Date : 27 Feb 2013 (Wed)

Time : 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Venue : KB111

Speaker: Ms. Jacqueline Lloyd,

Student Advising Officer (Careers)

This PowerPoint will be put in our website :

http://intraweb.hku.hk/local/careers/web/CareerPreparation H:\1213\CE\WS\HKSAR\EO\130227pptx
  The video can be accessed via the Civil Service
Bureau homepage under ‘Grade Management -
Executive Officer Grade’
http://www.csb.gov.hk/english/grade/eo/431.html

 In the video, the three EO II share

 their experience at work and training
 how they prepared for the selection interview  

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 EO is to plan, manage and review resources and
systems in the organization in an overall effort to
meet organizational objectives in a most efficient
and effective manner
 Human Resource Management
 manpower and succession planning
 recruitment and promotion
 performance management
 training and development
 conduct and discipline

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 Financial Resource Management
 planning, allocating and managing financial resources
 exercising control over revenue and expenditure

 Administration Support
 General Administration
 office accommodation (e.g., office moving arrangement)
 building management (e.g., security issue and arrangement)
 departmental transport services (e.g., parking lot management)
 Policy Support/Staff Officer
 research, presentation and analysis of information
 liaison with parties concerned to facilitate formulation of policies

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 System/Project Planning and Development
 internal audit
 system development
 coordinating the planning and implementation of projects

 Direct Services to the Public, Support to Boards and

Councils and Event Management
 delivery of licensing and registration services
 investigation of complaint cases
 handling of public enquiries
 provision of secretariat support to various boards and councils
 provision of administration and logistic support to events and
elections

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 Leadership potential and commitment
 Analytical ability and judgment
 Interpersonal and communication skills
 Versatility (resourcefulness) and innovation

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 At interview – do not say “I don’t know” – have to
say something even it does not make much sense
to you at the time...
 You do not need to follow Govt’s viewpoints but
will be better because their viewpoints are often
formed after rounds of thorough studies and
consultation
 Websites reference :
 http://www.legco.gov.hk : go to panels – committee
 http://www.news.gov.hk

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Interview Skills (important)
 Analytical
 Communication
 Common Sense
 全面思考
Dos & Don’ts
 Do not mix the languages in your answer

中 Questions about 30-35%

Eng Questions about 65%
 誠懇 + Passion – concise 不要拖 ; giving the wrong answer  be honest 不
要死撐
 Look  clean, mature (ladies – long hair – pony tail but lower not high up
avoid swish-washing (not mature)
 Smile, be polite
 等示意再坐低 / (may have observer - when leave 示意 as well)

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Difficult questions
1. AO/EO offer – which will you take?
 A1. AO offer take it  be able to give reason
 A2. Focus on the job you apply, i.e., EO

Practice interview
 Read your CV
 Think of more scenarios
 Current affairs ( 大路 )  common sense
 EO ranking / career path (memorize)

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RT related
1. EO 通材 (expected at the RT process)
2. 可否選擇 Dept / Unit
 不可
 政府派
 Rotation 亦不可選
3. 2011 請人數
 100-150
Preparation while in the university
 ECA
 語言能力 ( 國語 會話 )
Training (5 days)
 Government Structure
 Communication skills with minor staff
 Data protection - confidential data

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13
 Duration : 30 min
 Languages : Both Cantonese & English
(Note : do not mix your languages in your answers.
Q-Cantonese A-Cantonese)
 Interviewer : 3-member Panel
 1 record & key observer / speaker
 1 question from one side
 1 question from other side or supplement
 Tips :
 Start well – create good impression in the first 3 mins
 Stand out – Q- plain & straight forward, A-interesting
 Test your EQ – your reaction/response under pressure

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 Personal Questions
 Self introduction
 Do you have leadership skill?
 Tell me one challenging experience
 Teamwork experience
 Voluntary work experience
 Are you satisfied with your GPA?
 What is your strength and weakness?
 你在大學生活中學到甚麼 ?
 有沒有參加海外交流 ?
 請介紹你的主修科 ?
 你有舉辦課外活動的經驗 ? 遇到甚麼的困難 ?
 Demonstrate with concrete examples and how you solved them

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 Personal Questions
 What were your duties?
 How was your relationship with your colleagues?
 What have you gained?
 Tell me one memorable experience.

