[Sponsored Article] Students starting at university may think they have clear ideas about their preferred career path. But those plans often change, to a greater or lesser extent, as a result of subsequent course choices, internships and involvement in out-of-classroom activities which inspire new perspectives and give cause to consider alternatives. That was certainly the case for two 2019 graduates from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Karim Kamaruddin and Andrea Hernández Reyes both originally entered the School of Engineering with an undeclared major, but their evolving interests and experiences, augmented by advice and support from professors and the university, led them to follow markedly different paths to finding a first full-time job. Now a management associate with Citibank, Kamaruddin is in the second of five six-month rotations. He is currently part of a data analytics team “mining” internal data to provide new insights for management. “The job requires both technical and broader business skills, which means it’s always challenging and makes it a great fit for me,” says Kamaruddin, who took the IB curriculum at secondary school in Hong Kong. By the start of his second year at HKUST, Kamaruddin knew he didn’t want to focus on just one discipline. Therefore, he opted for a five-year dual degree in technology and management. “I had two major goals,” he says. “To explore as much as I could and to figure out what to do as a career. I felt the dual degree would open doors for me.” In addition, various internships helped him to understand his strengths, passions and personality. One, for instance, was with a firm responsible for testing the communications system for trains running between airport terminals. “It taught me my real interest was in solving problems and doing diagnostics at a more macro level. That’s what made me think about a career in the business world.” A separate stint, while taking a semester break to work full-time in a process improvement role based in Singapore, along with successful participation in international case competitions during his years at HKUST, confirmed that impression. A summer exchange at the University of Pennsylvania, a fall exchange at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and a study tour to Israel also helped in clarifying his objectives and in terms of personal development. “Going abroad, you are put into a completely different environment. You see the way other people think and how other cultures work, which is good training for life in the world of business.” In other respects, he adds, the flexibility and support HKUST provides was also a crucial factor in his choices. “You can always ask for advice from the Career Center or alumni,” Kamaruddin says. “They offer guidance, list out pros and cons, but you make your own decisions. All that has helped me achieve my initial goals.” For Hernández Reyes, the route to her present role as a Hong Kong-based strategic project analyst with logistics company Century Distribution Systems was perhaps more direct, but it also entailed an element of soul-searching and readjustment. Originally from El Salvador, Hernández Reyes determined to go abroad after high school to somewhere “totally different” and came across HKUST, a top-ranked university with a global outlook, in the course of her researches. “I saw HKUST had exactly what I wanted, in an international city with a lot of opportunities for growth,” Hernández Reyes says. “Applying to HKUST was simple and straightforward, and I started in August 2015.” Her plan was to study chemical engineering. However, after the general courses of the first year, she found her true passion in industrial engineering and engineering management, and decided to develop her career in the logistics industry. “Through the university, I got three relevant internships,” Hernández Reyes says. She found her first internship through the HeadStart @ HKUST Program, an early workplace immersion and career development opportunity for junior students including summer internships, career mentorship, skills training, and networking. “It taught me about business skills and etiquette expected in the workplace, and helped to build a network of useful contacts.” Hernández Reyes says. One internship featured research and development work on a logistics app. Another focused on improving operations and on-time performance for a local food delivery firm. “It was all good experience.” Hernández Reyes says. “Apart from internships, I was curious to find out about another culture. Therefore, I also did a summer exchange at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. It was great to meet students from different parts of the world.” Her current job, helping to run warehouses in mainland China and Southeast Asia, requires coordination with clients across the region, which is exciting and constantly challenging. She hopes to stay in Hong Kong for the next few years and then see what the future holds. HKUST Online Admissions Talk for students with international qualifications Ranked tenth in the world and first in Hong Kong in the Global University Employability Ranking by Times Higher Education, HKUST paves the way for its graduates to build great careers. You can explore the exciting opportunities HKUST has to offer at an upcoming online talk , which will be held at 5 pm (HKT) on Saturday, 15 August 2020. You can learn about admissions updates, get tips from school and program representatives, and listen to our student stories. Attendees will receive a summary of the Q&A session afterwards. Register now at https://join.ust.hk/admissionstalk
