Side Hustles and Startups: Should You Put Them on Your Graduate CV?

"So, what did you do during university?"

You're sitting in a windowless conference room in Admiralty, and the HR manager has just asked that question. Your palms are sweaty. You've got a 3.2 GPA from HKU — respectable, but not stellar. Your internship was at a small local firm, not Goldman Sachs. But you also spent two years building a small online business selling custom tote bags on Carousell, and last summer you co-founded a food delivery WhatsApp bot that got 200 users before fizzling out.

Should you mention any of this? Or will it make you look unfocused, unserious, like someone who couldn't commit to a "real" job?

This is the exact dilemma facing thousands of Hong Kong graduates right now. The job market is brutal — according to the latest government data, the unemployment rate for young people aged 20-24 hovers around 8-10%, nearly double the overall rate. Every application slot is precious. Every line on your CV is scrutinised. And the side hustle or startup you poured your heart into? It could be your biggest asset — or a massive red flag.

Let's break down when to include it, when to leave it out, and how to frame it so recruiters see initiative, not distraction.

Why recruiters are suspicious of side hustles

First, understand the mindset of the person reading your CV. In Hong Kong, most HR managers and hiring directors come from traditional corporate backgrounds — banks, consulting firms, big four accounting, MTR, HSBC. Their career path was linear: good grades, good internship, good first job, promotion, repeat. They didn't start a side hustle. They didn't code a prototype in their dorm room.

When they see "Founder, Bubble Tea Subscription Service" on a fresh graduate's CV, their first thought is often: "This person couldn't commit to a single thing." Or: "They'll leave in six months to work on their next idea." Or the classic: "This isn't real work — it's a hobby."

A 2023 survey by JobsDB found that 62% of Hong Kong employers prefer candidates with traditional internship experience over those with entrepreneurial projects — even if the startup generated real revenue. The bias is real. It's unfair, but it exists.

And there's another layer: some side hustles are legally grey in Hong Kong. If you were selling goods without a business registration, or running a service without the proper licence, a risk-averse HR team might see liability. They don't want to hire someone who might end up on the front page of Apple Daily (well, not that it exists anymore, but you get the point).

When your side hustle is a strength (and how to frame it)

Here's the good news: not all recruiters are dinosaurs. Forward-thinking companies — especially in tech, startups, creative agencies, and even some forward-looking MNCs — actively want candidates who've built something. They know that running a side project teaches you skills no internship can: customer discovery, cash flow management, resilience when things fail, and the ability to work without someone telling you what to do.

The key is framing. You can't just write "Founder, Tote Bag Empire" and expect them to be impressed. You need to translate your hustle into the language of employability.

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) but adapted for your project.

• Situation: "Identified that university students wanted affordable, eco-friendly tote bags but local options were limited."
• Task: "Launched a Carousell store with HK$2,000 initial capital."
• Action: "Designed products, managed suppliers from Sham Shui Po, handled customer service, and shipped 150+ orders."
• Result: "Generated HK$18,000 in revenue over 8 months, achieved a 4.8-star rating, and built a repeat customer base of 40 people."

Now, instead of looking like a hobby, it looks like project management, supply chain experience, customer relations, and basic financial literacy. That's gold for roles in marketing, e-commerce, operations, or even banking (yes, they love people who can manage P&L).

Only include it if it's relevant to the job you're applying for.

If you're applying to be an analyst at a fund, your handmade soap business probably doesn't help. But if you're applying to a startup incubator or a digital marketing role, your side hustle is your single strongest proof of capability. Tailor your CV for each application — don't just dump everything in.

Be honest about scale and outcome.

Don't exaggerate. If your startup had 10 users, don't say "thousands." Hong Kong is small; people talk. And recruiters can smell BS from across the harbour. Instead, frame it as a learning experience: "Built a prototype, tested with 10 users, learned that customer acquisition cost was too high — shut it down after 3 months." That shows self-awareness and analytical thinking, which is more impressive than a fake success story.

When to leave it off your CV entirely

There are clear cases where your side hustle or startup should stay in the drawer:

• It's illegal or unethical. Selling counterfeit goods, running unlicensed gambling pools, or anything that involves under-the-table cash. Just don't.
• It's completely unrelated to the role and you have strong traditional experience. If you already have two solid internships at reputable firms, your side hustle adds noise, not signal. Drop it.
• It shows poor judgement. If your startup failed because you had a falling out with your co-founder over money, and you didn't handle it professionally, that story will come out in an interview. Protect your reputation.
• It's too recent or too small. A weekend pop-up stall with three sales doesn't demonstrate much. Wait until you have a meaningful track record.

How to list your side project on your CV (Hong Kong style)

Here's a template that works for Hong Kong platforms like JobsDB, CTgoodjobs, and LinkedIn:

Experience

Founder & Operator | EcoTote HK (Carousell business) | Sep 2022 – May 2024

• Launched a direct-to-consumer tote bag brand with HK$2,000 seed capital, achieving HK$18,000 in total sales
• Managed end-to-end supply chain: sourced materials from Sham Shui Po fabric district, coordinated with a local printer, and handled inventory
• Built a customer base of 40 repeat buyers through organic Instagram content and Carousell promotions
• Handled all customer service, achieving a 4.8/5.0 satisfaction rating across 150+ transactions

Notice what's missing: emotional language like "passionate," "driven," "innovative." Instead, it's concrete, quantified, and focused on outcomes. That's what recruiters in Hong Kong respond to.

The Amploy shortcut

Look, I know you're thinking: "This is exhausting. I have 50 applications to send, and now I have to rewrite my CV for each one, deciding which side hustle to include or exclude?"

You're right. It is exhausting. And honestly, most graduates don't bother tailoring their CVs at all — they send the same generic document to every job. That's exactly why your tailored application stands out.

But if you want to do this faster — like, 10x faster — Amploy can help. It's a tool built specifically for Hong Kong job seekers. You upload your profile once (including all your side hustles, startups, internships, everything), and when you find a job on JobsDB, CTgoodjobs, LinkedIn, or Indeed, Amploy reads the job description and automatically tailors your CV and cover letter for that specific role. It even fills in application forms for you — every field, from your name to your cover letter box — so you just press Tab to accept each suggestion.

The Autofill feature means you can apply to 20 jobs in the time it used to take you to do one. And because it's built for Hong Kong, it understands local platforms and local hiring norms.

Final advice: Own your hustle, but frame it for them

Your side hustle or startup is not a secret shame. It's proof that you didn't just study — you built, you failed, you learned, you tried. That's more than most graduates can say. But the way you present it determines whether it helps or hurts you.

Ask yourself before every application: "Does this experience make me look more qualified for this specific job, or does it distract from my main narrative?" If the answer is the former, include it — but frame it professionally, with numbers and outcomes. If the answer is the latter, leave it off. You can always bring it up in the interview if it feels right.

And if you want to save hours of manual tailoring? Give Amploy a try. It's free to start, and it's designed to get you uninstalled — because once you land the job, you won't need it anymore.

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