Workplace Immersion: A Week Inside China’s Digital Marketplace
Over the winter break, Shanghai American School high school students dove headfirst into the professional world, spending an exciting week at a leading China e-commerce company. In collaboration with Buy Quickly, SAS launched its Workplace Immersion program, offering students an unparalleled opportunity to experience the fast-paced world of e-commerce firsthand. Our students were able to tackle real-world challenges and gained invaluable insights into professional life at one of China’s largest one-stop digital retail service providers, serving global fashion, sports and beauty clients.
Shanghai American School’s Workplace Immersion program is designed to bridge classroom learning with real-world applications. Through multi-day placements at corporate partner sites during holiday breaks, high school students gain exposure to diverse industries and develop skills to support their future aspirations.
Buy Quickly is a trailblazer in omni-channel e-commerce services, representing over 120 global luxury and fashion brands. Buy Quickly excels in areas such as AI-driven customer experiences, premium logistics, and innovative design solutions. This partnership underscores Buy Quickly’s commitment to nurturing young talent and fostering the next generation of industry leaders.
Based on their interests and skills, students were divided into teams and assigned to one of Buy Quickly’s key functions: AI-Generated Content, Premium Customer Service, Warehouse and Logistics, Design Hub, and Livestreaming. The students were given mentors and then dove into projects on their respective teams. In the Design Hub, students developed creative concepts for a pop-up store, blending artistic vision with strategic planning. "I enjoyed the process of coming up with different ideas and organizing them into a concrete business plan. Design Hub has taught me many more things than I expected," shared Benjamin Y., a junior from Pudong.
Other groups explored the operations of live streaming, social media content creation and analytics. Reflecting on her experience, Crystal R., a Puxi junior, noted, "I gained a lot of insight into the industrial operation of social media in live streaming and short videos. I adopted analytical thinking methods to apply to our own creations."
In the AI-Generated Content division, students explored advanced AI tools and trained models to enhance customer interactions. Those in Premium Customer Service learned the intricacies of personalized live streaming for high-end clients, while the team in Warehouse and Logistics observed operations and crafted a business pitch to optimize services. Nicholas N., a junior from Puxi, highlighted, "I enjoyed this hands-on experience in digital marketing, content creation, and data analysis. I learned about AI technology, improved my teamwork skills, and made friends across different grades."
The program concluded with a celebratory event where students shared their experiences and presented their project outcomes. Students acquired technical skills like developing AI-driven solutions and crafting compelling business pitches, but also gained insights into teamwork, problem-solving, and professional collaboration in a real workplace setting.
This immersive opportunity proved to be a transformative experience for all participants and underscores SAS’s commitment to redefining education by connecting students to the professional world. Workplace Immersion provides exposure to potential career opportunities, areas for future college study and prepares students to become leaders in an ever-evolving global landscape.For inquiries, email immersions@saschina.org.
