CEDARS Global Career Springboard Scheme (CGCSS)

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"At first, I had a bad impression of working in Japanese companies as many of the Japanese dramas portrayed the working culture as strict and demanding with long working hours. However, Ricoh Japan is different from what I expected. The company promotes work-style reform to create a better and flexible working environment (e.g., digitalisation/ICT, reduce repetitiveness, free from location or time constraints). The people in Ricoh were all very nice that they took me everywhere for lunch almost every day. They also took me to watch the Ricoh Rugby team game. Not only the working environment was impressive to me, the work there was also challenging. During my internship, I worked in different teams in Higher Education Division, Corporate Planning Division and Human Resource Division. Working in multiple divisions of a multi-ventured huge company was eye-opening, I could experience the direct business with customers (universities) and the inner management planning (corporate planning). I was also able to understand the recruitment process from both the company’s and new graduates’ perspective. This internship experience is unforgettable."

"The programme was well-structured which allowed me to understand and compare different types of companies. There were start-up companies and large corporations; there were traditional Japanese companies like Shinsei Bank and heavily westernized companies like HENNGE; there were also long-standing manufacturers like Nishiri and innovative companies like Omron. By visiting all these companies, I learnt about the Japanese way of thinking and their working culture from a wide perspective. I got the chance to talk to many local people from whom I realised that Japan has been changing a lot in recent years. The government is trying to enforce law to reduce people’s working hours and promote work-life balance. Furthermore, as there are more and more foreign people working in Japan, the entire society becomes more open. After joining this programme, I gained a better understanding of the Japan society and Japanese working culture. I know that speaking business level of Japanese remains a prerequisite for staff of most Japanese companies, I think I have to improve my Japanese language if I am going to work in Japan in the future."

"Working as an intern at Global Daily was an excellent and valuable opportunity for me to experience the working environment in Tokyo, get a glimpse of the advertising industry, learn my strengths and weaknesses, and ensure my future career path. Global Daily is a Japanese advertising company located in Ueno, specializing in promoting Japan and Japanese culture to foreign visitors. During the five-week internship, I had written more than 10 articles both in Japanese and Chinese, planned and conducted 3 on-the-ground researches, as well as prepared and presented an advertising proposal. These works have greatly improved my communication abilities, time management, and skills on copywriting and research. More importantly, by putting myself in a real working environment, I was able to understand my strengths and weaknesses as a worker, which was extremely important for job hunting and career planning. Furthermore, with the internship experience at Global Daily, now I am more clear and confident about working in Japan in the near future."

"I have explored the unique Japanese corporations and working culture during this trip. I observed the innovation, latest ICT technology and industrial-management of Ricoh Japan. Our visit to YAMATO, a Japanese technology-based logistic company, was definitely an eye-opening experience for everyone. It was our first time going deep into the centre of a logistic warehouse. We were astonished how detailed, organized, eco- and user-friendly the belt conveyor system was designed and managed. Meeting students from Rikkyo University was unforgettable! We exchanged the Hong Kong and Japan cultures while enjoying the lunch at the Harry-Potter-liked canteen! I learned the beauty of blending engineering, science, technology, business and humanity in Japanese corporations. This experience has provided great insight for my future career development."

"I really enjoyed working at Mothership, a Singapore-born Internet media company and one of the largest local digital platforms. The people there were nice and funny, I loved to be involved in all the activities with my colleagues, such as their lunchtime talk and games. In terms of my internship work, I was a bit stressed at the beginning due to the many familiar but never-really-touched terms. I tried my best to apply my knowledge from coursework and asked for advice from my supervisor. When I got on to the right track, he assigned me with some more challenging tasks such as the post campaign report. I was given much freedom to convert my creativity into the work in this company. Sometimes it could be tiring with the busy work, but after spending many hours on a specific task, I could develop more insights for improvement in the future. This summer was a really fruitful one and I am glad to be a member of Mothership where I could explore my career interest in the marketing area."

"My time interning at the ASEAN University Network has been an eye-opening and fulfilling one. I learned about what the organization does and how it resolves to accomplish its mission. I personally worked on research projects relating to quality assurance of some of the universities in Southeast Asia, as well as analyzing their positions on world rankings. I have also taken part in the work of QA training sessions and engaged in cultural exchanges with Japanese university students. Working together with interns from different backgrounds was great, we could exchange experience and knowledge with one another. My colleagues were nice and friendly and I could never forget their hospitality. Overall, the experience was an enjoyable one that enriched my understanding of one of the developmental branches of the ASEAN. I was able to connect with many different people and contribute my part towards the mission of the AUN, and I hope that my contribution has made a difference."

