More than 2,000 job positions were recently up for grabs for IFTM students during the Institute’s 2021 Career Day. A total of 53 organisations took part in the day-long job fair, coming either from Macao or the Mainland, including Mainland places that form part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The Career Day, held on 23 March on the IFTM Taipa Campus, made available positions in a number of industries, from tourism and hospitality to retailing, technology or human resources. Hundreds of undergraduates, particularly Year 4 students, took part, in order to find out more about job opportunities in Macao and beyond.
IFTM President Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan says the annual IFTM Career Day, first launched in 2008, provides a convenient platform for students to engage with a large number of organisations recruiting new staff. The event allows undergraduates to network with potential employers and to learn about career prospects.
The IFTM President says the Institute was grateful for the strong industry support for this year’s Career Day, despite the pandemic-related economic challenges. Dr. Vong adds she is optimistic that the quality of the Institute’s graduates can give them a competitive edge in the labour market.
Dephanie Chiang Cheok Ieng was one of the IFTM undergraduates attending the 2021 Career Day. “My goal was to have a better idea of the overall employment market in Macao,” she says.
During her visit to the fair, Dephanie was keen on learning more about job opportunities in either the event or hotel sectors. The Year 4 Tourism Event Management student praises the overall arrangement of the Career Day. “We got to know new companies through the fair, and we could also deliver in person our curriculum vitae,” she says.
Year 4 student Tommy Tong Ka Kit had already submitted a resumé to his ‘target employer’ prior to the IFTM Career Day. The Hotel Management student still took part in the job fair in order to network with industry representatives and to “learn more” about employment trends in tourism and hospitality.
“I want to work in the food and beverage industry,” Tommy says. “I would like to focus on the wine sector,” he adds. His interest in this area was further developed during a Year 3 curricular internship, which took him to New Zealand, one of the world’s top wine-producing countries.
Diverse job offers
The IFTM Career Day has provided, over the years, a premium opportunity for companies in tourism and hospitality to recruit fresh talent. But the range of employers interested in taking on new graduates from the Institute is much wider.
Technology firm BoardWare Information System Ltd was attracted to the 2021 IFTM Career Day because of the quality of education provided by the Institute, says company representative Ms. Carol Loi Kuok Man. In joining the event for the first time, the firm was looking to fill positions in areas ranging from human resources to finance. “Furthermore, we know some IFTM students actually have knowledge in software development or cloud systems: if graduates are interested, we can also provide them with on-the-job training in these areas,” Ms. Loi says.
BoardWare Information System already has IFTM graduates among its staff. “I can see that they are creative and innovative,” Ms. Loi says. “Looking ahead, we would like to cooperate with IFTM to provide curricular internships to students.”
Mr. Jack Mao Jun Kan, Senior Vice President of Sunivers Investment, says the company is preparing to enter the Macao market, as regional integration accelerates under the Greater Bay Area initiative. “So, we are participating in job fairs of various higher education institutions, hoping to recruit Macao talent,” Mr. Mao says.
Sunivers is an international private asset management firm with an investment scope that covers the Mainland, the Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and the United States. It is involved in a cultural tourism project in Lijiang in Yunnan Province. “With graduates specialised in tourism, we hope to develop other similar projects,” Mr. Mao adds.
Satisfied employers
Some firms are veteran participants in the IFTM Career Day. According to representatives of several of them, that is because of their confidence in IFTM’s ability to produce a steady flow of quality graduates.
The local unit of high-end fashion brand Louis Vuitton is a repeat presence at the event. Company Human Resources Manager Ms. Rachel Wong I says one reason is that IFTM provides specialised training in retailing: the Institute offers a Bachelor Degree Programme in Tourism Retail and Marketing Management. “That’s why we would like to recruit more IFTM graduates,” Ms. Wong says.
Louis Vuitton already provides 1-month and 6-month internship opportunities to students from the Institute. Ms. Wong says a number of former interns from IFTM eventually apply for a job with the company upon completing their studies at the Institute.
Soon-to-be-launched Lisboeta Macau also was a repeat presence at the 2021 IFTM Career Day. The operator of the integrated resort took part in the event for the third year. Human Resources Supervisor Mr. Hank Sio Kam Chun explains why: “IFTM graduates have great sense of customer service.”
Mr. Sio also commends the Institute for its handling of the Career Day. “Information was clear, and IFTM provided us with sufficient support,” he says.
Employers at IFTM’s 2021 Career Day
– Air Macau Company Limited
– Artyzen – Grand Lapa Macau, Grand Coloane Resort
– AXA China Region Insurance Company (Bermuda) Limited
– Banco Delta Asia S.A.
– Blooom Coffee House Limited
– BoardWare Information System Limited
– China Life Insurance (Overseas) Company Limited Macau Branch
– Christian Dior Macau Single Shareholder Company Limited
– COFFEE CONCEPTS (MACAU) LIMITED
– Crowne Plaza Macau
– DFS Cotai Limitada
– EvolutionHR Consultacy Limited
– Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip
– Future Bright Group
– Galaxy Entertainment Group
– Grand Emperor Hotel
– Grand Hyatt Macau
– Holiday Inn Macau
– Hotel Lisboa
– Hotel Royal Macau
– JC Human Resources Consulting (Macau) Company Limited
– JW Marriott Hotel Macau
– The Ritz-Carlton, Macau
– Labour Affairs Bureau
– Lisboeta Macau
– Louis Vuitton Macau Company Limited
– LT (Macau) Limited
– Macau Fisherman’s Wharf
– Macau Greater Bay Area Human Resources Association
– Manpower Service (Macau) Limited
– Manpower Outsourcing Service (Macau) Limited
– Manulife (International) Limited
– Melco Resorts & Entertainment
– MGM
– MSS Recruitment
– hello-jobs.com
– New Yaohan
– Regency Art Hotel
– Richemont Asia Pacific (RLG Macau Limited)
– Sands China Ltd.
– Sanjiang Human Resource Service Company
– Sheraton Grand Macao
– The St. Regis Macao
– Sociedade de Jogos de Macau,S.A.
– SO-IDEA Convention & Exhibition Consulting Co. Ltd.
– Suncity Group Ltd.
– Sunivers Investment
– Tak Chun Group Company Limited
– The Nuance Group (Macau) Limited
– Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A.
– Yorkshire Online Academy Ltd.
