Periscope
Get ready for knockout competition
At the University of Science and Technology, the Student Career Service does not organise special training for students to prepare for the administrative service recruitment tests. The service's manager Codana Chan Ying-kai said no graduates from the university had become administrative officers in 2005 and 2006.
Meanwhile, Raymond Young Lapmun, who was responsible for the civil service recruitment, posting, training and promotion in 1996, said language was the key to the administrative officer job.
"You need to have language ability to show people that you have other skills," said Mr Young, now the director of Celebrations Preparatory Office in charge of the activities for the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's reunion with mainland China.
On selecting the candidates, the veteran administrative officer said it would be based on how they answered the questions, such as how creative, logical and workable the answers were, and whether they could lead and bring people along.
"Of course we need to set questions to test their critical faculties and their skills in problem solving," Mr Young said. "AOs are really problem solvers…In emergency situations, nobody tells you what to do; it is you to tell people what to do."
Tips for applicants
Administrative officer
recruitment examination
1. Be original, creative and logical
2. Good time management
3. Bring a calculator for data
processing
4. Clear presentation
Interview
A) Be yourself
1. No need to second guess what
the answer is
2. Do not have to toe the goverment
line
3. Defend one's position convincingly,
persuasively and logically with
depth, good argument and sound
analysis
4. try not to put on a different face
under pressure
B) Be prepared
1. read up on newspapers on current
issues in Hong Kong, mainland
China and overseas
2. prepare for good delivery in
spoken English and Chinese
3. practise the skills of presentation
Students attend workshops to prepare for administrative officer recruitment tests.