Finance interns shine in spotlight

New reality show highlights careers in the securities industry, Li Yingxue reports.

The bustling office was like a scene from the Wolf of Wall Street, but set in 21st century China. Nine young brokers stare intensely at the four screens in front of each of them, nervously waiting for the key moment to buy and sell their bonds by phone.

With 100 million yuan ($15.4 million) each to trade with, their deal volume had to surpass 300 million yuan by the end of the day. The one who made the most profit won.

They were all so focused, enduring a roller-coaster of emotions as the numbers on the screens flickered and changed. While the money they were playing with wasn't real, the feelings of euphoria and desolation were.

The young traders, actually interns at Huatai Securities, a leading integrated securities group in China, were engaged in a simulation bond trading competition as part of the reality show, The Shining One, produced by Jiangsu TV.

The 12-episode series, which premiered on April 16 and ended on July 9, witnessed nine Chinese job-seekers, all in their 20s, battle to win their dream job at the company.

Four candidates received the final offer after the one-month internship, during which they completed six different tasks-in groups or individually-to showcase their capabilities as a finance professional.

The show started with a complex interview in which 30 finalists were tested and interviewed by five senior industry professionals from the company, four of whom became mentors to the final nine interns.

Six celebrities formed an observation group to comment on the interns' performance in each episode. One of the interns is eliminated at the halfway point of the series, leaving the remaining eight candidates to battle it out for the four positions on offer at the company.

Ma Dong, a renowned host and also a member of the observation group, thinks that leaving the show does not represent failure, just that the person is not suitable for that particular position. "The workplace is where you find a sense of achievement, it's a joy and self-recognition when you reach success. It's not ice-cold but homothermal," he says.