Introduction
Volkswagen is the world’s third largest auto maker and the largest auto maker in Europe.
The Volkswagen group has identified that the superiority of their products is actually as a result
of their superior workforce and human resource management structures. This is why they have
always sought to identify, capture and nature the best talent in the labor market. The company is
currently opening a new plant in America and is seeking to employ more talented people who are willing to join their workforce. They particularly have a robust finance department that has been at the center stage of their success over the years.
The 2024 Volkswagen Atlas
Employer requirements and CV
The company seeks to recruit enthusiastic and self discipline individuals who have the
ability to work on their own initiative and under minimum supervision. They have identified that
their finance department needs individuals who have a proactive and logical approach to
challenges and with the high volatility in the industry in recent times, individuals who are quick
to grasp new ideas and concepts. The company has excellent communication channels and needs
individuals who can complement these channels with excellent communication skills and who
are also able to establish strong working relationships by appreciating being part of a productive
and successful team of employees (Holt, 2004).
With the huge size of the Volkswagen organization, an individual applying to work in
one of their overseas subsidiaries may be required to arrange for their particular immigration and
travel documents (Dubrin, 2011). This is, however, subject to the particular country’s
specifications and the conformity to such immigration and travel specifications will be handled
by the individual themselves. There may be assistance from the company where needed
especially with the procurement of a work permit and any similar requirements that have to be
procured by or from the employer in regard to the county’s specifications. The Volkswagen
3
Company is also keen on employee development and employees often find themselves being
promoted to new regions where they can apply whatever knowledge that they may have acquired
in their previous position in a new setting with totally different challenges (Plessis, Großfeld, &Luttermann, 2007). With the huge magnitude of the company as well as the complex
organizational structure, one is able to procure promotions quite easily in the company and build
his or her career. This is, however, subject to one’s performance as promotions are based on
performance evaluations that identify merit in individuals.
Curriculum Vitae
PERSONAL DETAILS
Name:
Nationality:
Address:
Telephone numbers:
E-mail addresses:
Gender:
Ethnicity:
Languages: English
Age band: 20-24
Higher education
Institution name:
Country:
Qualification type: BA (Hons) Business with Finance
Area of study: Business and Administrative Studies
4
Grade: Upper Second Class
Start date: September 2011
End date: June 2012
Graduation date: June 2013
School education
School:
Country:
Dates: From Sep 2004 to June 2007
Working experience
January 2011 to June 2013: Assistant manager
The following is a cover letter for the application for a job as a finance assistant at
Volkswagen after the completion of my first degree.
Cover letter
Dear sir/madam,
RE: APPLICATION FOR A JOB AS A FINANCE ASSISTANT
I have recently completed my undergraduate studies and have been awarded an upper
second class degree in Bachelor of Arts in Business and my area of study was Finance and
Administrative Studies. I my wish is to work for a reputable institution such as yours so as to
learn from your highly talented human resource as well as to build my career in business and
finance. I’m an enthusiastic, personable and responsive person who has a high value for building
relationships. I have high levels of commitment and I’m also comfortable working as part of a
group. I have strong beliefs and values on the working environment and have high respect for
others.
5
It is my hope that you will consider me for the above position and I’m looking forward to
receiving feedback from you. I have also attached a copy of my CV alongside this cover letter.
Personal Skills Audit and Evidence
Being a young student in the university there is immense pressure to go back home and
apply the skills that one has acquired in school. Students, therefore, pursue their studies with the
general plan of improving and growing their career in their specific fields of study. After
conducting a test on verbal reasoning, abstract reasoning and numerical reasoning that is often
offered by different career experts and on the internet, an individual is usually presented with a
type dynamics indicator report that suggested the type of career path that one should pursue. The
report is not industry specific, but rather job specific, which allows people pursuing different
careers to identify aspects of those specific careers that best fit their specific personalities
(Patrick, 2005).
