Letter from the Editor

Moving ahead

As the semester closes, fresh graduates have to move on in their life journeys and many of them face the crossroads in getting a job. Among the jobs much sought after by university graduates is to become an administrative officer in the government.

Joining the administrative service is a prestige job with high salary and a big responsibility. The recruitment is an intense knockout competition with rounds of written examinations and interviews. Still, thousands of people make an application to join the fight for a small number of appointments every year. It goes without saying that some applicants simply follow the herd to submit their applications.

But can the selection process really pick the best and right talents to serve the public? What do the administrative officers, the so-called backbone of the government, actually do? How are the officers coping with the changes in the society and the government internally amid growing public demand for a greater say in policy making since the city's reunion with mainland China 10 years ago?

Our Periscope team looks into the role of the administrative elite corps and how it recruits new blood. We also find out how students prepare to get over the hurdles to tread on this taxing career and the tips on how to perform better in the recruitment tests and interviews.

Despite common misconceptions, not all administrative officers stay and serve in the government for their entire careers. Our interviewee for the People section, TVB's general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan, is a former administrative officer. Mr Chan and actress Karena Lam Ka-yan separately talk about their experiences in life.

This celebratory 100th issue also brings you stories on the problem of cleanliness in alleys, exotic flavours of potato chips and the city's postal service behind the scenes, among many others.

I would like to seize this opportunity to express gratitude to our readers for your constant support. Thanks also go to every reporter and editor of this semester for their effort in producing the magazine.

Varsity will see you again in the next academic year with a new editorial team. May you all reap the most as you continue on your life journeys.

Howard Kwong
Editor