An innovative series of “Career Building” seminars, organised by Classified Post, will offer invaluable advice and thought-provoking ideas on how to find professional success, maintain one’s well-being and fulfil their true potential.

The first of these events, on the subject of work-life balance, takes place on June 9.

It will address key issues that touch on the lives of most Hongkongers – how to find enough hours in the day, where to draw the line between work and family commitments, and what it takes to achieve job satisfaction and personal happiness.

“It is as much an art as a science,” says Stanley Suen, director of Recruitment Services at the South China Morning Post. “So we have asked leading speakers, with different perspectives, to share their experiences and explain how a good work-life balance provides the platform for long-term career success.”

One of the most important steps is to practise effective time management. There are, of course, no hard and fast rules. Everyone must weigh up their own priorities and determine what is best for them.

However, certain basic principles should always apply. Among these is the need to work smart, not just work hard, and realise that various techniques and proven methodologies can help us save time and do our jobs more efficiently.

“For the seminar series, we have chosen topics relevant to the modern workplace, which will be beneficial for job-seekers and employers,” Suen says. “Everyone needs to develop their own skills set to a higher level. This includes achieving a good work-life balance because if you don’t have a good family and social life, you risk burnout and may find it hard to sustain your career development or reach progressive goals.”

As one of the speakers at the event, Betty Leong, general manager of investment property at the MTR Corporation, endorses those views.

The essential message she plans to convey to participants is that, even in a hard-driving community such as Hong Kong, professional success is not everything. There should still be room for work to be “fun”, and everyone should make sure their priorities never become too narrow. A proper work-life balance, Leong says, must take care of the “body and soul”.

In terms of prioritisation, it is therefore vital to differentiate clearly between the personal and the professional, the urgent and the important, and the merely “nice to haves”.

One should also remember that a social and family life, and the need to maintain physical well-being, are not optional extras to be pursued only when pressures at work allow.

They are essential to leading a well-rounded and healthy life.

Touching on themes she will develop further during the seminar, Winnie Chiu, a senior consultant at Right Management, points out the need to recognise our different roles and agendas.

“For too many Hong Kong people, it is just work, work, work,” Chiu says.

“But, borrowing from [author] Stephen Covey, I will explain the whole-person paradigm. We also need to feed the emotional and spiritual aspects, clarify our values, and play a role in the community.

“During the seminar, I will ask participants to dive deep into their own souls to help them develop the right perspectives.

“It all comes down to understanding the consequences of your choices.”

Event details

Date Wednesday, June 9

Time7:00pm – 9:15pm

Venue Cliftons Quarry Bay Centre, 6/F Lincoln House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Entrance Free

Language Cantonese

Registration http://promotions.scmp.com/seminar

Application deadline June 2

Inquiries marketing@classifiedpost.com

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Work-life balance is the secret to success

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