Michelle Teng

Course: Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), 2020
Nationality: Malaysian
Current role: Training Lead (Standards, Learning & Development), Altrata

How have your studies at Monash University Malaysia helped to prepare you for the working world?

I’m happy to say that my time at Monash has provided me with a solid foundation on which I can build on in the workplace as a budding researcher.

Monash has a great track record of being dedicated to research. Students are taught and exposed to research practices and the scientific method from the very beginning of their educational journey. As a psychology student I was exposed to a range of research methods and statistical analyses over the course of four years. The research culture that permeates Monash was ultimately what inspired and attracted me to research.

Secondly, Monash’s emphasis on critical thinking, has instilled within me the practice of being mindful and critical of information and ideas that come my way. In a sense, this has given me a healthy dose of skepticism, the confidence to raise questions when I lack understanding, and the drive to search for information that is logical, and evidence based. The critical thinking skills that I’ve obtained thanks to Monash’s rigorous assignments and activities have turned out to be immensely valuable to me as a market researcher.

Finally, a Monash education involves having to work on assignments with people from various cultural backgrounds and nationalities. Having worked with individuals from different backgrounds during student life has made my transition into working at a multinational company easier, as my current job also involves me working alongside people from different countries. My Monash experience equipped me with the communication and teamwork skills to thrive at my culturally diverse place of work.

Did you participate in any student activities or opportunities?

While at Monash I took part in a student exchange to Monash Clayton campus for one semester. The exchange gave me a taste of independence for the first time, as it was my first time being away from home and family. Because I had to do things for myself, I learnt new things about myself, such as discovering that I enjoy cooking for myself and friends. While there I was also exposed to Australian culture, sights, and wildlife. My most memorable experience was going on a road-trip of the Great Ocean Road with my girlfriends. Overall, I’ve gained a better sense of self, and confidence as a result of the exchange. 10/10 would recommend.

I also volunteered as a pro-bono research assistance (RA) during semester breaks with Dr Goh Pei Hwa from the Department of Psychology. She has been one of the lecturers that shaped who I am today as a researcher. My experience working with her as an RA was hard work, but also a lot of fun. Being able to work with her allowed me to observe her thought process and really challenged me intellectually. Overall, my experience working as an RA have been an important part of sharpening my critical thinking abilities and allowed me to realise that while research is hard work, it can also be very rewarding.

Did you go for any internships or work placements? Did the experience help you in terms of career preparation?

I completed a three-month internship at a child psychology centre. During my time there I helped to prepare therapeutic plans and assisted in-house psychologists during therapy sessions. This internship allowed me to gain insight into what life as a child psychologist and practicing psychology in general would be like.

In terms of career preparation, I would say this experience would certainly be relevant had I decided to pursue a Master’s in Counselling or Clinical Psychology, to become a psychologist. However, for me this experience showed me that my interests lie more towards research rather than going into psychological practice. That said, I highly recommend doing internships to get a sense of what one likes/ dislikes about a job before entering the job market

What did you enjoy most about your student life?

The people that I’ve met!

The lifelong friends that I’ve made (shout out to The Sleeping Club!), the random people that I’ve talked to on campus, and of course the wonderful lecturers that patiently reply to all our burning questions, sometimes even in the middle of the night. As a Monashian, I wouldn’t be where I am today without my friends, and the dedication of lecturers, tutors, and staff at the university. Thank you for making this ride an awesome one!

What is your career goal? What’s the difference that you’d like to make?

I love finding patterns in data and their seeing how the data can help us to understand people. In that sense I feel like I’ve achieved my career goal, and my aim now is simply to keep doing research for as long as I can.

In terms of the difference that I would like to make, I would like to mentor other budding researchers one day, so that they may benefit from my experience. I owe a great deal of who I am to my mentors who have shown me what good research looks like and how they go about it. Their guidance and mentorship were what sparked an interest in research for me, and I hope to be able to pass that on to others someday.