The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has various job opportunities with excellent prospects for career advancement available for new graduates. There are two types of Government job vacancies – civil service and non-civil service. Civil service vacancies are posts on the civil service establishment. Candidates selected for these jobs will be recruited on civil service terms of appointment and conditions of service. They will become civil servants upon appointment. Candidates appointed to non-civil service positions are not civil servants and will not be eligible for posting, promotion or transfer to other posts within the civil service. They also have different terms of appointment and conditions of service. Both types of vacancies are advertised online:

• Government Vacancies Enquiry System (civil service and non-civil service openings): http://csboa2.csb.gov.hk/csboa/jve/JVE_001.action
• Interactive Employment Service of the Labour Department (only non-civil service vacancies): www.jobs.gov.hk
• Government job vacancies can also be found at each individual department via Civil Service Bureau website: www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcsb/enq/english/enq.htm

 

Positions / Job Titles Offered

Some of the more sought-after positions in the civil service include:

• Administration and Management
  • Administrative Officer
  • Executive Officer
• Disciplined Services
  • Hong Kong Police Force: Police Constable, Police Inspector
  • Customs & Excise Department: Inspector of Customs & Excise
  • Fire Services Department : Ambulance Officer, Station Officer
  • Correctional Services Department: Correctional Officer
  • Immigration Department: Immigration Officer

 

Typical Job Nature/ Job Duties

Administration and Management

Good management is essential to the success of both private corporations and the government. A team with strong leadership at the top, but also sensitive to what is going on at all levels of the organization, is the foundation of efficient and effective operation of any organization. Administrative Officers in Civil Services are involved in policy formulation, resource allocation, implementation of major Government programmes and promotion of the interests of Hong Kong in the mainland and overseas. For Executive Officers, their main job functions include management of human resource and financial resource, administration support, system/ project planning and development, direct services to the public, support to boards and councils and event management. Both Administrative Officers and Executive Officers are posted around different bureaux and departments and enjoy a wide variety of work.

 

Administrative Officer (AO):

The Administrative Service is a cadre of multi-skilled professional administrators who play a key role in the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Members of the Administrative Service are posted around a wide variety of posts in policy/resource bureau and departments at regular intervals. On average, there will be a change of postings in every 2-3 years. Through regular postings, the officers receive wide exposure, acquire broad experience, develop multi-skills and enjoy variety in their career. Their breadth of experience, strong administration skills, versatility and quest for challenges make them important assets of the Government, with a wide range of duties. They may be posted to:

• A policy bureau of the Government Secretariat to participate in the formulation of Government policies closely related to the well-being of society
• A resource bureau of the Government Secretariat to control and monitor the use of public resources
• A District Office to steer and co-ordinate provision of government services and facilities in the district, to represent Government at the frontline and to oversee community building programs
• A Government department to provide quality management and steer the delivery of services to the public
• A representative office of the Government outside Hong Kong (currently in Beijing and in ten major cities round the world) to promote the interests of Hong Kong

 

Executive Officer (EO):

Executive Officers plan and acquire the necessary and appropriate human, financial and other resources for the department or bureau they serve, put in place efficient and effective systems and ensure that good management practices are implemented, and promote a service-oriented culture in the organization. Their expertise lies in:

• Human Resources Management
• Financial Resources Management
• System Management
• Others, such as Events management, District administration, Voter registration and election, etc.

