Not so long ago almost any student

Not so long ago almost any student who successfully completed a university degree or diploma course could find a good career easily. Companies toured the academic institutions, competing with each other to recruit graduates. However, those days are gone, even in Hong Kong, and nowadays graduates often face strong competition in the search for jobs.

Most career organizations highlight three stages for graduates to follow in the process of securing a suitable career: recognizing abilities, matching these to available vacancies and presenting them well to prospective employers.

Job seekers have to make a careful assessment of their own abilities. One area of assessment should be of their academic qualifications, which would include special skilld within their subject area. Graduates should also consider their own personal values and attitudes, or the relative importance to themselves of such matters as money, security, leadership and caring for others.

The second stage is to study the opportunities available for employment and to think about how the general employment situation is likely to develop in the future. To do this, graduates can study job vacancies and information in newspapers or they can visit a career office, write to possible employers for information or contact friends or relatives who may already be involved in a particular profession. Affter studying all the various options, they they should be in a position to make informed comparisons between various careers.

Good personal presentation is essential in the search for a good career. Job application forms and letters should, of course, be filled in carefully and correctly. Where additional information is asked for, job seekers should describe their abilities and work experience in more depth, with examples if possible. They should try to balance their own abilities with the employers’ need, explain why they are interested in a career with the particular company and try to show that they are already know something about the company and its activities.

There will always be good career opportunities for people with ability,, skills and determination; the secret to securing a good job is to be one of them.