"I worked as an intern at the corporate finance team of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) in Singapore this summer. This two-month internship was a memorable journey for me. I not only gained professional knowledge in the field, but also made a lot of good friends in the company. At the beginning of the internship, I got the chance to attend briefing sessions to learn about the company’s business. These sessions were very useful and informative, which helped me get familiar with the daily work quickly. I was impressed by the attitude and enthusiasm of the staff who work very closely as a team. I was able to apply what I have learned from university to my daily work, my practical skills were also enhanced by conducting research for the directors. I enjoyed the welcome gatherings and bowling activity organized by the company, and I got to know the other colleagues and interns better through these occasions. Overall speaking, this internship was fruitful and meaningful for me and my future career."

"During my internship in National University in Singapore, I got the chance to participate in different lectures, meetings and visits, which enabled me to learn more about the subject I am studying. Together with three other interns, we assisted the professor with his research and preparation of course materials. Since we all come from different countries, it was very interesting to hear about the different culture in various regions of the world. I never expect that my internship would be that rewarding, I have gained new knowledge, explored a new city and met many new friends!"

"At Enterprise Asia, I was mainly responsible for the liaison work with corporations and inviting them to participate in the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) ceremony. My team leader and colleagues were always willing to share their experience with me, I learned a lot from them on how to communicate with the corporates in an effective and professional manner. I received a lot of constructive comments from my supervisor who helped me kept improving throughout the internship. This experience beyond Hong Kong has also sharpened my problem solving skills since I had to deal with most of the problems independently when I was living in a different environment outside Hong Kong. I found myself step out of my comfort zone and became clear of the future career that I want to pursue."

"Unlike other internships, this experience has broaden my perspective in how HKTDC is doing its job to promote and attract foreign businesses using the Hong Kong business platform. I was responsible for contacting fashion-related companies and inviting them to go to the Fashion Week in Hong Kong. Through working on the market reports and making invitation calls, I learned to be professional and patient in handling details and sensitive information. I enjoyed my visits to different exhibitions so much, which enabled me to understand the latest business trends in Malaysia, the Malaysian industries and products. I am sure I can transfer the technical skills acquired to future business projects and school projects of different courses. I can also apply the soft skills learned in this internship to my future encounters with business professionals and even in other social circumstances."

"I would regard this journey as a gift to me. This was the first time that I left my home to live and work independently in a foreign country. The encouragement and the warmth I received from my employer and all my fellow colleagues would never be forgotten. I have been so thankful for my working experience in Lifewise since working in a NGO that helped the less advantaged and the vulnerable in society has always been my dream. The opportunity would be rare if I were to intern at companies like this in Hong Kong. In Lifewise, my colleagues and supervisor really saw the best in me and believed in me. They entrusted me with some important tasks like creating survey to evaluate the effectiveness of internal communications, translating English brochures, promotion articles proofreading and database management in CRM. I know I had been a small yet an essential part of the trust, and this has been so satisfying to me. In conclusion, this one and a half month of working in New Zealand would be unforgettable to me."

"This overseas internship in Ireland is an extraordinary experience for me, and it will be one of the most unforgettable moments I had in my university life. Not to mention meeting all the great people there, the internship experience did help me gain a better understanding of Irish and EU value adding taxation policy which I could never encounter in an internship in Hong Kong. The greatest challenge was to complete the site fee and cost summary of over 20 different medical trials during my internship. The task was so complicated because every trial involved many kinds of currency and it was difficult to determine the present value of the amount each trial had spent. Moreover, each trial had different sponsorship contract. I had to read through the contract one by one and build a unique tool for estimating the expenditure of each trial. The tasks were tough, yet completing it gave me a huge sense of achievement. This was only part of my experience and I had developed great problem solving skills through this internship. It is really a great exposure for university students to participate in an overseas internship."

"My internship in the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London has been a rewarding experience for me. In the 5-week internship, I was able to take a glimpse into the daily work of a government officer. From doing research on future business events in the UK to writing daily and weekly summaries on news topics across the European continent, the seniors in the Office entrusted me in accomplishing both major and minor tasks which were indeed to the huge benefits of the Hong Kong economy and society. I was grateful to all my colleagues and seniors in the Office, who have provided me guidance and support not only at work, but also about the daily living in London. The working environment has been harmonious. My research skills have improved a lot after working on a wide range of projects including social policies in Sweden, and background briefs of well-known politicians and organizations in East European countries."

"I joined Air Belgium for an internship in August 2018 where I worked closely with the pricing and marketing team and got a good grasp of the operation of aviation industry. For example, I learned how to operate an online system for booking group flight tickets. I was also given the chance to suggest ideas for the marketing plan targeting the Hong Kong market. I am very thankful to be able to contribute to the company’s marketing plan as a Hong Kong people, such as creating promotion slogan using Cantonese slangs. During the internship, I realised I was not proactive enough to seek for different work opportunities from my manager and colleagues. In the future, I shall gain more experience in the aviation industry to foster my interest in it. With more experience and knowledge, hopefully I can become more proactive in the workplace. Overall speaking, I am eternally grateful for such an experience which definitely boosts my confidence to work abroad, especially in Europe."

