The BUddy Post – HKBU Alumni Affairs Office

Alumnus Felix Xie Che (UIC-Finance; Business Administration) was deeply impressed by the metropolitan ambience of Hong Kong when he visited the city in his childhood. In order to realise his dream of working in Hong Kong, after spending four years at Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC), he advanced his studies by taking the MBA programme at HKBU.

After graduating from HKBU, Felix successfully landed his first job at Bank of China (Hong Kong) as Management Trainee, and was promoted to Manager during his tenure. Having accumulated a few years of experience, Felix joined China Construction Bank (Asia) as Assistant Vice President. Later on, Felix’s former supervisor invited him to join a listed investment company, where he treasured the opportunity to expand his exposure to the investment field. Following almost two years of exposure, Felix returned to the banking industry, joining Industrial Bank as Head of Division in 2018 until now.

Meanwhile, Felix is keen on spending time amidst his busy schedule to contribute to the University, being the first President of UIC Alumni Association and currently Vice-President of HKBU Alumni Association, continuously maintaining a close connection with his alma mater.

1. How did you land your first job at Bank of China (Hong Kong)? What kind of support did you get from the HKBU community?

When I applied for the trainee programme of Bank of China (Hong Kong), it was right after the financial crisis in 2008 and large companies were therefore raising their recruitment standard, and the number of recruitments was also trimmed down. Despite these factors, I was grateful that I could still get an offer at Bank of China (Hong Kong), and there could be several reasons behind as stated below.

First of all, I strived to maintain my academic performance at the standard of first honour throughout my studies. Besides, I was the President of Student Union of UIC, and I was also the founder of the UIC-Enactus team, leading the team to win the 3^rd place in a national competition on environmental protection. I believe all these have built up a solid portfolio for myself.

With a mainland background, I am more familiar with the culture and language of Mainland China compared to my Hong Kong counterparts. Since the Bank aimed at expanding their business in Mainland China at that time, candidates with background like mine were advantaged.

Moreover, I put a lot of effort in preparing for the written test and interview before applying for this role, and I had accumulated ample interview experiences through lots of practices. All these facilitated me to successfully pass a series of written tests and interviews.

Last but not least, thanks to the generous support from various University offices and alumni, I was able to grasp the skills for written tests and interviews and gain a better understanding on the local job market and requirements for the financial sector.

2. After working in both banking and investment, how did you realise that the banking industry is more suitable for you?

In my opinion, the banking industry is a steady industry in which you need to keep your shirt on and work step by step. The banking industry is like the mother of all industries compared to the investment sector. For instance, I am responsible for corporate financing in banking, and I need to conduct due diligence for corporates of different industries. This enables me to understand different industries, corporates and management. This also enhances my professional knowledge. Banking is a comparatively stable and long-lasting industry while the investment sector is more influenced by the economic outlook. When the global economy is going upward, the business can also grow well, and vice versa. After considering my personality and vocational preference, I realise that I am more suitable for the banking industry.

3. Please share some tips with our Mainland graduates on how to land a job in Hong Kong. Please list a few key points they need to pay attention to for working in Hong Kong.

I think Mainland graduates need to pay attention to a few points as follow.

1. Understand the job market and culture in Hong Kong. The job market in Hong Kong is quite different from that of the Mainland, and job seekers need to understand the recruitment procedures, characteristics of industries and culture in Hong Kong so as to adapt to and blend into the working environment in Hong Kong.
2. Utilise multiple channels for seeking job opportunities. Job seekers can use multiple channels like job search websites, recruitment agencies and social media platforms to look for suitable job vacancies and monitor the progress in a timely manner.
3. Prepare resume and application letter well in advance. Job seekers should prepare their resume and application letter well, and make appropriate adjustments according to different job openings.
4. Get well prepared for interviews. Job seekers should study the background and latest development of the company and understand the job requirements before the interview. They should also prepare for the frequently asked questions, self-introduction and overview of job experience.
5. Polish English communication skills. English is the common language at work in Hong Kong, so job seekers should grasp the language skill and demonstrate their language ability and presentation skills.
6. Pay attention to the working visa and permit. Job seekers need to understand the details of visa and working permit in Hong Kong and make sure that they fulfill the requirements before job application.