Source: My UM

 

With unemployment rate hovering at a blissful 1.7 percent, UM graduates never have to worry about not finding a job. Indeed, it’s not uncommon for many of them to find a job before graduation. The Career & Internship Fair held at UM in March attracted more than 100 exhibiting companies, offering over 5,500 jobs, which translates into more than four job opportunities for each of the 1,340 UM students about to graduate this year. With so many job opportunities, how would graduating students choose? What are the companies looking for in the hiring process?

 

Experience Is the Most Important

Frank Hon, a graduating student from the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA), majoring in Global Business Management, hopes to find a job related to acquisition and merger. ‘I hope to find a job that has something to do with acquisition and merger because it will be challenging and will allow me to put what I’ve learned into practice,’ Frank says. ‘But it’s probably not easy to find a job like that right away, so I’m planning to first find a job at a bank so I can gain some experience and build up contacts before I can re-invent myself when the time is ripe.’

 

Jeff Lei, a marketing major who is also from the FBA, shares Frank’s emphasis on experience. ‘As a fresh graduate, I won’ t be too fussy about salary ,’he says. ‘I’d be content if I can find a job at a big company that is related to my major.’ Jeff didn’t start job-hunting until last month when he stumbled upon a career fair held by a large gaming company, so he was surprised to find a marketing job so quickly . ‘This is my first job, and I don’ t think I will stay at it for the rest of my life. I want to gain some experience first before I can make other plans,’ Jeff says.

 

Chasing Dream Elsewhere

While most of the graduating students hope to either find a good job as soon as possible or pursue further studies, some choose to follow their passion and interests. 

When Brian Leong, a graduating student from the Department of Communication, aka Mr Football in Macao, told his parents in November 2014 about his plan to work as a full-time professional football player in Hong Kong, his parents replied, ‘As long as you graduate college, we are fine with whatever you want to do.’ With the support of his family and UM, Brian has been commuting frequently between Hong Kong and Macao in the past couple of months, dividing his time between finishing studies and chasing his dream. 

In his first year to serve a professional football club, Brian doesn’t dare to ask for too high a salary . With his current salary, there is not much left after the ship fares and monthly expenses. But Brian remains undeterred because he has a clear goal for his future. ‘My goal is to join the China League One, but I want to hone my skills in Hong Kong first.’ After graduating in this May , our Mr Football will be able to devote himself wholeheartedly to chasing his football dream.

 

Choosing Barista over Reporter

‘Will we see you on TV some day?’ is a question Queenie Chong, a graduating student also from the Department of Communication, has been asked by her relatives more than she could remember . But the truth is, Queenie doesn’ t want to become a reporter . Her dream is to become a barista. ‘I love latte art,’ Queenie says. ‘I find it fascinating how coffee and milk, two seemingly mundane things, when combined skillfully, could create beautiful patterns.’ Queenie feels a sense of fulfillment every time she makes coffee. ‘It’s not enough to just like doing something. It’s not genuine liking if you don’ t spend time to really study it thoroughly ,’ says Queenie. Some people think working as a barista doesn’ t really have a future, but Queenie disagrees. ‘I think it’s a field with a lot of potential,’ she says. ‘Maybe one day I will open a coffee shop so I can turn my passion into a career .’

 

Go Travelling before Starting a Job

Some students are in no hurry to find a job. They plan to travel after graduation to see more of the world before they commit to a 9-to-5 job. Companies remind students who are in this camp to remember to let potential employers know at the time of job-hunting that the time spent travelling was not purely for pleasure, but also resulted in some gains that would benefit their professional development.

 

Companies Look For : Passion, Initiative, Hunger for Knowledge, Communication Skills

‘While a good command of professional knowledge and skills is important, we are also looking for people who are passionate about their jobs, are self-driven learners, and are good at communication, because whatever job you do, these skills will help you achieve more with less,’ says Cecilia Iao, assistant manager of administration of CEM’ s Human Resources Department.

Mona Cheung, deputy manager of PwC’ s Human Resources and Development Department, says she likes to hire UM graduates. ‘The quality of UM graduates has improved, especially where English proficiency is concerned,’ she says. ‘We have hired graduates from various backgrounds, such as medicine, social work, law , and even engineering. But given that we are an accounting firm, our top choice will always be students with a background in business administration, especially accounting.’