In December of 2017, former NYC intern, Matthew, proudly graduated from Columbia University. After a lot of hard work, studying, and too many exams to count, it was no doubt Matthew deserved the trip of a lifetime prior to beginning his full-time career with Protiviti! However, this wouldn’t be your typical trip abroad. Matthew had big plans, — and big Protiviti plans.
The route of travel Matthew planned would include heading to China to celebrate the Chinese New Year and a brief detour to Australia before heading back to the states. As a former intern, Matthew was well-versed in the global reach of Protiviti and thus decided to reach out to his contacts in the New York City office who help with Protiviti’s Global Mobility Program. Through those resources, Matthew was able to connect with a few of our colleagues abroad in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Sydney. Below, Matthew recounts his journey and shares what he learned throughout his travel.
1st Stop: Shenzhen
“My first stop was Protiviti’s Shenzhen office. There, I met Troy, who not only gave me a great tour of the office but also shared his Protiviti experience with me. The Shenzhen office is a bit smaller but they have some great clients, including a leading provider of internet value added services in China. Troy also introduced me to the business model in China and some of the cases he had worked on previously. It was very educational to identify some of the differences in consulting between China and the U.S. and how culture plays a significant role when operating a company overseas.”
2nd Stop: Hong Kong
“Although Hong Kong is only a quick drive from Shenzhen, it has a totally different business environment. In the office, I had a great opportunity to speak directly with two employees. They gave me an overview of Protiviti in Hong Kong, grabbed lunch with some of the team and was able to observe the culture in Hong Kong. Although Hong Kong is fast-paced, I found people use lunchtime as a great opportunity to take a break and network.”
3rd Stop: Sydney
“As my last Protiviti trip destination, I went to Sydney, where I enjoyed the wonderful summer weather. After being in New York for the winter, I almost forgot how great it feels to wear a t-shirt! Onsite, I met with several people including two employees who were in Sydney taking advantage of our Global Mobility Program! I also had an opportunity to go to coffee with one of the Sydney Managing Director’s, David. David shared his unique experience coming from Arthur Andersen to Protiviti and the journey from the U.K. office down to Australia.”
In speaking with Matthew after his trip, he shared with me that his experience really allowed him to learn a lot about Protiviti’s global strategy and hear about various methodologies and approaches taken in specific markets. Overall, he mentioned that most everything he learned was a great reflection of our growth.
“After this trip, I feel lucky to be joining a firm like Protiviti. It is a great opportunity to gain extensive knowledge in the early stage of my career. Everyone I met gave me a lot of wonderful suggestions and all of them emphasized the same thing: ‘learn many different things, but become a specialist in one area’. I can’t wait to start my Protiviti journey!”
Wow! What a trip that must have been. It’s spectacular to see how the Protiviti community aided in such a productive overseas journey. We’re thrilled to have someone like you starting your career with us, Matthew!
— Cait
