Alumni Story | Sonia Ali
“My highlight of the whole experience was the people. And the organizers did a great job of creating socials.” Sonia Ali
Sonia Ali studied her undergraduate degree at Nottingham Law School, and then further studied and completed a Masters in International Commercial Law. After finishing her Masters, she applied and undertook a 2-month internship in Beijing at a law firm.
We went to meet Sonia in Canary Wharf to hear how she is getting on… it has been over 5 years since she completed her internship with CRCC Asia, but we are keen to keep in touch with as many alumni as possible!
We were interested in why Sonia wanted to do an internship abroad, she explained,
“It was my first time in China. I had seen similar programs before and thought it was a good opportunity to gain some experience and be able to travel at the same time. And CRCC Asia is an organized platform, so it was convenient in that sense.”
During her two months Sonia went to Xi’an, The Great Wall of China, and other day trips during the weekends. She then continued after her internship for a further 2 weeks… making the most and traveling around Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau.
Finding friends for life on a CRCC Asia Program? Sonia believes so:
“I actually stay in contact with a group of the other interns. We may not meet up regularly as we are not in the same countries. But I was chief bridesmaid for one of the other intern’s wedding in Ireland. And visited another in Dubai. So yes, we definitely keep in touch. It is one of those unique experiences/milestones in your life… it’s almost like starting university again and meeting new people.”
Sonia is now a Regulatory Advisor for the Banking Sector within KPMG. She joined the company in June 2017. Sonia now has over 6 years-experience within the Regulatory Compliance field.
With 6 years working in this field, the internship does not necessarily impact her working life now. But initially, the CRCC Asia experience was definitely helpful in job interviews, “I received a job offer just a few weeks after returning from China.”. And on a personal note, “the experience has always been a talking point in social situations.”
Sonia’s advice for future interns, “If you have any hesitations, definitely go ahead. It is a very good program, the organizers are great. Get yourself involved and be ready to mingle with people and experience the culture.”
If you are inspired by Sonia Ali’s time in Beijing and want to apply for a CRCC Asia internship, CLICK HERE
