* The interview was conducted in Feb 2004

• University Education
• Current Employment
• What are your responsibilities as an Assistant Brand Manager?
• Does P&G provide training?
• Why did you choose to work at P&G instead of an I.T. company?
• What did you do at HKU to enhance your success in the job market?
• What is unique about P&G?
• What do you find most challenging about your work?
• What do you find most enjoyable about your work?
• What sort of person will do well in your job?
• What advice do you have for students who are interested in applying for the training programme?
• What procedures did you go through for your position at P&G?
• Is it necessary to study the company's literature beforehand?
• What are the secrets to passing paper screening and interviews?

University Education

Bachelor of Science (CSIS), HKU, 2002

Current Employment

Procter & Gamble (P&G) - Assistant Brand Manager (ABM), 05/2003 - present

What are your responsibilities as an Assistant Brand Manager?

I joined P&G in 2003 and worked in Guangzhou where I was responsible for the "Whisper" brand in the Greater China region. In February 2004 I was transferred back to Hong Kong and now manage both "Whisper" and "Pringles" brands. My current position requires frequent travel to GZ / Taiwan.

My daily tasks include conducting market research and constructing marketing and promotional strategies together with TVC copy development and PR. We then present our plans and schedule to other functional groups and product supply teams. We also monitor and evaluate the business of our brands regularly.

Does P&G provide training?

P&G provides Corporate and Functional Training. Corporate Training equips our employees with general business skills like creativity, presentation, communication, leadership, language, time management, etc. Functional Training teaches skills specifically related to the employee's job function. For example, Account Executives are taught selling techniques. Employees are taught through classroom training, one-on-one coaching by line managers and online training.

Why did you choose to work at P&G instead of an I.T. company?

I like marketing and P&G is one of the biggest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company among the world which I believe my development curve can be accelerated. Also, I also prefer working with people rather than machines, and my job for P&G gave me that opportunity.

What did you do at HKU to enhance your success in the job market?

I participated in various competitions to better understand real life business and to sharpen my logical thinking, interpersonal and presentation skills. At the IBM Gen-I Challenge 2001 I earned not only prizes (Best e-Business Plan Award and Best Individual Award) but also friendship with other teammates.

Working experience was also very critical. As an intern for Intel Semi-conductor Corporation I handled an e-business solution project, which was closely related to my current work.

What is unique about P&G?

P&G emphasises early responsibility of employees and allows young managers, such as myself, to influence the direction of projects and make decisions at an early stage. Line managers share their experience and give guidance to ensure correct decisions are made.

The company also encourages promoting employees from within. This ensures young managers are ready to be future leaders of the company. Most of the staff joined P&G as fresh graduates and want to develop a long-term career in the company. The average service of P&G staff is 8-10 years.

What do you find most challenging about your work?

Our company values results. As a business, P&G wants to maximise profit and expects staff to work hard and help the company achieve this aim. This performance-based culture keeps me working hard and makes me strive for improvement. It is challenging for me and my satisfaction comes from the rewards for being able to deliver results.

What do you find most enjoyable about your work?

All my colleagues are sincere and friendly, including my boss and senior staff. They treat everyone equally, regardless of rank and experience. They are willing to understand and care about our feelings and expectations. I enjoy working in this friendly and nurturing environment.

What sort of person will do well in your job?

People with strong creativity, leadership skills and integrity are suitable this position. As P&G is a global firm English proficiency is essential. Our colleagues come from different countries and Chinese make up a small portion of the whole company. English is our first language for communication between colleagues. Staff may need to be stationed in other countries or travel to different cities so they must be adaptable and geographically mobile. Fluency in Putonghua is a definite advantage.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in applying for the training programme?

Be prepared for long-term development at P&G. There are plenty of learning opportunities and this is why people recognise P&G as a "Training School of Professional Managers".

What procedures did you go through for your position at P&G?

In my year there were several screening procedures:

1. Online Application - <http://www.hk.pg.com>
   
   
2. Written Test - Problem Solving Test and Essay Writing in English.
   
   
3. Screening Interview - At that time, this was a one-to-one interview with a Brand Manager. One question they asked was whether I had been to the company's recruitment talk. They wanted to understand the candidate's background and if they knew the job requirements well.
   
   
4. Comprehensive Interview - This was a panel interview with the Senior Director, Brand Manager and other senior staff. It lasted for around 2 hours and the atmosphere was friendly. They focused on matching a candidate's personality with specific job requirements.

Is it necessary to study the company's literature beforehand?

Candidates should have basic information about P&G. More importantly, they should know how is P&G different from other FMCG companies and why they want to work in the industry. However, there is no need to study piles of company and product information excessively as the interviewers do not expect students to have in-depth industry knowledge. However, they must be able to back up their answers with solid information and evidence.

Instead of in-depth industry knowledge, the personality and overall quality of the candidate is a very important factor in the selection process.

What are the secrets to passing paper screening and interviews?

You need to understand who you are and what you want to do. The interviewers are friendly and do not ask extremely difficult questions to challenge you. Being yourself and being honest are the keys to success.

Students in technical disciplines such as Engineering should avoid using terms that are too technical when presenting assignments or projects to interviewers. Use common words to communicate with the interviewers.

Questions are welcome. Send a note to <cepc@cepc.hku.hk>.