How to Write a Strong CV: Stand Out in the Hong Kong Job Market

In Hong Kong’s highly competitive job market, a clear, professional and focused CV often determines whether you get an interview or are filtered out in seconds.​

Many jobseekers assume “the longer the CV, the better”, but recruiters usually spend only a few seconds scanning each CV, so your key strengths must stand out immediately.

CV Basics: Cover Your Key Points in One to Two Pages

• Recommended length: For most candidates, 1–2 pages is ideal, and even with over 10 years of experience, your CV should usually not exceed 3 pages, with emphasis on the most recent 5–10 years of experience.​

• Core sections: A standard Hong Kong CV should include Personal Information, Profile / Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills & Languages, and Certifications / Awards.​

• Reverse chronological order: List both work experience and education starting from the most recent so recruiters can immediately see your latest and most relevant background.

Profile and Work Experience: Use Numbers and Stories to Show Impact

• A focused profile: In 3–4 lines, summarise your current role, areas of expertise, years of experience and the value you bring to employers, instead of generic phrases like “hard‑working” or “responsible” that everyone uses.​

• Duties plus achievements: Under each role, use bullet points to separate what you did from how well you did it, for example “Managed social media accounts” followed by “Increased followers by 40% and engagement by 25% within six months”.​

• Quantify your results: Add concrete metrics such as percentages, dollar amounts or client numbers, e.g. “Reduced complaint cases by 30%” or “Helped cut department costs by 15%”, to make your achievements far more convincing.

Skills and Keywords: Match the Job Ad and Pass ATS

• Structure your skills clearly: Group your skills into hard skills (e.g. Excel, Photoshop, data analysis) and soft skills (e.g. communication, teamwork, problem‑solving), and present them in bullet points for easy scanning.​

• Align with job description keywords: Many companies in Hong Kong use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter CVs, so you should mirror important terms from the job ad, such as “key account management”, “project coordination” or “Google Analytics”, in relevant parts of your CV.

• Specify language proficiency: Clearly state your language levels, for example “Cantonese (native), English (fluent), Mandarin (good)”, as multilingual ability is particularly valued in Hong Kong.

Common CV Mistakes: Avoid Instant Rejection

• Including too much irrelevant experience: You do not need to list every part‑time or short‑term job; focus on roles that are most relevant to the position you are applying for so your true strengths are not diluted.​

• Large blocks of text: Recruiters rarely read long paragraphs line by line, so use bullet points and short sentences, keeping each point to one or two lines to improve readability.​

• Poor spelling and formatting: Typos, inconsistent alignment and overuse of fonts or colours suggest a lack of attention to detail; use a consistent font, spacing and heading style, and always run a spell‑check at the end.

Adapting Your CV to Different Career Stages

• Fresh graduates: With limited work experience, emphasise internships, competitions, student societies and volunteer work that demonstrate learning ability, initiative and teamwork, and still try to quantify results such as “Organised an event attracting 200 participants”.​

• Mid‑career or job changers: Focus on your latest two to three roles, highlighting how you improved processes, supported business growth or added value quickly to new teams.​

• Senior management: Add an “Executive Summary” or “Career Highlights” section at the top, showcasing key milestones such as team size led, budget managed or revenue impact so recruiters instantly understand your seniority.

Final Checklist Before Sending Your CV

• Correct contact details: Double‑check your phone number, email address and any LinkedIn URL to ensure there are no typos.​

• File format and naming: PDF is usually preferred; name the file clearly, for example “Chan_Tai_Man_Marketing_Executive_CV” to look professional and stay organised for employers.​

• Tailor for each application: Avoid using exactly the same CV for every job; make small adjustments to keywords and emphasis according to each job description to improve your match and ranking in ATS.