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 Personal Questions
 What are the duties of EO?
 What qualities are needed for an EO?
 Do you think you have the qualities of being an EO?
 Do you find the duties too boring?
 How is your field of study related to EO?
 What is your career plan?
 How should an EO face the public?
 Why should we employ you?
 Resources allocation experience
 How to promote energy saving in office?
 What is your management philosophy?
 Do you prefer face to face or email communication in office?

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 Situational Questions
 How to handle a staff who has asked for coming work at a
later time.
 Note: Policy execution – Communication + Impact - employees must
know what the attendance standards are and how their attendance
records will affect their advancement, performance ratings, and
future employment, etc.
 Imagine you are preparing the organisation of a great world
event and you have to persuade your team to change their
working schedules from normal office hour to shifting
timeslots from morning to night, what will you do?
 What if some timeslots are not filled and you cannot borrow staff
from other teams?

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 Situational Questions
 If there are 4 staff, we need to cut 1 position, or 1 staff
needs to be transferred to another department, what will
you do? What are the criteria?
 If the workload increases after the staff reduction, how will
you motivate the team?
 If your boss blames you on the decrease in productivity,
what will you do?

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 Situational Questions
 Your team has to start a new project. How will you start it
as a leader?
 If one of your staff is not happy about his task, what will you do?

 Imagine all your subordinates are all experienced clerks

and they have reached the maximum point of salary. They
have very low motivation. What will you do?
 If you receive a phone call from a citizen complaining one
of your staff being impolite to him, what will you do?
 Will you tell your boss about this complaint if the staff was really
wrong.

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 Situational Questions
 You have a subordinate who is very capable. He does his
job quickly and well. However, his working attitude is very
bad, arriving at work late, “openricing” and “facebooking”
during office hours. How will you deal with it?
 After talking with you, his attitude improved. But the
quality of his work became very bad. What will you do?
 What would you do to make sure your subordinates, who
are much older than you, listen to you?
 If you want to implement a certain policy that your staff
would dislike, what will you do?
 On the contrary, if you are facing a policy you dislike, what
will you do?
 On the contrary , if your boss doesn’t listen to your idea,
what will you do?

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 Situational Questions
 One of your staff needs to take care of his family member
who is seriously ill. He requests a flexible working hour.
Will you agree?
 Once you have agreed with this arrangement, other staff
want to join the flexible working hour plan. How will you
handle this?
 How to motivate your staff in peak seasons?
 In case you need one of your three staff to come back to
work on one Sunday. Staff A said he needs to go travelling
with family, Staff B needs to do homework which is a group
project, Staff C needs to take care his mother who lives at
residential care home. What will you do?

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 Situational Questions
 One of your staff has missed a confidential hardcopy file.
What will you do?

 Your department is going to adopt shift working hours to

meet operational needs. However, your staff strongly
opposes it. What will you do?
 If your staff plan to make a complaint to the staff union,
what will you explain?

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 Situational Questions … (Cont’d)
 You have received a letter of complaint from a citizen. However, the
complaint seems not related to your department but the other one.
What will you do?
 An applicant has blamed the application procedure is too bureaucratic
and he has asked you to accept the application directly which would
skip the usual procedures. What will you do?
 How to handle under-preformed teammate?
 If you need to get information from a colleague in another department
so as to complete a report, but that colleague is not co-operative,
what will you do?
 If you are relocated to a new team in which only you and your boss
work there, what do you think?
 If your boss refuses to give you instructions, what will you do?
 If your boss suddenly gives you an urgent task, what will you do?

