Periscope

Get ready for knockout competition

The University of Hong Kong's Centre of Development and Resources for Students, for example, held a workshop last December for students preparing for administrative officer recruitment examination, the second round of written test.

At the workshop, the formats and questions of the examinations in 2004 to 2006 were provided, and topics that might be appeared in this year's examination were also predicted.

The workshop did successfully tip a question about incinerators, according to students who attended the event and the examination.

Unlike the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University does not hold drills on the past papers. Its workshops are simulations of the interview process, with professors and the head of the Career Planning and Development Centre acting as the board of interviewers.

Tom Fong Wing-ho, student affairs officer of the university's Career Planning
and Development Centre, said the university had more than 10 graduates, including fresh ones, recruited by the government to become administrative officers last year.

As most of the students are interested in applying for government jobs, his centre holds two rounds of workshop each year to satisfy the demand, he said.

Such workshops and seminars have attracted not only students who are going to graduate, but also those of other years.

Wan Hon-san, a year-two student who attended an administrative officers' sharing session held at the University of Hong Kong in March, said administrative officer had always been his "dream career".

His determination to be an administrative officer is so strong that he has applied for a student summer internship programme organised by the Civil Service Bureau. The programme aims to promote better understanding of the work of the administrative service and to provide hands-on working experience for students who will complete their studies in next summer.

Last year, 23 student interns were chosen from 131 applications. The selected students would be exposed to duties similar to those of administrative officers, visit various government offices and attend induction sessions.

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Hurdles to be cleared

1. Common recruitment examination (CRE):
Three multiple-choice papers on
‧ use of Chinese
‧ use of English
‧ aptitude test

2. Administrative officer recruitment examination
‧ a pass mark in the CRE is required
‧ complete two to three integrated tasks, e.g. writing a policy paper or a speech

3. Preliminary interview:
20 to 30 minutes' interview
‧ by two to three seniors
‧ about current affairs
‧ in Cantonese, Mandarin and English

4. Full-day interview:
Morning - group interview
‧ each candidate is given a case and is asked to chair a round of discussion
Afternoon - individual interview

(Source: Civil Service Bureau's administrative service division)