After participating in the test, I received a report that indicated that I have a preference
for the adviser style. This suggests that I’m a personable and responsive person to the needs of
others. It also suggests that an adviser is keen on building close personal relationships with
others and exhibits excellent communication skills, which allow the individual to be warm
friendly and tactful when dealing with other people. This makes consultancy as well as teaching
a viable option as suggested by my personality (Madura, 2009). This is driven by the need to
participate wholeheartedly and also because such a career path provides an outlet for the inherent
passionate enthusiasm as well as the need to have close contact and relationships with others
(Davis, 2004).
The acquisition of a degree in finance first identifies that an individual has a deep interest
in the field as a career and shows that the individual is committed. The fact that the individual is
6
able to complete his or her degree in time goes ahead to prove that he or she can commit to a
particular purpose and seek success. The exceptional passing in the same field identifies that the
individual can work hard to achieve out most excellence on top of the set targets. This is
important for the employer especially if the company has already set exceptional quality
standards in the market that leave no room for failure. This is especially the case at Volkswagen
as they have prided themselves in attracting the best talent and brains in the industry to work for
them (Madura, 2009).
The company in this case, also values team players in all their departments and seeks to
identify individuals who can associate well with others in a work setting to come up with
solutions to challenges identified in the workplace (Blum, Schneider, & Wimmer, 2011). The
fact that the type dynamics indicator test identifies that I have the personality associated with
team players, makes me a better candidate for a job in the company. The company also
appreciates individuals with leadership skills since they are able to work under minimal
supervision and in their own initiative. They are also able to come up with new solutions to both
the old and the new challenges that may be experienced in the work setting. This ensures growth
in the organization and full employment of the available resources.
Current Education:
I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Finance in which I’m scheduled to
graduate by June 2013.
Required Education:
To successfully achieve my goals I will have to heavily invest in the relevant studies and in this
case I plan to pursue the following courses:
Masters in business administration.
7
PHD in financial engineering.
Certification from the certified financial analysts’ institute.
Current Skills:
I currently work as a part time Assistant Manager where I have acquired:
Excellent program management skills.
Excellent leadership and delegation skills.
Required Skills:
Advanced knowledge on Business Management.
Advanced know ledge in portfolio management.
Advanced knowledge in finance and insurance systems.
Reflection
With the completion of the first degree, an individual is better placed to acquire a job in
his or her industry of choice since they have the basic knowledge of the industry practices and
needs. This allows the individual to gain a firsthand experience of the job market and identify
how best suited he or she is to the prevailing conditions in the particular job market. The
suitability of an individual to a particular job market can be improved by his or her pursuing of
further studies so as to polish on the already existing knowledge in the field and to strengthen the
individual’s CV in case he or she seeks promotion. It is, however, obvious that people enter into
the job market with the hope that they will become the best in the industry (Pavlina, 2008). This
is often identified by the particular person’s zeal to secure promotions in the job sector or in the
case of private practice, to close the biggest clients or the most clients in the industry.
Finance is one of the fields that require particular knowledge in industry practices and
individuals have to seek practical knowledge in the field so as to be better placed in t6he job
8
market. This is because it applies analytical skills to solve financial problems in the changing
corporate environment and having theoretical knowledge as it is often acquired in school may
not be of much help (Copping, 2005). One has to demonstrate that he or she can handle the most
resent challenges that materialise in the workplace, comfortably and efficiently. This is why most
companies not only look at the particular educational excellence of a potential employee, but
also any background experience in the field (Burt, 2002). In this respect, students are often
advised to seek internship opportunities or attachments before applying for permanent jobs in big
companies. This also gives the individual a chance to easily apply for a job in the same
workplace that he or she has interned.
Different industries have different personality needs that identify the particular
individuals needed for that particular job market. This may, however, be considered vague when
compared to the particular departmental needs of a particular job. It is for this reason that the
choice of a career has to be based of one’s particular personality traits so that the individual can
exploit his or her strengths (Pellenbarg, & Wever, 2008). It is also important in the identification
of the particular weaknesses that an individual may possess and try to either fix them or cover
them with the available strengths.
