Knowledge and skills acquired at the Tourism Retail and Marketing Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme (Chinese Medium) have assisted a third-year student, Ms. Joan Fu Ka Kei exceling in her work at a global luxury fashion brand.
Having enrolled in the programme at IFTM in 2020, Joan joined her current employer in May of the following year. She started as a Sales Executive and have climbed up the ladder steadily, which brought her to her current position overseeing the operations of two shops. Commenting on how the curriculum has raised her up, Joan pointed to a lot of areas that has cultivated her capacity and capability. She emphasised that each course did have a role in her career development. Despite being a programme in Chinese Medium, English is a compulsory course in the programme. “The English lecture every week has educated me in terms of managing job interviews and writing work emails,” Joan recalled. “The curriculum meets the needs of my job.”
In addition to the English lectures, Joan also mentioned the management course. “The course has taught us practical skills on how to incentivise others and to design incentive programmes at workplace. These skills are very useful,” Joan said. With that said, on the pragmatic side, Joan pointed out that in previous course projects or group assignments, she has often been chosen as the leader. With greater opportunities initiating communications and coordinating work, she found these experiences rather helpful in her workplace. “At my workplace, we often have promotional or special projects, in which I can utilise my capabilities acquired at the Institute, such as planning projects, arranging manpower, and designating tasks,” Joan explained.
Overall, in Joan’s opinion, the entire curriculum of the programme in which she is studying is delicately arranged and appropriate for the working professionals. “All knowledge learnt can be applied at work,” Joan commended. When trying to conclude her comments, Joan made special emphasis that her comments were all genuine.
There must be some reasons behind Joan’s opting to enrol in the Chinese medium programme at IFTM, and she explained why. The main reason behind her decision was that she wanted to improve herself both academically and professionally. She disclosed that when she graduated from secondary school, she went to Taiwan for university education. However, she did not find that engaging, so she returned to Macao after the end of the first year. The reason why she decided to further her education at IFTM is that she found education crucial to life. “After working for several years in the insurance sector – and having experienced fierce competitions in society – I discovered education very important, and choosing a quality institution is as critical,” Joan recapped.
Striking a balance between working and receiving formal education is a delicate art, which requires the utmost of attention. In Joan’s opinion, however, another factor prevails: willpower. “IFTM has high standards. Assessments and examinations do not give way to my full-time job,” she said, implying that the burden was as heavy on both sides of her balance.
On suggestions to retail sector expectants, Joan pointed out that personal attitude is critical. “I suggest them having broader horizons and cultivate both their academic knowledge and pragmatic capabilities,” she concluded.
