Hong Kong Career Blog

Effective networking is a key component of an effective job search.  Whether you are actively seeking work or just testing the waters, there is no substitute for having good relationships with other professionals within your industry.

One great source of information for both expats and locals working in Hong Kong are the myriad chambers of commerce.

Coming up on September 9, 2010, the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (FCCIHK) will be presenting a course on practical networking:

“This module specifically covers the following topics:

- Networking- definitions and the myths.

- Tips for networking success.

- Building networking into your daily

- Routine-time effective ways to network.

- Networking etiquette at an event.

- How to follow up after a networking event.

- The follow up note. – Specific tips on making the follow up note a tool to further relationships.

- Common networking etiquette faux pas and how to avoid them.

Get more details and register.  And please subscribe to the blog and visit us at Ambition Hong Kong to keep on top of the latest job news and marketing events for professionals in Hong Kong.

The HR manager at a large company receives hundreds of resumes each week and has very limited time to sort through the mass of submissions to find the handful of candidates that they will consider inviting to interview.  Keeping this in mind, you need to ask yourself a few questions:  “Will my resume stand out?”, “Does it successfully convey my strengths?”, and “Have I done everything I can to maximise my chances of landing an interview?”

The HR manager has limited time to glean relevant information from all of the resumes that they receive, so in order to make sure that you can answer the above questions in the affirmative, you need to first ensure that your resume doesn’t include mistakes that will immediately send it to the no pile before the recruiter can really assess your qualifications.

If your resume is too long, too short, badly presented or illegible, it will quickly find its way into the no pile. And if the reader can’t easily see what they are looking for, your resume will suffer the same fate. In this case, you may have the perfect skill set and education for the position, yet you will be culled from the pool of potential candidates, and both you and the employer may be missing a great opportunity.

There are numerous things to consider in order to avoid resume mistakes, but the most important is this:  proofread, proofread and proofread again.  This does not mean simply using spell check, since that won’t catch mistakes such as using “your” when you should be using “you’re.”  Nor will spell check catch the all too common occurrence of using a form letter and forgetting to change the name of the company when you are applying to numerous potential employers.

Of course you should still use spell check every single time you send out a new resume or cover letter, but proofreading is essential.  Most people can become blind to their own writing mistakes, especially after sending out scores of resumes in search of a job.  Read your cover letter before sending it, step away for a while and come back and read it again.  Even better, have a friend go over your resume and letter with a fresh set of eyes.  Not only will they be more likely to catch obvious mistakes, but they may have one or two simple suggestions that may result in a significant improvement in the clarity and persuasiveness of your application materials.

Remember, catching that one tiny mistake on your CV may not get you the job, but it will get you that much closer to staying out of the no pile, which is half the battle!

To get more career management advice and to see some of our open positions, please visit us at My Ambition, Ambition Hong Kong and Ambition Singapore.

Should I stay or should I go?

That question is prompted by many different experiences for each individual, but everyone who has been in the job market for any length of time has asked themselves this question and they often come up with a different answer depending on what day, week, month in which they ask it.  It’s often very hard to determine if it’s time to start looking for another job because it is generally easier to follow the old adage “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”  It may in fact be time for you to look for a new engagement, but inertia may cause you to ride things out and hope for a positive change in your current role within your company.    Of course, the comfort of a steady paycheck is hard to ignore, but sometimes that is simply not enough if you are unhappy in your job and it is affecting other parts of your life.  Here are some key signs that you may really have to be proactive and start seeking a new job.

1. If your company announces that is going to go through a “reorganisation”, more often than not, that means that head count is going to be reduced.  If that’s the case, you really need to at least start exploring other options, as very qualified people often find themselves  left out in the cold when the dust settles, regardless of how well they have performed.   This is especially true if your company is planning a merger with another firm, as this most often results in the new entity trying to reduce redundancy (i.e. engage in layoffs)  to improve efficiency.

2. A management shake up is another sign that it’s time to prepare to move on.  If you feel threatened, or if you think that your boss may be at risk of leaving (or being asked to leave!)  you should get ready to make a move, because while you may be an excellent performer, a new supervisor will not have the kind of loyalty or understanding of your contributions that your current boss has built up over time while working with you.  Quite, simply, you will lose a valuable source of protection.  Of course, before leaping headlong out the door, you should voice your concerns and ask questions about any reorganisation as it will be considered completely natural that you have questions about how a management change will affect you and your role.  Speaking of which…

3.  If there has been a change and other employees leave and aren’t replaced, that may be a red flag.  If you remain and find yourself doing extra work and not being recognised for it (whether it’s more money, a promotion or better benefits) you need to think hard about what your options are.  This is probably the most common source of unhappiness on the part of employees during the last year, as companies have cut head count, yet expect the company to continue running apace.

There are many, many more questions and considerations to address before making a career move, especially in the current economic climate, but for more tips on career management and to explore job opportunities in Hong Kong and Singapore, please visit My Ambition and  Ambition Hong Kong and Ambition Singapore.