In institutions that have a complex and fully operational organizational structure such as
Volkswagen, the human resource department is also mandated with the identification of the
particular personal strengths of employees and their evaluation in relation to the particular
company needs (Zimmerli, et al. 2007). This allows for performance evaluation to be based on
the particular individual’s strengths so as to avoid unfair evaluations where only the weaknesses
of an individual are identified. It also allows the human resource department to identify the
9
particular positions that employees can be promoted to so as to fully exploit their potential by
maximizing on their personal and social strengths.
The particular success of an institution has always been pegged against that of the
individuals responsible for its operations. This suggests that the acquisition of superior
employees has direct and similar effect on the company’s performance and this should be the
ultimate coal of a company’s human resource department. With the acquisition of the necessary
skills as well as experience in the particular field that an individual seeks employment, he or she
is better placed to argue that he or she possesses superior skills in the industry. These come in
handy when seeking employment and even more, when seeking promotions in a particular
organization since the management and more specifically the human resource manager can
identify particular skills that are superior to the rest of the individuals seeking the job or the
promotion. It is, therefore, important for individuals to seek personal development and to refine
their skills as well as their knowledge base, when in employment especially if they have hopes of
improving their career (Nutley, 2008).
Personal Development Plan
Step 1: Complete College and Intern in Financial Institution.
I’m currently planning to concentrate on my studies with the sole aim of completing my
bachelor’s degree on time. This requires commitment to strict assignment and project submission
dates, as well as preparing well for my exams for the remaining two years of college. Upon
graduation in June 2013, I plan to take up an internship as I believe that this will help me explore
the job market in corporations including financial institutions and finance departments in other
companies. Since I currently have very few commitments, I feel that interning for six months in a
financial institution will help me to not only break into the job market, but also to gain my first
10
experience of working in an institution, where I can put my education into practice (Gallen,
2001). I will also learn firsthand the basic operations of an Islamic financial institution as well as
get as much knowledge as possible from all the experienced professionals around me. This
should also allow me to evaluate my options in the industry in regard to any further education
requirements that I may need to pursue (Johns, 2003).
Target Completion Date: December of 2013
Step 2: Complete the first CFA exam.
While still an intern, I plan to apply for certification from the Certified Financial Analyst
institute, which is an institute of the global association of investment professionals. Since this is
quite a prestigious accreditation, it will boost my viability in the business as well as finance job
market, as well as boost my knowledge in business and in particular the finance industry and
also my analytical skills (Baker, 2005). Since I will still be working as an intern, I plan to apply
online through the institute’s website as well as order books on the coursework. With my
background and my bachelor’s degree I believe that it will not be so much challenging to study
without an instructor and in case I come across any challenges I plan to solicit the services of a
tutor from my colleagues whom I will be working with, who are either in the process of
acquiring certification or have acquired certification (Nutley, 2008). This will also help me in
effectively achieving my other planned educational milestones.
Target Completion Date: December of 2013
Step 3: Three and a half years permanent employment
While still an intern, I will apply for permanent employment at Volkswagen or any of
their subsidiaries. Once I receive an offer I will utilize my employment time by attending all
seminars and training programs provided which will boost my knowledge base and consequently
11
my CV. This will also help me in forming professional networks with other people in the sector
as I realize that to succeed with my long-term plans I will have to gain contacts that I can in
future utilize (Davis, 2004). Being on employment will also provide me with financial
independence.
Target Completion Date: July of 2017
Step 4: Pursue a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.
In my three and a half years of employment, I will try as much as possible to live within
my means and try to save some money for my higher education. I will also convince my
employer to fund my educational endeavors either partly or fully and I believe that my savings,
coupled with funding from my employer should be sufficient to cater for my post graduate
degree, which I plan to take in a university near my workplace. This would allow me to still
continue with employment while still under taking my studies which will take about three years.