 

Disciplined Services

The disciplinary forces of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) include the Police Force, Customs & Exercise Department, Fire Services Department, Correctional Services Department and Immigration Department

Hong Kong Police Force:

• Police Constable:
  • Perform street patrol and traffic control duties
  • Detect crimes
  • Investigate and apprehend suspects in criminal cases
  • Investigate narcotics and commercial crimes
  • Collect and handle criminal information
  • Perform technical work connected with the maintenance of criminal records and examination of finger prints
  • May be posted to various formations under the Force such as Uniform Branch, Traffic Wing, Crime Wing or Marine Region
• Police Inspector:
  • Carry out various supervisory and operational duties, and all aspects of police work
  • May be posted to a variety of branches in the Police Force, such as the Crime Wing, Marine Region, Traffic Wing, Planning and Development Branch
  • May undertake research on social problems or issues
  • Customs and Excise Department

 

Customs and Excise Department:

• Inspector of Customs & Excise
  • Supervise staff employed in the suppression of the illegal trafficking of narcotics
  • Detection of the import and export of prohibited goods
  • Control of dutiable commodities and copyright protection

 

Fire Services Department:

• Ambulance Officer
  • Command an ambulance depot
  • Supervise and instruct Ambulancemen/Ambulancewomen to ensure that they can carry out their duties effectively and efficiently
  • Attend ambulance calls and carry out rescue operations in emergency
  • Provide training for the subordinates and update their knowledge in life saving
• Station Officer
  • In charge of a fire station and its emergency equipment
  • Provide training for firemen/firewomen
  • Supervise and command firemen/firewomen to carry out their fire-fighting and rescue works efficiently
  • Take part in fire prevention and staff management duties

 

Correctional Services Department:

• Correctional Officer
  • Supervise junior staff, prisoners, young person in training or detention centres, drug dependents in drug addiction treatment centres or Vietnamese migrants in Vietnamese Migrants Detention Centres
  • Work in a prison hospital or in After-care Section
  • Undertake specific catering duties

 

Immigration Department:

• Immigration Officer
  • Perform supervisory duties at control points and immigration anchorages and conduct secondary examinations on passengers
  • Carry out investigation and conduct special operations in connection with immigration offences
  • Process application for visas and extension of stay
  • Process and examine application for travel documents
  • Perform civil registrations on Hong Kong Identity Cards and births, deaths and marriages

 

General Requirements

• Permanent resident of the HKSAR
• Degree holder of any discipline
• Mature, reliable and honest
• Observant and strong in leadership
• Good physique for disciplinary services
• Required to work shifts, live and work in any place in Hong Kong for some departments
• Must fulfill the following basic recruitment examinations requirements: All candidates applying for civil service jobs will be assessed on their Basic Law knowledge. The assessment result will not affect a candidate’s eligibility for applying for a civil service job but will be one of the considerations to assess the suitability of a candidate. The need for an examination is usually spelt out in the recruitment advertisements.

Common Recruitment Examination:

Applicants for civil service posts at the degree or professional level are required to obtain either ‘Level 2’ or ‘Level 1’ results in the Use of English (UE) and Use of Chinese (UC) papers of the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE), or equivalent. You can learn more about the CRE at www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/cre/949.html.

Assessment of Basic Law knowledge:

All candidates applying for civil service jobs will be assessed on their Basic Law knowledge. The assessment result will not affect a candidate’s eligibility for applying for a civil service job but will be one of the considerations to assess the suitability of a candidate.

All candidates are required to sit for the Common Recruitment Examination in Hong Kong. Only those candidates who have passed the Common Recruitment Examination will be further considered for interview.

• For Administrative Officers: a first or second class honours Bachelor degree or a postgraduate degree from a Hong Kong university, or equivalent. Current final year students may also apply; if selected, appointment will be subject to their obtaining the required academic qualification;
• For Police Force: for those still in university and who have decided to pursue a career in law enforcement, the Police Mentorship Programme prepares students to join the Police Force as Probationary Inspectors immediately upon graduation.

 

Related Associations/Useful Links

About Civil Service Bureau recruitment	http://www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/7.html
Hong Kong Police Force	http://www.police.gov.hk
Hong Kong Fire Service Department	http://www.hkfsd.gov.hk
Hong Kong Correctional Services	http://www.csd.gov.hk
Immigration Department	http://www.immd.gov.hk
Customs and Excise Department	http://www.customs.gov.hk

 

                                                  (Sources from The CUHK Careers Guide 2012)