Taking Time to Reflect – Coco’s Story

A new opportunity 

As an international student for more than eight years, opportunities to travel and gain new experiences have always attracted me. I love stepping out of my comfort zone for new adventures, and I’m always looking to learn new skills. The International Graduate Programme stood out as an ideal way to broaden my horizons and kick-start my career in banking. 

Standard Chartered has a strong reputation in Hong Kong and is an organisation that I was very keen to join from the start. 

A personalised recruitment process 

Before joining the International Graduate Programme, I started my career with Standard Chartered as an intern. The recruitment process was very personalised throughout, which helped me feel comfortable and more than just another candidate in a group interview.  

The Early Careers team wanted to understand my abilities and interests, letting me share my personality to end up in an ideal role. It was easy to interact with my interviewers, and I got the opportunity to be myself and shine. 

We started out with aptitude tests, which were a chance to show off skills and find out where we might fit within the business. Then, in the HR interview, I found out more about Standard Chartered and its way of working. The final stage was an interview with members of senior management, which I particularly enjoyed. I asked questions and learned a lot throughout the process! 

Improving customer experiences 

Now, it’s my job to provide products and services that can improve the customer experience. As a Standard Chartered customer myself, seeing the customer journey improve gives me a sense of professional satisfaction and makes a difference in my personal life, too! It’s lovely to work on projects that can become relevant in my own day-to-day, and it means I’m constantly reflecting on new ways to improve. 

I’ve always been able to work well in a team and adapt to new challenges quickly. I’m a fast learner, and there have been many opportunities to absorb information since I started working with Standard Chartered. There are always new projects to get involved with, which means no two weeks are the same! 

Since joining the International Graduate Programme, my project management and communication skills have improved. Now, I can confidently talk with stakeholders at all levels from different parts of the organisation. 

What’s next?  

Banking is an exciting and ever-changing industry to be a part of, and Standard Chartered’s acceptance, encouragement, and innovation make it an ideal organisation to start out with. Since joining, I see many opportunities for the future and can’t wait to find out what’s in store! 

Be curious, stay genuine, and shine!