While nowadays there’s almost no such thing as a “job for life”, the first few steps someone takes post-university still have the potential to define the direction of their careers and the speed with which they will achieve their long-term goals.

At the same time, the options for where to start the journey are opening up as more and more employers prioritise passion and soft skills over technical abilities and specific university degrees.

For young jobseekers searching for greater clarity on the different paths that are available – and the chance to meet directly with the organisations that could springboard them to success – today’s Classified Post Career Forum will once again be the ideal place to visit.

Held twice a year, the forum is now in its seventh edition. It will take place at the InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong from 10am-6pm and will provide a platform for interaction between young jobseekers, industry experts, and hirers from a vast range of both local and international organisations.

It will also include a number of additional career-boosting features such as information on trainee programmes and internships, topical seminars offering useful insights on careers in a variety of sectors, and the chance to be selected for Classified Post’s prestigious Shadow a CEO Programme.

The Shadow a CEO Programme runs twice a year in conjunction with the Career Forum and sees successful applicants spend three days working alongside a senior executive, getting a glimpse into their day-to-day working life and seeing what it takes to run a company.

This time around, candidates have the opportunity to shadow one of five senior executives from four companies: Fung Group, Thales, United Overseas Bank and UA Cinema Circuit.

The forum’s seminar schedule starts at 10.30am with a presentation from Dr WH Yeung of The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers on “Future-proofing financial talent – Strategies to upgrade professional competence”. Other speakers throughout the day will cover industries including engineering, aviation, supply chain management, human resources and entertainment.

Excitingly for this edition of the forum, the inaugural Young Marketer of Tomorrow contest will hold its semi-final and final rounds to see which student team can come up with the most creative and business-savvy marketing plans in one of three sectors: hospitality, property, or watch and jewellery. Sponsored by Emperor Group, the contest will see 28 teams take part in the semi-finals from 11am, with six finalist teams battling it out from 3.30pm.

Throughout the day, recruitment firm Robert Walters will be engaged in the vital duty of interviewing applicants for the Shadow a CEO Programme, as well as providing a free CV Doctor service. Jobseekers in need of expert advice on how to make their résumés stand out from among hundreds of others can head over to the booth for a chat.

Have a flick through the following pages for more information on what will be going on and the companies which will be present. We look forward to seeing you there.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Job offerings from premium employers across both private and government sectors
• One-stop shop for management trainee and graduate programmes
• One-on-one CV advice from professional consultants
• First-round interviews for the Shadow a CEO Programme
• The inaugural Young Marketer of Tomorrow contest for future marketers
• Topical seminars with industry experts and business leaders