunity cost. So how can you ensure that a company is right for you? Let me share some of my personal tips.

Know what you like and what you don’t like. this sounds simple, but isn’t. take time to reflect on what you like and what bothers you. For example, do you prefer flexible working hours or would you rather work in the office from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.? How much autonomy do you want at work and how comfortable are you with the thought of doing ad hoc tasks as they arise? Sometimes you may even have to weigh up the pros and cons to decide which company is the right one, although in the end it’s often just a matter of personal taste.

Evaluate your value fit with the target company. ask yourself questions like “which working environment will I feel happy in?” and “who would I like to work with?” acknowledge that corporate cultures do differ, depending on the types of products / services com-panies provide and the customers they address. the working atmosphere of a small engineering company may be totally different from that of a large consumer goods manufacturer. Some will feel happiest at the small company, others at the largest. usually you’re able to find plenty of information about a company’s vision, financials, management team and offerings etc., but the real insights on value fit come when you talk with people who actually work at the company. If you’re looking for a job in the consulting industry, speak with a consultant about the company’s culture. the level of enthusiasm will tell you a lot.

Finally, trust your instincts. If your inner voice tells you that this is the right company for you, then it is.

if you feel SMC iS tHe rigHt CoMPaNy for you

In our interviews, we try to get to know you as a person and find out whether you meet our criteria. Prepare for the interview by practicing case studies and do research

on Siemens to be up to date on our latest challenges. Needless to say, you should make yourself familiar with

SMC and the way strategy consulting operates. If you prepare in this way, you’ll be able to engage in a lively discussion with your interviewer on some actual cases

from everyday SMC consulting activities. It’s important for us to know that you can see the big picture, debate

and communicate in a structured way, and display good business sense. At the interview, the candidates

who impress us have distinctive personalities even at a young age and are passionate about creating change.

Natalie Djodat – Consultant

tiPS for a SuCCeSSful iNterviewShow your interest and also use the time to

ask questions. Ashwit Dias – project Manager

Take your time to think about what you want to say,

and show that you’re able to focus even in a stressful situation.

Hong Xiao Dan – Senior Consultant

Don´t worry too much if you make a small mistake – acknowledge it and move on!

Laura Coates – project Manager

Be yourself, have fun, and get to know the people you want to work with. It’s all about the team.

Stefanie Drerup – project Manager


You wish to integrate Société Générale’s teams?

Mercè Batista International Campus Manager

Your CV is like your visit card when you apply for a posi-tion. Here you will find some advice which will help you to prepare as well as possible to write a CV with impact.

once we have screened your CV and we think that you could have a good profile for the position, we are interested in getting to know you in depth. You will be invited to attend an interview. In our selection process, we will not only assess your professional skills and education, but also your affinity to our corporate values of professionalism, team spirit and innovation. In this article you will find some tips to help you market yourself effectively.

wHat we waNt to KNow about you iN your Cv aNd How you CaN CoMMuNiCate it// Keep the length of your CV as short as possible (not

more than one page): prioritise your experience by keeping those that are really pertinent for the position you are applying to.

// avoid putting a picture.// pay attention to the header of your CV: write your full

name, detailed contact information, date of availability, the kind of contract you are looking for and its length.

// Highlight your qualities with keywords if these are per-tinent for the job and that you have concrete examples to back them up.

// use the right language: be concise, use the active voice, use verbs such as develop, organise, create, direct, lead, to suggest positive actions.

// provide the meaning of all the acronyms you write.// For academic and professional experience:

/ Evoke your main achievements./ Quantify your successes./ Describe the skills that you have gained.

// Don’t embellish or exaggerate your achievements as the recruiters will realise sooner or later.

// Don’t forget the extras: include any award or honours that you have received during your education and pro-fessional experience.

wHat about tHe iNterviewS?

Show us that

// You can become a valued, trusted and productive team member.

// You have the required knowledge and skills.

How to?

General points// Develop a 25-second sales pitch of yourself.// tell us about your professional goal.// tell us about what motivates you, your values .

assessment of your skills by analysing how you handled specific events in your past // Identify the core skills needed for the position (leader-

ship, teamwork, initiative, problem solving, commu-nication, commercial awareness).

// prepare a bank of examples of how you have demon-strated these skills in the past.

// apply the S.t.a.r. Formula.S – Situation: set the context of the story clearly in a

few sentences.t – task: present the specific problem. Choose the task

that was achievable.a – action: what did you do to accomplish the task.

(a) you had an objective in mind; (b) you assessed what needed to be done; (c) there was a logic in your actions.

r – result: what happened as a result of what you did.


Thinking a CV

Emmanuel DufourGroup Head of recruitment and Campus relations

Writing a CV is not an easy exercise and takes time. this is normal as it is on this one-page sheet that a decision will be made to contact you or not, and ultimately, to hire you...or not.

