During the evening of 24th November, the SBC International Alumni Association (IAA) held its first alumni activity in the English Tea Room. More than 20 SBC graduates returned to the campus and shared their personal career development experiences with students who are currently studying at SBC.
During the event, graduates were invited to talk about their own experiences related to maintaining a balance between internship placements and academic study in the final year, how to prepare for job applications and interviews and how to choose the 'right' job. They also shared personal stories of life as a new recruit in their job position and tips on how to make the transition from student to an effective team member in the office.
Zhao Yufan, an Events Management graduate is currently an Assistant Product Manager at Ctrip.com. His responsibility is to explore new and interesting tourist destinations in Jiangsu Province. He said that after being in his role for four months, he had become more confident in dealing with people by improving his communication skills. Zhao is also very pleased that he is going to be promoted to Product Manager at the beginning of the New Year.
Zhu Rong, a graduate in Mechanical Engineering, now works for Hudong Heavy Machinery, a major state-owned enterprise under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). He spent a few weeks adapting to the new office environment and soon started to take the initiative to be proactive about learning and taking on tasks. He said, "As a young graduate, the first thing you need is to know is how to 'act as a person' and behave appropriately, before mastering any technical skills."
A decision that all Year 3 and Year 4 students face is whether to seek employment or undertake further study after graduation.
Gong Lina, who studied at SBC for two years and graduated from the University of Leeds, commented on this with reference to her own experience. She said that the first thing to think about is which option is instinctively more attractive to the individual. According to Gong, it is also a good idea to gain some real work experience before starting a Master’s programme because "it helps give a much clearer idea about what you need for later in your career".
The alumni activity also attracted graduates who had studied at SBC for 2-3 years and completed their degrees at one of SBC's partner universities in the UK.
Wang Huanlin (Bruce), currently a Sales Officer in the Standard Chartered Bank Shanghai, is among the first cohort of students who joined SBC in 2006. He studied at SBC for two years before being accepted by the School of Management at the University of Bradford, one of the top-ten business schools in the UK. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree, he successfully pursued an MSc degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Bristol, another first-class British university.
It has been three years since Bruce left SBC and when he walked into the campus he was quite amazed at the rapid development that has taken place at SBC over the past few years. In particular he commented on the improvement of facilities, expansion of student societies and campus cultural diversification as a result of the increasing number of international students joining SBC. He also expressed that he was grateful for the international education he received at SBC and because of this he left the college feeling well prepared for further study overseas.
Lillian Chen, Alumni Development Officer at SBC said: "I'm pleased that this kind of event has been beneficial for both graduates and current students at SBC. SBC is home for all its alumni, so we do welcome everyone to come back and visit us often."
