Marketing student completes coveted Sydney internship
Marketing student Mathew Rex spent summer in Sydney courtesy of an internship at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.
VBS student Mathew Rex completed an internship in Sydney with HKETO
This summer, Victoria Business School student Mathew Rex did an internship at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Sydney, Australia.
"The internship has definitely given me insight into the inner workings of a diplomatic office, which is something I've considered as a career for a while," says Mathew, who is in his honours year in a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing.
Mathew's duties included assisting the research and project team on several projects, mostly relating to New Zealand.
"I helped write briefs for upcoming visits to New Zealand by Hong Kong dignitaries, updating current information on our country as well as general research tasks."
There were many ‘first time’ experiences at HKETO. For example, this was the first time he lived and worked away from home and it was also his first work experience in a government environment.
"This internship is my first experience of working full time and I’ve since experienced a range of different challenges like learning how to manage projects and deal with a wide range of stakeholders," says Mathew.
Mathew, who heard about the internship on the university’s careers website, said the experience has helped him master real-life applications of knowledge he’s acquired from his studies.
He said the highlight of the eight week internship was his work on the youth strategy, a project aimed at promoting Hong Kong to Australian and New Zealand working young professionals, university students and high school students.
Mathew strongly recommends other Victoria University of Wellington students to apply for future HKETO internships.
"The people here are lovely and the office and location are fantastic. The work at HKETO is interesting and challenging and best of all you get to live in Sydney for two months. What's not to like?"
About the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
The Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO) in Sydney is the representative office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, established in 1995 to strengthen economic and cultural ties with Australia and New Zealand.