BEC internship, open to university students, offers on-the-job training throughout the year. We welcome those who care about corporate social sustainability, environmental and sustainable development. We accept students from all disciplines such as Environmental Science, Journalism, Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Education or International Studies.
This summer we have interns from Hong Kong, mainland China and the United States for various teams for Communications and Marketing, Climate Change Business Forum, Harbour Business Forum, Corporate Sustainability, Environmental Management as well as Building and Energy Efficiency.
If you are interested, simply send us your application to careers@bec.org.hk or call Ms June Ma at (852) 2784 3930.
Check out what our interns say about their experience and learning at BEC.
Interning at Business Environment Council is one of a kind
By Jana Jaeger, BA student in International Relations of James Madison University, the United States
It is wonderfully refreshing to walk into the Business Environment Council (BEC) knowing that the day ahead will be full of tasks and opportunities, unlike the typical internship.
The internships that I have heard of and experienced were usually filled with grunt work. Normally the day consists of filing papers away and entering data. The time spent in the office may feel like a waste, and the next day may be one that isn’t something to look forward to. However, my internship at BEC has been nothing like that.
In a normal day at BEC there will be research to be done on the new Eco-Education, PowerPoint presentations to be made about waste management and focus areas , articles to write about a CNN interview and WBCSD Vision 2050, business plans to configure for a Monthly Movie idea, and websites to update.
Of course every intern will have moments when there may be a small amount of work to do, but what is unusual at BEC is that there really is always something to do. The staff also includes the interns in conferences, public engagement events, and even allows interns to present to the Board of Directors. BEC really gives interns the experience of what it is like to work in an office and have real responsibilities. Not only are the opportunities unique, but also the people that are working at BEC are one of a kind, and from all over the world.
The people that interns have the opportunity to meet make the experience as an intern even more fulfilling. The office is a melting pot within the melting pot of Hong Kong. There are interns from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States. This makes the internship all the more rewarding.
There are so many backgrounds, cultures, and personalities that an intern is subjected to everyday. Not only do all of the interns learn from one another, but they also have all gotten close and made lasting friendships. The networking that BEC provides within the walls of the building is even phenomenal. It is rare to have the option of having friends all over the world that one can potentially work with or for one day.
An internship at BEC is valuable on various levels. It is rare that someone in his or her early twenties will experience such a variety of culture, learning opportunities, and tasks. The knowledge gained from an internship at BEC is special, because of all the trust that the BEC staff rewards its interns with. BEC really encourages and provides their interns with a chance to network within the Hong Kong business sector. All of the interns have expressed great gratitude for opportunities from BEC.
More from BEC Summer Interns 2009
I asked all my fellow interns on their experience working at BEC. They all responded very positively towards BEC. These are some of their quotes or feedbacks.
Julie Johnson, Rollins Crummer Graduate School of Business, Finance (Orlando, FL, USA)
"My favorite thing about interning at BEC is that I am doing meaningful work. Other internships that I have had consisted of mainly filing, sending e-mails, and making phone calls, and I don't do that here. I feel like the work I do here is worthwhile. I am learning a lot, and I feel like my input and the projects that I compute are valued. For example, the work I have done, such as a business plan for the Eco-Education center has been used for future considerations. I would absolutely return to work at BEC in the future - BEC has a great mission, and an excellent work atmosphere, and Hong Kong is an amazing place."
Patricia Poon, City University of Hong Kong, English and Communication (Hong Kong)
"It's amazing that I get to interact and work with the staff at BEC and the interns from Mainland and overseas. I did a presentation on Eco-Education Ideas in front of the BEC Board of Directors with the overseas interns, which was highly rewarding. This makes the internship at BEC unique from those I’ve joined before, especially I was given the opportunity and privilege to work with interns from different cultures for 2 months or even more."
Carol Yip, City University of Hong Kong, English for Professional Communication. (Hong Kong)
"My internship at BEC much exceeds my expectations. Throughout these months I have learned and experienced a lot about sustainability especially in the areas of green building and energy effciency. I am also very fortunate to help with the research and preparation for the run up to the launch of the Hong Kong Green Building Council."
Aubrey Chan, City University of Hong Kong, English and Communication, (Hong Kong)
“It's definitely worthwhile working here at BEC. It provides me with a platform to learn and experience new things every day, such as environmental management, that I cannot learn from school; and as well meeting new people and making new friends of different cultural backgrounds.”