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Do you dream of working at a well-known social media company after graduation?
Meet Bocconi University alumnus Zhenyu Rong. Since graduating from university, Zhenyu has been working at Tencent’s WeChat, a messenger and social media app used by more than one billion users around the world.
In his role, Zhenyu helps enterprises achieve digital transformation through WeChat’s capabilities to better serve their customers.
QSChina caught up with Zhenyu to find out more about his career journey and how studying a master's degree at Bocconi University in Italy helped secure his job with WeChat in Mainland China.
Deciding to study abroad in Italy
After studying a bachelor's degree in finance at a university in mainland China, Zhenyu was looking expand his knowledge in accounting and management.
For his master’s degree, Zhenyu was keen to study abroad and experience a diverse learning environment. The idea of studying and potentially working in Europe greatly appealed to him.
“As an international student, the reason for choosing a country to study abroad depends to a certain extent on the culture and job opportunities available after graduation,” said Zhenyu.
Zhenyu was initially attracted by Bocconi University's excellent reputation and its prime location in the Italian city of Milan - a city that attracts many international companies.
“Italy is a fantastic country with tremendous culture, cuisine, and architecture. I am a person who is keen to learn about history and architecture,” he said.
It was for these reasons that Zhenyu decided to study the Master of Science in Accounting, Financial Management and Control at Bocconi University.
Gaining work experience and building up his resume
Zhenyu’s career greatly benefited from the extensive careers services available at Bocconi University. The university boasts a high graduate employment rate, with 94 percent of the school’s 2019 graduates in work within one year after graduating.
Bocconi University’s career services include mock interviews, CV and cover letter help, careers workshops and one-to-one personalised careers advice to help students better understand the career paths available to them.
Students can also benefit from frequent in-company training programmes and other job-focused events, which help them learn about specific sectors and industries.
“I participated in an in-company training programme in London which was very helpful for my knowledge of the job market in London,” said Zhenyu. “I also attended several job events, such as the investment banking and consulting week. It’s surprising to see the power of the Bocconi community in commercial areas.”
JobGate is Bocconi University’s online job platform, updated daily by employers and showing internship and placement opportunities in Italy and abroad. This platform helps bridge the gap between employers and students, allowing students to easily connect with top employers.
While studying his master’s degree, Zhenyu used JobGate to find his internship at international banking firm Unicredit. In this internship he was responsible for managing some of the leverage buy out (LBO) projects at Unicredit’s headquarters in Milan.
“This internship offered me an environment that is challenging and amazing. I worked with colleagues from different countries and regions all over the world. It felt so special and I still remember a lot about that summer,” he said.
Launching an international career
After graduation, however, Zhenyu decided that he wanted to move away from finance and work in the technology industry.
“I prefer the innovative technology industry, as I believe it can make a greater difference to society,” he said.
Zhenyu’s hard work in his degree and internships paid off and he was rewarded with a number of job offers in companies across Europe.
However, Zhengyu decided to return to mainland China.
“Through my experience of living and traveling in different countries, I know there was a huge innovation wave in China in the tech sector,” said Zhenyu. It was here that Zhenyu was offered his job at Tencent’s WeChat.
“I enjoy the environment: working with smart and open-minded colleagues and helping our partners to achieve success,” said Zhenyu.
Zhenyu is not the only Bocconi graduate with a successful international career, with many of Zhenyu’s classmates getting jobs around the world. Of the 2019 graduates, 33 percent found work outside Italy.
For Zhenyu, it is the friendships at Bocconi that stood out to him
“I feel that the most rewarding part of my master's is not the knowledge in the classroom or the grade I got. The most epic part is the people of Bocconi - the Bocconi community. I have met a lot of outstanding people there,” he said.
