Vincent Hui
- B.A. (Cantab) Economics (2017)
- Human Resources Planning and Poverty Co-ordination Unit
- Chief Secretary for Administration's Private Office
- Education Bureau
My AO Story
My AO story began in the summer of 2016 when I joined the Administrative Service Summer Internship Programme and spent three fruitful months at the Policy and Project Co-ordination Unit of the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Private Office. I was heavily involved in the “Life Buddies” Mentoring Scheme launched by the Commission on Poverty.
I came on board formally as an AO in the next summer and fortunately had my first posting back at the Policy and Project Co-ordination Unit (now Human Resources Planning and Poverty Co-ordination Unit). I was lucky to have a seamless transition to carry on my work managing the “Life Buddies”. I also assisted in the establishment of and provided secretariat support to the high-level Human Resources Planning Commission to optimise the human capital development of Hong Kong. Together with a dynamic and friendly team of colleagues, I took part in a number of interesting new projects and researches adopting latest technologies and methodologies that were unprecedented in the Government.
After almost two years in my first post, I continued my journey in the Education Bureau overseeing the policy on vocational and professional education and training (VPET). I assisted the Task Force on Promotion of VPET in conducting a comprehensive review on the VPET development in Hong Kong and formulating relevant policy recommendations. As it was my first policy bureau posting, I had a steep learning curve in familiarising myself with the VPET policy quickly, but once I settled down, it was rewarding to witness my work bearing fruit. One of such moments is the publication of the review report of the Task Force after months of hard work.
While many may perceive the job of a civil servant to be mundane and static, the job of an AO is often stimulating and unpredictable. The year 2020 is particularly challenging for me. Other than the disruptions posed by COVID-19, I had to additionally take up the duties of a more senior post, whose purview covered the self-financing post-secondary education policy, for six months. Juggling the tasks of two posts at once was somewhat exhausting, but it was also a great opportunity to brush up my time management and problem solving skills. This experience prepared me well as I was eventually redeployed to take up this post now. At present, I am focusing on implementing support measures for the self-financing post-secondary education sector as well as reviewing the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance.
To be honest, it was somewhat a coincidence that I became an AO intern at the first place, but it was definitely not one when I actually applied to be an AO. The internship was a game changer to me. My AO supervisor and mentor were super caring and never shied from sharing their personal experiences and career advice with me on a day-to-day basis. I got way more than just a taste of the work of an AO, and was able to get my hands on in administering summer job tasting programmes for disadvantaged youths under the “Life Buddies” Mentoring Scheme. I got to interact with participants and saw how they got the exposure and inspiration for their life planning through the scheme that I helped develop and implement. The social impact and job satisfaction was the primary reason why I had no doubt in joining the AO grade after graduation. Even though “Life Buddies” was supposed to help inspire those disadvantaged youths, I might be the one that benefited most from the scheme.
After joining the AO grade, it was interesting how all my three posts are coincidentally related to young people and human capital development which are topics that are very close to my heart. My experience demonstrates how being an AO is a continuous learning process, while one can simultaneously play a part in areas that are critical to the development of the community.
My most memorable experience had to be managing the “Life Buddies” Mentoring Scheme. As I was an intern when the scheme was inaugurated, it felt like watching my own baby grow up when I got to oversee the development of the scheme during my first AO posting. I was given a lot of freedom and trust by my supervisor in trying out new ideas in terms of publicity strategy, large-scale events, etc. For example, we launched the first-of-its-kind “Be a Government Official for a Day” programme which paired secondary students up with senior government officials for job shadowing, with a view to inspiring students on their life planning. While it seemed to be an impossible task at first, we were glad that many officials were very supportive and the programme was well received by both officials and students. I was also able to keep close contact with many of the students and see first-hand how the programme has been a life changing experience for them. It was my ownership of this project as well as the close personal touch and tangible results that make it most memorable to me so far.
First and foremost, take a general interest in things happening in your community and the world. During the various assessment stages, read or listen to the questions carefully and answer all parts of them. Try to put yourself in the assessors’ shoes, and make sure that your answers are relevant and clearly presented. During the group exercise, be courteous and try to find common ground with your teammates. Remember that it is not a direct competition with them, but a chance to demonstrate how you can work well in a team. Present the best case to convince the board to hire you.