CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

To the Workplace Programme 2020

With the coordination of Prof Peter LAI, former Secretary for Security, HKSARG and currently Adjunct Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, The University of Hong Kong, the following workshops were held in March and April 2021 to equip participants of the Programme with skills helpful to securing jobs in their indicated areas of work interest:

Workshop on Interview Skills

The Workshop on Interview Skills was hosted by Mr CC CHOI, former Secretary General, Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority, on 27 March 2021 to enlighten the participants about general skills in individual job interviews. The participants learnt about interviewers' expectations, dos and don'ts before and during an interview, common interview questions and how to respond to some tricky questions. Mr CHOI also shared tips on how to perform better in online interviews, in response to a rise in their popularity under the pandemic.

Small-group Intensive Interview Training

This workshop provided an opportunity for the participants to practise for individual job interviews, to understand their own strengths and weaknesses, to avoid common interview mistakes and to enhance their self-confidence in interviews.

The participants were divided into two groups. One attended the physical workshop on 27 March 2021 and was tutored by Prof Peter LAI, while the other attended the online workshop on 3 April 2021 and was tutored by Dr Veronica TAM, former Director of Student Affairs, Lingnan University and former Head of Student Affairs Office, Tung Wah College. Through role-plays in an informal setting, the participants as interviewers identified and learnt from the mistakes made by interviewees, and as interviewees received individual comments on their performances and advice for improvement from the tutors and their peers.

Mock Interviews

The Mock Interviews mirrored actual online individual job interviews, allowing the participants to hone the interview skills acquired in the previous workshops, to develop interview strategies through trial and error, and to reduce the participants' stress before an actual interview.

For a specific and realistic experience, the participants were each invited to submit an actual job advertisement for their intended post, and the panel interviewers, Mr CC CHOI, Dr Veronica TAM and Ms Antonia YEUNG, Associate Vice-President (Development and Campus Services), The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, tried to simulate the actual job interview for the post. Immediately after each interview, the interviewers provided the interviewee with detailed feedback on his/ her performance and advice for improvement, for which the participants were very grateful.

Student Reflections on To the Workplace Programme 2020

By Ms DENG Rongchen (Year 4, Statistics)

What the tutors' sharing inspired me the most was that it made me re-consider the real purpose of job interviews. I used to be very nervous in interviews, which could sometimes ruin them. After the workshops, I have understood that an interview not only helps interviewers to decide whether a candidate is capable of a job, but also helps a candidate to find out whether a company or a position suits him/ her, which is a two-way selection. Therefore, I have realised that all I need to do in an interview is to relax, be myself and show the interviewers what I have learnt and experienced over the years.

One of the practical trainings I received was a mock interview for my desired position. Thanks to the preparation of the interviewers, the interview focused on many crucial questions that I needed to work on and it imitated an actual interview quite well. After the interview, I got individual feedback from the interviewers and they did point out some important problems I had not realised before. With their guidance and advice, I have become more confident about preparing for and performing well in actual job interviews.

By Ms WONG Ting Kwan (Year 4, English)

The Programme was well-organised with an excellent balance of information, practice and interaction. I have got the chance to meet Mr Chris YEUNG, Chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalist Association and my workplace mentor in the Programme. We had a long and pleasant conversation about how I could develop a progressive career plan and he shared the lives of professional journalists.

The Programme also offered me an opportunity to participate in a series of fruitful and fascinating workshops to upskill my interview techniques. The workshops have created a fertile ground for me to brush up on the quality of my answers to interview questions. I am very grateful for receiving a lot of helpful feedback from the tutors who are all professionals in their own fields. They shared their care and attention fairly to each participant and gave adequate space for my questions and concerns. After these workshops, I feel more confident to tackle challenging interviews in the future, and I know more clearly what to prepare for the interviews.

Internship Opportunities for Summer 2021

Summer internship opportunities in the fields of social entrepreneurship, finance advisory and financial technology were offered to our students for summer 2021. An offer was taken up by a current student, Ms WONG Lok Yi (Year 2, Integrated BBA Programme), and her internship will last around three months, from June to August.