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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The bonus question: What are you waiting for?

Most of us are back at work after the holidays, and we have a few solid weeks ahead before the Lunar New Year. Many of you will have given thought over the break to a potential job move in 2015, but will also be considering your upcoming year-end bonuses, due to be paid any time between February and April. So, how actively should you be searching now? What if the perfect opportunity presents itself, forcing you to consider walking away from a hard-earned bonus?

Career Coaching & Guidance

IT needs soft skills

Data analytics seems to be the talk of the town. Whether it’s helping identify business opportunities or protecting companies from cyber attacks, demand for IT professionals with these skills is set to continue. But to succeed in this highly competitive field you’ll, need more than just technical skills. You’ll also need the human touch.

Advice Columnist

Tips for the would-be financial controller

Becoming a financial controller can be a springboard to a management position. Finance directors and higher executives increasingly rely on financial controllers to assume responsibility for internal finances.

Career Coaching & Guidance

Don’t be dinosaurs

Recently I spoke with the regional head of a large tech sector company. He had a dilemma: to tweet or not to tweet? Without a social media presence he might be seen as a dinosaur, yet he worried about the time and skills needed. So he hired a professional marketer, who now tweets for him daily.

Advice Columnist

Keeping your options open

With Hong Kong’s business environment becoming more complex, accounting firms have expanded and so have specialist opportunities for CPAs. Jemelyn Yadao finds out how accountants are getting into the most in-demand fields All accountants might believe they are a part of a special profession, but many are trying to stand out from the crowd even more, by entering the more rarefied world of specializations.

Career Coaching & Guidance

Don’t make hash of it

If you are feeling frustrated or bored at work, the last thing you should do is vent your feelings on social media, writes Marc Burrage.

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.

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.

Career Coaching & Guidance

Risk jobs ride high

In the first half of 2013, we saw an increase in the number of new hires at associate to vice-president level for compliance and credit risk roles, says Kirstin MacLaren.

Career Coaching & Guidance

Adapt to advance

As the job market becomes more globalised and developing economies are increasingly targeted, more and more businesses in Hong Kong are looking for bilingual candidates with an international mindset, according to our 2013 Hays Asia Salary Guide, writes Marc Burrage.

Career Coaching & Guidance

Keep connected

This week we continue to look at the steps you can take to keep your personal brand in order, so that you can stay ahead of the growing competition in Hong Kong’s job market, writes Marc Burrage.

Career Coaching & Guidance

Still-swinging sixties must spread the word

After 30 years of managerial level roles in a number of international publishing groups, I changed my career five years ago to focus on teaching and became a lecturer in business administration and marketing.