The first steps into the job market can be daunting for students and recent graduates, with even those who have a clear idea of what they want to do with their career needing guidance on the best path to take. Where is the best place to start? Will a small or large company be more advantageous? Which firms offer the best opportunities for quick advancement and continuous learning and training?
The young jobseeker is faced with a sometimes dizzying array of options and opportunities, with previously unheard of job roles sprouting up every day as the march of technology changes the employment landscape. Graduates might find that even the top-class qualifications they have worked so hard to attain will not in themselves be enough to maintain a career, with employers increasingly favouring passion and soft skills over technical abilities and specific academic credentials.
Today’s Classified Post Career Forum will provide many answers for people entering the workforce, offering plenty of advice on what career path to take and where best to start. Students and graduates will get the chance to meet directly with organisations looking for fresh talent, and which could prove to be the springboard for success.
A twice-yearly event, the forum is now in its eighth edition. It takes place at the InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong from 10am to 6pm and will provide a space for interaction between young jobseekers, industry experts and recruiters from a wide range of organisations, both local and international.
There will be detailed information available on a number of career-boosting features, such as trainee programmes and internships, plus seminars on career topics, information about job openings in a variety of sectors, and the opportunity to be selected for Classified Post’s prestigious Shadow a CEO programme.
The Shadow a CEO programme runs twice-yearly in tandem with the Career Forum and the successful applicants spend three days working alongside a senior executive, getting an up-close view of the workings of a major organisation and seeing what it takes to run a busy company and deal with the challenges, problems and opportunities involved.
The lucky applicants this year will shadow one of four senior executives from the following companies: the South China Morning Post, Schneider Electric, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, and Autodesk. The shadowing will take place between November and January.
The forum’s seminar schedule starts at 10.30am with a presentation by Gary Liu, CEO of South China Morning Post on the theme of “Thriving in the Age of Disruption”. Other speakers throughout the day will cover industries such as electrical engineering, telecommunications, banking, property development and management, and law enforcement.
This Career Forum also sees the return of the popular Young Marketer of Tomorrow contest. The semi-final and final rounds will be held during the forum to see which student team comes up with the most creative and feasible marketing plans. Sponsored by Sun Life Financial, the contest will see over 70 teams take part in the semi-finals, with six of them battling it out in the final from 3.30pm.
Throughout the day, recruitment firm Kelly Services 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 and aspiring professionals can get expert advice on how to make their CV stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs, just by going over to the Kelly Services booth for a chat.
As well as the presentations and competitions, there are a number of booths available in the lobby area where jobseekers can find out more about opportunities and openings in diverse fields. They may find their hopes of working in a particular sector confirmed by what they learn or they may even discover a field they had previously not considered. Either way, it is sure to be an illuminating experience, with a lot to learn for people setting out on their careers. We look forward to seeing you there.
