In Form 7, like other secondary school students, Eddie Lam dreamed of attending university; but it turned out that his A-level exam scores were insufficient for entering into a Bachelor’s Programme. Later that year he went into an Associate Degree Programme in Accountancy. The choice was influenced by his parents’ “4-Profession Concept”— i.e., being a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, or an engineer is the most ideal career choice.
Not wanting to fail, Eddie worked hard to prepare for his 2nd challenge, the Non-Jupas interviews. Luckily, he was offered entrance to the BBA Management Science Programme (MS) at CityU as 2nd year student. Although he was not sure what MS was about, he was willing to accept the challenge and to try something new.
“MS tells you how to think about complex problems from a mathematical and information technology perspective.” Eddie found interest in MS soon after. He enjoyed the flexibility of applying his own way of thinking and exploring different application methods. He convinced his parents that the “4-professions” were not the only way out.
The short two years at the College of Business passed by quickly with a cultural and academic exchange at the York University in Canada and an eye-opening business internship in a multi-national corporation (MNC).
These experiences led Eddie to decide on his career path. “I loved the multiculturalism in Canada and what I did during the internship, so I set my goal to work at a MNC that offers career opportunities in a global scale.” Eddie was determined to achieve his goal, so he did. He is now working as the Asia Pacific Team Lead at Johnson & Johnson, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.
Eddie has been to 7 cities in 6 different countries in his 1.1 years with the company. This translates to 65% of Eddie’s time being on business trips to meet new people. This definitely broadened Eddie’s horizon!
“Things don't always go as planned, unexpected things and uncertainties often arise. Thus, we need to embrace new ideas. Find your passion, don't just listen to others. Keep true to yourself and expect the unexpected!”
— Eddie Lam
( Jan 2013 )