By Qinxin Xie, Junior Project Manager - Digital Hospitality
It is hard to believe that six months have passed, and my internship's end has come. I can still feel the excitement and warmth from the time when Yael and I struggled to confirm a starting date of my internship because of lockdown, the time when I moderated our weekly meeting for the first time, and everyone sent messages to remind me of the next speaker, and the time when I just joined the office and met everyone in person. The past six months have been filled with surprises and unexpected experiences for all of us. I am honored to join this excellent organization and work with all my exceptional colleagues.
As a third-year student from EHL hospitality business school, I joined Swissnex as a junior project manager in digital hospitality, working as a marketing and event coordinator for EHL and assisting Swissnex in China with online activities, CRM management, and research. However, what I have harvested over the last few months goes beyond the description and my previous experience. This extraordinary experience unveiled me a new world of frontier science and innovative technologies, utterly different from the service and business industries. Stepping out of my comfort zone, I was fascinated by emerging research and obtained a habit of self-learning about industry advancement.
It was pitiful that I could not join several iconic events of Swissnex in China because of the Covid situation in Shanghai. Yet, the opportunity I obtained to launch a new cooperation program between EHL and Swissnex was even more cheerful. This experience of connecting service corporations to research institutes in China and Switzerland not only helped me to gain new knowledge but also allowed me to implement what I studied at school in actual business. It was also unforgettable to join the rebranding process, which brought me a deeper understanding of Swissnex in China and the feeling of ownership of this company. The team was supportive and patient in guiding, correcting, encouraging me, and even giving me the chance to lead projects. From my colleagues, I also realized the importance of continuous learning and curiosity.
My journey to Shanghai is unforgettable because of Swissnex in China. This internship improved my professional techniques, and things learned from this fantastic team bring me lifelong changes in thinking and learning. Words are not sufficient to express my gratitude. Going back to Switzerland, I just changed my way of being with everyone, backing to be a digital team member. I will stay in this family as an alumna and wish to see everyone again soon. I wish everyone the best, my Swissnex families! Whenever you need me, I am here.