Reaching for Dreams
Reaching for Dreams

Young people are a source of unlimited creativity and inspiration. They can rejuvenate and transform a workplace and the employees around them. Here, a group of young CLP interns describe how they brought fresh ideas to the company and what it gave them in return.

 

The image of graduates joyfully throwing their caps into the air after receiving their degrees perfectly captures the fresh-faced optimism of young people ready to go out and conquer the working world.

 

But after their caps fall back to the ground, many of them face the harsh reality of not being able to land an entry-level job because they lack the previous work experience required by many employers.

 

For those who do manage to get a foot in the door, the work they find themselves doing is not always what they had hoped for in terms of raising their skill levels and helping them to carve out exciting careers.

 

Today’s graduates from Generation Z are “digital natives” – young people with strong levels of digital literacy and creativity across a diverse range of media. CLP places a high value on their innate skillsets in terms of innovation and agility with modern technology. 

 

Further to the sharing of some of CLP’s interns who explored smart energy solutions, here are the views of four more of them on how working at CLP has prepared them for the challenges of the future while inspiring people around them to re-evaluate their own ideas about what is possible.

The introduction of four CLP’s interns: Alex Cheng, Andrew Tai, Jenny Iu and Katy Hui.

Why did you want an internship with CLP?

Katy: CLP is a leading energy company that not only powers our homes but also strives to protect the environment and energise the communities in which it operates. This led to my interest in learning about the company’s journey to success on a deeper level, and joining its efforts to create value for society and the environment. 

 

Andrew: I was fascinated by how CLP Smart Energy Connect utilises technology and innovation to help digitalise CLP’s business and energise the lives of Hong Kong people.

 

Alex: I believed that working at CLP would help me learn more about the actions power utility companies are taking to contribute to the transition toward a more sustainable and greener future.

 

Jennie: What piqued my interest to work at CLP was its strong governance, which has helped the company thrive for more than a century. I also wanted to learn more about how regulation and policy has contributed to the company’s continued success. 

How did you put your creativity into action?

Jennie: Brainstorming is an effective way to spark creativity during research. We often collect scattered information and ideas with an open mind, whether it is relatable or not. Categorising it is a useful way to process our thoughts in a systematic way. We then begin to develop a rough outline and map out the constraints and requirements to be fulfilled. With a pool of ideas, we can assess those which are most relevant to the specifications of the task, and then analyse the pros and cons to find effective solutions. 

 

I was tasked to generate ideas for souvenirs to complement CLP’s 120th anniversary branding. Instead of taking the straightforward path of purely researching similar corporate anniversary gifts across the market, I decided to focus my research on more state-of-the-art technology such as wireless charging, Fotomo, 3D hologram, augmented reality, UV light sanitisation, and magnetic levitation technology. 

 

By drawing on my research, I then matched these different technologies with more practical gift options such as mobile chargers, light bulbs, and model vehicle displays. We finally decided to produce miniature CLP vehicle model sets, CLP nano brick engineering vehicles, magnetic lights, and wireless mobile chargers.

 

Sandwich intern Jennie Iu and CLP’s 120th anniversary souvenirs
Jennie shows off some of the ideas she contributed for CLP’s 120th anniversary souvenirs.

 

Alex: The beginning of my internship was during the early stages of the pandemic, and I was tasked with seeking creative and digital solutions to adapt to virtual events and sourcing professional equipment for a one-size-fits all studio setting to support CLP’s online conferences, including the annual and interim results meetings and virtual interviews with senior CLP management. Executing this task required me to use a creative mindset to seek new and innovative ways to balance practicality and flexibility. 

 

Katy: It is helpful to talk to teammates to gather different perspectives and expand the pool of ideas. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one.

 

I contributed ideas on the design of games and staff quizzes to celebrate CLP’s 120th anniversary. After sharing my ideas with teammates, we incorporated games into the promotional campaign. These included asking colleagues to use their staff number to come up with a formula with the answer of 120 as part of the anniversary campaign, and creating Chinese and English word search puzzles based on the anniversary tagline.

Andrew thinks of creative solutions when clients come up with new requirements.

 

                Find out more about internships at CLP.

How would you describe CLP’s work culture?

Andrew: I would describe it as full of opportunity. There are a lot of experienced, talented, and knowledgeable people at CLP. As a young person who is navigating unchartered territory, these colleagues provided me with a lot of support and many hands-on opportunities to understand our products and services at a deeper level.

 

Alex (right) volunteered to help put together care packages, which were distributed to elderly people during the pandemic.

Alex: I would describe it as reliable. CLP’s employees are always quick to adapt to the fast-changing industry landscape and are always keeping up to speed on global developments. This allows the company to respond quickly to changes in its operating regions. 

Jennie: I would describe it as communicative. Compliments are given to praise good work and constructive feedback is always shared, allowing us to reflect on the decisions we have made and on improvements for similar tasks in future. Working at CLP has also led me to become more expressive as well, as I was always encouraged to participate in the discussions and share my views and thoughts.  

Katy: I would describe it as trusting. I am very happy that my supervisors entrusted me with leading certain tasks and provided me with opportunities to contribute my ideas to projects such as the design of CLP’s 120th anniversary staff quizzes, as well as energy efficiency and conservation games. It was encouraging to feel the trust and respect of my teammates as we worked together.

In what way did your experience differ from your expectations?

Jennie: The level of creativity and tech-savviness demanded from my work was beyond my expectations. It was eye-opening to learn so much about newly-evolving technologies and innovations in the market, such as the functions of interactive newsletter platforms, animation-editing software, and other technical innovations like augmented reality and magnetic levitating lights. 

 

Katy: I was surprised that CLP colleagues emphasised the value of young people bringing new, more energetic, and innovative ideas to the table, and that they encouraged me to be more involved in creative tasks. 

 

A series of staff quizzes in celebration of CLP’s 120th anniversary
Katy designed a set of fun quizzes for CLP’s 120th anniversary celebrations.

 

Alex: Working at CLP has, as I expected, allowed me to gain insight into international energy market developments as well as sustainability and innovation trends in the power industry. However, it is unfortunate that COVID-19 led to most physical events and out-of-office opportunities being switched online. Networking has also become more challenging in the workplace since the pandemic began.

 

Andrew: It was a very friendly and non-intimidating working environment which valued good and respectful collaboration among colleagues. Everyone was willing to take me under their wing to teach me about their different roles and responsibilities, and provided numerous opportunities for me to shadow their work.

What are your tips for making the most of an internship? 

Alex: Never let a good idea slip away easily. Talk to colleagues and you may find yourself one step closer to a great solution.

 

Andrew: Always ask questions to expand your knowledge.

 

Katy: Take the initiative to learn, and be willing to take on tasks. 

 

Jennie: Never be afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes are always made in the process of learning and gaining experience, so don’t get discouraged as they may become part of what makes you stronger in the future.