Choose your career

Know yourself and the market well

-	What kind of job I am looking for? To answer this questions, job seekers should first of all know more about themselves and the current labour market situation. By doing this, they can avoid wasting their precious time and missing the chance of employment.

Know yourself

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Know yourself is the first step towards success in job hunting. Job seekers should clearly understand their own characteristics and job preference, and to choose their job accordingly. You can know yourself more through different aspects such as personality, interests, ability, merits, qualifications, job preference and job expectation, etc. Knowing yourself well not only can help job seekers set up their career goal and to choose a suitable job, but also help them to answer questions about themselves in the interview.

Know the current labour market and industry situation

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Besides knowing yourself, job seekers should acquaint themselves with the current job market situation, so as to set up a practical target for job hunting. To cope with the changing situation, job seekers should know more about the current requirements in the labour market. They can obtain the latest market information through various channels including newspapers, electronic media as well as Internet. In addition, job seekers should pay attention to the recruitment method, entry requirements as well as prospects and potential for long-term development of various trades and industries. By doing this, they can equip themselves well and face the challenges ahead.

Ways to Collect Vacancies Information

By making good use of the various job hunting channels, job seekers can have access to vacancies information and raise their chance of success. You can collect vacancies information through the following :

a)	Employment Services of Labour Department
Labour Department provides free and easy-to-use employment services to help job-seekers to find a job. The Department provides comprehensive employment services to job seekers through Job Centres, Interactive Employment Service website and Telephone Employment Service.
Interactive Employment Service website: www.jobs.gov.hk Telephone Employment Service Hotline: 2969 0888
Job seekers can make use of facilities installed at Job Centres including telephones, fax machines, "Job Explorer" touch-screen Vacancy Search Terminals, computers with Internet functions, to look for suitable vacancies, draft application letters and resumes. Registered job seekers can seek employment through referral at Job Centres or by calling the Telephone Employment Service Hotline. If employers choose to disclose their contact means, job seekers can apply for the job direct. Furthermore, job seekers may consider joining the Job Matching Programme if they want to have a more personalized service.
b)	Newspapers and magazines
	-Recruitment advertisements on newspapers and magazines
c)	Internet
	-Interactive Employment Service website www.jobs.gov.hk
	-Recruitment websites: vacancies information in both public and private sector
	-Some companies will post up job openings in their own websites
	-Civil Service Bureau (www.csb.gov.hk) provides information on Government job vacancies
d)	Private employment agencies
	-Provide referral services to job seekers
	-Under the Employment Agency Regulations, an employment agency is not permitted to charge the job seeker commission more than 10% of his/ her first month salary if he/ she has successfully secured a job through the arrangement of the agency.
e)	Large-scale job fairs/recruitment days
	-The Labour department organizes job fairs at different locations throughout Hong Kong where employers accept direct job applications. Job seekers attending the job fairs may submit several applications at one time. Some employers will conduct instant job interviews as well.
	-Some companies organize their own recruitment days. Job seekers should submit their applications/ attend interviews at the designated dates, time and venues.
f)	Referrals by your family members or friends:
	-You can seek job referral assistance from your family members or friends who may have knowledge on companies with job openings.
g)	Recommend yourself to potential employer
	-If there are posts of a trade/ company which you are interested to join, you may recommend yourself to potential employer even though no vacancies of the posts are advertised at that moment.

You can first have an understanding of the business and structure of the company through its website and annual reports. After confirmation of the title and post of the staff in charge of recruitment, you can send your application letter and resume to apply for the job direct.

Apply for vacancies

Application letter & CV template

Attending the interview

Most frequently asked questions at the interview

Follow up and evaluation after interview

Beware of Employment Traps