On December 14, 2012, the Career Development Center (CDC) Career Talk welcomed Mr. Wilson Zhang, managing principal of leadership and talent consulting from Korn/Ferry International, a leading Asian talent management company. He delivered a speech entitled “Strategic Career Management and Leadership Competencies”. The lecture attracted over 30 international students who have a passion to pursue their career in Asia.  

Mr. Zhang first elaborated on the importance of career planning and how to manage career strategically. He encouraged students to discover and identify their own values in planning career. Mr. Zhang then drew attention to issues on the current economic situation and real business environment, especially in mainland China. Moreover, he explored eight top competencies required by future business leaders in current VUCA (Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex and Ambiguous) world.

The lecture was followed by an interactive Q&A session. When asked how to deal with dilemma of choosing job offers, Mr. Zhang suggested combining organization’s needs, individual’s talent and career purpose to make a wise decision. He also encouraged students to cultivate and develop their leadership competencies when facing challenges in the current competitive environment.

Mr. Zhang has over ten years’ experience implementing training and development initiatives for leading organizations in Greater China. He was invited to be Career Advisor for SEM students at the end of the speech.