Many international students have the skills and motivation to pursue internships and careers in Taiwan, yet navigating the local job market can be challenging. Unfamiliarity with commonly used job platforms, resume practices, and employer expectations can make it difficult for students to communicate their strengths effectively.
The “Kickstart Your Job Search | 104 Resume Workshop” was designed around the practical job-search needs of international students. Conducted entirely in English, the workshop introduced students to 104 Job Bank and guided them through resume creation, section-by-section writing strategies, presenting their strengths, and searching for suitable job opportunities.
The event also included one-on-one resume reviews for six students. The instructor reviewed each student’s 104 resume and provided personalized feedback on resume structure, contact information, photos, English content, career goals, and job-search direction, helping students turn what they learned into practical improvements.
Build your skills, and make them visible to employers.
On September 23, National Sun Yat-sen University hosted “Kickstart Your Job Search | 104 Resume Workshop,” featuring Adela Zeng, founder of Yes.Career and instructor at the 104 Career Academy. Conducted entirely in English, the session helped international students understand how to build a stronger 104 resume and what employers in Taiwan look for when reviewing candidates.
The event combined a one-hour resume workshop with a one-hour one-on-one resume review session. The first half focused on resume writing principles, common mistakes, and practical use of the 104 job-search platform. The second half gave selected students the opportunity to receive personalized feedback on their own resumes.
A resume is often an employer’s first introduction to a candidate, which means even basic information deserves careful attention. Students were reminded to double-check their phone numbers, email addresses, and contact information to make sure employers can reach them easily.
For international students applying for jobs in Taiwan, the instructor emphasized the importance of providing current contact information that can actually be used in Taiwan rather than relying on an overseas phone number or home-country address. Students were also advised not to simply use their university address as their personal contact address.
Before submitting a resume, students should also review spelling, grammar, dates, and consistency across sections. Even small mistakes can affect the professional impression a resume creates.
The workshop also highlighted how resume content should change depending on a candidate’s career stage. For entry-level candidates, including students and recent graduates with limited professional experience, a Resume Summary can help employers quickly understand the candidate’s background, strengths, and intended career direction.
Students were encouraged to think about three key questions: What is my Career Goal? What is my Target Field? And what Contribution can I make to the company? Rather than focusing only on what they hope to gain from a job, candidates should also communicate how their knowledge, skills, and experience can create value for an employer.
For experienced candidates, the resume should make a clearer connection between previous professional experience and the next career move. A focused Resume Objective, supported by relevant experience and accomplishments, can help employers understand how the candidate’s background connects with the position being pursued.
The workshop also addressed resume photos, an area that can easily be overlooked. If a student chooses to include a photo on a resume or job-search profile, it should present a clear, natural, and professional image.
Students were advised to avoid photos that look overly posed for social media, as well as strong social-media filters, sunglasses, caps, hats, or other elements that obscure the face or create an overly casual impression.
A resume photo serves a different purpose from a social-media profile picture. It should support the overall professional impression of the resume rather than distract from it.
Beyond resume-writing principles, students were guided through the practical use of the 104 platform, including signing in or creating an account, switching to the English interface, accessing My Resume, and creating or updating an English resume. The step-by-step demonstration helped students become more familiar with a job-search platform widely used by employers in Taiwan.
Building a resume is only the beginning of the job-search process. The instructor also demonstrated how students can use 104 to explore job opportunities based on their interests, skills, and career goals, while introducing functions relevant to international talent.
By connecting resume creation with actual job searches, students were encouraged to move beyond simply completing their profiles and begin using the platform as an active tool for finding internships and employment opportunities in Taiwan.
At 13:00, the workshop moved into the one-on-one resume review session. Six students received personalized feedback based on their actual 104 resumes.
Rather than focusing only on formatting, the reviews examined each resume from an employer’s perspective, including contact information, English wording, photo selection, professional background, overall structure, and job-search direction.
The individual feedback helped students identify what should be added, removed, clarified, or rewritten. It also encouraged them to consider whether their Career Goal, Target Field, experience, and target positions were clearly connected throughout the resume.
By combining resume-writing strategies, hands-on guidance with the 104 job-search platform, and personalized resume reviews, the workshop helped international students move beyond simply filling in resume sections and begin thinking about their resumes from an employer’s perspective.
From understanding Taiwan’s recruitment practices and building a 104 resume to searching for suitable opportunities and receiving individual feedback, the event provided students with a practical pathway for strengthening their job-search readiness and preparing for internships and full-time employment in Taiwan.
