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| Summer 2006, WIE training as Accounting Technician in Hong Kong |
| Summer 2007, WIE training in Helsinki University of Technology, Finland (IAESTE internship) |
| Present, Project Executive, Jardine OneSolution (HK) Ltd |
SIU Aaron || August 2008 Graduated with BEng (Hons) Industrial & Systems Engineering
Siu Aaron, a graduate from Industrial and Systems Engineering, is now enjoying his challenging job as a specialist in Enterprise Resources Planning system at Jardine OneSolution (HK) Ltd. To help himself identify his career interest, through WIE training, he seized the opportunties to explore jobs in different industries when he was at university.
Aaron experienced several internships in different industries. He thinks it is a good way to plan one’s career. “Unless you’ve personally experienced the job and worked in the industry, you wouldn’t know what interests you most,” he says. “After the first summer WIE experience, I found that I was not interested in developing my career in accounting, though I am good at working with numbers,” Aaron says.
In his second year at university, Aaron was nominated by his Faculty to join an internship in Finland. He thinks the overseas exposure helped him win his first job. “Nowadays, many employers are looking for employees with a strong global outlook. I noticed that all the seven candidates who proceeded to the final round of JOS’ recruitment process possessed overseas experience gained from internship or academic exchange activities,” Aaron recalls.
Worldwide encounter
 During the eight-week internship in Finland, Aaron made friends with people from nearly 20 different countries, such as the UK, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Hungary and Czech Republic. He became more familiar with the characteristics and culture of people from different nations through communication and observation. He also witnessed how much beer a German could drink!
“My global sense and awareness was greatly enhanced and I became more mature,” he says. “When I shared my overseas experiences with interviewers during my job search, most of them appreciated my overseas exposure, my adaptability as well as interpersonal effectiveness,” Aaron says.
Perseverance trail
“While you may possess different skills and experiences, you also need to package yourself and present your best-self in front of potential employers,” Aaron adds. To get his first job offer, he went through a stringent seven-round recruitment process which included an online aptitude test, written test, group discussion, individual presentation, management task exercise, individual and board interviews.
“Practice makes perfect. Most interviewers tend to ask similar questions for which you should prepare in advance,” says Aaron, who was one of the four candidates made an offer by the company.
He thinks international exposure provided by overseas internships would help students stand out during job hunting. “Employers look for a good balance between academic achievements and learning from other co-curricular activities. Good academic results need to be complemented by practical experience and exposure to the outside world,” Aaron comments.
VN:F [1.7.5_995] Rating: 4.0/5 (10 votes cast)
TANG Hiu-nam Rina, BSc (Hons) Computing and BBA (Hons) Management || NG Wai-long Vincent, BSc (Hons) Internet & Multimedia Technologies || Microsoft Hong Kong Limited
Enjoys double delights
 In Hong Kong, Tang Hiu-nam Rina and Ng Wai-long Vincent also found themselves immersed in the world of technology by taking on an twelve-week internship at the Microsoft Hong Kong office in the summer.
Rina, a double degree student majoring in Computing and Management, received an offer to be a consulting intern and was required to work for improving customer satisfaction in using Microsoft products, services and technologies.
During the Internship, she was in charge of the Cathay Pacific Airways Limited’s Management System Project, being involved in system development, testing, deployment and training for the airline and conducting user acceptance tests within the Microsoft Solution Framework Software Development Cycle.
“I never expected to have the chance to work with two big corporations in one summer internship,” says Rina. She worked closely with the technical account managers, consultants, partners and clients at different stages, including regular meetings, project development, requirement collection, testing, demonstrations, writing technical documentation, providing training and aids for clients, and answering clients’ enquiries.
“I was most fortunate to be engaged throughout the entire project. This enabled me be more familiar with the skills and techniques required in project management,” she says.
Moreover, from providing onsite training for IT professionals at the Cathay City, she learnt the techniques of effective communication. During one of the training sessions, a client representative reflected that her teaching was not clear enough which reminded her of the importance of putting herself in others’ shoes to deliver messages effectively and to establish good rapport.
