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Capital gains

Mr Tang is thankful that SGX prepared him for corporate life even before he graduated.
PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

HE WAS a science student who accepted a scholarship from a financial institution to study law.

Some people may think the combination is a little unusual, but not Mr Michael Tang, a scholar with the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

The Raffles Junior College alumnus says: "I wanted a professional degree, and SGX made me an open offer. I chose law in part because it would teach me how to reason and think through things logically."

Now a management associate with his sponsor, Mr Tang, 27, feels that his choice of studies has stood him in good stead for his career.

He says: "I've been here seven months, and so far, my legal training has direct relevance to what I do here, which is dealing with SGX's regulatory policies."

Now serving his two-year bond with the company, he looks forward to being posted to the various business units under a scheme that aims to expose its management associates to a variety of working experiences within the organisation.

The opportunity to have a hand in shaping Singapore's capital market is a big draw for him.

He explains: "SGX has quite an open work culture, so we can indicate our preferences when rotation comes around. I would like to do a stint in one of their business units to get a feel of the markets."

"I hope to be able to contribute to Singapore's body of knowledge regarding regulations."

"For example, I'm doing research into the situations in other markets and their economic implications. Knowing what others are doing may benefit us."

His global outlook comes from spending a year overseas in Canada on an exchange programme, which SGX co-financed.

He credits his sponsor for preparing him for corporate life even before he graduated.

"Unlike most people fresh out of school, I didn't have any culture shock at work, mainly because I did three internships at SGX during my study years."

"During every long vacation, I would come to the office for a few weeks, and that experience really helped ease me into working life," he says.

"By the time I joined the company full time after my studies, I already knew quite a few people and had a ready network of friends and colleagues I could call on for support."

"That is very important because when things get rough, you know you're not alone," he adds.

He remains optimistic with his career choice, even if the financial industry isn't as rosy now.

He says: "Many people may not envy those in the financial sector right now, but that kind of sentiment won't last.

"This is still an exciting industry to be in, and the recession will go away sooner or later."

"I like it here and I'm not going anywhere at the moment."