Alumni Interview with Candy Choi

Here's what it's like to go on a Capital Placement program!

Candy Choi
Candy ChoiParticipated in 2019Intern Abroad | England

Candy Choi is a Chinese-Canadian from Toronto, Canada. She studied Advertising at the Ontario College of Art and Design University. Candy wanted to travel after graduating, but she also wanted to be productive while doing it, so she decided on doing an internship abroad. She loves to travel and explore new places, so she’s always on the lookout for the next possible destination.

What inspired you to travel abroad?

I had never really been away from Toronto ever since I was a kid, so I really wanted to live somewhere different, far from home and experience a different culture. 

Why did you choose Capital Placement?

I found them through an Instagram Ad and just signed up on the Capital Placement website.

the tower bridge during sunset

Tower Bridge and The Shard at sunset in London

What was your favorite part about London?

Just meeting people from all walks of life who also ended up in London. There are those who are born and raised in London, and those from other countries who also chose to work, live, study here. It's really funny to experience the differences in English even though we all understand each other for the most part, just certain words or phrases are different. Those nuances are quite interesting and insightful for me to take back to Canada.

What made your experience abroad extraordinary?

Working for ChargedUp. I've volunteered in student-run programs and worked briefly with a small team of freelancers who made their own little design company, but working at a startup has just been phenomenal. This is my first 'real' job (I've done many years as a retail worker), so it's a lot of fun to have flexibility and to feel like your voice can make a difference for the company. Everyone is incredibly friendly and easygoing, with beer on tap in the office and after-work socials where everyone in the office comes out to drink and have fun is amazing. 

Chinatown Arch in London

Chinatown Arch in London

How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?

My boss, Forrest, understood that this was my first job out of uni so he was very accommodating with helping me learn the ropes but also being there for me as just a friend, who is open to listen to any struggles I'm facing having moved to London for the first time. 

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?

I wish I had picked a better place to live for six months. Using Spot a Home, I booked the flat solely trusting the photos online and signed a six-month contract on the day I landed in London. In hindsight, I would've booked a hostel for the first week and went in person to view places before I signed such a long contract. The place I'm staying at isn't terrible, but I do wish I had a bit more space and perhaps have picked a better area to live in.

Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.

I live thankfully only two stops away on the Overground from my flat to the office, so I can wake up a bit later than most my coworkers. I pick up a free banana outside the Amazon HQ (which is only a minute away from the ChargedUp office!) and make myself a cup of coffee in the shared kitchen (it's like a WeWork-style office space). I start working on a fun marketing project and around 11am I ask my coworkers what they ordered off MealPal (a meal subscription service). We all head out to lunch together, grab our food and head up to the roof at the top of the office to eat and chat. After lunch, we grab snacks and crack on with our work. Around 6pm, people start heading home and I, myself, go to the grocery store after work to make dinner at home (gotta save money in a city as expensive as London). I'll finish eating, look up some cool places to check out for the weekend and go to sleep.

My coworkers using our ChargedUp power banks for a game of ping-pong.

Playing ping-pong using power banks

What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?

On Friday nights, my friends and I would head to a bar or club and just celebrate the start of the weekend! Since this is my first job, I really do want to celebrate the end of the week because it can get a bit hectic during the weekdays. The people I met in London just have such an extensive network, everyone knows everyone in some capacity, so I'm always meeting new faces and getting to know different perspectives. On Saturday and Sunday, I like to do some more tourist-y things like museums (which are free!) and visit some of the markets for some shopping. I'm also a huge foodie, so I definitely squeeze in good food in between all of that. 

What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?

I lived in a four-bedroom (one-bathroom) flat in the Whitechapel area. What I liked was how friendly and helpful all my roommates are. When they're home, they take the time to talk and just chat in the kitchen. I was honestly worried since I couldn't choose my roommates, so I'm really thankful that they have been so good to me. I also live so close to work, it makes morning commutes much easier.

A team pub lunch to celebrate a milestone.

International interns gather at a pub in London

What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?

Capital Placement wants to give as much of an open experience as possible. They will run you through the basics but that's it, everything else they want you to figure out. This was something I had no idea about having signed up to this program, because at times I felt a bit lost and wasn't sure if they were supposed to help me with these things. Having met with them in-person, in London, they explained that life is all about learning and taking the initiative to figure it out yourself is how you grow. Hearing that, their apprehension to give me a full out guide was understandable. Every person should be writing their own story and carving their own path, not following someone else's 10-step guide.

Would you recommend Capital Placement to others? Why?

Yes I would, but more so to people who are still in studying rather than graduated. It's more so because the uni I went to did not have a placement program in the curriculum, so we were left to find a job ourselves after graduation which can be a bit daunting at times. As an intern in the UK, people are often confused that I am graduated yet I am just an intern.

people enjoying the festival in London

International interns attending SW4 festival in London

What do you feel is the biggest benefit of traveling abroad?

A fresh perspective. Growing up in Toronto my whole life put me in a comfortable, familiar bubble that I rarely stepped out of. I really wanted to push myself and go to a whole new country with a different culture. Travelling gives you insight into the way other countries and people are, and bringing back these observations and knowledge can make for a very rich experience, with many great stories to tell.

Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?

I'm not home yet, I still have less than four months to go. I can imagine myself going back to Toronto and missing the friends I made in London. I'll be sure to visit and who knows, maybe even return for a permanent position!

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Being respectful and curious about other countries and their culture. I am a foreigner stepping foot onto the place they call home, so I need to be mindful of that. Talking to the locals and learning about their day-to-day lives, going to local bars or events, really immerses you into what it's like for someone to live here every day. Comparing and understanding the similarities and differences can give you warmth and have you fall in love with every new country you go to.

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