Yesterday (June 23, 2011), 20 CCIP students visited Morgan Stanley located on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. Founded in New York City in 1935, Morgan Stanley is one of the world's foremost financial institutions and a leader in the global integration of financial services.

The visit was scheduled to begin at 3:30pm, but the students were already eagerly waiting at the lobby much earlier than the scheduled time. They were then joined by Mr. Raymond Yeung, a Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Alumni Committee member, who has helped organize the visit.

The students were greeted by Mr. Jason Yeung, Managing Director of Morgan Stanley. Upon exchanging for the visitor’s passes, the students were then brought up to the 5th floor, where they gathered in the meeting room. After thanking everyone for visiting Morgan Stanley and giving a brief introduction to the company, Mr. Jason Yeung then divided the students into two groups, with one group proceeding to visit the trading floor first.

The first group of students was exceptionally excited as they made their way to the trading floor. This was the highlight of the visit as most financial institutions are off-limits to the public and it would be the first time that the students visit a Trading Floor, where the traders will complete the buying and selling of assets. The students observed several investment traders as they faced multiple computer screens and worked swiftly on their keyboards. One of the traders then brought the students through the interfaces, explaining that each of the screens are crucial to their work as they give different types of information, such as market prices, overall market outlook etc.

The groups then changed over, and the students who have visited the trading floor took the opportunity to speak to Mr. Jason Yeung and his colleagues, who have arrived at the meeting room. Asking pertinent questions such as those regarding the financial climate in New York, the students were able to hear firsthand from the experts on how the US economy is faring as well as the potential changes ahead.

The tour was followed by a panel, where Mr. Jason Yeung and his colleagues shared their insights on working in Morgan Stanley. The participants were transfixed as the speakers introduced themselves and the work they do, while also touching on issues such as career progression and the challenges faced while working in a high-stress environment such as Morgan Stanley's. Urging the participants to stay competitive as it is an important trait for an individual to succeed in the financial world, Mr. Jason Yeung assured everyone that it is not compulsory for a person to hold a Business degree to be able to work in an investment bank. He stressed that as long as the individual possess strong character and the qualities required, it would be sufficient for him or her to carve a niche in the financial field.

After which, Mr. Jason Yeung opened the floor for questions. The students, who have been listening attentively, then took turns asking questions to quell their curiosity. While many questions were fielded, the more pertinent ones were regarding the selection criteria that companies have in place when screening job applicants as well as the way the team maintain work-life balance while having to work long hours due to the nature of their work.

"I have always been curious about how life will be like working in big financial firms. After the visit, I have seen for myself that they are just regular people who are working in a field that they are really passionate about. I hope that I will be able to find a job in the future that I can look forward to working in every morning I wake up, just like these gentlemen", said Tracy Miao Huiting, a student from Lingnan University.

"The Morgan Stanley visit provided me an in-depth understanding about the job duties for the different departments. I was particularly impressed by the speech from the legal department representative as it inspired me to develop a career as an in-house lawyer with a global corporation such as Morgan Stanley after I qualify as a solicitor back in Hong Kong", said Marvin Luk Ho Lun, a student from the University of Hong Kong.

Special thanks to Mr. Raymond Yeung for organizing the visit as well as Mr. Jason Yeung and his team for the wonderful sharing session.