Alumni Stories

Vianna Wei (2023 BBA-FB Graduate)

I’m Vianna, graduated from BBA-FB in 2023. I believe everyone’s most profound university memories are the times spent with friends and schoolmates, and I’m no exception. My memories at HSU include participating in dorm activities and competing in various competitions such as the CFA challenge. These little things seemed tough and tiring at the time, but now I’m grateful to have these memories.

What I took away wasn’t just memories but also skills and values: the ability to apply professional knowledge, to have meaningful content for my resume, and interpersonal skills. 

In my opinion, HSU has many special qualities. One is that most classes are small, giving students ample opportunity to discuss with professors, which in turn builds up our confidence both academically and in job hunting. Secondly, as long as we think thoroughly and learn from the knowledge we gain in courses and group assignments, it is enough to help us handle most technical parts of job interviews. HSU often recommends high-quality internship opportunities, and I have applied for whatever I am interested in. During the internships, I tried many ways to discover which areas I want to explore further. I can then continue studying through future elective courses or master’s programs.

Additionally, competition or industry project experience can sometimes impress interviewers more than GPA. In my interviews, about 40% of the time is spent discussing competition cases. So if we have this kind of experience luckily, we must understand it deeply, even if some tasks were handled by other team members at the time.

I advise current students to fully utilize learning resources, build connections with professors, participate in competitions, obtain certifications, and gain practical experience. HSU gives us the lever, but the fulcrum to move our career is our own initiative. Then we can keep our future choices in our own hands.