Class of 2020: No fear when you know you can always find a job

I was honoured to have had the opportunity two weeks ago to host a Zoom learning session on how to find a job (in times when unemployment is at an all-time high) with a select group of graduates from Lingnan University’s “Class of 2020”.

It’s an honor because We Care. Hong Kong is facing unprecedented challenges in our economy and society. I feel that there are many opinions, but not enough empathy. Complex problems often do not have simple solutions. We all would like to identify a game-changing idea, but often, one-at-a-time incremental change can add to the power of change required. Economic security often starts with knowing you can always find a job. Healing can begin when we can begin to feel how others feel and say to one another: “we care”.

"Finding a job does not have to be lonely."

The topic of our session is as practical as it is timely: how to find a job when there are no jobs.

The bleak employment outlook among Hong Kong’s youth had been brewing long before the pandemic caught the world flat footed, and is expected to persist long after the clouds have cleared.

As early as 2018, a study by McKinsey and Company found that Hong Kong’s education system was not meeting the requirements of employers in the city, this despite the city being home to some of the best ranked universities in the region. There is also a huge gap in expectations between companies and young employees, according to the study. Hong Kong employers say the youth don’t have the right skills, while millennial employees say jobs are not aligned with their ideals and life aspirations.

A job is often seen as a “choice” and not a basic necessity that shapes life.

The trend is not unique to Hong Kong, though. According to the Global Employment Trends for Youth 2020 report by the International Labour Organization:

• The youth labour force participation rate is decreasing globally. Between 1999 and 2019, despite the global youth population (15-24) increasing from 1 billion to 1.3 billion, the total number of young people engaged in the labour force decreased from 568 million to 497 million;
• Global youth unemployment rate is currently at 13.6 per cent, and the share of young people in employment is also declining;
• Jobs for young people are impacted by an evolving technological landscape. The risk of automation is highest in jobs held by young people, so technological anxieties are often more pronounced among the young.

It also said that “the potential of young people is not being fully harnessed. Globally, one-fifth of young people currently have NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) status, which means they are neither gaining experience in the labour market, nor receiving an income from work, nor enhancing their education and skills. Clearly, their full potential is not being realized, though many may be contributing to the economy through unpaid work, which is particularly true of young women. Globally, young women are twice as likely as young men to have NEET status.”

In Hong Kong, a lot of the systemic issues need to be addressed by the concerted efforts of all sectors that have a stake in the city’s future. I firmly believe that, if Hong Kong is to have a bright future, its youth must be given hope, which is why in my discussion with the Lingnan graduates, we focused on the things they can control, and not worry too much over things they can’t.

Here are some key takeaways from our discussions:

1.   Finding a “job” is a “job” in itself

In good times, if you’re a university graduate from a good university, the jobs come to you. In bad times – and indeed in the “New Normal” – job hunting can be a full-time job in itself. Not only are there less jobs to go around, but many existing jobs are changing or disappearing altogether.

Today, the process of finding a job is very similar to what it takes to succeed in the workplace, so the “job of finding a job” must be approached as if it were an official, real job!

I know this for a fact because, as a recruiter, our job is to “find the jobs” and “find the people” who can do these jobs successfully. To succeed, we have a phrase in the recruitment industry we call “building your own desk”. What this means is that, to maximize our success, we need to find a niche or an area of specialization – specific functions, industries, levels or locations – based on (1) what we’re good at and (2) where the revenue potential is, i.e. where the jobs are or will be. So we should also be able to pivot quickly, too, when the market changes.

"Go to where the jobs are -- even if it means Antarctica!"

In the “new normal”, university graduates must approach job-hunting pretty much like “building your own desk”. You must know very clearly what you’re good at and can do.

Remember you are paid to do the job so you better know why and how you get paid. Zoom in on a target niche that has job potential, set a goal, make a plan, do extensive research on companies you want to join, and do whatever it takes to gain confidence and credibility in front of your prospective employers. If you put in the work before you are hired to put in the work, you already have one foot in the door.

