When it comes to choosing where to pursue your studies, it’s important to consider not only the quality of education but also the opportunities a university provides for your personal and professional growth. Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) shines as an institution that recognizes the importance of practical experience alongside academic learning. HKMU understands that combining classroom knowledge with real-world engagement can significantly enhance your education, career prospects, and overall skill set.
HKMU’s Student Career Service team of the Student Affairs Office (SAO) is responsible for a range of supports and services that help full-time undergraduates and fresh graduates explore, plan and prepare for their career. Let’s take a closer look at how your career prospects can benefit from being a student of HKMU.
About Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU)
Initially established in 1989 by the Hong Kong SAR Government as the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong, HKMU changed its name in 2021 to accurately reflect its close ties with the wider community, with a clear focus on serving the practical and social needs of Hong Kong and the region in its teaching and research.
These days, the university houses seven schools offering over 160 academic programmes and seven institutes with millions in research funding.
READ MORE: Introducing Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Internship & Industry Projects
Through experiential learning opportunities, students can gain practical work experience and improve their employability. These include local internships (including the Internship Lab 2.0), overseas internships, and industry projects.
This experiential learning scheme is focused on short-term or one-off on-campus jobs arranged by HKMU for students. The goal is to achieve a win-win scenario, offering invaluable experiences to students while giving administration support to Schools/Offices.
Examples of roles include event/activity helpers, data input assistants, survey helpers, and short-term research helpers.
Career Taster Programme
The SAO has also rolled out enrichment courses taught by KMB executives. Examples of previous courses include Transportation Planning and Policy Making, Certificate in Fundamental Bus Maintenance and Business English and Negotiation Course. Note that some of these may require both Chinese and English language proficiency.
Entrepreneurship
MetroChallenge
The MetroChallenge, (formerly known as Open InnoChallenge. Recently launched in 2017, it aims to “unleash our student’s creativity; turn their knowledge acquired in the classroom into real life innovations; and enhance students’ entrepreneurial skills to translate their innovative ideas into viable operations for profit and for social good.” So far, 6,293 aspiring entrepreneurs have taken part in the challenge, with a total of HK$4,000,000 awarded towards winning projects.
The MetroChallenge begins with hands-on activities to give students first-hand experience of the entrepreneurial world. These include interactive training workshops on design thinking, a series of local tours to inspire innovative ideas, and individual coaching sessions by entrepreneurs. After this series of experiential activities, the real fun begins. Students get the opportunity to transform their ideas into real-life operations and compete for funding. Projects are evaluated on their originality, creativity, feasibility, and social impact, with successful teams receiving HK$100,000 and resources to bring their ideas to life.
HKMU Entrepreneurship Day 2023
This event provided a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to connect, exchange ideas, and learn from experienced professionals in the field. It featured keynote speeches and networking sessions, offering valuable insights into the trends and strategies that are shaping industries today.
Job Search
HKMU offers a Student Job Board and a platform for Graduate jobs, allowing students to easily search for and apply to jobs.
Students can also benefit from visiting HKMU’s Career Fairs, which in 2023 connected its attendees with over 100 employers from more than 20 local sectors. The stand-out event was part of a month-long career series of career talks, company visits, career training, global learning info sessions, and much more.
Career Education
HKMU offers a range of career education programmes that are designed to help students explore their career interests and strengthen their abilities to pursue them. Programmes include:
- Career Interest & Value Assessment
- Industries Sharing
- Application Letter & Resume Writing
- Personality & Aptitude Test
- CRW Workshop
- Mock Interview
- Pre-internship Training
- Business Etiquette
Student Ambassador
As a student of HKMU, you will have the chance to apply to become an esteemed Student Ambassador (SA), playing a supportive role in various university events, career development activities, official ceremonies, campus tours, admission talks and more. Professional training workshops are given to SAs, along with an attractive subsidy in exchange for a certain amount of subsidized hours. SAs with outstanding performance may be nominated for diversified signature career development programmes, overseas study tours and internships.
Career Coaching
HKMU’s students greatly benefit from career coaching, which consists of career advisory service and mentorship programmes.
Career Advisory Service
Students can receive professional career advice through one-to-one or group consulting sessions, in areas such as CV checking, application letterchecking, mock interviews and career directions. There’s even a “Walk-In” CV clinic that offers online Zoom sessions with a career advisor.
Mentorship Programmes
These “aim to nurture students to become future leaders with a macro vision, strong communication and management skills, and beneficial professional and personal networks. In 2023, HKMU introduced two schemes that connected students with experienced professionals and alumni; “Date a CEO, Be a CEO” and “Me&U Career Mentorship Programme.”
Can International Students Work in Hong Kong?
Under a Student Visa, international students enrolled in a full-time programme are allowed to undertake:
- part-time, on-campus jobs for a maximum of 20 hours per week throughout the year, and;
- Off-campus jobs during the summer holidays (June – August), with no limitations on the working hours or location
- Internships arranged by the university that are relevant to the program of study.
You will need to obtain a “No Objection Letter” (NOL) with your visa application to get permission to work. Be sure to check the latest up-to-date information from your university or official sources.
After completing their studies, non-local graduates can generally apply to stay in Hong Kong for 12 months without any conditions for stay, including the need of a job offer.
Learn more about HKMU
Learn More about the programs and apply to Hong Kong Metropolitan University through the links below. Or book a free call with us here.
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