Lynker: Quincy Leung ‘22 and Her New Job-Matching Platform

Interview of Quincy Leung ‘22 by Yee Xin Cher ’22

Yee Xin: Thanks for taking the time to meet and chat with me today. Could you quickly introduce yourself and your company?

Quincy: Of course! My name is Quincy, I’m from Hong Kong and I’m currently a junior at Lawrenceville. I created this platform called Lynker last summer, which connects youth to internship and job opportunities in hopes of preparing them for their potential future jobs and other life endeavors. Our mission is to encourage youth to venture beyond the boundaries of conventional education and expand their horizons through interacting in a real-life work environment. Beyond job matching, we want to promote a mindset change in the academic-focused culture prevalent in many Asian countries, particularly Hong Kong, and encourage a more holistic approach to learning.

Yee Xin: So how does the Lynker platform actually work? What do interested students and employers have to do when they go on the website?

Quincy: Our website has three main features, one of them being student profile postings, where students can post their profiles under the categories, digital, tutoring, and art. We also have a page for company or parent job and internship postings that students can apply to. By having these two options, students can actively seek out jobs and showcase their skills while companies can browse for student talents and post their needed service. We also offer resources for students, such as articles or videos, to provide helpful tips and insights. In the near future, we plan on hosting events where we invite guest speakers to run webinars and career workshops. To post on our website, all you have to do is fill out a form!

Yee Xin: What initially inspired you to create this platform?

Quincy: Growing up in Hong Kong, I always thought that the exam-oriented education system is very restricting. For many students, their life consists merely of studying and their self-worth or value is closely tied to academic achievements. However, everyone has different strengths which may not always be related to classroom learning. For those with weaker academic performance, it is very hard to fully realize their potential, and consequently, they may become lost and dejected. After coming to Lawrenceville where I was fortunate enough to receive a more well-rounded education, I was even more convinced that there is so much more to classroom learning, not only in terms of exploring your potential in different areas but also in terms of healthy personal growth. Being a teenager who understands their struggles, I want to use my dual experience to bring something that would benefit all youth in Hong Kong.

Yee Xin: This might not be specifically tied to Lynker, but what sparked your initial interest in entrepreneurship?

Quincy: I believe entrepreneurship is really all about solving a problem, and I’ve always been intrigued by that. When I was younger this was manifested in my fascination with solving sudokus and mastering tic-tac-toe. So when I saw that this problem was so pervasive in Hong Kong and that it affected me and my peers, I was compelled to at least try to improve the situation. I know this is a deeply-rooted issue that can’t be solved overnight and that Lynker is not a “quick fix” by any means, but this is also why I am determined to grow the platform.

Yee Xin: You mentioned earlier that you started this project in the middle of 2020, during the height of the pandemic, so you’ve been in operation for about six to seven months. How has this experience been so far for you? What have the ups and downs been?

Quincy: This entire experience has been very rewarding, but not without its challenges. I think the hardest part about starting your own project or business is just starting. In the beginning, especially, I didn’t have a clear direction or mission. Because of that, there were many times where I felt lost and confused and didn’t know how to proceed. On top of that, given my limited skills and experience, it was hard for me to navigate this unknown world of entrepreneurship. Even when I thought I knew what to do next, I could never fully predict or anticipate the fruits of my labors. So there were a lot of moments where I doubted the possible success of Lynker and thought that perhaps I was just completely wasting my time. But after reflecting on those experiences, I now realized that I am a big beneficiary of what I’m doing. Even though my aim is to ultimately help other youth, I’ve learned so much about creating a startup, how to manage a team, how to write cold emails, and most importantly, how to be comfortable with the unknown. This project has really shaped the person I am today and I’m very grateful for that.

Yee Xin: You’ve talked about the past, a bit about the present, so looking into the future, do you foresee any new challenges? Or do you have any goals for the company you really want to accomplish soon? All in all, where do you see Lynker going in the near or far future?

Quincy: Lynker is still a relatively new organization, so I think we will encounter challenges scaling up, such as platform or team management issues. I definitely think there will be countless other challenges that I will also have to face in the future, but I’m not too worried as I have the support of my amazing team members who will tackle these challenges head-on with me. Right now I’m focused on expanding Lynker so that youth of different spheres and backgrounds can access the platform because currently, my reach is still quite limited to students who come from relatively similar backgrounds as me. I hope that I can have a wider variety of students on the platform, whether it is in terms of their socio-economic backgrounds, or interest areas. I am also working on providing more job and internship opportunities for youth, and have reached out to organizations and educators for potential partnership. Once we do become more successful and established in Hong Kong, I plan on expanding to other Asian countries with similar issues.

Yee Xin: That’s awesome! This is only the beginning of Lynker, so I wish you all the best on what’s to come for the platform!

Quincy: Thank you so much!