Exposed to new skills
Vincent, majoring in Internet and Multimedia Technologies, was placed as a site assistant to support the online marketing team and implement page design, produce XML web content and build and execute web production. “The most challenging task was to modify the programme for the PressPass website, which required me to use a new programming language C# for programming development for the first time. I had to learn how to use this language while working on the task by myself,” says Vincent. “I am glad to have had the chance to learn this programming language. Now I plan to use this language in my final year project.”
To have his work done perfectly, he searched for information on the internet, flipped through many reference books and consulted his colleagues in order to master the programming language. Vincent felt excited by the results of using the new programming language. With success in acquiring some new skills by himself, he has become more confident about himself and is ready to explore his potential further.
Discover potential and passion
Having the opportunity to work at one of the world’s greatest companies could be a once-in-a-life-time experience. Rina and Vincent grabbed every chance to participate in Microsoft events such as the Microsoft Annual Channel Kickoff 2009 held at Ocean Park. In the event, they helped demonstrate the latest products to the press, the company’s partners and clients. “It was really a rare experience to give a presentation to clients in a cable car!” Vincent recalls.
Having worked at Microsoft, both Rina and Vincent realised their potential to join the high-technology industry. Before the internship, Rina never thought that she could work well in the information technology industry. The invaluable experience prompted her to consider being a business analyst or system consultant.
“I am confident that I can provide business solutions for organisations to implement their information system, through which I can fully utilise my computing and management knowledge learnt from my double degree,” Rina says. “I hope I can pursue my future career in Microsoft after graduation.”
VN:F [1.7.5_995] Rating: 3.7/5 (19 votes cast)
KOO On-ying Joanna || BSc (Hons) Enterprise Information Systems || Hong Kong conomic and Trade Office(Canada), Vancouver
Valuable meetings in Vancouver 
Also interned in the HKETO in Canada, Joanna was based in the liaison office in Vanconver. On top of the tasks of the daily routine and clerical support, she was an assistant event co-ordinator. To gain and learn the most from the promotional activities, she conducted research into the background of the organisers, the event objectives and VIPs being invited. “I also paid visits to academies, Government offices, community organisations and media groups, which all formed valuable experience for me,” she says.
Joanna benefited from evaluation and feedback given in review sessions with her supervisor. “We discussed my strengths and weaknesses. I took the comments on board to improve my performance and event organising skills,” she says.
What’s more, Joanna was happy that she had the chance to meet two dignitaries which gave extra prestige to her internship. In early July, the Vancouver office arranged a luncheon when Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Lam Sui-lung Stephen, paid a visit to Canada. “My colleagues and I worked on the pre-set action plan for the event day. We set up the venue, designed the rundown and received guests and VIPs at the front door.
She continues, “I never  expected that I would meet a senior official faraway from Hong Kong. I learnt a lot from Mr Lam’s speech on the economic ties between Hong Kong and Canada. It was really inspiring and impressive.”
Another memorable experience came when she met PolyU President Professor Timothy Tong at a dinner organised by the PolyU overseas alumni association to welcome the new President. “I enjoyed listening to stories of my senior fellows and the interaction with Prof. Tong,” she says. “I was far from home, yet I still had ties with PolyU.” Joanna also met her secondary school teacher again in Canada when visiting the Chinese Culture Center in Vancouver. “He is now a manager there and I volunteered to help out with some activities there. This experience was also very rewarding,” says Joanna.
The internship experience has given Joanna a good chance to reflect on her competence and career interest. “I now pay more attention to the world’s current issues because I know employers look for all-rounded people,” she says. She also appreciates the care she received from the PolyU alumni. “They were the guiding angels in my whole journey. One of the board members helped me find a home stay and took care of my daily life; others treated me to meals and took me sightseeing. I want to take every opportunity I can to say thank you to them!”
VN:F [1.7.5_995] Rating: 4.5/5 (10 votes cast)
CHEUNG Plaisir || BSc (Hons) Enterprise Engineering with Management || Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office(Canada), Toronto
 When Plaisir Cheung, Koo On-ying Joanna and Yau Chi-wai Billy interned in the offices of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Toronto, Vancouver and Chengdu respectively last July, they found their placements unexpectedly challenging and memorable and were proud to make contributions to the Government and Hong Kong.
