PMSA and beyond

Diana Tam is one such student, and below is an account of her PMSA-aided  journey  from New Zealand to Hong Kong, and to landing a plum job in her chosen law firm. One of the goals of the PMSA is to strengthen New Zealand’s ability to engage with key Asian trading partners.

Back in college, I’d always dreamed of going on exchange. I loved the feeling of being in a foreign country and slowly absorbing its culture. Years later, after saving up and finishing my compulsory uni papers, I was finally heading to City University of Hong Kong, as a recipient of the inaugural Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia.

To be truthful, I didn’t give much consideration to the PMSA at the time. I was grateful, but I’d made up my mind to study abroad long ago. Without further thought, I packed my bags and started my new life.

It’s impossible to describe Hong Kong without relying on the same phrases: frenetic, international, fast-paced. It reminds me of both London and Guangzhou, and yet has this spirit that I don’t imagine any other city can replicate.

While I was exploring, I was also thinking about my career. After spending time in Hong Kong, I knew I wanted to enter the commercial realm. I applied to Kensington Swan, a law firm I admired for its strategic focus and commitment to gender equity. One Skype interview and several questions about the PMSA later, I was sitting in the Wan Chai Grand Hyatt with Charlotte, a partner in the IP team. It was a pretty novel way to have an employment offer pack delivered.

I’ve been fortunate: my interests and passions dovetailed with New Zealand’s pivot to the Asia-Pacific, and I’ve met brilliant and inspirational people on the way — many of them in Southeast Asia, a region I visited on my second PMSA! Now I’m settled in at Kensington Swan, in our Financial Services team and aiming to end up working in Asia-NZ trade. It’s a supportive atmosphere, and I’m excited about the future.