'I was worried about finding work - then I had four job offers'

Three months ahead of her graduation ceremony, Wong Wing-sze is squeezing in all the yoga and dance classes she can before her school life comes to an end.

The 22-year-old deserves it. Since February, she has had job offers from each of the Big Four accounting firms. With a starting salary of $10,200 a month at a highly regarded employer, Ms Wong has achieved what she set out to do.

'I was worried about whether I would find a job I liked when the market was really bad a year or two ago,' she said. 'But now, having four letters in my hand, it's such a different feeling.'

The accounting and finance major is among dozens of University of Hong Kong students who have received job offers from major companies.

Others have started internships with investment banks that carry the promise of a job offer at the end of their training.

Employers are being forced to compete more fiercely for top students from this year's graduating class amid an improving job market that saw the unemployment rate fall from 6.4 per cent to 6.1 per cent in February, the biggest fall for 15 months.