Koh Jiaway

Course: Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Communications, 2015
Nationality: Malaysian
Current role: Program Manager, Iterative

Why did you choose to study for a double degree?

In today’s workforce, a fresh graduate with a range of knowledge and skills is a huge asset to any hiring employer. Alongside my interest to study and hone my skills in journalism and communications, I also understood the importance of equipping myself with business know-how. Among the other universities I have researched, Monash University was the only university to provide the double degree suited to my needs.

How has your double degree helped to prepare you for the working world?

In addition to the knowledge gained from the double degree, the soft skills I obtained were incredibly important - social skills, problem-solving skills and understanding an issue from multiple perspectives, have helped me in various situations in the working world.

What type of opportunities did you participate in at Monash?

I fully utilised all my semester breaks by taking on internship opportunities in a startup - Groupon (currently Fave), government agency - MaGIC (Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre), digital agency - VLT KL and volunteering my time to organise coding boot camps and startup competitions. I have also participated in various competitions; the HSBC Business Case Competition Malaysia (2nd Runner Up), Hackademy KL Hackathon (UBER Prize Winner), Mega Startup Weekend (Finalist), AngelHack KL and many other competitions. I also participated in the student exchange program to Monash University Caulfield, Melbourne, Australia.

What did you enjoy most about your student life?

There is never a dull moment in Monash University as a student. Opportunities are aplenty if you are open to them such as inter-university competitions, internship opportunities, clubs and societies to join in.

What is your biggest career goal, or what is the difference you’d like to make?

I have always wanted to bring positive changes to the industry I have a passion for. At the moment, I am striving to help early-stage companies/startups with a novel idea and solve real-world issues to reach success.