A decade ago, telephone companies and TV companies had very different areas of expertise. TV companies created content, and phone companies helped disseminate it via their networks. But since the advent of mobile technologies and internet technologies and their voracious need for 'media content', phone companies such as PCCW have been finding themselves much more media savvy; they now create content as well as deliver it. Not so long ago PCCW was a fixed-line, local phone business, but in the last eight years it has repositioned itself to become one of Asia's leading integrated communications companies. It provides numerous broadband internet, mobile phone and fixed-line telephone services as well as running the largest commercial deployment of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) in the world - Now TV. PCCW, like many other integrated media companies, is striding ahead with diversification. To support their increasing range of services and assist in the company's expansion, PCCW is on a big recruitment drive. 'The growth engine right now is the mobile phone business and the TV content business,' said Christine Chow Oi-wan, head of group human resources. 'As the industry continues to develop, we have more and more customers - so we need to find the best people to help us serve these customers and grow the business further.' With a staff of more than 15,000 worldwide, of which 11,000 are based in Hong Kong, PCCW is now looking to fill 300 vacant positions. 'Though we usually try to promote from within the ranks, it is not always possible,' said Ms Chow. 'Right now we have a lot of entry level jobs and junior management positions that we need to fill.' Positions sought fall into three broad categories: technicians - including engineers, system analysts and programmers, who can facilitate the wide variety of technical duties; call centre agents, who answer inbound phones and undertake telesales work; and customer front-end people, including account executives and sales people who work on the shop floor in direct contact with clients. 'We are a very customer orientated company and always look at things from the customer's perspective - so we need people who understand this and can embrace this mentality on all levels,' she said. 'The industry is growing fast so we need people who are dynamic and passionate about the business and who can share the company's values, of quality, innovation and expertise.' Because most of the 300 vacancies are entry level jobs, PCCW will hire graduates and trainees. Its human resources teams regularly attend university recruitment fairs, offering students critical information about career prospects within the communications industry and information about specific job opportunities within PCCW. Though graduates from any discipline are welcome to apply, those from technical fields such as computing and engineering are favoured for the more technically orientated jobs. Successful candidates will attend one of PCCW's 14 graduate training programmes, each designed to meet the needs of a specific job category. 'We believe that people are our very best asset so we put emphasis on recruiting, training and retaining good staff,' Ms Chow said. As PCCW favours internal promotion, prospects of growing with the company are very good. 'We believe that personal growth leads to company growth,' she said, adding that personal development within the workplace most often leads to promotion within the company. To this end, she and her team offer staff various opportunities to develop their skills and expertise. Last year they ran more than 48,000 man-days of training, with specific courses for staff at every level. One of their most successful efforts has been the middle-management training course, Challenge 21, which passes more than 50 graduates every 18 months. Challenge 21 includes outward bound training, team leadership training and the opportunity to attend world-class business management training in China's famous business school at Tsinghua University. PCCW also invites industry experts to speak to staff on topics such as how to be a better supervisor or how to dress like an executive. The company also encourages 'cross function rotation', offering the right staff the opportunity to work in a different department - for example a marketing person in the TV content unit could work in the mobile phone business unit for experience. With PCCW's core business already established in China and mobile and internet networks developing in other parts of the world, this is an exciting time to enter the communications industry. What's on offer Vacant positions include: technicians, engineers, systems analysts, programmers, call centre agents, sales people and customer front-end staff In-house training programmes will be provided for all new recruits The right candidates will share the company's core values of quality, innovation and expertise Successful candidates may be able to move to other departments within the company The company values its staff - with over 48,000 man-days of training provided last year