According to research conducted by the City University of Hong Kong, the most suitable sectors are public administration, social and personal service sectors for Hong Kong university students. The survey was conducted with Hong Kong and Taiwan university students.

A total of 1,159 students from six universities in Hong Kong and Taiwan were interviewed and important factors were considered in this report such as employment, salary expectations, willingness to work overseas, interest in starting their own business, and employment capabilities.

According to the results, almost 32 percent of students from Hong Kong would like to pursue a job in the public administration, social and personal service sectors.

In addition to that, 50.2 percent of Hong Kong students would like to become civil servants after graduation.

The factors for considering jobs were:

1) Whether the job suited their interests or not:
For Hong Kong: 72.7 percent.
For Taiwan: 74.8 percent.

2) Salary:
For Hong Kong: 57.3 percent.
For Taiwan: 62.4 percent.

3) Career prospects:
For Hong Kong: 56.5 percent.
For Taiwan: 48.8 percent.

4) Job location:
For Hong Kong: 13 percent.
For Taiwan: 20.3 percent.

5) Contribution to society:
For Hong Kong: 16.6 percent.
For Taiwan: 18.8 percent.

The salary expectations were also different even though it was one of the most important factors. About 61% Hong Kong students expected a monthly salary in the range of HK$11,001 to HK$17,000. This was similar to the average salary for graduates 10 years ago, reflecting the drop in income for local university graduates.

Students in both places shared the same views on individual employment capabilities. Communication skills, interpersonal skills, work experience, computer skills and clerical competence were the attributes they mostly stressed. They were aware that the knowledge gained in class has become less important in the workplace.

If you would like to learn more about this research, you can see the full version here.