Mabel Chan, vice-president of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA), urges students and fresh graduates attending the HKICPA Career Forum 2013 to come early to take full advantage of activities at the annual event.

"The forum will start promptly in the morning and [participants] shouldn't leave early because we have prepared a really informative programme for the whole day," she says.

Prominent CPAs and senior executives will speak at the forum, each representing an area or service line current students may eventually want to pursue in their career. The topics were designed for university students, fresh graduates and Qualification Programme students in consultation with representatives of each group.

"We have invited the top guys from the Big Four firms, small and medium practitioners, international corporations and local commercial enterprises as speakers at the forum and workshops. We also have an officer of the Inland Revenue Department and the chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission," Chan says.

Eight workshops will update students on accounting-related job opportunities and career development in practice, business and government sectors, and the soft skills and knowledge employers want from prospective staff. Students will even learn how to dress more professionally and present themselves better, Chan says.

"These are practical, career-oriented workshops to help aspiring students get ready for employment in the accounting profession," she adds.

As some workshops will be running in parallel, Chan urges attendees to decide what they want to know and achieve, then choose workshops accordingly. They should also be ready to interact and raise questions.

The forum helps students identify potential employers and is also a platform for them to share their opinions and concerns about the profession.

"We want to listen to what they say and answer their questions," Chan says.