CHAN Ngai-lee Ally || BSc (Hons) Investment Science || MVA Hong Kong Ltd.

Unlike many Investment Science students who had their summer placement in local and investment banks, Chan Ngai-lee Ally gained a different learning experience at the UK-based marketing research company, MVA.

Ally was assigned to support a transport planning strategy project for the Hong Kong government’s Transport Department. To handle an unfamiliar topic could be intimidating, but, on the other side of the coin, it could be a valuable opportunity to learn and expand one’s knowledge.

A brand-new learning

“To be frank, I was worried at the beginning. Fortunately, with the patient guidance from my supervisor, I came to comprehend the project step by step,” she says.

Part of the project was to investigate the impact on the passenger volumes of some bus routes after the opening of the West Rail Hung Hom Station. Ally’s team analysed the collected data and produced a summary of the new public transport arrangements. Ally says, “I am now very familiar with the Hong Kong transport planning and strategy for the years ahead.”

Meanwhile, Ally relished the opportunity to develop up her skills and knowledge in using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) analytical software. “It is the statistical analytical software used by many companies for data processing and analysis. Luckily, I had a general idea about the system from university. I think proficient manipulation of SPSS would give me a competitive edge,” she says.

Ally’s able performance during the internship was appreciated by her employer. After the completion of the placement, she was offered a part-time job by the company. “I’ve grown up and became more independent. I’m not ‘a flower in the greenhouse’ anymore as the Cantonese saying goes,” she says.