Hong Kong Trek 2009
By Dominic Bow & Samuel Lee JGSM '11
Issue date: 2/12/10 Section: Johnson News
As most first-year students prepared the start of the holidays after the Finance exam, twenty students continued to search for internships. We went on a trip to the Far East - the annual Hong Kong Trek - hosted by the Asia Business Association and Career Management Center. The trek took place between December 14th and 18th, and was invaluable for those of us who plan to develop our careers in Asia.
Why Asia?
In the past 10 years, China has catapulted, becoming the world's second largest economy based on GDP. Besides being an export-driven economy, China has also seen its citizens spending more, further driving consumption and investment. The same can be said for many other countries in Asia. Because of this, Asia offers many opportunities for job-seekers.
Eventful Week
The JGSM team spent the week meeting with various firms to learn about their operations in Asia and to look for internship opportunities. The week was stockpiled with 16 company visits. This year, we met firms from different industries including banks, buy-side firms, consulting firms and private equity shops. Some of these firms included: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Citi, Nomura (ex-Lehman), Fidelity Investments, Texas Pacific Group, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain. The variety of firms gave participants a chance to see the different flavors of business in Hong Kong. Besides company visits, many trek participants arranged informationals and some were even invited for job interviews on the spot. "The trek was a lot of fun. It was a wonderful opportunity for positions in Asia and I made contacts there that helped me with recruiting both in Asia and here in the US," said Alice Lian (JGSM '11).
The resounding observation amongst our visits was the strong sense of optimism that Hong Kong offices have with regards to the economy. As such, branches in Asia are aggressively expanding their capacities to take advantage of this growth potential.
Positive Response
"Our Hong Kong Trek was not only a well-organized career trek but almost a necessary visit for those who are interested in Hong Kong finance positions," Leo Tsai (JGSM '11) said, "Since it's physically impossible for employers to have informational interviews with MBA applicants from the US or Europe, we could only leverage the interactions from these events to improve our chances of surviving the resume screening process and establish contacts who would support us along the way."
Social Events
Hong Kong, also known as the "Pearl of the Orient", certainly embodies a vibrant culture. As visitors to the orient, we certainly spent time to enjoy all the fun that Hong Kong offers.
On Thursday December 17th, trek participants attended a social event in the evening to meet JGSM alums currently based in Hong Kong. It was interesting to meet those whom we'd only spoken to over the phone and finally allowed us to put a face to a name.
On Friday December 18th, the JGSM group attended a gathering with trek attendees from other schools including Chicago Booth, Kellogg, UCLA Anderson, London Business School and Hong Kong UST. We met up for a dinner reception and clubbing in Lan Kwai Fong (the Bar/Club district in Hong Kong) - a perfect end to a busy, yet rewarding week.
Through this trek, many of us have been enlightened by the bustling Asian economy and the vibrant lifestyle that Hong Kong offers. This trek has indeed changed perceptions about the market in Asia. Jonathan Pong JGSM '11, who has only visited Hong Kong once long before this trek, certainly viewed Hong Kong differently after the trek. He commented, "While I may have focused on traditional career opportunities in the States prior to the Hong Kong trek, I have since opened my eyes to consider Hong Kong as a way to take on a greater level of responsibility at an earlier stage of my career. On a personal note, the food and nightlife in Hong Kong was like nothing I had experienced before and is certainly something that I will consider when pondering where I will ultimately take my career!"
We look forward to having an even bigger blast on next year's trek. Best of luck to everyone in their recruiting efforts in Asia and beyond!
Why Asia?
In the past 10 years, China has catapulted, becoming the world's second largest economy based on GDP. Besides being an export-driven economy, China has also seen its citizens spending more, further driving consumption and investment. The same can be said for many other countries in Asia. Because of this, Asia offers many opportunities for job-seekers.
Eventful Week
The JGSM team spent the week meeting with various firms to learn about their operations in Asia and to look for internship opportunities. The week was stockpiled with 16 company visits. This year, we met firms from different industries including banks, buy-side firms, consulting firms and private equity shops. Some of these firms included: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Citi, Nomura (ex-Lehman), Fidelity Investments, Texas Pacific Group, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain. The variety of firms gave participants a chance to see the different flavors of business in Hong Kong. Besides company visits, many trek participants arranged informationals and some were even invited for job interviews on the spot. "The trek was a lot of fun. It was a wonderful opportunity for positions in Asia and I made contacts there that helped me with recruiting both in Asia and here in the US," said Alice Lian (JGSM '11).
The resounding observation amongst our visits was the strong sense of optimism that Hong Kong offices have with regards to the economy. As such, branches in Asia are aggressively expanding their capacities to take advantage of this growth potential.
Positive Response
"Our Hong Kong Trek was not only a well-organized career trek but almost a necessary visit for those who are interested in Hong Kong finance positions," Leo Tsai (JGSM '11) said, "Since it's physically impossible for employers to have informational interviews with MBA applicants from the US or Europe, we could only leverage the interactions from these events to improve our chances of surviving the resume screening process and establish contacts who would support us along the way."
Social Events
Hong Kong, also known as the "Pearl of the Orient", certainly embodies a vibrant culture. As visitors to the orient, we certainly spent time to enjoy all the fun that Hong Kong offers.
On Thursday December 17th, trek participants attended a social event in the evening to meet JGSM alums currently based in Hong Kong. It was interesting to meet those whom we'd only spoken to over the phone and finally allowed us to put a face to a name.
On Friday December 18th, the JGSM group attended a gathering with trek attendees from other schools including Chicago Booth, Kellogg, UCLA Anderson, London Business School and Hong Kong UST. We met up for a dinner reception and clubbing in Lan Kwai Fong (the Bar/Club district in Hong Kong) - a perfect end to a busy, yet rewarding week.
Through this trek, many of us have been enlightened by the bustling Asian economy and the vibrant lifestyle that Hong Kong offers. This trek has indeed changed perceptions about the market in Asia. Jonathan Pong JGSM '11, who has only visited Hong Kong once long before this trek, certainly viewed Hong Kong differently after the trek. He commented, "While I may have focused on traditional career opportunities in the States prior to the Hong Kong trek, I have since opened my eyes to consider Hong Kong as a way to take on a greater level of responsibility at an earlier stage of my career. On a personal note, the food and nightlife in Hong Kong was like nothing I had experienced before and is certainly something that I will consider when pondering where I will ultimately take my career!"
We look forward to having an even bigger blast on next year's trek. Best of luck to everyone in their recruiting efforts in Asia and beyond!
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
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posted 3/08/10 @ 4:28 PM EST
Great blog posts. Looking forward to more.
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posted 3/09/10 @ 1:51 PM EST
"Why Asia?"
Because it's most perspective segment in that sphere.
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