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 Current Affairs-related questions in 2012
 你知道政府有甚麼增加土地供應的措施 ?
 你對高樓價有甚麼看法 ?
 你對居屋政策的評價 ?
 你對一些厭惡性設施搬入郊區有甚麼看法 ?
 怎樣解決人口老化 ?
 如何鼓勵生育 ?
 你對雙非孕婦有甚麼看法 ?
 你對現時的長者政策有甚麼看法 ?
 你贊成居於廣東省的長者香港人可以領取生果金嗎 ?
 你對貧富懸殊的看法 ?
 政府可以怎樣幫助窮人 ?
 你對 334 學制有甚麼意見 ?
 香港的教育有否增加社會流動性 ?
 你對自駕遊有甚麼意見 ?

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 Current Affairs-related questions in 2012
 贊成標準工時嗎 ?
 你對現時的最低工資有甚麼意見 ?
 你對廢物回收政策有甚麼意見 ?
 你對減排解能有甚麼意見 ?
 你對港鐵加票價有甚麼意見 ?
 如何保存中國傳統文化 ?
 如何加強香港旅遊業的發展 ?
 你記得香港曾經主辦過的世界性大型活動嗎 ?
 你對機場興建第三跑道有甚麼意見 ?
 你對近期香港的大型基礎建設有甚麼意見 ?
 你對現時政府的食物安全措施有甚麼意見 ?
 你對交通津貼有甚麼意見 ?
 你對青年吸毒有甚麼意見 ?

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 Current Affairs-related questions in 2011
 怎樣分配救護車服務資源 ?
 如何處理市民濫用服務 ?
 你對醫生遺留 USB 事件有甚麼看法 ?
 少數族裔在香港遇到的問題 ?
 如何促進香港市民消費 ?
 雷曼事件有甚麼看法 ?
 如何推動香港紅酒行業 ?
 你對銀行產品有甚麼認識 ?
 贊成用政府錢清拆招牌 ?
 如何看上海作為金融中心的政策 ?
 對上海興建迪士尼的看法 ?
 你對死囚投票權的意見 ?

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 Current Affairs-related questions in 2011
 如何解決貧富懸殊的問題 ?
 你對綜援有甚麼看法 ?
 你對賭博合法化有甚麼看法 ?
 你對天星碼頭鐘樓被拆的意見 ?
 你對教育微調的意見 ?
 你對電動車的意見 ?
 你對最低工資的意見 ?
 人口老化對香港有何影響 ?
 你對電子病歷的看法 ?
 如何促進香港旅遊業的發展 ?
 你對增加天然氣發電比例有甚麼意見 ?

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 Current Affairs-related questions in 2011
 What has the government done about the food nutrition
labels?
 What do you think about the drug abuse in Hong Kong?
How to deal with it?
 How to improve the language abilities of Hong Kong
students?
 What is your opinion on the medium of instruction policy?
 Suggest ways to boost the economy of Hong Kong.

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 Please refer to on line version of last year’s PowerPoint at :
http://intraweb.hku.hk/local/careers/web/CareerPreparation
 Basic background questions related to you
 Study/ECA/PT work/Exchange/Volunteer work

 Usual management issue/problem related to

 Staff morale/discipline/fairness between old &
new employment term/handling of public
complaints/resources allocation

Example: 20 個車位正在被 8 個部門爭取 , 你會如何
解決 ?
 Note: Resource allocation - set up criteria /grading system - earn
points – fair and consistent policy – eg allocation of hall space

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 Refer to AO workshop PowerPoint for more
 垃圾處理及厭惡性設施
 你認為選址是否大多集中在中下階層的社區？
 你贊成代母產子嗎 ? 代母產子有甚麼壞影響 ? (hot 2012)
 康復
 有邨民要求把精神病康復者全面隔離，可行嗎？

 Same Sex Marriage

 Legalised? What impact on legal definition on “family” on “parents”,
on legal right of spouses?
 Objection of religious group?
 Further negative impact on already low birth rate

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 房屋
 應否復建居屋？
 應否恢復定期拍賣土地？
 財政盈餘 / 民生
 如何減低貧富懸殊？
 政府一次過撥，例如 3000 萬入強積金戶口，到退休才可提取，贊
成嗎？
 你認為財政預算案應該主力幫助中產人士嗎 ?
 Do you support a voluntary medical insurance or mandatory
one?

