The year is drawing to a close and if you’re sprucing up your CV in preparation of post-bonus job applications in Asia, it pays to know what to avoid writing as well as what to write.
Some resume phrases have become so overused by banking professionals in Singapore and Hong Kong that recruiters are now repulsed by the very sight of them.
With Asian recruiters expecting to be deluged with applications in the coming months, this is worst time to send them a CV that is cluttered with the same old catch-phrases as all the others. Here are some words to avoid:
1) “I’m bilingual”
There’s a growing trend for candidates in Singapore to include “bilingual” on their CV when in reality they are only fluent in English. “They use this word as most banks these days are looking for fluent Cantonese, Mandarin or Japanese speakers and they believe it adds weight to their application,” says Komal Mehta, a partner at recruiters KS Consulting. “My advice is to always mention your level of fluency in the second language – for example, mention any courses you have done – otherwise it’s misleading for recruiters and HR managers if you’re not genuinely bilingual.”
2) “I’m creative and hardworking”
This phrase is so overused, especially by junior banking professionals in Asia, that it actually suggests a lack of creativity in the drafting of your CV. “I think candidates just overlook phrases like this – they don’t reflect on whether these clichéd words add value or have any relevance,” says Chris Mead, regional director of recruitment company Hays in Singapore. “Only express the factual and measurable aspects of your experience. ‘Managed 150 full-time employees across five teams, with five direct vice-president reports’ is much better than writing that you’re a ‘seasoned’ or ‘hardworking’ leader,” adds Mead.
3) “I efficiently and effectively….”
These seemingly handy adverbs can be applied to just about every task in the banking sector – therein lies the problem. “This phrase is too generic, especially if the candidate doesn’t back it up with some actual examples that these words describe,” says Orelia Chan, manager, financial services and compliance at recruiters Robert Walters in Singapore. “And it doesn’t really catch the hiring manager’s attention because a lot of candidates use the same phrase without any differentiation.”
4) “I am an ambitious and goal-oriented young professional”
“This is usually the first line on a CV from a job seeker who’s early on in their career search – but it’s throwaway line, it adds no value and if anything may seem a little too exuberant,” says Stuart Jones, divisional manager of banking and finance at recruiters Peoplebank in Singapore. “I would always imagine that the professional sending me their profile is genuinely looking to develop their career and is working towards goals – there’s no need to state it. Instead let the reviewer know that you’re a consistent achiever in your tasks and responsibilities and have been active in the development of your current role.”
5) “I was involved in…”
“This is a term that immediately makes the reviewer second guess the content of the candidate’s profile,” says Jones. “While I can appreciate that you may not want to take ownership or credit for the overall project, opening a sentence where the word ‘involved’ casts a shadow of doubt on the achievements mentioned. My suggestion is to reference your responsibilities within the described project and the achievements made from fulfilling, or overachieving, your obligations.”
6) “I’m skilled in Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and Outlook”
Listing generic computer skills is a sure-fire way to repel a banking recruiter. “Why even bother to include such a phrase? Everyone is expected to have those skills,” bemoans Adrian Choo, a principal at search firm CTPartners in Singapore. “It makes me think you have run out of ideas to put into your CV. It’s better to use that space to put in ‘special hobbies’ like antique map collecting, or ‘special achievements’ like ‘climbed Mt Everest twice’.”
7) “I managed 100 staffs”
Pluralisation problems often plague English-language resumes in Hong Kong. This is one of the chief offenders: candidates who’ve managed more than one person sometimes incorrectly refer to their employees as their “staffs”. “The word is always staff – whether it was one person you supervised, or 100,” says Tracy Tam, manager of the Hong Kong banking team at recruitment agency Ambition.