Promoting Hong Kong
In the Toronto office of the HKETO, Plaisir worked on the promotion campaigns of the East-Asian Games and other events and provided general administrative support in the office. She also utilised skills learnt from the classroom in the revamp of the HKETO database management system, a Government department aiming to foster economic and trade ties between Hong Kong and Canada, as well as to promote Hong Kong’s interests across Canada.
In the Toronto Dragon Boat Festival, an event to promote Hong Kong culture, Plaisir assisted in setting up booths and distributing souvenirs. She also promoted the East-Asian Games to be hosted by Hong Kong in December 2009 to visitors of the festival. “I hope people were impressed by our marketing and will visit Hong Kong later this year. I gained a lot and got to know my home city better,” she says.
Plaisir was very grateful to her supervisors who organised a series of workshops and talks on topics such as presentation skills, press release writing skills and job interview techniques as well as on current issues such as Government administration services, the HK-Canada trade connection and Hong Kong people immigrating to Canada. “Such training and exposure allowed us to acquire knowledge and information not available through curriculum studies. All these opportunities expanded my knowledge about international affairs and enhanced my global outlook and cultural awareness,” she says.
The first year student is thankful for the internship opportunity. “I believe the experience puts me in an advantageous position when I pursue my future career. The on-the-job training helped me explore my genuine interest and think about how I should plan for my career goal,” says Plaisir, who wishes to be able to contribute back to the Government and to work for the benefit of the next generation.
VN:F [1.7.5_995] Rating: 4.0/5 (14 votes cast)
NG Wing-hoi Jack , LEE Chi-fun || BEng (Hons) Electrical Engineering || Hongkong Electric Company Limited
 This summer, two Electrical Engineering students, Ng Wing-hoi Jack and Lee Chi-fun, interned at the Hongkong Electric Company (HEC) as vacation trainees, playing a part in brightening Hong Kong.
During the eight-week internship, Jack was attached to the Electrical and Instrument Maintenance Section (EIMS), a department that supports the large-scale coal-fuel power plant on Lamma Island. Working on Lamma Island was a new experience for Jack. Before the commencement of work, Jack went through a series of training modules to study and troubleshoot the instruments, electrical equipment and machines in the power plant. He was then responsible for recording the procedures and results of the oil treatment of the transformers.
As interns are not allowed to handle the crucial components in a power plant in order to ensure the stability of power supply for all business and social activities on Hong Kong Island, Jack provided support to his colleagues in handling different kinds of defects, monitoring and inspecting large-scale maintenance work, and commissioning of new equipment.
“As most of the work in the power plant require specific qualifications and techniques in the respective fields, I was not allowed to take over it directly,” Jack says. “Though I was not able to handle the process by myself, I learnt from demonstrations from my supervisor.” Jack found it a precious opportunity to have real working experience at the electricity company which pushed him to improve his interpersonal skills.
“It is very important to have a good relationship with colleagues since they provide guidance and share with you their working experiences,” he says. “I will also make use of this fruitful internship experience to plan for my future career.”
Applying knowledge to real work 
Unlike Jack who needed to stay in the furnace-like power plant, Chi-fun worked in the busy office located in Admiralty. In the Planning and Regulation Department, he assisted in electricity generation planning and helped to process data to define the best combination of electric generators.
To minimise the operation cost and fuel consumption, the company considered Unit Commitment and Economic Dispatch, which are crucial for an electric power system to meet the required demand at a minimum cost, while keeping the power supply stable. Besides generation planning, he was also involved in transmission planning and was instructed to use a power system simulator (PSS/E), an integrated and interactive software tool that utilises simulation to analyse and optimise power system performance. With the programme, Chi-fun generated an one-line diagram of the power system that aided forecast planning through gathering numerical solutions of load flow, fault level and stability studies.
“Sometimes it was confusing studying the theories from textbooks. But now, I am capable to apply the theories I learnt to real life. I was also delighted to learn the operation flow of a power system from practical experience,” Chi-fun says.
VN:F [1.7.5_995] Rating: 2.2/5 (15 votes cast)
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