Career strategies to strengthen graduate employees’ employment position in the Hong Kong labour market

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractThis study investigates the significance of developing career goals and adopting appropriate career strategies during the first two years of employment after graduation. Data were collected from a sample of 300 graduate employees in Hong Kong during a time when job competition has been increasingly tough. Results indicate that respondents tend to use strategies such as`e nhancing promotability'' (performing effectively, acquiring skills, building networks) and``improving image with superiors'' (conforming to expectations, highlighting accomplishments) more frequently than``establishing external contacts'' (joining professional bodies and trade associations) during early career. The relationships of career goals and strategies to satisfaction with salary and hierarchical progression are also examined. Factors such as``developing career goals and plans'' and``improving image with superiors'' are positively and significantly related to satisfaction with progression. Practical implications of the study findings on individuals and organizations are discussed. Electronic accessThe research register for this journal is available at

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