Scott Fan – My experience in the Youth Employment Scheme in China’s Greater Bay Area

It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to be part of the Bank’s GBA push as Scott, who is based in Guangzhou, shares what it’s like to be in the thick of the action

As a young person working in one of the most dynamic regions in the world, what really makes Standard Chartered stand out for me is its diversity and the opportunities available. The global nature of the Bank presents so many possibilities for employees, and it’s a great space for us to grow and learn.

I grew up in Hong Kong and I am now working in Guangzhou, mainland China, as part of Hong Kong’s Youth Employment Scheme. This scheme, sponsored by the Hong Kong government, is a talent programme designated for the development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

The Bank is committed to the growth of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA, with the centre just launched this year to boost innovation, trade, and investment flows, connecting individual and corporate clients across Asia and beyond. I’m very privileged to be a part of the Bank’s GBA push at this very exciting juncture.

Currently, I’m a Client Manager in the International Corporate team in CCIB (Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking). My role is to conduct client relationship health management, account management and portfolio quality monitoring – in essence, I support relationship managers to maintain clients’ accounts.

I may have been with the Bank for slightly less than a year, but I already see how the work environment is supportive for employees to grow in their careers. Internal mobility here is encouraged as staff can pursue their interests and they become more skilled or knowledgeable in many areas instead of being pigeonholed into one. For young people starting out in their careers, the capacity for career growth is a valued trait.

Since I’ve joined, the biggest challenge that I've encountered in my course of work has also been a career highlight. I was earlier nominated to host the GBA Townhall & GBA Centre Celebration in Guangzhou in mid-June. Not only was it a very high-profile event with senior management attending, it was also my first time hosting such a distinguished event in both Mandarin and English. It didn’t help that a lot of the content, including the script and various other proceedings, were decided less than a week prior to the event.

I was very stressed that week, but my host partner and I made sure we prepared as much as we could, rehearsing to deal with emergencies that may occur. We managed to pull it off and people attending thought we did well, which came in the form of recognition and appreciation from the management. It was a very good learning experience for me despite the challenging circumstances.

One thing that I’ve learnt in my time here is that one should be more strategic when it comes to tasks. For example, if your line manager assigns you a task, don’t just blindly complete it without thinking about the ‘why’ behind it. Stepping back and seeing the big picture can help you come up with a solution that can better meet your manager’s needs and exceed their expectations. This is something that I’m bearing in mind to produce work that is more efficient and of higher quality.

Since I’m still new to the Bank, I will continue to familiarise myself with the businesses, products, workflows and skills. My goal is to familiarise myself with the workflow of a client manager and learn RM skills at the same time, with the goal of being an RM in the future. Outside of work, I aim to keep up with my fitness – I work out three times a week and go climbing sometimes to keep my mind sharp and perform at my best. It really helps me to be less stressed and be more energetic in daily work.

I have a deep gratitude to Standard Chartered for the incredible opportunities and learning afforded to me. I look forward to new chapters and more amazing learning experiences ahead in the Bank, and of course, in the GBA.