Being Brave and Dreaming Big
“Without CUHK my ambitions may have never been fulfilled”
To get to where you want to be, you need a plan, the courage to pursue it, and a little help along the way – something CUHK can provide. Originally from Shandong where she completed her undergraduate degree, Michelle Li has always had a clear career roadmap.
She completed her master’s degree in Economics at University of Edinburgh, and was immediately hired by HSBC in Shenzhen. Moving away from her home town was an easy decision, especially when HSBC provided a strong brand association, together with ample exposure and a structured training system. Geographically, she was also one step closer to working in Hong Kong, the ultimate destination where she wanted to establish her career in the banking and financial sector.
Time for a career accelerator
Michelle was satisfied the technical skills and fundamental knowledge acquired from her master’s degree at Edinburgh but knew an MBA could enhance her soft skills in order to be more competitive. Already eyeing on an MBA programme in Hong Kong to make a potential location change in her career, Michelle chose CUHK because of its reputation as the 1st MBA programme in Asia, its contextual advantage in the Greater Bay Area, along with its extensive and active alumni network.
As a non-local student who was new to the city, she needed to find her bearings on everything from cultivating a network to understanding the state of employment and job markets. She was extremely grateful to get all the help and support she needed from the MBA Career Management Centre (CMC).
“The CMC arranged mock interviews with me and provided practical suggestions when I secured a job interview with Goldman Sachs. Despite not getting the job at the end, I really appreciate their effort of going that extra mile to make sure I was well prepared,” says Michelle. Through the Career Management Centre, she successfully received a placement for a 6-month internship at the corporate finance section of a financial institution. This acted as a bridge and has successfully connected her with a full time job in the same field.
Moving up in the world
Michelle is now an associate of CASH Financial Services Group Limited, a leading financial services conglomerate established in Hong Kong in 1972. She is ready to launch her career in Hong Kong, where she has always aspired to work. Thinking back to her job interview at the CASH Finance Group, it was an exciting experience and she felt extremely blessed “to find a company with a culture and a position that matches perfectly with my personalities, past experiences and future career plan.”
“I’m thankful to the CUHK MBA Programme for what I’ve achieved!” says Michelle. She particularly appreciated the support from Professor Andrew Chan, Executive Associate Dean of the MBA Programmes. “He sat down with me for an hour to understand my career plans, gave me relevant advice and he even introduced his own resources to me!” says Michelle.
Michelle’s future career plan is to continue to expand her knowledge and build up her expertise in the area of wealth management. The MBA programme has helped her realize the edge she offers as well as giving her a thorough understanding of the current employment market.
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