If you have ever listened to the Cantonese radio broadcast Gung Doi Lai Meng or watched the TV shows Good Morning Macau and Gourmet Walks of Macau, the name “Chan Ka Chon”(Class of 2009, B.B.A. in Marketing) will not be unfamiliar to you. Alumnus Chan graduated with a degree in business administration but ended up joining the media sector and enjoying the work very much, all because he found an arena for his talent.
Courage to Make a Change and Undertake Challenges
Facing a brand new occupation, Alumnus Chan chose to give up his stable banking job and the chance to work as a civil servant, taking the unfamiliar career path of an emcee. He says, “I used to be nervous even when giving a report on stage and my pronunciation was not good as well. I have always had a wish to improve myself. When I found out that the Macau Federation of Workers Union Youth Center was holding ‘Show your talent – the M.C. Competition,’ I decided to apply, as I thought it would be a good training opportunity so I undertook this challenge.” Although this was his first MC campaign, he was able to win two awards, namely the “Most Popular Award” and the “Most Potential Award.” It was a big encouragement to him. But the biggest reward was that he discovered his talent in being an emcee. Alumnus Chan’s performance was being seen and he started accepting invitations to be emcee and also casting in Hong Kong and local TV companies. He steadily discovered his own interest and passion. “My active character could not fit into the round-the-clock and boring routine work. So I chose to work as an emcee, as the work requirements change every time and each job is a challenge to me.”
Passion is Essential and Skill can be Polished
“Being a host is more challenging than being an emcee,” Alumnus Chan says about entering the business. “By the time TDM was looking for a TV host for its new program, I was recommended for casting since one of the judges was also one of the staff on the TV program. He thought that my style matched that of the program.” He started his career in television media after that. At the beginning, Alumnus Chan thought he only needed to host the program. However, later he found out that he had to work behind the scenes as well. Starting with communication, interviews, scriptwriting, shooting, editing and subtitling, he had to do all the work himself. “Most people think that being a TV host means only needing to show your face. But in fact, I have to work more than 8 hours a day. After broadcasting, I have to continue with information collection and interviews. In addition to this, I also host a radio program every Saturday. It is just more than normal to work continuously every day and night until the weekend.” Since he came from a non-journalism background, he had to spend more time to learn the operation of equipment and TV production. But due to his great interest in his work, he persisted despite the time and effort required. After two years of hard work, he has now risen to the challenge.
Working Very Hard Yet Remembering to Give Back to His Alma Mater
Alumnus Chan has put the extra effort into his work and is now finally reaping the rewards. In the near future, he will continue to focus on career development in television programming. But when he is free, he dedicates most of his time to his Alma Mater by joining alumni gatherings and activities like “Alumni Mentor” or as a guest speaker of a “Tea with Alumni” sharing session. He has given guidance to students on how to plan four years of campus life and shared his life experience and work attitude. Recently, he was invited to Choi Kai Yau College’s High Table Dinner to experience residential college life, as well as the dining etiquette and culture with students. He says, “Besides showing support to the Alma Mater, I was also inspired by the interaction with students and felt the vitality returning from my student years.”
