Riding on the increasing number of tourists coming from mainland China, jewellery retail industry in Hong Kong continues to flourish, resulting in numerous job opportunities available to meet the market demand.

“Hong Kong is the fourth largest exporter of precious jewellery in the world. In mainland China market, the leading position of Hong Kong has become more and more prominent,” says Shirley Wong, Admin & HR Manager of Luk Fook Group, an international jewellery retailer established in 1991. Currently having a total of 34 branches (26 in Hong Kong, 5 in mainland China, 2 in Macau and 1 in Canada) and more than 900 employees, the Group is expanding the number of retail branches in other places including the USA. From March to September 2007, three branches were set up locally in Mongkok and Causeway Bay and hence 78 new staff have been hired.

Talents Wanted
According to Wong, talents are needed to fill front-line as well as back-office positions, and in Hong Kong, sales staff are in high demand. To get into the industry, job seekers need to have a keen interest in this industry. In addition, a neat appearance, sound communication skills and a courteous attitude are essential for front-line staff. They should be able to speak Cantonese, English and Putonghua in order to communicate with customers from different countries.

“Jewellery retail does not mean just selling a piece of jewel. We have to offer good services to customers,” Wong comments. Therefore, a friendly and active attitude is required for sales staff.

Tips for Job Seekers
During job interviews, product and industry knowledge as well as communication skills of job seekers will be tested. Candidates may be given a situational problem to solve such as how to deal with difficult customers.

As for job seekers who want to be jewellery designers, they have to possess relevant academic qualifications related to jewellery design. They also need to have good market sense as the Group's products are sold not only in Hong Kong and mainland China, but also in other countries such as Canada and the U.S.

Promising Developments
According to Wong, career development in jewellery retail is promising. “For front-line staff, promotion from junior sales executive to branch manager depends on one's personal ability and aspirations to advance in the industry. There is not a definite number of years to get promoted.” She adds however that since branch managers need to look after a team of more than 10 staff, 5-8 years of jewellery retail experience are required.

To upgrade in order to advance in the field, sales staff will receive on-the-job training. Supervisors act as mentors and teach junior staff product knowledge and share with them shop operation experience. For designers, they are advised to upgrade their technical skills and knowledge by taking courses offered by professional associations such as Gemological Institute of America. Internally, the Group also provides training courses on sales technique, product knowledge, operation management, and ethics.

Career development in jewellery retail industry is also measured in terms of knowledge gained. “There is a lot of professional knowledge for employees to acquire throughout their career path in this industry which offers a stable, lifelong career,” Wong comments.