FEATURE STORY
A Win-Win for Students and Alumni
Over the years, our MBA alumni have played a huge role in the career development of students, for which we are incredibly grateful. Countless alumni have returned to the school to share career advice with students as industry experts and refer job opportunities to our career office. A number of them have also connected us with their companies’ talent teams or their own network directly when they get wind of potential openings for MBA students and alumni.
JP Stevenson (FT17) and the two interns, Melanie Wallinger (left) and Ling Kong (right)
JP Stevenson (FT17) is one of the alumni who have been greatly supportive of students’ career development since his graduation. As the Senior Manager of Strategy and Business Practices at Fung Group, JP drives the strategic planning and corporate development and innovation initiatives at his company. He enjoys the global business scope and dynamic culture at his office, and wants to make a difference in the career journeys of students.
JP’s involvement has evolved over the past few years, from having coffee chats with students interested in his company to sharing with them his business insights and becoming the hiring manager of current students. He has regularly referred career opportunities to the MBA program, and many students have been recruited because of him over the past two years.
"Strengthening the brand of HKUST MBA in the global marketplace should be the mission of each member of our community,”
This summer, two students from the Intake 2019 class embarked on an internship on JP’s team, working on competitive analysis of the consumer goods market. “I have always been impressed by the high caliber of talent coming from HKUST MBA and have had a great experience working with the students so far,” he said.
Having been through the same education, JP is confident that HKUST MBA graduates have the diverse perspective and professional maturity to analyze challenging problems and work on complex projects. Because of this, he never hesitates to give a free hand to our students on various tasks.
“I feel a strong obligation to give back because ultimately it is in our best interests to participate as alumni.
"Strengthening the brand of HKUST MBA in the global marketplace should be the mission of each member of our community,” said JP, who considers alumni contributions to be a win-win for everyone.
How to achieve this mission? He believes that recruiting HKUST MBA students to develop Asian solutions for Asian business problems can have a greater impact on the business community and bring recognition to the program.
Ling Kong, who is interning on JP’s team, greatly appreciates the opportunity to work with an alumnus. “Based on his own MBA experience, JP has found us suitable projects that offer the perfect level of exposure and learning experience. This has allowed me to apply the concepts and frameworks learned in my MBA classes while having a tangible impact on the organization,” he said.
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If you or anyone you know are looking for talent for internship/full-time positions or project opportunities, contact our career team at mbacareer@ust.hk, and we will help you find the right candidates within our community. |
Ivy Chan, MBA / MSc Career & Professional Development
