OfferLand Mentor Sharing: How to Open the Door to Working Abroad Through Creative Planning in College

I'm Edward. A quick intro: I graduated from the Department of International Business at National Taiwan University and went straight into finance in Hong Kong after college. I'm now also a Partner & Mentor at OfferLand, so if my experience is relevant to you, feel free to check out the consulting services I offer!

I recently saw OfferLand founder Jason share what he learned from moving to a job abroad after starting his career. He mentioned that referrals greatly raised his chances of getting interviews, and that's ultimately how he landed a job with Google overseas. It made me want to share how business students in college can open the door to working abroad by planning differently from everyone else.

Why did I want to work abroad?

Even though I studied international business, I knew early on that I wanted to go into finance. The harsh reality is that compared with other financial centers, Taiwan not only pays less but also has a much lower career ceiling. I've always wanted to see more and see further in my career, so in my third year I set my sights on Hong Kong and Singapore, hoping to compete and work alongside the best people in Asia-Pacific.

For students from non-target schools, though, this path is harder. But with the right approach, you can still find your opportunity. Below is how I went from a school in Taiwan to an investment bank in Hong Kong. I hope it gives you some ideas.

1. Understand the gap and set an action plan

First, have a clear goal and be honest about the gap between you and it. The summer before my third year, I noticed that almost all the analysts who got into Hong Kong investment banks had graduated from Ivy League schools in the US, the G5 in the UK, Tsinghua, Peking, Fudan or Shanghai Jiao Tong in China, or the top three universities in Hong Kong. Even though I was at NTU, in today's competitive environment Taiwanese universities aren't target schools for these big banks.

That got me thinking: beyond the usual internships and degree, how could I break into this competitive circle in a different way?

2. Use school resources to gain international experience

Your school's resources are actually the easiest way to build international experience. For example, NTU's Office of International Affairs has always run plenty of online and in-person exchanges with overseas universities, and gives you a certificate at the end. I joined the NTU College of Management's Buddy Program myself. As a group leader organizing events for exchange students, I met exchange students who had interned on Wall Street, and when job hunting it helped me avoid being challenged on the weakness of having studied in Taiwan with little contact with people from abroad. I never did it myself, but something like NTU's student ambassador program is also a great opportunity to show your motivation for international exchange while building your network.

3. Join events and found an international organization

As a student, how to turn around your passive position in the job search was something I kept thinking about. In college I took part in AIBC in Hong Kong and in finance competitions abroad. Talking with participants from other countries, I realized that compared with fields like marketing, management consulting and data analytics, Taiwanese schools had very few resources for investment banking. Instead of waiting for resources to show up, we chose to found an international finance student organization. Through this platform we could create our own opportunities to talk with finance professionals, make friends with people who shared our goals, and it also showed my leadership skills.

Thanks to this organization, and with a professor making the introduction, we also co-hosted a mentorship program for Taiwanese students with a Hong Kong investment bank, which let me connect with more finance professionals in Hong Kong and international markets. These experiences not only strengthened my résumé but also made me more competitive when job hunting. Today the club's members are spread across Europe and Asia, and I keep exchanging ideas with talented people in different places, learning how regions and jobs differ, and planning my medium- to long-term career.

Final thoughts

I think business students who want to work abroad earlier can't limit themselves to the traditional routes of being posted overseas or studying abroad. You have to make better use of the resources around you, and then create resources, to stand out in the competitive international job market.

OfferLand's mentor platform now has a number of mentors with overseas work experience, from recent graduates to senior managers. Through one-on-one consultations, you can talk with a mentor to quickly pick up their experience and tap into their connections!