Career advice

Practical guides for a Hong Kong career

Curated writing from operators, recruiters, and HR leaders — written for people building real careers in HK.

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About The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors 香港測量師學會

Established in 1984, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) is the only surveying professional body incorporated by ordinance in Hong Kong. As of 1 August 2014, the number of members reached 8927, of which 6049 were corporate members, 66 were associate members and 2812 were probationers and students. HKIS work includes setting standards for professional services and performance, establishing codes of ethics, determining requirements for admission as professional surveyors, and encouraging members to upgrade skills through continuing professional development.

Career Coaching & Guidance

Stretch yourself

If you’re feeling stuck in a rut at work or think that your career is not progressing at the pace you would like it to, it’s time to ask your employer about the opportunities available within the business to “stretch” or develop your skills through hands-on involvement in projects or tasks.

Advice Columnist

Finding the right ingredients for a successful career: Ir Victor Cheung

For many Hong Kong engineers who finished secondary school in the 1970s, choosing a career path was straightforward. Having picked the science stream in secondary school, aspiring youngsters who did not like their chemistry or biology as much as their maths and physics would choose engineering rather than the medical sciences in university. Ir Victor Cheung, however, did not have that choice. Growing up the son of a cook, he seemed destined for a life in a commercial kitchen too – until two mentors stepped in.

Advice Columnist

My Response to “A Google Programmer ‘Blew Off’ A $500,000 Salary At A Startup — Because He’s Already Making $3 Million Every Year”

In a recent article by Business Insider, it told a story that a large, successful enterprise startup tried to poach a “programmer” currently working at Google. The startup made the programmer what it thought was a big offer: a $500,000 salary but the programmer told the startup thanks, but Google was currently paying him $3 million per year in cash and restricted stock units.

Advice Columnist

山頂的豬如何影響你的溝通

在一個晴朗的秋日午後，豔陽下的暖風夾雜著點點微涼，陳健開著他新買的雙門後驅小跑車準備到山上兜風偷個閑。出了市區，車子就少了許多，他輕快的切換排擋桿、踩下油門，讓車子隨著轉速的提升，發出高昂的聲響，車子也就飛快地在山路上蜿蜒奔馳。只見兩旁景物快速的往後掠過，陳健沒有多久就到達了半山腰。雙手緊握方向盤的他，這時不禁神色飛揚了起來，心想：「這才是人生啊！」念頭才結束沒多久，在快要到達山頂的上坡路段，他發現前方對向車道有一輛紅色轎車蛇形下坡、橫衝直撞的向他疾駛過來。陳健定睛一看，駕駛竟然是個貌似時髦的女子。在兩車距離越來越近，即將對撞的瞬間，他趕緊扭動方向盤將車子向山壁的方向轉去，於是兩車在千鈞一髮之際交錯了開。但就在陳健經過對車駕駛座的位置時，時髦女子竟然對他大叫了一聲：「豬！！」陳健在驚魂未定之際聽到對方這麼對他說話，不禁怒火中燒，於是便不甘示弱的轉頭回敬她一句：「你這個神經病！！」語畢他就進入了一個大轉彎，然而就在陳健趕忙轉過彎道之時，突然看見路中間有隻身型碩大的豬站在那兒。就在尖銳的剎車聲中，他的小跑車擦撞上了山壁而揚起了漫天煙塵… 所以，這位時髦女子其實是好心想提醒陳健當心路上的豬，她之所以橫衝直撞的蛇形開車，很可能是因為自己才剛閃過那頭豬而驚魂未定。然而陳健受了自己既定想法慣性的影響，誤以為對方在罵他而沒有意會到那是個忠告，因而沒能閃過山頂的豬而撞壞了愛車。

Advice Columnist

先學做人，後學做事

筆者在職場打滾二十多年，當過小職員也曾當過跨國企業的管理人，有幸見盡巴閉老闆、叻人、醒目仔。這些人的特質既聰明、有學識、具洞察力又有感染力。但通常他們亦會比較自負又沒耐性，極端些更會目中無人，極度自我。如果你有個咁既老闆，恭喜你！因為從好的方面去想，你可以從他們身上學到好多好野，能吸收到他們的智慧和實戰經驗可令你終身受用。對於他們的無理取鬧，Well，你一係就同佢據理力爭 (但筆者絕不建議，因為面對咁既老闆你已輸九成，因為他們絕不輕易妥協，最好的方法是引導他們自發錯誤)；一係就忍佢，就當係人工包埋。但筆者也曾遇過一些同輩同級的同事和合作伙伴，他們有一定的處事能力卻欠缺待人處事態度，很多時他們會有一些不錯的意見，但因為他們態度惡劣，不懂尊重別人，往往把事情弄得複複雜雜，浪費大量時間處理人事問題，卻沒把實事做好，事倍功半。學識重要，學養更重要，筆者曾讀『所有一切真正應該學的事，我早在幼稚園就已經學過了！』一書 ( All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten by Robert Fulghum)，一些很簡單的幼稚園學問已經很足夠，包括守信、守時、誠懇、誠實、謙虛、禮貌、講早晨、雙手接/遞東西，太多東西，講易行難，尤其是要拿捏到發自內心，而非虛偽浮誇，有多少可以真正做到呢？