Job potential often requires one go to where the jobs are, and mobility is essential in one's employability.

2.   Think as your future boss would (not just as you would)

They say that the definition of integrity is “what you do when nobody is looking.”

The “work-from-home” (WFH) arrangement is one of the trends that really accelerated during the pandemic, and it’s something that appeals to millennial employees who value flexibility and have a more blurred sense of work-life balance compared to my generation.

But, much like trust, the ability to work remotely is a privilege that has to be earned.

I always advise young graduates that, in performing any job, they must always do it as if their future boss is in the same room! You have to “be your own boss” and put yourself in their shoes. So when you get up in the morning or wonder when to take a lunch break, listen to the voice of your boss and “play boss”.

Even if your job is not a profit center (e.g. front office roles like sales), but rather a cost center, you want to make sure that the value of your contributions exceeds your costs. That’s how you become a person “a company would fight to keep.”

3.   Employability is about having “no fear” and also the confidence that you can always find a job

Even if you put in the work (by approaching job hunting as if it were a full-time job), and build a reputation of credibility and integrity, your success will be limited unless you can confidently communicate all these to a prospective employer.

Writing an effective cover letter is one way to express and pitch yourself to companies. The cover letter is more about communicating “why they should hire you and what you can do for them” rather than “what you would like to do.”

Therefore, when you come across job advertisements, you need to first understand what the jobs’ requirements are, i.e. what specific skill sets they need to be qualified for the role.

For example, for an internship role at Global Sage, the core skills we’re looking for include: research, analytical skills, marketing, and cold calling. The applicant needs to explain how their prior “experiences” fulfill all these requirements – by demonstrating solid examples!

Since, as a graduate, you may not have relevant work experiences, you need to focus on previous internship, community works or any extra-curricular experiences in school that mirror the “job” or the experience required.

Furthermore, you need to have the strong readiness to go to where the jobs are and to prove that you are ready, willing, and mobile in your cover letter. You need to be motivated to sell yourself that you are “the most suitable candidate” to help the company add value. Last but not least, the design and layout of the letter, and having direct, clear messages expressed in a logical manner, could also help you to stand out from the others.

I actually ran a practical exercise on “competitive cover letters” with the graduates, and selected entries would be eligible for an internship at Global Sage. The criteria we used for selecting the “winning” cover letters include:

• Understanding of the role and the company;
• Relevant core skills;
• Readiness and ability to go to where the jobs are;
• Motivation for the role;
• Selling yourself.

Since this is your first time to showcase your readiness to enter the workplace, understand that while certain work dynamics are changing because of technology, there are still basic disciplines and rules in the workplace that stay the same:

• Every task is important, so never be prejudiced or underestimate the importance of what you are required to do, e.g. the role of a receptionist is to give any visitors the “first feel” of the company culture and how they treat outsiders, while a payroll administrator deals with confidential and sensitive information, which must be treated with the strictest adherence to procedures;
• Every task is part of a bigger and often continuous process, and indeed a bigger mission, so the littlest task impacts on all other tasks before and after it. If many others are waiting for you to complete your tasks on a timely basis, there would be chaos and delay in the delivery of goods, services or data;
• Office discipline is not merely about blindly following commands and orders, which is essential in any work place. It’s about respecting others, being a team player and doing your part to a bigger mission. Maintaining personal grooming and hygiene is to show respect for others.

"Taking a leap of faith is often good for the first job!"

The Class of 2020 certainly has their work cut out for them. 2020 is a pivotal year, the first year of a brand new decade that promises to be unlike any decade we’ve seen before. Many of the challenges will be new and unexpected, so staying agile and being able to pivot quickly will be key, but, as in physical exercise, to be able to pivot effectively, you need to first strengthen your CORE.

To the Class of 2020, I say: No fear!

Lots of Love,

Louisa