Aaron Lee Jun Meng
"Monash opened my eyes to the real world and, it was almost a second adolescent transition into adulthood for me."
Name: Aaron Lee Jun Meng
Age: 30
Nationality: Malaysian
Bachelor’s in Communication (2007)
Why did you decide to pursue your studies at Monash University Malaysia?
After finishing the Canadian International Matriculation Programme at Sunway, I was certain I would pursue a degree in Communications. Although this area of study is commonly available in most universities, I truly believed then that choosing an institution in which you would be spending the next 3 years is similar to choosing someone to be in a relationship with (well, at least for the next 3 years anyway). It wasn’t love at first sight, but upon arriving at the campus during Open Day, I walked passed a bunting in which carried a tagline I will always remember: “Are You Monash Material?” I suppose you can say Monash was a real smooth one-liner on the very first date.
Please briefly describe your scope of responsibilities at work/ scope of study (if currently pursuing a higher degree).
Career wise, I was privileged to have embarked on one adventure after another. I spent 4 years with AirAsia and AirAsia X, working as a cabin crew and eventually moving on to the Inflight and Catering department. As a cabin crew, I was able to travel all over the world, experiencing different cultures and meeting people from various backgrounds. At Inflight and Catering, I was in charge of planning the onboard menus, which was both challenging and fun. As work would demand, we had a weekly food tasting session for quality control as well.After 4 exciting years, I am currently with Innity Corp, a digital advertising company that strategises launches and brand campaigns on the digital sphere. In a nutshell, my role is to ensure clients look good on the Internet. This includes great creative digital banners, awesome content write-ups, and ensuring their marketing ads are served at the right place to the right people. Nobody likes annoying advertisements, so my job scope is to ensure clients get their brands out there without intruding your web surfing experience.
How did your Monash experience make a difference for you in your current career/ life?
Monash opened my eyes to the real world and, it was almost a second adolescent transition into adulthood for me. I was lucky to have been a part of the Monash Study Tour to both Penang and Bangkok. In those tours, we met NGOs, who worked tirelessly for a cause they believed in. Experiencing these tours have cemented a sense of belief that no matter what your goal is in life, you can achieve them as long as you work hard enough towards it and more importantly, you have to believe in your cause. My field of work with AirAsia and Innity Corp involves interacting with people and building relationships. That’s because I believe in people relationship. Talent can only take you so far, but building relationships will allow you the opportunity to showcase those talents.
Please tell us about your experience studying at Monash University Malaysia.
Monash Study Tours, Futsal sessions with students and lecturers, and impromptu student film shootings around campus - I believe activities like these are the takeaways you would like to have upon graduation! One thing I liked about the lecturers were that they were all approachable. They listened and would provide solutions regardless of how juvenile the situation was. Food choices are aplenty in and out of campus, and facilities wise, we have an international standard in terms of auditoriums, a comprehensive library, a futsal court, an astro turf football field and tennis courts all equipped with flood lights! Looking forward to those alumni events for postgraduates like me!
What are your career goals?
I love tennis. I coach tennis over the weekends or whenever I have the free time and ironically, it was through digital platforms like Facebook and Instagram that really got me started. The more content I posted online about my coaching, the more people would enquire about my lessons. For decades, Malaysia has been sub-par when it comes to sports let alone tennis. My goal is to start a tennis academy that produces international contenders.