A wider horizon
After graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) with a degree in business administration in 2001, Simon Tam joined the banking industry. He has worked for a couple of banks, and is currently a manager at the headquarters of the Bank of Communications. Tam finds working in the industry rewarding as he can help clients in needs.
In 2010, having worked in banking for almost a decade, Tam thought it was time to enhance his knowledge. He enrolled as a part-time MBA student at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and is expected to graduate from the programme in July this year. As an affirmation of his dedication to his studies, Tam was awarded a scholarship in the first year of his MBA.
Why did you pursue an MBA?
Having gained a degree in business administration, I wanted to deepen my knowledge in this area. Besides, I wanted to learn more about management as I believe it will be beneficial to my work. I'd been working in the banking industry since I left university, so I would like to know more people who worked in different industries and to share my experience with them and learn from them.
Why did you choose PolyU?
I like the principle of the course provided by PolyU. The course not only teaches you theory, but also stresses practice. In fact, I found that what I've learned from the course can indeed be applied to my work, such as the research method I used to finish my work assignments. I think this is one of the selling points of the programme. Besides, we can choose our own assignment topic, so I can choose something related to my work.
Are you funding your own studies or is your company subsidising you?
I am basically self-financed, although my employer subsidises about 10 per cent of the course fee.
How do you balance the demands of your job and your studies?
It is definitely no easy task to study while you are working. It really requires great resilience. Besides, you have to sacrifice dozens of things while studying, such as the time you spend with your family and friends. But I think the most important thing is to be certain of the reason why you are pursuing an MBA. One's academic performance is, of course, important, but even more crucial is that you are here to learn.
