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Business Times - 15 Dec 2008
A life-changing internship in China
KOH LI PEI writes about her three months working at a trading company in Ningbo
MENTION China and probably the two most famous cities - Shanghai and the capital Beijing - come to mind. But how about 'second-tier' cities such as Qingdao, Chengdu or Wuhan? These are just some of the places that students from the Singapore Management University (SMU) have been heading for prized internships during their mid-year break this year. So far, some 140 students have secured and successfully completed internships across 18 cities in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This is up from 120 last year. In this two-part series, we feature first-hand accounts of students who recently returned from internships in China. The following is the first part.
AS I was planning where to intern this past June during my vacation break - which was my second internship since joining SMU - I decided to step out of my comfort zone and experience working abroad.
I opted for China as I wanted to experience and learn about the trading industry in one of the world's rising powerhouses.
I was attached to Global Force Industries Ltd (GFIL), which is based in Hong Kong and was posted to its branch office in Ningbo city in Zhejiang province.
The main office controls all factories and merchandise in southern China (Guangdong and Fujian regions) while the Ningbo branch is mainly in charge of all factories and merchandise in eastern and northern China (Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shandong regions).
GFIL, established in 2002, is a trading company focusing mainly on consumer goods such as clocks, soft toys, torchlights and promotional gifts.
Ningbo is a city with one of the highest GDPs in China, not to mention one of the fastest growing markets in Zhejiang province. Ningbo also has the deepest seaport in China, in the district of Beilun.
The strategic location also allows the company to reach a wide range of suppliers, such as gift suppliers from Yi Wu, stationery suppliers from Ninghai, sunglass suppliers from Wenzhou, and plastic material suppliers from Taizhou.
Riding on Ningbo's geographical advantage and its strong connections with Japanese clients, GFIL has been able to compete successfully in this competitive Chinese market.
On my very first day, I was assigned to send out e-mail to visitors who had visited the company's booth in two recent trade fairs - one held in mainland China and the other in Hong Kong.
My manager and mentor, Patrick Lim, placed emphasis on maintaining good relationships with the potential clients. The e-mail campaign generated quite a good response.
After getting used to the company's business operations, I was next tasked to work with international clients.
It struck me then that I had a steep learning curve ahead of me, as I had to learn from scratch which area produces what type of goods, the fastest way to get quotations, how to manage and how best to conduct business negotiations with suppliers.
I was pleasantly surprised at the heavy reliance on the use of Internet instant messaging as a business tool in China. The sales teams in most companies constantly used MSN Messenger, QQ or Skype (for international clients) to communicate with one another. I felt that the usage of such tools creates a more personal and friendlier environment. It also enabled us to build good ties or, as the Chinese would say, guan xi.
I had the opportunity to work in a trade fair - the 7th China International Consumer Goods Fair - with two colleagues as well as my manager. We were told to observe and take note of the latest products from Zhejiang or other areas in China. I also had the chance to watch how my manager built or re-established ties with the company's manufacturing partners.
I value this internship greatly because I experienced the entire trading process. I even helped to conclude a business deal on a calculator. This client was a Hong Kong trading firm that was purchasing on behalf of its French office.
As expected, I experienced initial cultural shocks. We were put up in a local apartment that was rather run-down but it was a practical arrangement because of its relatively low rent and good location in the centre of the city.
The experience of living among the locals allowed me to understand better the daily life of the Ningbo residents and I managed to interact with many of them too.
As for living with two fellow SMU students whom I had not met previously, I am proud to say that we went to Ningbo as strangers, interacted as roommates and finally returned to Singapore as good friends.
In all, I would say that this internship has been a life-changing experience not only in terms of my work but social life.
Koh Li Pei is a third-year student at SMU's Lee Kong Chian School of Business.
A life-changing internship in China
KOH LI PEI writes about her three months working at a trading company in Ningbo
MENTION China and probably the two most famous cities - Shanghai and the capital Beijing - come to mind. But how about 'second-tier' cities such as Qingdao, Chengdu or Wuhan? These are just some of the places that students from the Singapore Management University (SMU) have been heading for prized internships during their mid-year break this year. So far, some 140 students have secured and successfully completed internships across 18 cities in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This is up from 120 last year. In this two-part series, we feature first-hand accounts of students who recently returned from internships in China. The following is the first part.
AS I was planning where to intern this past June during my vacation break - which was my second internship since joining SMU - I decided to step out of my comfort zone and experience working abroad.
I opted for China as I wanted to experience and learn about the trading industry in one of the world's rising powerhouses.
I was attached to Global Force Industries Ltd (GFIL), which is based in Hong Kong and was posted to its branch office in Ningbo city in Zhejiang province.
The main office controls all factories and merchandise in southern China (Guangdong and Fujian regions) while the Ningbo branch is mainly in charge of all factories and merchandise in eastern and northern China (Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shandong regions).
GFIL, established in 2002, is a trading company focusing mainly on consumer goods such as clocks, soft toys, torchlights and promotional gifts.
Ningbo is a city with one of the highest GDPs in China, not to mention one of the fastest growing markets in Zhejiang province. Ningbo also has the deepest seaport in China, in the district of Beilun.
The strategic location also allows the company to reach a wide range of suppliers, such as gift suppliers from Yi Wu, stationery suppliers from Ninghai, sunglass suppliers from Wenzhou, and plastic material suppliers from Taizhou.
Riding on Ningbo's geographical advantage and its strong connections with Japanese clients, GFIL has been able to compete successfully in this competitive Chinese market.
On my very first day, I was assigned to send out e-mail to visitors who had visited the company's booth in two recent trade fairs - one held in mainland China and the other in Hong Kong.
My manager and mentor, Patrick Lim, placed emphasis on maintaining good relationships with the potential clients. The e-mail campaign generated quite a good response.
After getting used to the company's business operations, I was next tasked to work with international clients.
It struck me then that I had a steep learning curve ahead of me, as I had to learn from scratch which area produces what type of goods, the fastest way to get quotations, how to manage and how best to conduct business negotiations with suppliers.
I was pleasantly surprised at the heavy reliance on the use of Internet instant messaging as a business tool in China. The sales teams in most companies constantly used MSN Messenger, QQ or Skype (for international clients) to communicate with one another. I felt that the usage of such tools creates a more personal and friendlier environment. It also enabled us to build good ties or, as the Chinese would say, guan xi.
I had the opportunity to work in a trade fair - the 7th China International Consumer Goods Fair - with two colleagues as well as my manager. We were told to observe and take note of the latest products from Zhejiang or other areas in China. I also had the chance to watch how my manager built or re-established ties with the company's manufacturing partners.
I value this internship greatly because I experienced the entire trading process. I even helped to conclude a business deal on a calculator. This client was a Hong Kong trading firm that was purchasing on behalf of its French office.
As expected, I experienced initial cultural shocks. We were put up in a local apartment that was rather run-down but it was a practical arrangement because of its relatively low rent and good location in the centre of the city.
The experience of living among the locals allowed me to understand better the daily life of the Ningbo residents and I managed to interact with many of them too.
As for living with two fellow SMU students whom I had not met previously, I am proud to say that we went to Ningbo as strangers, interacted as roommates and finally returned to Singapore as good friends.
In all, I would say that this internship has been a life-changing experience not only in terms of my work but social life.
Koh Li Pei is a third-year student at SMU's Lee Kong Chian School of Business.
