Words of Wisdom

Analects of Master Shifu (Personal Qualities You Need for Job Hunting)

The “Analects of Master Shifu” （師傅論語）is a record of discussions that Master Shifu held with his students about career planning and job hunting.

Book 1 – Persistence and Endeavour

Master Shifu asked, “Isn’t it helpful to look for jobs with persistence and endeavour?”

Student Ming said, “Persistence and endeavour are abstract concepts that employers can hardly observe in the process of job hunting. Thus, they are not so important.”

Master Shifu explained, “Though personal qualities such as persistence and endeavour may not be shown explicitly to the employers during the interview, these qualities are very important because the process of job hunting can possibly be long and difficult. Without persistence and endeavour, one can easily give up and thus can never realise their career goals.”

Book 2 – Honesty and Integrity

Student Bak said, “If a job applicant is asked a question that he fails to answer or he feels embarrassed to tell the truth, will it be better for him to lie so he can respond to the question without leaving a bad impression?”

Master Shifu replied, “The worst thing of all in the process of job hunting is lying. The employer does not expect you to know all the things. Some questions are raised to observe how you think and react when you face difficulty. Thus, being honest and telling the truth would not be bound to give a bad impression on employers. On the other hand, your integrity will be questioned and undermined if the employer finds that you lie. This is far more detrimental than not knowing the answer as no employers can tolerate employees without integrity.”

Forum

What other personal qualities are important for job hunting? You are encouraged to share your views and exchange ideas in the discussion forum.