Career advice
Curated writing from operators, recruiters, and HR leaders — written for people building real careers in HK.
As COVID-19 continues to cause disruption around the world, at the time of writing Hong Kong is in a relatively better position compared to others. While the possibility of a resurgence in cases cannot be underestimated, Hong Kong has at least been able to resume some semblance of business normality and is now dealing with the ‘problem’ of enabling staff to return to work.
In part 1 last week, we looked at what to do before interview day to help you answer questions better (preparation, research, prediction and practice). Today we give you further advice for the interview day itself and how to look back on it after it’s done. On interview day Calm your nerves
Survey Results for the Consumer Sector
You have drafted a cover letter and sent off your resumé. The call or email came through; you’ve been shortlisted! The end is now in sight! But there’s still just one more hurdle to clear: the interview. And it’s in English! No one really enjoys interviews (if you’re one of the rare few, you wouldn’t be reading this article right now…). However, with these top tips in hand, you’ll be able to sail through it more smoothly than you might expect. Before interview day
For many Hong Kong professionals, aspiring to a management role is a key career goal. Elaine Lam – Managing Director, Robert Half Hong Kong, discusses the characteristics that define an effective manager.
Uncertain times can be unsettling for your team. Elaine Lam — Managing Director, Robert Half Hong Kong, looks at how to keep employees motivated and bring out the best in your people. Motivating staff is a key skill for business leaders though it can be more challenging at certain times than at others. Periods of economic or domestic uncertainty, the introduction of new workplace technologies — even something as simple as returning to work following a vacation, are all factors than can see employee motivation flag.
In part 1 last week, we addressed grammar, spelling and punctuation, as well as a simple but useful technique of reading your text backwards to check for errors. This week, we look at four more examples of proofreading fundamentals. Read your writing aloud
Last week we talked about the importance of simplicity, clarity and accuracy, as well as the basics of how to organise your CV. We also mentioned the importance of clearly displaying your contact details at the top of the first page. How do I shape my CV to the job?
With any CV, you can be sure that it will be looked at both quickly and critically. Simplicity, clarity and accuracy are the keys to getting through the first door — but what is that first door? Employers do not have time to spend hours looking at every CV. Those first few seconds are crucial. What’s more, the first glance at your CV will be to see if you, the candidate, meet the essential requirements. If you do not demonstrate that you meet them or if your information is unclear, your CV will head straight to the recycling bin.
In Part 1 last week, we looked at some ways to help prepare for and write up your performance review. This week we will focus on what to say in the meeting and what to do beforehand.A conversation with your boss about your performance doesn’t have to induce panic. Hopefully, the preparation you’ve done has boosted your confidence and reminded you of your accomplishments. Before you head into that meeting, make sure to do the following. Make notesThis can help you stay on message and identify what you want to focus on.
Just like job interviews, performance reviews are a necessary evil in today’s business world. And, in this time of global economic uncertainty, it is more important than ever for employees to prove their value to their companies. So how do you put your best foot forward?
做市場推廣(Marketing)的人，聚在一起隨便都能呻足一餐飯，那些工作戾氣總是陰魂不散，Marketing經常遇見的苦況，我稱之為「Marketing十二道陰影」。 1. 乜都要夠viral(爆炸性): ATL好、BTL又好、Digital亦好，總之要夠viral。行內人都知ATL(above-the-line) 泛指要付費購買的廣告；BTL(below-the-line)則是一些銷售宣傳品或公關宣傳等；Digital則指一些多媒體或網上宣傳方法。正因為資金不足，老細們總希望marketing的宣傳能免費就免費，不過免費得來都要夠爆炸性，可以一傳十、十傳百、百傳千就最好。 2. 人肉三文治: 又要馬兒好，又要馬兒不吃草，要一邊迫逼vendor做到最好，又要厚著臉皮說公司無錢沒可能加碼；另一方面又要夾在老細和客戶中間，三番四次以為做得很完美可以結束檔案(close file)，卻又被兩邊指東指西，經常成為上司和供應商(vendor)及客戶之間的人肉三文治，兩面不討好。