St Andrews alumni in China insights
In this post, Ellen Wei, our Asian and Taught Postgraduate Opportunities Manager, provides insights into her recent trip to China to meet St Andrews alumni.
I’ve recently returned from a trip to China where I met over 130 amazing alumni. I had the pleasure to chat with them at alumni events in Shanghai and Beijing. It was fantastic to hear about all the awe-inspring jobs they are doing in areas such finance, banking, Midea, FMCG, consulting, academia, education and tech.
An interesting common theme popped up in our chats – no matter what job they had or industry they worked in, they all mentioned how competitive and intense the job market can be.
One recent graduate told me he sent out over 500 job applications before landing his first job! Additionally, an alumna who works at one of the Big 4 firms spent more than 250 days on business trips last year, which was only her second year working as a consultant. Quite a feat!
Now, you might have seen similar stories on RED (Xiaohongshu), but don’t worry. This blog isn’t here to stress you out even more about the job market. On the contrary, it aims to share some valuable insights and tips I picked up from our Chinese alumni. Hopefully, they’ll help you on your career journey.
Choosing your path
Zhu graduated in 2004. With over a decade of experience in a solar investment company, he possesses extensive knowledge of new energy technologies. His advice …
If traditional car manufacturing piques your interest, Europe or America may be worth considering, given their retention of core technologies. However, if your passion lies in sustainable development and new energy vehicles, returning to China could be your optimum choice, as it leads the way in research and production.
Golfing your way in!
Have you ever wondered how someone without a brokerage background can get hired at China’s biggest securities company? Turns out, Yuan’s boss loves golf! Lots of deals and chats happened on the golf course. So when Yuan mentioned in his CV that he was an active member of the student golf club in St Andrews (The Home of Golf), his boss was delighted to offer him an interview. Yuan also shared several promising career paths in finance, such as wealth management, asset inheritance, trusts, insurance (2B, 2C), bonds, and ESG.
Practice makes perfect
Wang recently landed a job at China’s top internet company, which is his dream employer. What’s his secret? There’s no secret – just practice. He meticulously rehearsed his interview presentation over a hundred times! He did mock interviews with five friends and confidently nailed the real interview. This demonstrates that perservance and dedication really can pay off!
Summer internships in China
Fang secured a position at a Swedish FMCG company in Shanghai. Every summer, Fang returned to China to undertake internships. You may wonder how she managed to apply for internships in China while busy studying in Scotland. In fact, from application to offer acceptance, it took just two weeks – much shorter than she initially thought the process would be.
UK internship adventure
As a postgraduate taught student, Shang found it difficult in her busy schedule to gain any work experience during term-time. Instead, she visited London to attend as many employer events as she could. She discovered a variety of interesting opportunities and successfuly secured an internship at a London IT company. This proved crucial in securing a job at China’s top mobile phone company.
Persistence reaps rewards
Remember the alum who sent out over 500 job applications? Da completed his postgraduate study in Computer Science last year. Since returning to China in August, he decided to apply to 5-10 vacancies every day and tracked his progress on a spreadsheet. After nearly three months of tireless effort, he landed a brilliant position at a FinTech company in Beijing. So the motto is “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again“!
I hope you find these stories helpful. If you’re about to graduate, consider joining our St Andrews Chinese Alumni WeChat group. Simply add the group administrator using WeChat ID: standrewsbj.
Furthermore, if you wish to connect with alumni from across the globe, sign up for Saint Connect and join our LinkedIn group.
I look forward to hearing about your future stories and career achievements!
Ellen Wei, Asian and Taught Postgraduate Opportunities Manager.