My Experience Working In Shanghai

Catherine Xuan

I applied for the Shanghai Business Immersion Program on a whim during my first year at University and was lucky enough to be offered a placement – I have absolutely no regrets.

My main motivation was wanting my summer holidays to be meaningful. I realised that gaining early industry experience was the way to go. Of course, I could have applied for a local placement, but the location of this program drew me to apply for three reasons:

1. It was my chance to explore my personal aspirations of working overseas while I was still young.
2. As an Australian born Shanghainese, I grew up with an immense appreciation of Chinese culture. As I got older, my fascination extended to the rapidly evolving Chinese economy and business sector.
3. I wanted to challenge myself and develop independence by throwing myself into a new cultural, social, professional and political environment.

During my six weeks in Shanghai, I worked at Wicresoft, a subsidiary of Microsoft as a Financial Research and Business Development Intern in the Shanghai Tower (the second tallest building in the world). My work usually consisted of constructing a daily finance, politics or global newsletter that would update the international associates of Gaotime, a leading advisory and financial information provider (similar to Reuters/Bloomberg), constructing comparison reports for NYSE/NASDAQ listed Chinese companies, formulating and presenting opinions on business insights and occasionally helping with event preparation.

I was also able to attend exciting company events such as their Future Leaders Conference where the company’s top 100 employees with prospective leadership qualities gathered for a convention allowing me to meet and hear from many C-suite executives and the company’s AGM events.

From this experience, I have not only gained industry insights in the Financial Research and Business Development sector but also career path direction. I realised that the sector is not for me, but I have been able to hone in on my interests and gain clearer insight into my aspirations.

However, I was able to employ the skills I’ve learned in my degree within the workplace, enabling me to see the true benefit of the skills taught at University in a working environment as well as develop soft skills such as oral and written communication, teamwork and initiative.

Why should you do it? 

The immersion program is unique in that it allows students to not only gain valuable corporate experience but also deeply engage with their host country’s culture and develop skills of intercultural fluency and understanding that is becoming increasingly desired in the workplace.

This comes from seeing the nuances between Australian and International business, cultural experiences, understanding unfamiliar professional practices e.g. 'guan xi' in China and adaptation to social norms.

Another substantial reason to do the program is the tight-knit bunch of like-minded, exceptional friends you emerge with. You’ll form unbreakable bonds with the other students in the program with everyone going through the same first-day anxiety, too many food adventures (Chinese food is so tasty and cheap), cultural shocks among other great highs and lows for six weeks, ultimately gaining a support network for life.

So, if you’re wondering whether you should apply for the program or not, I say 100% go for it! You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain!

My Industry Placement Program Experience at EY Shanghai

It was not until I handed in my resignation form and received my internship certificate that I realised my experience as an EY intern had officially ended. How time flies! About 8 weeks ago I was looking at the skyscrapers in the Shanghai CBD and wondering if I was really qualified to intern in one of the big four accounting firms. Now, I can leave with confidence and working knowledge about auditing and the industry.

I am an undergraduate international student from China, and I was lucky enough to be one of the students in the 2015 IPP Shanghai program. I was placed in the EY Shanghai office for six weeks and obtained an extension offer for two more weeks after the program ended. My role as an assurance departure intern involved various tasks, including preparing audit working papers for several subjects; sending, receiving and updating bank confirmations; and assisting senior auditors. The experience was rewarding and eye-opening. Doing audit working papers allowed me to recall the accounting knowledge learnt from university and put the knowledge into practice. Theories are best memorised along with practical experience. A real-life work environment allowed me to utilize and reinforce my skills and knowledge.

Gaining industry insight is another major feature of the program. First-hand work experience has allowed me to obtain a decent understanding of the auditing industry and various other industries. For example, I did not know manufacturing a plastic door handle can involve as many as 10 processes until I went to the client’s factory to perform the stock take.

I think what differentiates IPP from other internship programs is that IPP is a unit of study with assignments. I know it sounds absurd, and I admit that I was in pain when I did my assignments! But the assignments ‘forced’ us to constantly reflect on our experience and ask ourselves questions. For me, this is a very effective way to learn from an experience.

Another important aspect of the program was, of course, having fun! Although being Chinese myself, I have never been to Shanghai. For me, this was an eight-week internship as well as an eight-week trip to the most modern city in China. I am deeply impressed by the food, people and culture of this city. I am also glad that I met a bunch of like-minded and energetic friends from the program. We helped each other, shared stories and experiences, and become good friends.

