Internship at J.P. Morgan

Hi guys! My name is Ken, and I am a final-year student majoring in Computational Finance. Four years ago, I received an offer from CityU while still unclear about my dream and goal. As the saying goes, Life is like riding a bicycle. My university life turns out to be full of predictable yet wonderful events.

Before COVID

CityU, for me, is a place that offers a whole host of out-of-study recreational activities to choose from. During the summer of my freshman year, I joined the Culture and Language Immersion Scheme (CALIS) organized by the College of Business. I had opportunities to practice my English at the University of Auckland while meeting friends from different countries and exchanging information about our different cultures. I also volunteered at the Auckland Art Gallery, where I learned a lot from my team. Seeing me nervous in a new environment, my managers on the team introduced me to many things about the city and gave me a lot of flexibility to observe at the gallery. I still remember how grateful I was when they organized a farewell tea at the end of the programme, and I shared about my exploration of Auckland city. In retrospect, I believe how they treated me nicely and fairly has allowed me to build a correct working attitude.

During the Lockdown

Another memorable experience was when the pandemic came in my sophomore year. All the campus activities were shut down at that time, so I took a gap semester to accumulate my industrial experience. This was when I realized how valuable the finance and computing skills were that I had developed through the CFIN coursework.

I started my data analytics internship at Ernest & Young, where I was responsible for cleansing clients’ data for audit purposes by utilizing Excel, VBA, and Alteryx that I learned at school. I also had the opportunity to work alongside my manager to study and present the possibility of using more advanced technology to boost auditing efficiency.

In my second internship, I joined the Hang Seng Bank Fintech Programme, where my role was more like a Business Analyst. My batchmate and I decided on the new functionality and layout of the new product in the Hang Seng digital platform. We also communicated actively with the technology team to deliver our requirements and ensure the development process was on track. Working in this agile framework was one thing that challenged me the most and let me understand how important effective communication and teamwork are in the working environment.

My final internship during the gap year was at the Bank of the Philippines Island. I worked in the Product Development and Business Management Team, and my major responsibility was writing the market update for the bankers in Manila every morning and assisting my team in handling trade requests.