When Raymond Chan noticed a posting from Career Services of Student Affairs Office (SAO) about “The Red Cross Humanitarian Trainee Scheme 2020” during the final year of his computing course, little did he realise where this would lead. His application was successful, paving the way to a full-time role with the respected international organisation where he now works as an up-and-coming executive in the IT infrastructure team.
While at HKMU, Chan took every opportunity to get involved in the comprehensive range of career development workshops organised for students and found them very beneficial. “SAO holds different sessions on the practical skills needed for job hunting,” Chan says. “For instance, I learned the proper way for writing CV and cover letter. I also attended talks by HR experts which helped in guiding me towards a suitable career path.”
He adds that the company visits organised by computing department professors at HKMU also gave him a fuller understanding of the latest developments in what is a very competitive field.
Ultimately, though, it was the one-to-one career advisory services from SAO which was most instrumental in finalising his choice of career. “While working as an intern with the Hong Kong Red Cross, I came across a posting on the organisation's internal job vacancies portal and, after seeking advice, decided to apply.” he says.
Because a role in IT had always been a major goal, Chan was ready to tackle new challenges with real gusto. “My attitude was always to learn as much as possible,” he says, noting his current role involves managing network set-ups and liaising with vendors. “Our team supports up to 500 staff, which also means handling any emergencies. During the work-from-home period, we provided real-time support to solve technical problems and speed up the transfer of data from server to cloud.”
In doing that, Chan realised the importance of continuing to update his knowledge and expertise to meet changing requirements. He found too that good teamwork helps to reduce the overall level of stress at work. “Our team is small, but we are always ready to help each other and approach problem solving as a joint project,” he says. “My general advice to fresh graduates is to keep upgrading their skills by studying for professional certifications. Adopting the right attitude to learning at work will bring a lot of benefits.”
