Research

The first task in looking for a career is to do some research on your competencies, your preferences and possible careers and employers for graduates with your specialisms.

Core competencies

The Careers Education and Placement Centre has identified ten core competencies that employers look for in graduates. One way of identifying your strengths and weaknesses for the job market is to think about which of these competencies you have already and which you would like to develop.

Know yourself

In deciding on a future career, it is important to know your priorities, your strengths and weaknesses, and above all, your personal preferences. While a job may look attractive, it may not be the most suitable for you.

Career possibilities

It is also important to know what kinds of career are likely to be open to you as a graduate of your faculty. Do you know what kinds of careers graduates from your faculty have gone into in the last few years? Do you know what salaries they are receiving now? You can find out more at the Careers Education and Placement Centre web page on Employment Statistics of Curricula and Departments.

Researching the field

The next step is to do some research on the fields that you are interested in. Use the list of Career Research Questions prepared by the Careers Education and Placement Centre to help you with your research.

• Visit the the Careers Education and Placement Centre. The CEPC has a wealth of information on careers and employers in its Careers Library in Room 301, Meng Wah Complex.
• Read advertisements in the newspapers or company reports in the University Library and Careers Library.
• Keep up to date on company and employment news by reading newspapers and magazines.
• Surf the web for information on employers in your field. A simple way to do this is to use Infoseek. Search for the name of an employer and find out what they have on the web.
• The resources page in this section can also start you off on your research.

Networking

Networking is an important tool in today's job search.

• Ask any person you get in touch with to suggest three more people that you can contact to find out more.
• Keep careful notes or a file of information for all contacts.

Some networking ideas:

• Talk to friends or relatives who know about the field you are interested in.
• Talk to an alumni. The CEPC has an Alumni Contact Scheme to help you get in touch.
• Contact a professional association or an employer directly.

This module is adapted from materials written by English Centre Staff for the Resume and Interview Skills in English (RISE) course.

The EPC web has been created by the ITIP team at the English Centre, The University of Hong Kong. Please email comments or questions to the ITIP team.