The Beginning

The aircraft door finally opened 4 hours after it was first shut. People frantically swarmed towards that tiny exit in a bid to see who was the first to reach the customs. I clambered out of my seat, awakened by the commotion around me. Finally it was my turn to reach the door. As I took the first step into the open there was something that I felt different, the first breath was unusual to begin with.

Here I was, in Hong Kong to begin my Professional Attachment.

Too good to be true! remarked many of my friends. I was the lucky one sent to Intel Hong Kong, home of the Sales and Marketing Operations in Asia Pacific (APAC). Indeed, the road ahead did seem promising.

Intel Hong Kong

Intel’s operations span across most of the prominent cities in Asia. In all, there are 102 sales offices worldwide and as this article goes to print, many more are already on the blue print. Hong Kong serves as the HQ for the region, controlling and monitoring the regional business. As the region’s IT business (especially Mainland China) has already been a hot topic among most academics, it is no surprise how the Hong Kong office’s dynamism can be instantly felt when I reported for work on the first day. Intel’s office sits on the most prime of office space in Hong Kong, namely Pacific Place along Queensway.

I was posted to the Business Management Team (BMT) under the able leadership of John McClure. As the organisational chart in Intel APac is constantly in a state of metamorphosis, detailed explanations are not useful here.  My team comprised 15 people who handle different aspects of Intel’s vast business. The team serves as an information/strategy gateway between HQ staff and the channel of distribution. Information from the regional distributors is consolidated by the Customer Service Specialist Group (CSSG) and is passed on to BMT to process and analyse. This is in turn forwarded up to the HQ team for decision making. Once strategies are decided, they are funneled down to the channel through the BMT and CSSG.

My role in the team was to assist the market analyst in compiling and analysing the information, enabling us to picture out Intel’s APac Total Available Market and Share of Market for the current quarter (Q). Eventually this TAM/SOM model will help management plan its pricing and distribution efforts for Q+1 and Q+2. Work at Intel was fun and challenging. Although there were times when I slogged to achieve my objectives, it didn’t end without satisfaction and self-fulfillment.
 

Intel is an international company and so are its people within the office. In Hong Kong alone, there are Japanese, Koreans, Singaporeans, Americans and many more that I am not aware of. With such diversity, it is interesting to hear different languages on the least expected occasions. The people working in Intel Hong Kong have a common trait, being equally dynamic and productive. Expatriates in Hong Kong are deliberately pegged at a minimum (currently 15%), this is due to the management's trust in finding talented people in the local labor market. Most of the locals are western educated, speaking fluent English, oftentimes with a western accent.

People there seem to enjoy their work and many stay late into the night to finish up before heading home. “Intelians” believe strongly in its Intel Basics and the constructive confrontation values. Colleagues are challenged on work issues regardless of their ranks in the office. Senior managers welcome such confrontations as a means to improve themselves and the company. This is healthy, as people there will be more willing to voice out in front of their superiors rather than shying away from problems. I think it is a common American Company culture to have confrontations like that. Asian companies should bravely break away from their traditional molds to warmly embrace such beliefs.
 

Hong Kong, the new era

July 1st, Tuesday. A day to remember.

This was the day when Hong Kong officially changed hands from the colonial ruler to its Chinese master. People in Hong Kong seemed to be oblivious to the hoo ha that was overwhelming the colony. Maybe the topic had been overly emphasised till it became mundane. Life was pretty much as usual, in fact it was a great opportunity for many to go away (28 June to 3 July is a hard-to-come-by long holiday). While many locals left for their perfect getaways, there were even more who stayed behind to witness the event of the century.

Sadly enough, on the eve of the big day, heaven poured mercilessly onto the island not sparing the 10,000-spectator crowd who gathered several hours before the ceremony. I didn’t get to watch it live, not confident of battling the elements with my friend’s precious camera. Besides, every possible place to watch the fireworks was all occupied with camera-clicking spectators. The best place after all was the office and it was no wonder other colleagues were also back. Amusingly, colony ended with an English weather!
 
 

July 4th, Friday. “Independence Day”, A day to head home.

As I pen my thoughts and feelings on this notepad, I can’t help but feel time has really flown by.  Just when everything has accelerated to a cruising speed I have to start jamming on the brakes. With the conclusion of this attachment, I am beginning to seriously consider my career path. What’s more important is the preparation for me to start a new chapter in life as I graduate. The networking I have achieved, the office politics I have been entwined with and the basic work ethics that I have come to learn will be very much useful in time to come. I have not regretted coming to Hong Kong and I believe nobody else in my position will. I have seen for myself the international business of an enviable company. I hope that with this experience I will have a better advantage in knowing the regional business arena and to excel in my career.