Joyce Lau’s Rotary experience helped her land a position with a major financial firm in Hong Kong. Four Rotarians serve on the board of directors.
By Joyce Lau, past president of the Rotary Club of Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong
On my first day at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a college senior invited me to the Rotaract Club of Chung Chi College. This small step introduced me to the wonderful world of Rotaract, where I strengthened my leadership and organizational skills while taking part in some amazing activities, including bringing smiles to the faces of people with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, hosting a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards training camp, and helping charter a new community-based Rotaract club.
Having benefited so much from Rotaract, it was natural for me to join Rotary when I had the chance. But never would I have thought that Rotary would take my career to the next level.
Three years ago, I received a call from Dr. Haywood Cheung, a past president of the Rotary Club of New Territories, which sponsored the Rotary club I belong to and the two Rotaract clubs I had previously been involved with. I was offered an opportunity to join his company, which is preparing to be listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange board as a financial controller.
Some time later, I asked Dr. Cheung why I was chosen for this role. He said he had had more than a decade to learn what kind of person I was and he knew I was someone he could trust. Indeed, in both my Rotaract and Rotary life, I have always tried to practice The Four-Way Test.
I feel fortunate to work with other Rotarians as an accountant, and continue to serve my community and my Rotary district. My boss, as a Rotarian, constantly encourages me to take part in industry and professional organizations that further enhance my skills and business reputation.
One of the clear benefits of Rotaract or Rotary is that it allows us to develop communication and leadership skills that makes us more attractive to employers. We become a highly-qualified pool of candidates, who also possess a heart for service. Rotary employers who recruit from this pool get trustworthy employees, but also get to use their vocational expertise to help young leaders build their careers. This ultimately strengthens membership in both Rotaract and Rotary. Surely, this is Rotary Vocational Service in action.
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of posts celebrating Membership Month. Learn more about Rotaract and explore the many benefits of Rotary membership in our Member Center.
https://blog.rotary.org/2018/08/20/how-rotary-helped-my-career/