Career Advice Career counselling, advice and guidance

Oliver Allcock

Manager of the legal and compliance division at Robert Walters Hong Kong

Where best to try my luck as a lawyer overseas?

I work as a company lawyer in Hong Kong and, though I am happy in my job, I am exploring further qualifications abroad to broaden my international career options.Are there any particular jurisdictions or professional qualifications you would recommend looking into? I speak Cantonese, Putonghua and English. ...

Is a mid-career move to law a risk worth taking?

When deciding what to study at university I was split between two choices: accounting or law. I chose the former and have spent the last 14 years working in the accounting industry. Though I have been fairly successful, I’ve always felt the tug of a legal career and I’m now seriously considering training as a lawyer. I have the finances and, more importantly, I think I have the passion. Have you seen many mid-career switches into law work out? Are there any advantages in training later as lawyer? One of my concerns is what it would be like to attend law school with people who are nearly half my age. Thanks. ...

Vitae statistics: how to present your CV

Due to an unexpected redundancy, I am now in the unfamiliar position of having to apply for work. As I have been at the same company for over 15 years, my CV-writing skills are a bit rusty. I have looked online and asked some friends for guidance, but have received conflicting advice. Some say the CV should be brief and to the point, and never more than one page long, as no one is going to wade through a lengthy "phone directory". Others have said a too-brief CV shows a lack of experience and will turn employers off. Can you advise on the best approach? ...

Friendships should not hold you back

My immediate manager just announced he is leaving and I think the company will look internally for his replacement. I think I’m in a good position to get the promotion, but there is a problem – so is one of my colleagues, who is a close friend. I really want this promotion, but I don’t want to step on my friend’s toes to get it. Can you give me any advice?  ...

Be prepared to make a decision

I have been back in Hong Kong for three months now and still struggling to land a job after finishing my degree in business management overseas. I have applied for different internship and graduate training programmes and had some interviews. My problem is I really don’t know which industry I like most. I’m so scared that if I work in the wrong industry, I’ll never be able to get out. How do I know which one is best for me? I think interviewers realised I was a bit lost in the final interviews that I always seem to fail in the final round. Should I just take whatever is offered to me and be grateful? I’m so lost; could you please give me some suggestions?  ...

Learn from differences

I am an accounting graduate working for a small business as an accounts clerk. My present supervisor and colleagues are all Form Five graduates with some accounting qualifications. As such, there are some differences in our backgrounds and our values, and I am finding it difficult to build up rapport and to talk about topics other than normal job duties. What can I do to connect? ...

Arm yourself for interviews

This is the first time I am posting here, so thank you for providing this useful function. I have worked for six months now and I am trying to change jobs. I think interviews are things that can be practised to be perfect, so I want to ask if you have any suggestions on how I can achieve that? I know there are quite a number of courses out there to prepare you for interviews, but I don’t know which are good and which are not. Also, I graduated in 2013, so do you think I should keep applying to graduate programmes or seek other methods?  ...

Give candid replies at exit interviews

I have resigned from my company and I have heard there’s an exit interview with HR. What should I expect during the interview? Do I tell them my real reason for leaving? Would it even make a difference to the team? Or would I be viewed as a troublemaker?   ...