Wong Wai Chi, Deborah's Story 
Faculty of Law
LLB

When you first met Deborah Wong, a successful strategy analyst, you probably think that her career was started with a business degree. Contrarily, she is a law graduate.  So how did she end up with a job entirely different from her degree? The truth is — after working in some law firms and chambers, Deborah had soon realized that as much as she liked studying law, practising it was not her cup of tea.  Believing that the sky is the limit, she applied for a business internship. And that was the game-changing decision.

“She is thankful to herself for being brave and bold in making career choices.” 

It all started on the day she came across a job advertisement on LinkedIn — an opportunity to be a Strategy Intern at Tink Labs, a technology and innovative startup company known for its mobile application called “Handy”. Like any other startups, the working environment of Tink Labs was fast-paced, dynamic and somehow chaotic. At first Deborah was frustrated, but she soon learned to ride the adversity and turn the table around. “The most difficult thing was having to learn on the job but it was also the best thing for me in terms of learning new skills,” she said. 

The fact that everything was not set in stones cultivated the perfect environment for quick and active learners like Deborah to master new skills.  Despite being a newbie, she was trusted with paramount tasks and projects. Eventually, she learned that her age or background does not define her, but the quality of her work does. That is how she has earned and will continue to earn respects in the fast-changing innovative startup world.

Now glancing back at her internship, Deborah has not once regretted her decision.  She is still thankful to her younger self for being brave and bold in making career choices, and she believes her fellow HKU students can do the same.  

Written by:
Annie Cheung
Year 4, Faculty of Arts
January 2019