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Interview

34
A proposed framework
 Background + history + current situation

(Quick summary)
 Compare different ideas on the issue

 State your own ideas or position (Be ready to

defend it)

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 Listen carefully to the questions, and understand the
real concern
 It is not easy to come up with exceptional good
insights. Well organised and supported arguments are
good answers too.
 Do not repeat factually what you read from public
media. Just make a quick summary.
 Organise your answer. State your view point justified,
and defend when questioned.
 Fluency and good organisation are as important as
good insights.

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 Be yourself, keep natural eye contact
 Avoid undue gesture
 Stay calm and relaxed
 Keep smiling (remember the interviewer is very
tired after a whole day of interview)
 Show your enthusiasm with clear voice, loud
enough for a one to one interview conversation,
steady pace and good structure of presentation.
 Get interview practiced

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 Go over your CV and application form before
attending the interview.
 Always match what you have to offer with the
needs of the job
 Support your answers by concrete examples
 Keep yourself abreast of business/current affairs
 Take note of your time (at the start or at the end of
the day)
 Have enough rest and be prepared for a fast and
intense interview interaction, though a short one

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 Avoid answering merely “yes” or “no”
 Answer the question briefly but to the point
 Answer the hidden questions
 Don’t pretend to know something that you are
ignorant of
 Ask the interviewer to repeat the question if you
do not understand it - Paraphrasing
 Avoid giving standard answers
 Prepare questions to ask at the end

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 Be yourself, keep natural eye contact with all interviewers
 Avoid undue gesture
 Stay calm and relaxed
 Keep smiling (remember the interviewer is very tired after a
whole day of interview)
 Show your enthusiasm with clear voice, loud enough for a
one to one interview conversation, steady pace and good
structure of presentation.

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Do not memorise model answer in detail :
• Mental attempts to recall missing points of a
model answer could hamper free flow of
expression during interview (you are not
spontaneous)
• Use only key points to structure your answer

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 Is there anything you would like to ask me?
 Typical day of EO
 Posting allocation
 The most natural questions often come from
the interview itself – be attentive.

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Behavioural / Situational Style Questions
 Name a situation you failed to convince a team on an
important subject
 Describe a successful team work experience (or a team
failure)
 Describe a situation that you have to make an important
decision alone for a group (or team)
 Name a successful leadership experience?
 Describe a situation you have to handle a difficult client
(or staff)
 Describe a time that you have to accept others idea that
you disagreed with

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 Answer Technique
 Follow the flow STAR
 Integrate key action behaviour words into your
answer
e.g. Leadership experience will carry (leadership attributes)
 ability to clarify situation and define problem quickly
 able to motivate the group in down / difficult time
 delegate and able to manage delegation
 take initiative to coordinate and support weak members
 able to lead planning

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 Answer Technique … (Cont’d)
e.g. Team work experience will carry
 able to communicate effectively
 resolve differences and come to consensus
 coordinate well
 good share of task and responsibility
 numbers motivated by common objective
 help out each other
 stick together in difficult time

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How did you deal with situation with diverse opinion?
 The real questions are :
 What is your negotiation compromising skill?
 How do you manage conflict?
 A test on your skill when to push ahead and when to pull back.
 The hidden question is a test on your understanding
and awareness on how good communication and
interpersonal skills are critical to project success in the
real world, not just technical excellence. (Do, the right
thing first, not just doing things right).

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 Do you have any great disaster in your life?
OR
 How did you manage a major change in life?

 The hidden question is : How did you

manage and recover

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Note
 Quote from actual experience. Don’t create.
 Experienced managers can trace and sense make up stories.
 They have substantial real life experiences and common
sense to gauge your missing parts if you create.
 Don’t let your discouragement show.
 Even if you get the impression that interview did not go well.
 Once in a while, interviewers with genuine interest in you
may show the opposite in order to test your reaction.

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Individual Practice
Appointment

Location : 3/F Help

Desk , Meng Wah
Complex

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 Tell us your interview experience!
Click to open the Past Interview Questions form at
http://www.hku.hk/careers/NEW/forstudent/forms/InterviewFeedback.doc
& submitting to us through the above email.

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