From Science Major to HKSTP HR Intern: How AIESEC redefined my story.
“The market is very competitive.”
“It’s hard to find a good internship.”
Hearing these harsh realities as a university student can feel discouraging, almost hopeless. As a science student, that weight felt even heavier—like corporate opportunities and business roles were simply never meant for someone with my background.
My original plan was clear: I wanted to become a teacher. But university is a time for self-discovery, exploration, and pushing past comfortable boundaries. Wanting to enrich my experience, I took a leap of faith and joined the Talent Management team at AIESEC. Even though it didn’t align directly with traditional classroom teaching, it opened an entirely new world. It gave me real, grounded insights into how organizations operate, how teams are structured, and how to effectively manage people. Most importantly, it gave me the courage to step outside my defined box.
From Science Major to HKSTP HR Intern
With a foundation built in Talent Management—but zero prior corporate or formal internship experience—I decided to put myself out there and give the Human Resources field a shot.
Standing out among more than 3,000 applicants for an HR internship at Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) seemed like a long shot on paper. Yet, the real-world execution skills I developed in AIESEC—recruitment processes, event execution, and practical people management—set me apart. AIESEC bridge-built the gap between classroom theory and corporate reality, turning a science major’s application into a winning candidate profile.
Concrete Skills That Build Lifelong Value
Whether leading a classroom or managing talent in a corporate setting, the competencies gained through AIESEC translate directly into real-world impact:
- Practical Delivery: Developing public speaking confidence, learning to analyze challenges through customer and employee lenses, remaining steadfastly people-centric, and navigating multi-stakeholder communication.
- Core Soft Skills: Cultivating genuine empathy, mastering stakeholder management, and evaluating situations from diverse, overlapping perspectives.
These aren’t just resume bullet points—they are lifelong capabilities applicable to virtually any profession. Gaining hands-on experience with them early in your university journey provides a distinct edge over peers your age.
The Interview Story That Set Me Apart
The single most impactful narrative I brought into job interviews came from my experience as an AIESEC event organizer. It is exceptionally rare for a university student to be handed the reins to plan and execute an initiative for over 300 people.
In AIESEC, opportunities scale quickly. I gained experience leading teams across different universities, working alongside diverse backgrounds, and collaborating directly with international participants, corporate leaders, and industry professionals. My defining moment was driving a cross-border event in collaboration with seven entities across different countries.
Recruiters rarely expect undergraduate applicants to have managed projects of that scale or exposure. Sharing that story directly proved my ability to navigate complex tasks, coordinate global stakeholders, and maintain a resilient growth mindset under pressure.
To Non-Business Students: Expand Your Horizon
If you are a non-business student looking at AIESEC, don’t view it through a narrow, career-only lens. Look at it as a platform for broad human experience and total personal exposure.
The job market shifts rapidly, and your specific career interests may evolve over time. However, the core skills you build, the adaptability you foster, and the attitude you cultivate remain constant—that is what truly makes you stand out. AIESEC isn’t just a career stepping stone; it is space to build yourself up, connect with incredible people, and step confidently into the unknown.
