Jakarta, October 21, 2026 – In an increasingly competitive job market, academic achievements and GPA are no longer the sole criteria employers consider when recruiting talent. Today's workforce demands that students and graduates possess relevant technical competencies, along with strong personal presentation skills and the ability to adapt professionally to changing workplace expectations. Equally important are the skills to create an effective Curriculum Vitae (CV), optimize a LinkedIn profile, and develop a compelling personal brand to improve employment prospects and support long-term career growth.

In response to the growing need for career readiness and a stronger culture of professionalism among students at Universitas Dian Nusantara (UNDIRA), the university's Career and Alumni Development Bureau (BPKA UNDIRA), in collaboration with Kinobi, held a career workshop titled “Stand Out and Get Hired: Upgrade Your CV, LinkedIn, and Personal Branding.” The workshop took place in the Smart Classroom at UNDIRA's Tanjung Duren Campus in West Jakarta and attracted enthusiastic participation from 50 UNDIRA students.

Opening the workshop, Ms. Dewi, a staff member of UNDIRA's Career and Alumni Development Bureau, expressed her hope that the session would provide practical benefits and broaden students' understanding of how to create an effective CV while strengthening ethical professional conduct and personal branding throughout the recruitment process. She emphasized that having a CV and portfolio alone does not guarantee employment. Ultimately, it is the consistent practice of good professional values that helps guide individuals toward the right opportunities.

Echoing this perspective, Ms. Najla Afiyah, Customer Success Associate at Kinobi, highlighted the importance of understanding effective strategies for attracting employers' attention from an early stage. In her presentation, she explained that a CV should contain sufficient information without being excessive or overly brief. Students were also encouraged to consider the type of company they were applying to and prioritize preparing an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)-friendly CV over a conventional, non-ATS CV. According to her, an ATS-friendly CV helps employers identify and assess candidates' relevant competencies for internships and employment opportunities, potentially improving applicants' chances of progressing through the recruitment process.

She further explained that an effective CV description should incorporate three essential elements: relevance, action, and impact, with measurable outcomes expressed in percentages whenever possible. The difference can be seen in the following examples. The statement “Responsible for organizing UNDIRA Career Fest Event Division” merely describes a responsibility, whereas “Led a 12-person team to run UNDIRA Career Fest, reaching approximately 3,200 attendees and achieving 120% of the target” demonstrates the candidate's role, concrete actions, and measurable results. As an additional tip, students were encouraged to identify specific keywords in job descriptions and incorporate relevant terms into their ATS-friendly CVs to better align their applications with employers' requirements.

Students were also reminded to carefully proofread their CVs for typographical errors and use professional, appropriately named files rather than informal filenames such as “final_bangetnihCV (your name).” In addition, they were encouraged to use their real names and appropriate profile photos to strengthen their professional image and personal brand. Including quantifiable achievements and measurable descriptions in a CV was also emphasized as a way to capture recruiters' attention during the selection process.

During recruitment, applications may first be screened automatically by an ATS before recruiters conduct an initial review, which can take approximately six seconds. Candidates who meet the initial criteria may then be shortlisted by the HR team based on the qualifications and requirements of the advertised position.

Beyond preparing application documents, the workshop also equipped participants with strategies for approaching job interviews as an opportunity to strengthen their personal branding. When asked to introduce themselves and describe their experiences, participants were encouraged to structure their responses using a present–past–future approach, beginning with their current situation, reflecting on previous experiences, and concluding with their future aspirations.

Students were also advised to communicate thoughtfully, as recruiters assess not only the substance of their answers but also their potential working styles and interpersonal characteristics, including whether they tend to dominate discussions or collaborate effectively with others. To help participants deliver clear and structured responses, the workshop introduced the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. The Situation component encourages candidates to explain the context of an experience, including relevant challenges and personal strengths or weaknesses. Participants were also encouraged to ask questions about a company's communication practices and workplace culture, recognizing that interviews are a two-way process in which both candidates and employers can develop a positive impression of one another.

Through this initiative, BPKA UNDIRA and Kinobi hope to equip students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to create professional CVs, optimize their LinkedIn profiles, and establish a positive, competitive personal brand. By developing these capabilities early, students are expected to strengthen their competitiveness and broaden their career opportunities in an ever-evolving professional landscape.