Managing career risk and staying put in a difficult economic climate is a major concern of many employees these days. It was also the topic of discussion addressed by speakers at Classified Post's reader seminar 'Find out how to recession proof your career' at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre last Tuesday.
Employees are taking different approaches to keep their jobs, including studying for more qualifications, but the speakers agreed that employees should not use the extra qualifications as a tool to try to negotiate for benefits such as a pay rise.
'Employees studying for additional qualifications [will find they] are good for their career potential, but they should not believe they can use their new qualifications to negotiate for better benefits or a promotion,' said July Kong, human resources director of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.
'They should look [at it] from a different angle, that new qualifications serve to help you stay competitive and keep your job. They should not be used as a bargaining chip.'
The speakers warned workers to consider whether the qualifications they were working towards would help them perform better in their current role and whether they could juggle their study plans and work at the same time.
'Striving to improve yourself by way of continued education is important at any time,' said James Hong, general manager for marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong. 'It is one way to add value to your career and your company.'