When the going gets tough, job seekers look to ... the civil service. Floods of applicants for vacancies ranging from humble clerical assistants to the elite corps of administrative officers have spawned a variety of courses targeting candidates anxious to do well in recruitment tests.
Physics graduate Carlos Cheong, for one, forked out HK$8,580 for two courses offered by the Lingnan Institute of Further Education (Life). The first prepares participants for the Common Recruitment Examination, which tests candidates for degree- or professional-level posts on the use of English, Chinese, aptitude and the Basic Law. Another course, which focuses on writing techniques, is designed for aspiring administrative and executive officers. Both provide 46 hours of tutorials spread over a month, and are taught by language teachers with help from former civil servants.
Cheong was among 13,400 people who applied for 30 administrative officer posts in last year's recruitment exercise - 12.6 per cent more than the year before.
'It's my dream job - it's challenging,' he says. 'Many senior officials have been in the establishment for a long time are out of touch with people at the grass roots. The government needs new blood to get fresh ideas.'
But he concedes part of the attraction of a civil service post is that it's largely insulated from the widening economic gloom and provides generous pensions with an attractive entry-level salary of HK$36,740 a month.
Although he has yet to be called for an interview, Cheong says he felt more prepared after taking Lingnan's tutorials, which include mock tests with sample questions.