This degree will help me in gaining the much needed knowledge in better management of the
finance portfolios in future (Baker, 2005). During this period I also plan to solicit the opinion and
advice of professors on the banking and finance.
Target Completion Date: October 2020
Step 5: Complete the second CFA examination.
As soon as I finish my postgraduate degree in Business Administration, I plan to sit for
the second CFA exam which should make me one step away from full certification, and with the
experience I will have gained in the job market as well as with my studies in strategic
management, I believe that I will be in a better position to effectively pass the exam. This will
also help me in securing a better position at work since it will boosts my CV, which I plan to use
as a bargaining tool for a promotion (Fitch, 2007).
12
Target Completion Date: December 2020
Step 6: Three years experience as a portfolio manager at a Volkswagen.
After I’m done with the second CFA exam, I plan to apply for a position of finance
manager at Volkswagen, which would expose me to portfolio management practices such as re-
balancing portfolio techniques, educating the company about their portfolios, using different
instruments, capturing the company’s risk tolerance level, matching the company needs with the
portfolio risk and return levels, and other skills that come with the day to day challenges related
to the job (Books Llc. 2008). This will hopefully give me the much needed experience in
managing financial and other business portfolios and also boost my contacts as I will still keep
on fostering relationships with more people in the sector.
Conclusion
It is identified that the first hurdle in finance as a career as the procurement of an
internship and after the success of that step the rest of the career plan may not be as challenging
and probably falls in to place as scheduled. The particular needs of Volkswagen as a company
suggest that they need the advisor type of person, who is enthusiastic, personable and responsive.
The person should also value building relationships and showing commitment to people. To
achieve one’s goals in the finance sector it is critical for an individual to be able to work with
other teams since the job requires a lot of consultations before one can make a solid decision.
With the holding of strong beliefs and values, one can succeed in building his or her career in
finance more easily as this would make the individual reliable, principled and predictable.
Volkswagen as a company provides a favorable environment for anyone seeking to build a solid
career in finance especially in the currently volatile and challenging job market.
13
Reference List
Baker, H. 2005. Understanding financial management: a practical guide. New York: John Wiley
& Sons.
Blum, P, Schneider, M, and Wimmer, E. 2011. Motoring the Future: VW and Toyota Vying for
Pole Position. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Books Llc. 2008. Personal Development: Landmark Education, Procrastination, Self-Help,
Erhard Seminars Training, Large Group Awareness Training, Werner Erhard. New
York: Llc Books Group
Burt, W. 2002. Volkswagen Beetle. New York: MotorBooks International.
Copping, R. 2005. Volkswagen: The Air-Cooled Era in Colour. Frankfurt: Veloce Publishing
Ltd.
Davis, F. 2004. Personal Development In A Nutshell. New York: PageFree Publishing, Inc.
Dubrin, A., J. 2011. Essentials of Management. Upper Saddle River: Cengage Learning.
Fitch, T. 2007. Career opportunities in banking, finance, and insurance. London: Infobase
Publishing.
Gallen, D. 2001. Personal and practice development plans in primary care: a practical guide to
getting started. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Holt, D., B. 2004. How brands become icons: the principles of cultural branding. Boston:
Harvard Business Press.
Johns, H. 2003. Personal Development in Counselor Training. New York: SAGE.
14
Madura, J. 2009. International Financial Management. Upper Saddle River: Cengage
Learning.
Nutley, T. 2008. The Little Book of Personal Development. New York: Lulu.com.
Patrick, J. 2005. Issues in career development. New York: IAP.
Pavlina, S. 2008. Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal
Growth. New York: Hay House.
Pellenbarg, P, and Wever, E. 2008. International business geography: case studies of corporate
firms. London: Routledge.
Plessis, J, Großfeld, B, and Luttermann, C. 2007. German corporate governance in international
and European context. New York: Springer.
Zimmerli, W, et al. 2007. Corporate ethics and corporate governancenew York: Springer.