* The interview was conducted in Feb 2004

• University Education
• Current Employment
• Background of Paul
• What have you gained from the Exchange Programme?
• What is the nature of your job and training programme at Arup?
• How did you plan your career?
• What is the uniqueness of Arup?
• What sort of persons will enjoy and do well in your job?
• Do you have any advice for students who have interest in applying for the training programme?
• What were the selection processes?
• What are the secrets for passing paper screening and interviews?

University Education

Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, HKU, 2003

Current Employment

Graduate Trainee, Arup, 07/03 - present

Background of Paul

It terms of academic achievement, I received a Second Class Honours (Division 1) degree. I joined an exchange programme at Manchester, U.K. for a year. I was an active participant of student activities. I spent about 50% of my time on sports and hall events.

What have you gained from the Exchange Programme?

As the class size was small in the University of Manchester, I had more chances to discuss technical issues with professors. Such experience provided me with more in-depth knowledge on the field and improved my spoken English significantly.

I would highly recommend students to participate in the Worldwide Exchange Programme.

What is the nature of your job and training programme at Arup?

A 3-day training camp and a 2-day induction course were organised to strengthen team spirit of seniors and new recruits at the start. Through these exercises, we learnt how to manage a project as well as how to work as a team. I also got acquainted with other engineers and trainees.

Other training was mainly on-the-job. My supervisor, who is a Senior Engineer, provides instructions and guidance to help me complete my assignments.

Since I joined Arup, I have been fully engaged in the SkyPlaza project*. Most of the time, I have to work independently to validate calculations on the elements of a building, generate computer outputs using ETABS, GSA, AdBeam, etc. There are also chances to attend meetings and work on some detailed drawings with other Engineers and Architects.

The work at Arup provides me with a good understanding of what "building a building" is about.

* SkyPlaza is a multi-usage complex in the vicinity of the Hong Kong International Airport, to be completed by December 2005

How did you plan your career?

I wanted to gain design experience and work on large-scale projects in a multinational firm. So Arup was naturally my first choice.

What is the uniqueness of Arup?

Arup is one of the very few engineering firms which provide comprehensive services. It has advised on some of the most complex and high-profile engineering projects and its services include structural, civil, E&M, geotechnical and other specialist areas such as facade and acoustic engineering. It undertakes a lot of large scaled projects worldwide, including Mainland China. Such global network provides opportunities for the staff to learn the best practices from colleagues of other countries.

What sort of persons will enjoy and do well in your job?

People who are hardworking, attentive to details and committed will enjoy and do well in the job. A good engineering sense and fundamental knowledge in the area applied for will be essential in carrying out the technical parts of the job while teamwork, meticulous attention and willingness to learn are the soft-skills and attitude required to excel.

As there are quite a lot of over-time duties, one must be passionate about the job.

Do you have any advice for students who have interest in applying for the training programme?

Although a minimum of Second Class (Division One) degree is required for appointment, students should not just focus on their academic studies. "Play more", participate in student activities and develop one's interest. Arup is interested in all-round individuals.

What were the selection processes?

My classmates attended two selection interviews but I attended one only.

There were two interviewers, one from the Human Resources Department and one from the Structural Department. There were two parts:

1. Written Exercise - I was asked to design a foundation for a windmill. Only simple calculation was needed. I also had to sketch a foundation and draw a bending moment diagram.
   
   
2. Interview - I had to answer questions related to the written task and other general questions, like academic background, exchange experience, structural engineering (e.g. my considerations in designing a tall building). Comparatively speaking, there were more questions on my exchange experience and participation in extra-curricular activities. No questions were asked on current affairs.

What are the secrets for passing paper screening and interviews?

1. Language Skills - fluency in spoken English is a must as most of the senior management of Arup are native speakers from UK. As Arup is expanding its business in the Mainland, candidates should be prepared to answer questions in Putonghua and indicate their willingness to travel to Mainland when required.
   
   
2. Knowledge on the Firm - to have knowledge about the Firm e.g. well-known projects by Arup.
   
   
3. Technical Knowledge - for candidates applying for the structural stream, be prepared to show their knowledge on some of the famous / tall buildings in Hong Kong (and in the world as well) e.g. Bank of China Tower, IFC II, Airport, HK Convention Centre. They should be able to tell whether these buildings were built by Arup, who designed them and why they are shaped like these... etc.

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