"My Career, My Preferred Way
CANDY WOO
Management Trainee, Hang Seng Bank (Retail Banking & Wealth Management)
BBA (Operations Management & Management)
Attracted by the industry nature and the company culture
Two years ago, when I was still a final year student busy working on numerous projects and preparing for loads of exams, I did not have a clear idea what I would like as a career. However, I had a strong desire to work in a company which allowed continuous development and had a family-like culture. Therefore, I applied for the Hang Seng Bank Management Trainee (MT) Program. I was shortlisted and went through several phrases of interviews, including a group interview with nine other candidates and a panel interview with a few senior executives. I am very grateful to have finally got the job, joined the company and started my career in banking. I don’t have any regrets.
In my opinion, the banking industry is both very challenging and interesting, and this has inspired me to join the industry. It is not solely about money, figures and financial statistics. There are various specialties within the industry, such as corporate banking and retail banking. You can have the chance to work with different experts, gain knowledge from different units and broaden your horizons. Meanwhile, since technology is advancing rapidly these days, digital banking is becoming more and more popular.
During my placement in the digital banking division, I had a myriad of opportunities to learn new things and grow, seeing changes in the e-channel of Hang Seng Bank.
In order to get a dream job, one needs to understand what kind of person the company is looking for. Even within the same industry, the culture of two companies can be very different. Therefore, finding a company with a working atmosphere that fits your personalities would definitely be a plus when it comes to your career development. Besides, familiarize yourself with the industry and the company you want to work for by being tuned in to industry and company developments (such as through reading press releases). This will help you impress the interviewers and get hired eventually.
A positive attitude counts
So far, the most challenging experience at work has been to take care of a campaign of a new initiative in the digital banking division, since it was in an area I was not familiar with. In overcoming difficulties, attitude counts more than anything. You should always be humble and not afraid of asking the seniors and managers questions whenever you are unsure about anything. It is also important to learn through observations, be proactive and embrace the challenges; work hard and put in as much effort as you can. Having a proactive attitude towards your job not only helps you face the difficulties, but also enables you to build a successful career. One should therefore possess a can-do attitude and be eager to learn.
What motivates me have been the chances to rotate in different divisions. Within the first 1.5 years of the MT Program, we have job rotations every three to six months. I have worked in five departments so far, from taking up frontline roles in a branch to a project management role in back office divisions. Through rotating in different departments, I have gained lots of invaluable experiences. Apart from acquiring new knowledge, I have had various chances to work with different people, both internally and externally, which has definitely built my professional network and enhanced my interpersonal skills. All these gains encourage me a lot and make me look forward to upcoming rotations and challenges.
Of course, during the rotations, there may be some jobs that I am not familiar with nor interested in. I will treat them as a chance to lay more solid foundations. Once I can do well even in those less exciting jobs, I believe I will definitely do better also in jobs that I like. Most importantly, you will have more confidence in yourself and your boss will also trust you more if you can handle even the less preferred tasks well. In short, when facing unpleasant tasks, I will try to turn the 'dislikes' into 'likes.
To live a university life to the fullest, I encourage students to treasure and enjoy every moment and opportunity they have. For me, I joined the international exchange program to the UK in Year 3. I was also a Rotaract Club committee member and interned for Lenovo. Determination and commitment are important. Cherish and be committed to every opportunity and even challenge. The more you are devoted to something, the more you would gain in the process.