Wilson Yu Chung-chun (below) joined Dah Sing Life’s graduate trainee programme hoping to gain more exposure and build a stable career. With the comprehensive training, job rotation and clear career path, the programme has turned out to be everything he wanted, he says.  Yu now works as an analyst programmer at the insurance firm’s information technology department. He shares his work experience with Wong Yat-hei.

What is your academic background?
I have a bachelor’s degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, major in computer science and minor in integrated BBA. It is amazing to see how technology integrates with the business world. When I was about to graduate, I started to look for IT positions in financial companies.

How do you start your day?
My smartphone is a good partner of mine. I start my day by reading news every morning when I am travelling to the office. Apart from regular news, I also read some tech news and blogs to catch up with the fast-changing technology world. Planning and prioritising tasks is the first thing I do after reaching the office. Afterwards, I usually start with small tasks to get myself ready for a busy day of work.

What does your job entail?
As an analyst programmer, my job is to participate in different stages of software development, including analysing and designing the solution. I also help implement and test the software programs, as well as evaluate them. I often have to cope with users to understand their needs, deliver our output and provide support. Apart from my regular duties, I am also a committee member of the staff club – I am in charge of organising events for all staff, such as sports competitions and voluntary activities.

What are the major challenges you have encountered so far?
Dah Sing Life is replacing its Life Insurance System with a new web-based system. This project is huge and I am glad to be part of it. To deal with this challenge, I tried to have a deeper understanding of different tasks. I also allocate different time slots to perform various tasks within the day. I found that my efficiency has improved significantly.

What have you learned about your chosen career and what are your plans?
The graduate trainee programme, with its job rotation among departments, has allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds and build up my social network. I also understand that strong technical skills alone are not the key to success; communication skills and interpersonal skills are also important.
In the short term, I would put my greatest effort into helping the company incorporate the new web-based system. For my long-term development, I would like to enrich my business knowledge and project management skills by actively participating in different projects. My long-term goal is to become a project manager.

Any advice for potential interns?
Graduate trainees have a lot of chances to work in different departments or teams. The time spent in each department is usually not long, so one has the get hold of every chance to learn. Be keen to learn and try different tasks. Don’t hesitate to ask. When working on assignments, think one step ahead. This attitude helps you see the entire picture, and allow you to understand the connection between different tasks.