29 April 2011

Business Students Have A Big Four Experience

Story and pictures by Michelle Kiob

When a group of School of Business students visited one of the Big-Four professional accounting firms, Ernst & Young, little did they know that the people holding top positions that they were to meet were their seniors.

Alumnus and Head of Tax Ms Yeo Eng Ping instantly connected with the students as she shared her experience as a fresh Monash graduate finding her place in the world and the steps she took to build her wealth of knowledge and professional experience.

“Learning does not stop in university, as you will continually gain more and more knowledge of the industry to stay ahead,” she told the students.

Ms Yeo said it was an exciting time for tax professionals as there was a great demand for them in Malaysia, especially with the rapid population increase, stressing that those interested in pursuing the career “should be able to connect with people and apply extensive knowledge from different areas of the industry.”

One-half of the students visited another Big-Four firm, Deloitte, where they took note of qualities sought after by esteemed organisations, geared to brush up on their interpersonal and team-building skills, and analytical and problem-solving skills.

Also present at both the study trips was Ms Nancy Kaaur, Manager of Education & Examinations, Chartered Tax Institute of Malaysia (CTIM).

“You can actually make lots of preparation while in university that will benefit your career. Business students can apply and sit for examinations to obtain professional qualifications while still studying,” Ms Nancy advised students.

She commended the lecturers for taking the lessons out of the classroom as “a good effort to expose students to the industry before they even graduate.”

The lecturers behind the study trip initiative – Prof Jeyapalan Kasipillai, Dr Haemala Thanasegaran and Dr Lydia Shalani – were pleased with the outcome of the trips as the students had a chance to interact with staff of the accounting firms.

“I did not expect the students to ask so many industry-based questions. This is great as we want to motivate them to not just think of studying to sit for their exams, but to also plan for their future,” Prof Jeyapalan said.

Banking and Finance student Chew Yi Jian said: “Before this, I did not really know which area to specialise in, but after hearing all the options and possibilities, I might venture into tax. After all, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be introduced in Malaysia soon. It would be great to be a part of this universally practised consumption-based tax.”