Career advice
Curated writing from operators, recruiters, and HR leaders — written for people building real careers in HK.
Are you in the market for a new job? Have you wondered if government work is right for you? There are many reasons to consider government work: the primary advantages include great benefits, solid pay, and decent job security — a combination that can be challenging to find in the private sector. To help you decide if a government career path is the right one for you to follow, here are some pros and cons to consider. PROS:
Jobseekers are increasingly concerned about their web presence, but not all professionals benefit from online portfolios. It depends on your industry. Creating a website allows you to showcase digital examples of your work, so this approach is best suited to candidates looking for a job in a creative industry such as video production, graphic design or journalism.
There is little doubt that the contemporary business world is global, with cross-border trading, international deals and major international companies leaving footprints in some of the fastest growing cities in the world. In the developing world, increasingly prosperous consumers, many of whom reside in Asia, are providing new growth markets for global corporations at a time when much of the developed world faces slower growth and ageing populations.
If you have self-confidence, you are more likely to be successful and competent in achieving your goals. Having self-confidence adds a great deal to your work environment, as you will be sure to gain the trust of your colleagues. Since diffidence and reticence can be damaging to your career, it is important to note that confidence can be learned or developed.
If your boss asks you to take on an extra task that isn’t part of your job description, you can view it in one of two ways: as an opportunity to learn a new skill and gain valuable practical experience, or with exasperation that you are now taking on extra work. Unfortunately there are many people who take the later approach – they may not express it openly but it is evident in the way they complete tasks or their attitude at work. Instead why not embrace the opportunity and see it as your chance to add not only extra skills but valuable experience to your CV?
Does sourcing have a future in Hong Kong? This is a question frequently asked by people in the industry, from junior merchandisers to managing directors. After all, the competitiveness of factories in southern China has been eroded by increased costs, an appreciating renminbi and fierce competition from South East Asia. Job seekers are worried about the future of the industry in Hong Kong and managing directors face difficult choices when determining where they should establish their regional hub.
In the past few years we’ve produced more data than in the whole of human history. The volume and dynamic nature of the data is changing not only how we live our lives, but how we do our jobs. Why does this data explosion matter to you? Data can reveal patterns and regularities that allow us to predict anything from what people want to buy, to what creates customer loyalty, where crimes are most likely to occur, to your possible future healthcare needs. All industries can benefit from the potential insights big data can reveal.
Having spoken with a number of senior level accounting and finance professionals over the years, I know that certain times or circumstances call for different leadership skills. So what abilities should young would-be executives equip themselves with as they eye companies, functions and jobs? What skills should they hone as they aim to advance their careers? Tough questions.
If people are a company’s greatest assets, then training should be viewed as an important investment and not just an additional expense. In a company where training is provided, you will want to know if it was worth the time and money spent on it. Training can, and should, improve the performance and profitability of an organisation; but we also need to measure its effectiveness.
Being the Recruitment Director at the Mountbatten Institute for the past four years, I’ve seen my fair share of interns come and go through our one year traineeship programmes. Here’s my contribution to what I’ve observed from our more successful trainees.
In the world of recruitment a ‘passive’ jobseeker is someone who may be interested in a suitable job if it comes their way, but who is not actively looking for their next role. These passive jobseekers scan job boards from time to time and ask to receive updates from recruiters. They like to know who is hiring and what skills employers currently value. But they are not actively searching or applying for jobs themselves.
Finding employment with the Hong Kong government can be a very successful and secure career path for many with an interest in public service. The positions within the government sector can be challenging yet rewarding and can even offer tremendous room for growth and advancement. There are typically a wide range of job openings available with various branches of government to cover a multitude of skills and interests. Unfortunately, finding a way in for an interview may not be as easy or as straight-forward as in the public sector.