"I experienced a fruitful adventure in Berlin through the summer internship with HKETO in Berlin. Other interns and I have worked on presentation of some current social issues (e.g. smart city and virtual bank) and brought a more comprehensive image of Hong Kong to others. I have gained better understanding about the current position of Hong Kong on these international topics. I also learned much about the German lifestyle through the sharing by local colleagues. There are no shops opened on Sundays as the Germans value Sunday as a day for rest and worshipping. All in all, the internship in Berlin was practical and inspiring to me. If there is a chance, I would love to visit Berlin again."

"My main duty as an intern at Solidarity App in Barcelona was to conduct market research regarding Chinese live streaming and promote my company’s platform by reaching out to online content creators. This experience has deepened my understanding on the streaming market, and has enhanced my communication skills dealing with content creators. More importantly, because of the diverse nationalities of my colleagues, I learned how to collaborate with people from different cultural backgrounds. Communicating with colleagues using different English accents has been one of the big challenges for me. In terms of working culture, people in Barcelona used to work in a slow fashion. By tuning down my speed and be on the same page with them, I found that I have improved my quality of work."

"I joined this programme trying to explore other industries beyond engineering while visiting the United States at the same time. In the programme, I gained an eye-opening experience by visiting famous companies such as NBC and Admerasia, as well as renowned NGOs like UN and YMCA. We were able to talk to and exchange ideas with the representatives in the companies who have given us valuable advice and suggestions on how to choose our career. Moreover, there was a CV workshop in which we learned how to improve our CV writing and apply the American style. Apart from the professional visits, the programme also brought us to different attraction spots. The most memorable place I went was the Statue of America. I was astonished by the view while I was on the ferry travelling to the island of the Statue of America. I would also like to thank the leaders from the organizer in New York who stayed with us and led us to all the visits and places throughout the entire tour. They were very caring and nice to us, we would not have such a wonderful and fruitful trip without them."

"The New York Career Exploration Programme I participated in January 2018 has inspired me in many ways, one of which is to work in the financial industry in New York City. I was delighted when I found out that Cross-Cultural Internship Program (CCIP) offers students a chance to experience what it is like to work in New York. As a student leader of the CCIP and a junior loan review analyst at the First American International Bank (FAIB), I gained many valuable experiences and unforgettable memories during the seven weeks in New York. Interning in New York has allowed me to immerse myself in a workplace full of diverse culture and unique minds. I met co-workers from different backgrounds (e.g. Wharton graduate, previous Morgan Stanley and Barclays investment bankers) that are more than kind and welcoming; they not only taught me technical skills but also gave me advice on possible career paths. This internship has allowed me to grow both as a professional and an individual."

"Disney hospitality of the first Disney Park is something special and precious to learn. It was a good chance to experience the American culture and style through the Disney internship. I became familiar with most of the roles in Casey’s Corner day by day. I was able to work independently, answer questions from guests and help with the restaurant operation. I also tried perform magical moments and spread pixie dusts to our guests. The local people speak really fast in English and I couldn't understand many of their jokes. However, I overcame this by trying to ask more whenever I didn’t understand. After the internship, my social skills have improved and I now feel more comfortable to chat with strangers. I still want to improve my spoken English and be more courageous to speak with strangers in the future."

"I was assigned to do research on tourism industry and food service industry in China during my internship in Beijing. Without much knowledge about the Chinese market, it was quite hard for me to propose good solutions. Yet, I overcame the obstacles by doing abundant research on the online payment market in China and seeking advice from my senior colleagues frequently. In order to give more effective and feasible solutions and suggestions, I tried to understand more about the operation of Chinese institutions and students’ consumption behavior. I also learned about the operation of Alipay comprehensively by going to field trips and meeting with clients together with senior colleagues. My colleagues were all very helpful and assisted me to adapt to the working environment quickly. Through this internship, I became more familiar with the development and prospects of financial technology in the market."

"Working in the National Museum of China as an intern, it gave me the chance to understand the work that people do behind all the exhibitions. In the internship, I worked for the Social Education and Propaganda Department to provide museum education for the public, especially children. I learned about the daily operation of the office and how they connect with the public through the education programme. I also had the chance to participate in the activity classes that the museum offered to primary school students. It was a good experience to work with colleagues from different backgrounds, I learned to communicate with them by speaking different languages and the technical terms to be used to describe different aspects of the Chinese culture."