Hong Kong universities step up career advice service amid economic downturn

John Chan, who will graduate from a university in Hong Kong this summer, has not yet received any offer from his former internship employers after working as an intern in several large companies, despite his satisfying performance.

Ken Wong, also a final year college student, has started his job hunting since last November and participated in a few online job interviews. He is still waiting for further replies.

According to the latest statistics from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, Hong Kong's unemployment rate climbed to 4.2 percent in the period of January to March 2020, the highest in more than nine years.

The social unrest that set off last June and the COVID-19 pandemic have served as a double blow to the economy in Hong Kong, implying that young people may have to face joblessness upon graduation. In view of this, many universities have strengthened employment support for their students.

"This year, the macro economy has been greatly affected, with sectors such as retail, logistics and hotels bearing the brunt," Kelvin Cheng, acting section head of office of careers and placement services of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), said.

PolyU has launched a brand new online career consultation seminar this year to allow students to interact directly with employers when on-campus recruitment activities were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Meanwhile, PolyU continues to provide personalized online career counseling services and conduct mock online interviews to help students improve their interview skills.

Cheng said, although the market situation may not be optimistic, students need to maintain a positive attitude, which is a personality trait valued by most employers.

Normally, large companies will finalize their employment plan involving fresh graduates in the first quarter. However, while the market is uncertain this year, some companies tend to hold on hiring, so, "students are suggested to adjust their expectations," Alice Kirkwood, section head of career and leadership center of the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), said.

"There are ups and downs in the market, which is normal, and difficult times will eventually pass," Kirkwood said, adding that students should look further and seize the time to equip themselves, such as reorganizing their resumes and attending online career counseling classes.

From September last year to early April this year, more than 550 people participated in the "one-on-one" personal employment consulting service provided by the CityU's career and leadership center, an increase of more than 10 percent year on year, Kirkwood said.

In addition to services including online interview skills and employability workshops, the center will launch a special course on April 29 to help students start building their career path in adversity.

Matthew Cheung, HKSAR government Chief Secretary for Administration, said that the labor market will remain under pressure in the short term, with many companies tightening their human resources. He expected that the employment of fresh graduates will be more difficult than in previous years.

The HKSAR government will create about 30,000 time-bound jobs in the public and private sectors in the next two years, covering people with different skills and academic qualifications, including fresh graduates, Cheung said.

Wong, the material engineering student, admitted that he was a bit worried whether he could finally get a job he desired, but not that he felt his prospect was bleak.

"According to the seniors' experience, they got their job offers in around May and June, so, there's still some time," Wong said, adding that the HKSAR government has put more efforts in developing science and innovation, which is beneficial to those who are interested in pursuing their careers in scientific research like him.

Taking the advice of his career consultant, Chan expanded the scope of job search by applying for smaller companies and he recently found a job. "This company's clients may not be top-notch, but they have potential to grow," the business student said with delight.