Education | IPM holds career day to launch new offers

The Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM) held its Career Day 2017 on Monday, attracting 39 exhibitors from the public and private sectors.

As approximately 700 IPM students will graduate this June, the event aimed to draw 1,200 potential graduates and students from the local university.

Apart from the exhibition, the institute is also holding 13 seminars and workshops before the end of month to aid students in their career planning.

The sessions and workshops will relate to mock interviews, resume writing and information about the prospects of economic development and youth entrepreneurship in Macau. The career talks will be held by senior representatives of local entities.

Vivian Lei, head of the institute’s Academic Affairs Department, told the press that there has been a slight increase in the number of exhibitors and number of job vacancies offered to students compared to the previous year.

“Last year there were 32 exhibitors but this year it’s 39 and they [will] provide 1,500 vacancies for the students,” Lei said, adding that the exhibitors last year had 1,300 job vacancies.

As the event was held for only one day, Lei said that it would only match students with careers to which they may be suited, however she noted that many students do receive calls from employers after the event.

Lei also said that the institute has received nearly 4,000 local applicants. IPM’s Registry stated that more than 250 local students had been recommended for admission by their school principals.

“The course areas of IPM are highly related to local companies. For example, gaming and leisure management, directives related to gaming industry and several courses in management,” she said.

Lei also remarked that the institute would launch a new bachelor program which will be recognized by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau this 2017/2018 academic year, targeting local Portuguese-speaking students who wish to be Portuguese language teachers.

Nearly 80 percent of the institution’s 2015/2016 graduates found jobs in fields related to their undergraduate programs.

JC Human Resources Consulting, a human resources company, was an exhibitor yesterday for the second time in IPM.

Managing director Jacinto Ho said that yesterday was first time they showcased the firm’s theme for 2017, “Sustain the Future”, at a local university .

Ho explained that every year the company aims to send out different messages to students and job seekers. The firm’s 2017 theme aims to raise awareness about the sustainability of students’ careers, the region’s economy and the environment.

“These are the major areas of sustainability that we want to showcase and raise awareness amongst students [because] the future of Macau depends on the students,” Ho shared.

The human resources firm is seeking between 150 and 200 applications from IPM students. According to Ho, the company has 30 vacancies this year for fresh graduates. The areas of employment include administration, marketing, retail and design.

Ho also revealed that this is the first time the company is recruiting non-local students.

“We have a few positions because we also do some overseas recruitments. We have some clients who are not in Macau […] and they are also looking for people who speak good Chinese and good English and have experience and understanding about the gaming industry,” she said. Ho recalled that students who do not possess a Macau ID find it difficult to find companies in Macau as a result of quota issues.

Another human resource company, Sun-Career.com, also participated in IPM’s career day for the first time. The job site offers a variety of positions, mostly in the retail sector, but also as business sales representatives.

According to the talent acquisition manager, Jess Sou, most of the company’s vacant positions are for fresh graduates.

Sun-Career.com is mainly targeting local students and hopes to receive over 200 applications.