Career Coaching & Guidance

Look beyond titles

Iam often asked by candidates how transferable their experience is from one industry to the next. Frustrated by how…

Advice Columnist

Be a Primer of Your Team

Last week when I was in Singapore, I met up with a versatile and resourceful engineer and what impressed me the most was the productivity of their team. Just the two of them, they were able to come up with over 20 apps one year and those were not “make a fart” or “throw the dart” type of app but apps commissioned by big brands with complexity and server handling.

Advice Columnist

我和老蕭有個約會

大概是1979年前後吧，那時劉定堅剛高中畢業，到《麗的電視》應徵助理編劇，到場後但見人山人海，百計應徵者齊齊筆試，單憑中學學歷的我，連面試的機會也沒有，自然不可能成為當時統領麗的創作部，蕭若元旗下的小編劇了，這是我跟號稱才子的神人無緣結伴的一次。及後在TVB當了編劇，我自制機會訪問黃玉郎，在訪問中顯得對港漫極具認識及熱情的我，立即被對方要求加盟，一直處心積慮渴望走進漫畫圈的我，當時卻一口拒絕了黃玉郎。為甚麼呢？因為我一直是《龍虎門》《醉拳》《如來神掌》的忠實讀者，我認為自己必然是港漫的一流創作人，原因是黃玉郎的創意早凋謝，而接手的蕭若元及其團隊，根本不懂得為漫畫編劇，我進去必然當老蕭下屬，自負的我當然不肯屈於他之下。港漫編劇重點是人物的深度設計、招式的畫面設計、場面設計及鏡頭或畫面調度，蕭若元在以上各項正好最為差劣，故此我肯定他不可能有甚麼大成就。其後我獨立搞《玉郎漫畫》一戰成名，再搞《猛鬼寃魂》火速成為首席銷量冠軍，但其他人都不知道，我秘密為馬榮成的《中華英雄》編劇，瞬間令讀者層面拓展至大專校園，銷量由停滯在12萬之數，猛然拔升逾20萬，是第二名《龍虎門》近一倍數量，劉定堅充分理解武打漫畫創作之道，當然瞧不起黃玉郎三部作品的平凡創意了。當年我一個人壟斷武打、笑話、鬼故、愛情四大類別漫畫創作，我編劇的四類主流漫畫，全是銷量冠軍，創作唯我獨尊，證明拒絕屈於老蕭之下絕對決定正確！

Career Coaching & Guidance

Leading isn’t easy

Moving up the career ladder and progressing to “management” is a common professional goal. The change in title, status and salary are obvious upsides, but with this shift comes a new set of responsibilities, many of which lurk beneath the surface. From the outside looking in, management can often seem easy. As an employee, it is easy to see a leader’s faults and overlook the value that they bring. Becoming a manager yourself often brings some shocking realisations.

Advice Columnist

心向遠方，著手當下

在中世紀的某鄉村地方鬧了水荒，灌溉的水源乾涸，農作物也多乾枯的懨懨一息，眼看著村民的生計就要出了問題。此時有辦法的人紛紛棄村而去，捨不得走的人則盼望老天或是有個英雄來解決這個問題。肯式兄弟是屬於捨不得離開的一群，兩人年輕力壯，相貌昂揚，當他們站在人前，眾人很自然的就對他們寄託了厚望。於是兩人決定試著帶領村民尋找地下水源。哥哥肯酢是個行動派，他心想現在一定要先鼓舞大家的士氣，讓大家抱有希望才有可以活下去。於是他豪氣干雲的扛起了圓鍬，走向北側的一塊空地，先四處望望之後站定了雙腳，然後高高地舉起圓鍬之後深吸一口氣，喝的一聲便重重的將它深插入地面。眾人被肯酢的舉動嚇了一跳，紛紛望向充滿氣勢的他。於是肯酢對眾人呼喊著：「就在這裡，我們來挖一口井吧！過去村子的降水豐沛，地下肯定會有水脈的，只要我們挖得夠深，一定可以找到水的！」眾人被肯酢的氣勢給鼓舞，紛紛加入他的行列開挖了起來。

Advice Columnist

How to Become an Engineer

Employment Opportunities As Engineers work on almost every aspect in our daily lives, both the Government and Private Sector employ Engineers. Private Sector includes manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, consultants, developers and all kinds of Engineering companies. The public utilities companies like electricity, telecommunications and gas, the public transportation companies and universities / technical institutes are also the major employers of Engineers. Qualities of a Professional Engineer