This IPP experience has been a truly unforgettable experience, something which I will continue to process and learn different things at different stages of my life.

Harry Hu
Current student at the University of Sydney Business School

3 weeks at Shanghai JiaoTong University (SJTU)

3 weeks, 50 students, 22 countries. The SJTU short-term exchange program at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xuhui campus was a valuable opportunity to understand business and culture in China. At least that was my initial view of the program. It turned out to be so much more than just that. Through engaging in such an international program, not only was I able to understand China better, but also other cultures. Meeting people and make friends from different nationalities, gaining a better understanding of their cultures is what makes the experience so enjoyable and worth it. The program had both undergraduate and masters students. Being an undergraduate student, I felt that the time that I was able to spend with the Master’s students and learn and hear their experiences was enlightening.

There was a good balance of different activities throughout the program: blending corporate visits, lectures, learning Chinese, sight-seeing and traditional cultural activities. The lectures gave us an insight into real estate, entrepreneurship and sustainable development of China's economy. Chinese lessons catered to different proficiency levels, though by the end all of us at least managed to know 'duo shao qian' (How much?) and 'tai gui le' (too expensive) from shopping. The companies we visited were 3M and Yihaodian, where we were able to meet the Chairman. He was down-to-earth and it was great being able to talk to him in person. Sightseeing during the weekdays included The Bund, a day trip to Wuzhen and a cruise on the Huangpu River.

Cultural activities included calligraphy, dumpling making, tea ceremony and having dinner at the temple. The monks recited the Buddhist chant for twenty minutes, after which we were able to begin eating. We also had dinner with a local Shanghainese family, giving insight into what life is like for Chinese middle class families.

Weekends/Free time:
The weekends and after class are perfect times for exploring the vibrant city. On the first weekend, I visited Hangzhou (there were very long waiting lines at the station, so get there early) and checked out the West Lake. We were given the wrong directions (mistranslation of left/right) and walked half an hour in the opposite direction! The lake was beautiful so it was worth it in the end. Other people even managed to fit in a weekend trip to Beijing and see The Great Wall. On the second weekend, the places I visited included People's Square and the Wedding Market. Some parents and grandparents come here to look for suitable partners for their children. It was an interesting spectacle to say the least!

Overall, I can truly say that the quality of the SJTU program was phenomenal, and the only downside was the short duration as three weeks went by too fast and we had to say goodbye to our new friends. The program has given me an improved global perspective, and I am keen for future overseas opportunities and reunions with the friends I have made in Shanghai.

Madeline Wu
Current student at the University of Sydney Business School

Shanghai Study Abroad Program: Student Reflections

Six weeks in Shanghai flew by as a short-term study abroad student at Fudan University. This pilot program was organised by the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, and offered to students in the Business School and Arts Faculty.

As part of the program, 17 University of Sydney students completed a four-week intensive summer school at Fudan University, which is renowned as one of China’s leading universities. Students studied a variety of courses such as Chinese Diplomacy and politics, Chinese civilisation, Chinese art, and international business. Our study schedule also included daily Mandarin lessons that catered to all experience levels, from beginners to advanced. Most students received up to 12 credit points for taking these units, and all added real value and international experience to their degree. 

Another major component of this program was a series of site visits to Chinese business, government and non-government organisations led by US Studies Centre staff. These site visits enabled our group to enjoy presentations, discussion sessions and participate in debates with professionals working in Shanghai. Highlights of this two-week schedule of visits included engaging Q&A sessions at the Australian and American Chambers of Commerce, Australian and American Consulates, eBay China, Apple and AEG entertainment group. 

It was thrilling to hear from a variety of mid- to senior level management about their experiences as expats and local people, navigating the challenges and opportunities that doing business in China entails. Another stand out experience was participating in a round-table discussion with foreign service officers at the American Consulate, and enjoying a group dinner with Bates Gill, the CEO of the US Studies Centre and world renowned US-China expert.

Life in Shanghai outside the classroom certainly lived up to our expectations. As a group and as individuals, each student in this pilot program made a huge effort to immerse themselves in the local customs, culture and food. Some of us arrived in Shanghai not knowing how to use chopsticks, and others who had previously travelled to China deepened their connection to this exciting, vibrant metropolis.

Overall, this was an incredibly rich and rewarding experience; made even more special by the close friendships we formed within the University of Sydney group, and with other international students taking the program. I have certainly returned to Sydney with a strong case of the ‘China bug’ that will hopefully lead me to return to China later in my career.

Madeline Greer
Current student at the University of Sydney Business School