20,000 compete for 306 civil service jobs

Over 20,000 people are competing for 306 civil service positions, as the applications increased by 38 percent compared to last year, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said.

Yeung, writing on Facebook yesterday, said the competition for 306 jobs of six civil service job grades is "intense."

The administration aims to hire 50 administrative officers, but it received around 12,500 applications, an increase of 34 percent compared to last year. This means about 250 candidates will compete for one AO post.

Authorities saw about 18,400 applications for 220 executive officer posts, where the application figures rose 36 percent from last year.

"The number of applications is inspiring, as it shows that many people, including fresh university graduates and year-three students, are interested in joining the civil servant family to serve Hongkongers," Yeung said.

She said eligible applicants will be asked to join the Joint Recruitment Examination scheduled on December 2. Mainland or overseas applicants can sit the exam in eight cities - Beijing, Shanghai, London, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney - on the same day.

Yeung said candidates are required to complete two questions - one in Chinese and the other in English - within the three-hour examination.

She urged candidates to pay close attention to news and current affairs for the exam.

"The candidates should pay attention to news and current affairs to deepen their understanding on public policies in different aspects, as well as the economic and political development around the world," Yeung said.

"They should also improve their analytical and writing skills, which requires time to practice and accumulate experience, and candidates should think more in daily life, analyze more social phenomena and reasons for government policies," she added.

Yeung reminded candidates to be heedful of the time while putting their best foot forward to finish both questions.

The administration announced last month that they plan to recruit around 300 civil servants, including 50 administrative officers, 220 executive officers, 10 assistant labor officers and 15 transport officers.

While the recruitment is open to all permanent residents who meet the relevant requirements, the administration said students pursuing a bachelor's degree and graduating next year or in 2025 can also apply. However, they have to pass a Basic Law and National Security Law test.