You will always read or hear many different pieces of advice on how to write your CV: put a picture or not.... Here is my advice: before writing it, think about it!

Know yourself: define who you are and what you want to communicate about yourself in terms of expertise and experience. only communicate on who you really are, not who you would like to be! this is important because even if you are looking for your first permanent job, you are not starting from scratch, and the choices you have already made make you attractive for some companies, but not for some others…

be sincere: don’t invent passions you would like to have; not responsibilities you would have liked to have had during your last internship! assume who you are and be sincere; trust is the basis of any long-term relation-ship. only indicate achievements you are confident to talk about! In our environment, where social media have never been so present, everything can be checked so easily.

build your career to develop your CV: be curious, de-velop as much experience as possible, have passions; develop team work, your skills, your languages... try to imagine what kind of CV you would like to have in 5/10 years’ time and ask yourself and others what is the best way to achieve it and do it!

Our ambition is to recruit the brightest and most talented young people in Europe, to develop their

skills and to offer them the opportunity to help shape the cities of the future. When you join

Unibail-Rodamco, you are joining a global team of highly committed people driven by excellence. You will immediately be entrusted with exciting

responsibilities and gain access to fulfilling career opportunities in a range of countries and functions.

In return for your focus on results, leadership and creativity, we are dedicated to supporting you and

helping you become one of tomorrow’s leaders.

Guillaume Poitrinal – CEo and Chairman, unibail-rodamco


Corporate Partners present at the Career Forum

Name Stand Pre-scheduled Students Pre-scheduled Alumni

a.t. Kearney Y Y Y

abb Y Y Y

arçelik Y N N

arla Foods Y Y N

beiersdorf aG Y Y Y

bNp paribas Y N N

Crédit agricole S.a. Y Y N

Credit Suisse Y N N

Daymon Worldwide Y Y N

Deutsche bank Y Y Y

EaDS Y Y N

EF Education First Y Y Y

Fung (1937) Management Ltd. Y N N

Google Y Y N

Henkel aG & Co. KGaa Y Y N

HSbC Y N N

Indesit Company s.p.a. Y Y Y

KoNE Y Y N

LVMH Y N N

McKinsey & Company Y N N

Novo Nordisk Y N N

reckitt benckiser Y Y N

Shell Y Y N

Siemens Management Consulting Y Y Y

Société Générale Y Y N

Statkraft aS Y N N

Statoil Y Y N

Swiss rE Y N N

ubS Y N N

unibail-rodamco Y Y N

uniCredit Y N N

Vodafone Y Y Y

Whirlpool Y Y Y

ŠKoDa auto a.s. Y Y Y


PROGRAMME

friday 16 NoveMber 2012

Event: SKILL SEMINArSStudent only event / Skill seminars offered by CEMS Corporate PartnersTime: 1.30/2.30 pm - 5.30/6.30 pmVenue: New Building, Corvinus University of Budapest, 4-6 Kozraktar street, Budapest

Event: SPEED-NETWorKING MEETINGCEMS Corporate Partner & Academic representative only eventTime: 4 pm - 6 pm (tbc)Venue: New Building, Corvinus University of Budapest, 4-6 Kozraktar street, Budapest

Event: NETWorKING CoCKTAIL & DINNErCEMS Corporate Partner & Academic representative only eventTime: 7 pm - 10 pmVenue: Columbus restaurant

Saturday 17 NoveMber 2012

Event: JoB FAIrAll CEMS Community eventTime: 10 am - 5 pmVenue: Main Building, Corvinus University of Budapest, 8 Fovam ter, Budapest

Event: PrE-SCHEDULED INTErVIEWSCEMS Student, Alumni (0-4 years after graduation) & Corporate Partner eventTime: 8:15 am - 6:30 pmVenue: Main & New Buildings, Corvinus University of Budapest, 8 Fovam ter & 4-6 Kozraktar street, Budapest

Event: CoMPANY PrESENTATIoNSAll CEMS Community eventTime: 12 pm - 3 pmVenue: Main Building, Corvinus University of Budapest, 8 Fovam ter, Budapest

Event: STUDENT PArTYAll CEMS Community eventTime: 9.30 pm - 4 amVenue: Europa Boat

Key dateS

registration to the Career Forum opens 25 July Closes 2 November

registration of students and young alumni (0 to 4 years

after graduation) to the pre-scheduled interviews opens 25 July Closes 10 September

Student and alumni registration

for the Student party (first-come, first-served) opens 25 July Closes 2 November

registration of students to skill seminars opens 13 September Closes 18 September

Confirmation of interviews by students

and alumni who graduated in the past four years opens 11 october Closes 15 october

Confirmation of the skill seminar by students opens 11 october Closes 15 october

Individual interview plans and/or skill seminar

location communicated to students/young alumni opens 12 November Closes 12 November

september 2012 cems career forum · 4 cems career forum newsletter curriculum vitae – your ticket...

Documents