On a brisk autumnal afternoon, the UK Campus had the pleasure of having career coach, Ms Candice Tian with us to share with our students her personal journey as well as tips on how to develop a professional career in the UK. Ms Tian is a Peking University Alumna (2015) and a University of Oxford Alumna (2017). After spending only one month in the UK, she had her heart set on pursuing a career in the UK. Through her efforts and determination, she has since then successfully landed a career in the finance industry. Thus, it is a wonderful opportunity for our students to be able to learn from her.
Before one can launch a successful career in the UK, one first needs a broad understanding of the working landscape, the job culture, as well as the trials and tribulations of job hunting in the UK. Through a comparative lens, Ms Tian took our students through what it is like to be working in the UK – the cultural differences, the quirks, and the benefits. One interesting fact about working in the UK that Ms Tian shared with our students is, the UK workforce values work-life balance. Employers are keenly aware of that fact and it is a definite plus for those seeking to develop their careers as well as aspects of their personal life. One point to note is, as Ms Tian cautions, one would need to be sure that one fits in the working culture in the UK. Research and understanding are needed before making a life choice.
However, before one can get one’s foot through the door, one needs to successfully navigate the challenges of job hunting. That in itself can be daunting particularly when there is no one-size fits all solution to successfully landing a dream job. In her talk, Ms Tian discussed with the students how best to prepare for their job hunt – subject background, writing cover letters, and preparing for the interview.
One of the most useful sections of the seminar that the students found to be particularly useful was the group discussion on how to answer interview questions. Ms Tian shared with the students the key components to answering potentially tricky questions and how to build a story to ensure a successful interview. The students were particularly grateful for the hands-on practice as well as the insightful feedback that they have received from Ms Tian regarding their answers. All in all, it was a very successful seminar and we look forward to having Ms Tian back at the UK Campus in the future to share more of her experiences and expertise with our students.
