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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What to include in your job application
Job Search in Hong Kong

What to include in your job application

You have seen the job you want and you are keen to make a good first impression with your application to secure an interview. So what are the key points you should cover? A good place to start is to write a great cover letter talking about what you would bring to the company, role and opportunity. Link your skills and work experience to why you are suitable for the job by including a few achievements from your last two roles that show how you added value to the organisations.

Play to your strengths
Career Coaching & Guidance

Play to your strengths

For too long, performance management and leadership development have focused on fixing managers’ weaknesses, rather…

You have five minutes to make a good first impression
Career Coaching & Guidance

You have five minutes to make a good first impression

An experienced recruiter or headhunter will know within the first five to 10 minutes of an interview whether a candidate is suitable. First impressions are very important in an interview, especially for senior positions. After all, companies expect their key executives to make a good first impression when meeting clients or promoting their services.

A Summer with Your Closest Strangers
Advice Columnist

A Summer with Your Closest Strangers

– Experience with the Engineering Summer Exploration Program 2014 Not a day we live without air, water and electricity.  Not a day we live without clean air, purified water, and reliable electricity – all made possible for you by genius engineering solutions.  Yet very few people in Hong Kong truly understand the career of engineers or their endeavors for betterment of life.  Engineers may be the closest strangers in your daily life.

Forward-looking analysis
Advice Columnist

Forward-looking analysis

Hong Kong CPAs with financial controller experience can expect to be in demand. Chris Choi, an Institute member, is part of an emerging “flying squad” of financial controllers who parachute into new or distressed companies at the request of private equity firms, risk consultancies and others in need of sound advice.

New Start-up – Ready for the Challenge ?
Advice Columnist

New Start-up – Ready for the Challenge ?

Many mountain climbers visiting high altitudes for the first time would be eager to know more about their Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) susceptibility in advance.  Although various tests like VO2 Max, SO2 at simulated altitude are derived, the correlations are weak and are not good predictors for AMS vulnerability.

Get ahead at work
Career Coaching & Guidance

Get ahead at work

It is important to take responsibility for your own career development and growth, writes Marc Burrage.

A notice of intent
Career Coaching & Guidance

A notice of intent

Upon securing a new position, it is likely you will still have to serve a notice period with your current employer, writes Walter Ellicott.

Think hard before you leave the law
Career Coaching & Guidance

Think hard before you leave the law

I am a qualified solicitor who has practised for four years and works for one of the best international firms. But the longer I stay in law, the more sure I am it’s not for me.

Initiative can reap rewards
Career Coaching & Guidance

Initiative can reap rewards

I am a mechanical engineering graduate and I have been looking for an entry-level analyst position in the finance sector for over a year now without success.

A high-profile addition to panel
Career Coaching & Guidance

A high-profile addition to panel

Upon graduating from the University of Nottingham in the UK, I joined PwC in London to gain my accounting qualification, writes Andrew Oliver.

Right track to a finance job
Career Coaching & Guidance

Right track to a finance job

I want to develop a career in operations and strategy consulting that’s related to the financial industry, and want to know what’s the next best step forward.