Information Technology

During the dot-com boom, many young people chose to study IT. Now, however, the number of students studying this subject has declined as they instead tend to opt for finance or commerce-related subjects. Given the number of graduates compared to the number of job openings in the market, it is not too difficult for IT graduates to find employment.

Hong Kong has indeed enjoyed certain advantages when it comes to developing its IT industry. Its comprehensive legal system and enactment of the privacy ordinance has boosted the development of the IT industry.

Salary ranges can be quite large for professionals in the industry. Employers typically entice talented IT professionals with higher pay just to be able to keep them. Compared with other industries, promotions and pay hikes are quite common in the IT industry.

The sector feeds on innovation and new technology, so those who want to pursue a career in this industry should have the initiative to keep equipping themselves with new knowledge. In other words, professionals in the industry must constantly add value to themselves.

Dr Louis Ma, vice-president for professional development at the Hong Kong Computer Society

As told to Chiu Po-sze