A diverse group of visitors attended the Career Forum this year, said Dorothy Ho, Adecco’s head of marketing, Hong Kong and Macau. Ho’s team offered one-on-one CV Doctor consultations at the event, and were excited by the range of nationalities in attendance. Besides young local Chinese talent, students from as far afield as India and France took part. “The variety of visitors really spiced up the event,” Ho said. “I spoke to a gentleman in his forties, while a female job seeker boasted 20 years of work experience.”
Akansha Maindola, a student from India, is studying for a bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with honours in finance at the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK). Maindola said she was interested in HKT’s management trainee (MT) programme. “I hope to apply for some openings here before I graduate this summer,” she said. “HKT offers both an MT programme and an internship programme, and either would be a good start.” The Career Forum was very helpful, she said: “It’s a good platform for networking. But most importantly, it provides professional advice on drafting a CV, and it shows you how to prepare for job interviews.”
Maindola said the Career Forum gave her some new ideas, too. “Given my academic background, my job preferences are in wealth management or the insurance industry. But I’d like to give HKT a try because I use its signature ‘Tap & Go’ mobile wallet on a daily basis,” she said.
Maindola was also impressed by Sun Life Financial’s 120-hour part-time internship programme. “A lady at the company’s booth gave me some company information and programme details. My graduation takes place in June, so I will send her an email to check the details before submitting my application. The part-time format is a good idea for students, as it balances life and work,” she said.
Maindola wants to stay and work in the SAR: “Looking ahead, I’d like to stay and work in Hong Kong after completing my studies, as the city shares my values. It’s a very practical place, and it’s easy for foreigners to blend in,” she said.
French student Thomas Ehanno said he was working in Hong Kong for a French-based headhunting company as an intern. He studied for a BBA in France, and came to Asia to take advantage of a six-month internship. “I chose Hong Kong as it is a dynamic city,” Ehanno said. “I went to the Career Forum just to see what opportunities are available, even though I plan to return to my hometown to take a master’s course in human resources when my internship finishes. It’s an eye-opening opportunity to learn how a job fair works and operates. Since I focus on HR, which is people-oriented, I am trying to learn as much as I can about people’s behaviour.”
“I enjoyed talking to Adecco because it’s similar in nature to the company I work for. Adecco’s genuine feedback on the presentation of my CV helped me improve it,” he said. “What’s more, mingling with exhibitors who were hunting for talent gave me a better understanding of the job market. It was useful to meet all the exhibitors under one roof, and learn about the latest trends in the job market for HR and logistics. This has helped me shape my future career path. The consultant was very unselfish in giving me good advice,” he said.
Jeffery Gu, who hails from Jiangsu province, is a master student in international journalism at Baptist University. The university’s career centre told him about the Career Forum, he said. Gu had applied for a job with a media outlet, but his application was unsuccessful, so he turned to the Career Forum for a solution. “I sought advice from the CV Doctor, as I wanted to polish my resume,” he said. “The format and style of a CV here in Hong Kong are very different to those in China. Privacy is the key here, and applicants do not disclose information like their address, or provide a photo. I was also taught to keep my CV precise and submit no more than two pages. Double-side printing on A4 paper should be avoided.”
“I attained my bachelor’s degree in English literature in the mainland, and my interest in communications prompted me to pursue my studies in Hong Kong,” Gu said. “I’m interested in journalism, so I asked TVB for information about their internship and MT programmes.” Gu thought the breadth of the Career Forum was impressive: “The more different types of company that exhibit, the better it is for us students,” he said. “The event is a good way for junior job seekers to get a taste of the job market.”
Year Two students Phurnnee Mohanasunder and Francis Yip, who are both taking a BBA in global business at City University of Hong Kong (CityU), came for the Young Marketer of Tomorrow briefing, but made time for a peep at the exhibition. “We’re not seeking jobs, we’re networking with exhibitors to get the pulse of the recruitment market,” they said. “The Bank of China booth staff asked us if we wanted to take part in a survey about personality, and they offered to give us some free advice after. We completed the survey, and although the result was pretty standard, it was an excellent way for the company to show students how it cares about its employees. The survey also helped the company to interact with visitors.”
Job seeker Selina Tam works in the retail industry, and learned about the Career Forum from an advertisement. “I was drawn by the wide choice of job openings, and because it included a wide range of HR professionals who were keen to share their advice,” Tam said. “My conversation with the CV Doctor widened my view of the job market. It encouraged me not to limit my interest to the retail industry, which is now suffering a high turnover rate. I was advised to also try jobs of a different nature, like trading.”
