As some of my friends know, I've begun working for a German based search engine marketing firm since last September.  I've gone from a complete SEM idiot with a "traditional" online marketing background and some SEO project management experiences, to a certified Google Adwords Professional who manages millions of dollar in online ad spending in 14 APAC countries in a matter of months. Thanks to the intensive training in Germany and supportive team and partners who are much willing to share their experiences I am really diving deep into this exciting field.

I found out recently close to 1000 application letters came through for two openings I had in my team. Although our human resources department filtered out most of them I still remember seeing tonnes of applications in the past two months. Having been on both ends of the job application process, I thought I'll share some of my insights here.

You might have the best skills and be the best fit to the openings you are applying for, but if you are not even getting your foot into the door how are you able to land the perfect job?

Resume is a sales brochure in essence. No matter what they teach you in school (or not teach you), it has one significant function - to help you land an interview!

Tip #1: Always use your own formatting if given a choice

• Career sites will ask you to fill out a standard form, do it if that's required but make sure you attach your own document if given a choice.
• MS Word has nicely formatted resume templates, never use them without changing the layout!

Why not take the easy way out? Because you want to get noticed and you want an interview! MS Word resume templates are extremely easy to recognize (read: boring) and standard forms are designed for HR to process your applications more efficiently, not help you land a job. Take a chance, get noticed and use your own layout!

Tip #2: Don't try to be a designer (unless you are one)

Don't try to impress your future employer with fancy design unless you are a trained designer. Try and write your resume with three things in mind Simplicity, Readability, and Clarity.

Busy managers will not have time to read your resume in detail. Often an impression of you is formulated in the first minutes of reading your resume. So make sure you don't have any spelling or grammatical mistakes, at least not noticeable ones. Your document should be simple, easy to read, and to the point. Always remember the K.I.S.S. rule - "Keep It Simple Stupid".

Tip #3: Make it memorable!

Make your resume memorable but in a positive way. Give your viewer something more than just a name to remember. Try using a photo (if you think it works to your advantage), visual cues such as a different way of displaying your name, etc. Again, make sure it's tastefully done; when in doubt ask a friend (with taste).

That's all the tips I have for now. Resume writing is one of those important things people often overlook. Put yourself in your future employer's shoes. What will catch your attention if you have to read 50 resumes in one sitting? Which resume will give you a good impression? All the best with your job hunt!

A majority of my time at work is spent thinking about online solutions for clients so I have some limited insights on the market in this part of the world. 

Hong Kong companies are generally more conservative than the rest of the world when it comes to using the Internet as a promotional channel.  They have somewhere in the back of their minds that it is important, but perhaps due to a lack of understanding most clients expect things to be done cheap, quick, and with volume.  This is of course do-able but the outcome is often less than desirable.

There are exceptions and I see that happening with some of the companies with less of a silo mentality.  They are willing to invest, to do things right, and take the time to ensure their internet strategies are executed correctly.  Granted you can get a local "design house" (*read: guy in his room who did one design course with Fevaworks - sorry for my lack of respect for Fevaworks grads) to crunch out mini-sites in less than a week. But are you willing to do the same with your magazine print ads?  Why is your online budget often 1/10 of your offline's while the reality is almost 80% of your customers will visit your web site at one point or another?

I applaud those business leaders with the vision and desire to utilize this channel to its full potentials as it is indeed fast gaining influence with the mass market and is re-shaping the entire media landscape.

I’ve been in the internet business for about eight years now, ten if you count my first “paying” job. For the most part I had been a freelancer but I’ve also worked for an early ISP, dot.com, ad agency, start-up, in-house, and now I am with an interactive agency. It’s interesting how a high school hobby of logging into a friend’s bulletin board system though a Zoltrix 14.4bps internal modem can turn into a happy career.

I thought about moving to a different industry after completing my post graduate studies. The thought of working in an internet related industry actually didn’t occur to me at all, especially after the bubble burst. With all the academic knowledge gained I really thought I was in a good position to move into something else, but looking back all of that really just lead me back to my true interest. Then all of a sudden I realize, finding interest in your work, being excited about it, being passionate about the industry, wanting to do “good” work and being given the chance to do so is indeed something special and shouldn’t be taken for granted.