Charlotte Li Hay Ting

Student Affairs Office Publications and Highlights Student Stories Charlotte Li Hay Ting
I saw firsthand how professionals apply their communication skills to forge collaboration with potential partners.

Many psychological theories can be applied to good effect to find workable solutions for a commercial enterprise. That was one of the key lessons Charlotte Li Hay Ting learned during her summer internship at Milton Holdings International Ltd, a company which manufactures advanced plastic and rubber products. Given the task of identifying possible applications for several high-end plastic materials for a variety of consumer products, Li drew on her knowledge of psychology acquired at HKMU. “I discovered those theories in areas such as personality psychology and consumer psychology can provide useful guidance in identifying prospective clients' needs. I also used those theories when communicating with colleagues and they helped me get a better understanding of what other people were thinking and meant I could notice buying signals more easily.”

“I was interested in working for a commercial organisation and wanted to acquire practical workplace skills.” she adds.

This was her first exposure to a real business environment, but she was keen to learn everything she could about the specialised products. She did that by carefully studying the company's reference materials and listening intently at internal meetings. “Following the advice and guidance of my supervisor, I conducted in-depth online research and identified sales opportunities for manufacturing materials,” she recalls. “I organised the data so my supervisor and his colleagues could analyse the findings.” Her contribution subsequently led to new sales of Milton's products to several manufacturers of consumer goods, including plastic utensils for babies, mountain climbing poles, and luggage. Understandably, that gave Li a lasting sense of satisfaction.

Because of social distancing measures, she was only able to attend one in-person meeting with a business partner, but that still proved a great learning experience. “I saw firsthand how professionals apply their communication skills to forge collaboration with potential partners,” Li says. “I also honed my research skills and learned how to interpret market- and product-oriented information. I became more self-confident in interacting with other people because I had opportunities to work closely with colleagues with diverse backgrounds and talents.”