Nowadays, being an Administrative Officer (AO) is a popular choice of job and is the dream of many fresh graduates because of the attractive salary and its stability. Last week, I interviewed Charene Woo, who is an AO and has pursued her dream career. If your dream career is being an AO, you should pay attention to this article as Charene shared with us many things about being an AO.
Requirements
Not only are they required to possess a good understanding of their respective policy areas, they should also be alert and sensitive when listening to the views of different stakeholders so that they are able to approach policy work with the public interest in mind. Besides, AOs must be permanent residents of the HKSAR, and they need to have resided in Hong Kong for no less than seven years.
Qualification
AOs need to possess a first or second class honours bachelor’s degree from a Hong Kong university. They need to pass the Aptitude Test and attain Level 2 in both the Use of English and Chinese Language. Newly recruited AOs will go through a probationary period of three years. Those who perform satisfactorily and demonstrate long-term potential will pass the probation bar and be appointed on permanent terms. AOs have to work hard especially during the probationary period.
Responsibilities
AOs are responsible for the formulation of public policies closely related to the well being of society and the control and monitoring of the use of public resources. Junior AOs’ major duties normally include conducting research on a given policy area, preparing documents of various sorts, responding to public enquiries or opinions, liaising with different concerned parties within and outside the Government, and providing input on public policies and initiatives from time to time.
‘It is not easy to be an AO. You have to face many difficulties which you have never faced before. Every day is a new challenge!” Charene said.
So, be hard-working! Being well-prepared all the time can help you overcoming all the challenge.