Building opportunities

The 'Great Recession' is a tough time to be looking for a job - this year will be no cakewalk, particularly for recent graduates. Still, the situation is improving. The unemployment rate, most recently 4.9 per cent, is dropping and recruitment specialists say job prospects have turned around.

'For most new graduates, it is still a bit of a tough year,' says Callan Anderson, general manager for Asia at recruitment firm Gemini Personnel. 'But as long as they do see their job hunt as a full-time job, they can find a job.'

Finance jobs lead the way, Anderson says, followed by logistics and shipping. As of November, Anderson has also seen a pickup in industrial jobs, in manufacturing and engineering. Hiring in middle-management and senior management has been increasing.

The central government and Hong Kong have stressed the importance of infrastructure projects in an effort to stimulate their respective economies, and create jobs that require engineers. Demand for engineers may also rise as the tax year ticks over at the start of April, meaning engineering and construction companies have new budgets.

'I think this year you will see a lot more people moving around, and a lot more new jobs once the financial year goes ahead,' Anderson says. 'Not everyone is going to get a job on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai bridge or the Guangzhou rail link, but they do create jobs.'

Engineering is also luring people back to school. Professor Ho Siu-lau, chairman of the postgraduate scheme in engineering at Polytechnic University (PolyU), says the number of students entering the scheme has doubled in the past two to three years. 'My guess is that may be they find it is becoming more important to improve their qualifications,' Ho says. 'They may be having problems with their jobs. Or some may have second thoughts and think, 'may be engineering could offer a better chance for me'. It may be popular for people in heavily scientific professions, such as engineering, to look at going back to school.'