Mr. Pakho Chau Recounts Personal Journey in Pursuing Dreams at “PolyU SPEED Career Fair 2018”

02 May 2018

Singer-Songwriter Mr. Pakho Chau, who has received over 100 awards since the start of his music career, attended the sharing session of “PolyU SPEED Career Fair 2018” (the Fair) organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University-affiliated School of Professional Education and Executive Development (PolyU SPEED), and co-organised by College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE) Student Affairs Office and CTgoodjobs, the media partner of the Fair, on 30 April 2018. As a highlight of the Fair, a sharing session has invited Mr. Chau to recount his personal journey in pursuing dreams as well as answer students’ questions on the topic. The sharing session was joined by over 200 PolyU SPEED students and staff.

From left: Dr. Macy Wong, Assistant Programme Director and Lecturer of SPEED; Dr. Joseph So, Head of Student Affairs of CPCE; Dr. Simon Leung, Associate Dean (Development) of CPCE; Dr Jack Lo, Director of SPEED; Mr. Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, JP, Secretary for Education; Prof. Peter Yuen, Dean of CPCE; Prof. Warren Chiu, Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) of CPCE; Dr. Artie Ng, Deputy Director of SPEED; and Ms. Diane Chan, Executive Director of CTgoodjobs officiate at the Opening Ceremony of “PolyU SPEED Career Fair 2018”.

This year, the Fair is themed “Dare to dream, Dare to Excel”. With the support of over 100 organisations from various industries, including airline, retail, logistics, hotel, food and beverages, and NGO, just to name a few, PolyU SPEED students were privileged to have a head start in their career planning.

Over 100 organisations set up booths at the Fair offering information from trainee programmes to full-time and part-time opportunities.

The Career Fair, which was held on 12th and 13th April, had offered various programmes to equip students with essential job-seeking skills, such as CV writing workshops, mock interviews, career talks, and professional photo-taking sessions, etc. To encourage active participation, the four students with highest participation scores in the Fair were given the chance to ask Mr. Chau questions regarding career development on stage during the sharing session that followed.

Prof. Peter Yuen, Dean of CPCE (right), and Dr Jack Lo, Director of SPEED (left) together presented the Certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Pakho Chau.

At the sharing session, Mr. Chau recounted his path in becoming a singer-songwriter – as a child, he had dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player, a chef, and even a professional car racer. Not until he was in his early twenties had he thought about turning his interest and talent in music into a lifelong career. At the end of the sharing session, Mr. Chau presented his signed albums to the four winners with highest participation scores in the Fair, as well as ten other students from the lucky draw.

Mr. Pakho Chau shared how he overcame his challenges with the participating students at the sharing session of PolyU SPEED Career Fair 2018.

When asked about the biggest challenges he had encountered during his music career pursuits, he recalled three things, “First and foremost, my own self. I had once refused trying new things with the assumption that I could not manage them, but later find out that my decisions had not been correct. Dancing had been one of them. I didn’t find out that I could handle it until my 10th anniversary concert. Managing negative voices from others is another challenge. They are difficult to deal with, but at the same time, they are also effective motivators. Most of the time, negative comments could be beneficial to your growth, and my personal choice is to listen to them with a critical mind. Lastly, it is time. When I was younger, I always thought I had a lot of time but in fact, you never have enough time. You ought to use your time wisely with good planning. I set different goals and give myself timelines to ensure I don’t let time slip by.

Apart from Mr. Chau’s sharing, Dr. Jack Lo, Director of PolyU SPEED, also gave students a few words of advice during his opening remark, “World renowned physicist Prof. Stephen Hawking once said, ‘Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up.’ This tells us that we have to look further away and be confident. Each of us has our personal edge and through learning, sooner or later, we will realise our dreams.”