CAREER & PERSONAL ADVISING
IPO career advisors, Ms Vanessa CHAN and Ms Joanne WONG, support and assist students in understanding themselves and potential career directions throughout their studies.
Whether you are planning career path, exploring career interests, identifying internship/job opportunities, having an interview soon, polishing your cover letter and CV or facing any emotional or personal issues, you can reserve an one-on-one advising session with Vanessa or Joanne through IPO E-advising System or email: vanchan@ust.hk / wongjoanne@ust.hk.
To view their profiles, please click here: Ms Vanessa CHAN and Ms Joanne WONG.
Professional assessment tools are used to help students understand themselves:
- The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) Workshop, allowing students to assess their natural strengths and possible areas for growth.
- The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) helps explore career interests and discover potential career.
A young ibanker tells you what she really does daily.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI-Nvkwq7as (from 1:29)
Sending more applications compared with previous year(s) is a must. But bear in mind, quantity per se does not guarantee an interview. Come speak with us to come up with your unique strategy. Send an email to Ms Vanessa Chan or Ms Joanne Wong.
Current year 1 students
You may hear sayings that it is difficult to find an internship for year 1 &2 students. However, some employers may want to engage talents as early as they are in year 2 of study and build the pipeline. Here are some examples:
EYAcademy, Deloitte Club, KPMG Elite Program , PwC LEAP Program
If you perform well,
Year 3: offer for summer internship
Year 4: return offer for graduate job
Internship may be your priority in summer. However, given supply far fewer than demand due to COVID-19, we may have different strategies.
You may consider other engagement if internship turns up difficult to find. Your knowledge, skills and exposure gained still catch the eyes of recruiters in the resume.
- Virtual Internship (build knowledge and skills through virtual company-based virtual work experience)
https://www.insidesherpa.com/ - Volunteering online
e.g. UNV Online Volunteering https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en
Please explore and if you would like to discuss your summer plan or that of next school year, you can contact Ms. Joanne Wong or Ms. Vanessa Chan.
Here are 3 points the IPO Career & Personal Development Advising Team may want you to take note of:
- Manage your EXPECTATIONS on number, type and timeline of opportunities:
It's perfectly understandable that you may get a lot fewer interview opportunities, no offer or offer received very late compared with previous years. Remember, it is not your fault.
- Stay POSITIVE and RESOURCEFUL:
Apart from HKUST job board, JIJIS, make use of other job search sites like
- Indeed.com
- efinancialcalcareers.hk
- JobsDB.com
- Glassdoor.com
More and more employers are looking for candidates o Linkedln. Do update and make your Linkedln account professional.
- Consider and draw up alternative PLANS:
a. The pandemic may not go away in the next couple of months. Instead of full-time job or summer internship, some students may explore further study, online self study (Coursrea, Edx), summer research projects.
b. Don't worry about your resume. Employers know the difficult situation and why graduate could not secure a job upon graduation or students do not have summer internship.
c. What you should do is ENGAGING meaningfully during this period.
Ms Vanessa CHAN or Ms Joanne WONG are able to speak with you on phone, Skype or ZOOM for your worries, plans and questions about the above. Drop us emails to make an appointment.
Stay Safe, Healthy and Positive!
How about your family members, friends and classmates?
Let's check in with them their emotional well-being under this stressful COVID-19 pandemic with help of some cute whatsApp stickers.
Download the stickers (developed by Mind HK):
https://www.howokayareyou.com/
Download the guide on how to ask others if they are okay (developed by Mind HK):
https://www.howokayareyou.com/how-to-ask
https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_cox_the_surprising_link_between_stress_and_memory
Given the current situation, many employers may extend Skype or telephone interview instead of face-to-face one. Probably you think it is a bit easier but it is NOT true. Although questions may not differ much, there are details you may neglect: sound, light, your body language.
This video gives you some tips about the details that make you look better in Skype interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQwanxQmFnc
Practice makes perfect. You may practise Skype /telephone interview with us. To make appointment, please email to Ms Vanessa CHAN or Ms Joanne WONG.
