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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Transitional tryouts
Advice Columnist

Transitional tryouts

Switching roles to find your specialism needn’t always be complicated, suggests Galaxy Chan, a partner at KPMG China and a member of the Hong Kong Institute of CPAs, citing her own smooth transition. Some firms, such as KPMG, provide employees opportunities for short-term internal transfers if there are vacancies. “If you are unsure that you want to make a permanent commitment in your department or want to try a different one, the human resources team can arrange a short-term secondment,” says Chan. “After that, you can always go back to your [original] department.”

Tips for Successful Networking
Advice Columnist

Tips for Successful Networking

“Being interactive is one of the basic requirements for an accountant engaged in advisory services, like myself,” says Eugene Ha, a partner at Grant Thornton and a Hong Kong Institute of CPAs member. “Making connections with clients, intermediaries and the wider business community is part of what I do every day. It’s fortunate that I am quite a natural talker as well, with an outgoing personality. Networking is in fact an enjoyable role to me.” Here are a networking natural’s top tips for making new connections. DO…

Special skills
Advice Columnist

Special skills

Meanwhile, the growing popularity of forensic accounting is ascribed to the development of anti-fraud and anti-bribery legislation around the world, imposing more responsibilities on business owners.  Few CPAs in Hong Kong are specialized in this area, but many Institute members believe that the demand for forensic accountants is stronger than ever. “This industry is really going,” says Alick Fong, manager of corporate recovery and forensic services at Mazars and an Institute member.

Special offers
Advice Columnist

Special offers

Compared with a decade ago, the career paths offered by accounting firms are wider and more varied. Here are some of today’s most popular accounting specializations in Hong Kong.  Corporate finance These specialists not only inhabit the glamorous world of initial public offerings and other fundraising measures, they also have acquired grassroots knowledge of valuation and credit analysis. The right specialist is a person with initiative and a knack for problem solving.

Changing rules, changing roles
Advice Columnist

Changing rules, changing roles

Another example of a CPA who has benefited from specializing is Brenda Tung at RSM Nelson Wheeler and an Institute member, who found the right specialism for her during a three-month secondment to the firm’s risk advisory services department.  “Now I have great satisfaction in being able to convince clients to accept our recommendations to enhance their internal control procedures,” says Tung, who joined from the firm’s technical department in 2010. Such procedures, she adds, help client companies satisfy listing requirements in Hong Kong.

Top tips for success
Career Coaching & Guidance

Top tips for success

If you feel your current role holds few prospects for promotion, rather than just waiting for something to happen, take ownership of your personal development to fast track your career, writes Marc Burrage.

Pay info is power
Career Coaching & Guidance

Pay info is power

Salary negotiations – often the final stage of the interview process – can also be one of the most uncomfortable, writes Katharine de Vaal.

Turn of the temps
Career Coaching & Guidance

Turn of the temps

More businesses in Hong Kong are turning to contract and temporary workers, as they allow employers to fill a short-term staffing need or provide assistance for special projects without the commitment of a permanent hire, writes Marc Burrage.

A cool head is vital
Career Coaching & Guidance

A cool head is vital

They say that patience is a virtue. If you’re embarking on the hunt for a new job in this market then you would be wise to heed these words, writes Katharine de Vaal.

Negotiating a raise
Career Coaching & Guidance

Negotiating a raise

It is important to be aware that how you approach a salary negotiation can determine the strength of your relationship with your manager in the future, writes Marc Burrage.

Intern to improve
Career Coaching & Guidance

Intern to improve

Students at top universities around the world are advised by their careers teams to commit to internships as they progress through their academic studies, writes Kate Harper.

Top bets this year
Career Coaching & Guidance

Top bets this year

Working out which “big data” skills are needed and a better understanding of social media as a channel are just two of the top talent trends that will shape the recruitment landscape in the Year of the Horse, writes Marc Burrage.