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From business in Australia, to travelling Asia: Elise’s study exchange

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From business in Australia, to travelling Asia: Elise’s study exchange

Elise decided to study business in Australia at Griffith University, before travelling around Asia. This is her story.

Elise Giles is from Queensland and she decided to study business in Australia, at Griffith University. She was awarded a Business Achievement Medal for being the graduate with the highest overall achievement. Following her studies, she travelled to Asia and now works as a Capability Development Manager for AsiaLink Business in Melbourne. I asked her about her time at university.

Why did you study business in Australia?

“Growing up in rural Queensland, I saw the fundamental role that small businesses play in the local economy and I aspired to do just that – create my own business. I knew I needed to undertake tertiary education to provide me with the appropriate skills and experiences. So I started looking for a program that would help me develop a unique and competitive skill set. 

“I was attracted to Griffith University because it offers a wide range of business specialisations that were of great interest to me. The Griffith Honours College was also of interest to me. It’s a program designed to help high achieving students that display leadership reach their full potential. Ultimately, I chose the program because I knew it would help me achieve my goals.

“As a whole, I felt my program at Griffith was actually more practical than I expected, but I learned more effectively because of this. From work-integrated learning to community engagement and real-life examples presented by leading academics, I could genuinely translate these learnings into the real world. It has prepared me for my engagement in government, and the private sector.”

Check out our article on work-integrated learning in Australia.

Brisbane signCreating a professional network

“At Griffith, I was able to develop strong relationships with academics as I had a real interest in their research interests. I am still in contact with the professors, and they continue to provide guidance to me in a professional setting. In particular, I have stayed connected to Associate Professor Peter Woods, Director (International) of the Griffith Business School. Peter delivered a course called “The Social context of Asian Business” in my first year, and coincidentally I undertook the elective course.

“To this day I still remember the stories Peter told of how to engage with Indonesia – Australia’s closest neighbour. He expressed the importance and value of South Korea’s chaebol in their economy. I found the cultural complexities intriguing, and I wanted to learn more about the Asia region. I had never stepped foot out of Australia however, this course really planted the seed for me to begin this engagement. Peter’s teaching really helped to pivot my career – from a purely domestic focus to a global one. He taught me how to capitalise on the opportunities Asia presents.

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From Global MBA to global citizen: Olivia’s career in TV Journalism

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From Global MBA to global citizen: Olivia’s career in TV Journalism

Olivia studied her MBA at SP Jain School of Global Management and now works in TV Journalism. This is her story.

Olivia is originally from Indonesia, but she now lives and works in Singapore for Channel NewsAsia, part of MediaCorp. I could tell that she oozes confidence and professionalism by the way she conducted our interview – walking through the busy streets of Singapore after work. I wanted to know more about her, and how she got into the world of TV Journalism.

The World of TV Journalism

“I’m currently a Senior Journalist at MediaCorp which is the biggest media group in Singapore. I work at the English news station, Channel NewsAsia, also known as CNA. At the moment I am assigned to write business stories, working Monday to Friday. I also follow market news in Singapore and around Asia.

“Being the only Indonesian reporter in the office, I felt very privileged that they sent me to cover the Indonesian general election. It was only my first month in the office. I also got to do a follow-up story on how the business community reacted to the re-election of the incumbent president, Joko Widodo.”

How did you get into TV Journalism?

“Before my Global MBA, I was working for CNN Indonesia, which is part of the big CNN international franchise. I was a news anchor for about two years, and before that, I was working for Bloomberg TV Indonesia (although that has now shut down). Before that, I mostly worked for local TV stations. I guess having Bloomberg and CNN on my CV, plus my recent MBA and experience are what helped me progress my career in Singapore. It’s a highly competitive place.”

Growing up in Indonesia

“I’m a reasonably happy person because I always see things from the bright side. I try to think positively at all times, although I had quite a sad childhood. I was raised by a single mum as my dad passed away due to cancer when I was 10, leaving me and my two little brothers pretty much struggling. My childhood years in Jakarta were, I suppose, full of limitations and sorrows. And my mum had to work very hard to make ends meet and feed the three kids.

“I think that’s how my spiritual journey started, out of those limitations, and I now lead an amazing life. Thankfully, I got into the best schooling on a scholarship, and I got to do my undergraduate degree in New Zealand on a scholarship as well. And for my master’s degree, I got another scholarship. I’ve been really blessed throughout my life. Getting access to high-quality education at an affordable price has shaped who I am today. I was never the smartest kid in the classroom, I just got lucky. I am very blessed. This is all God’s grace. I was not academically exceptional. I was not like number one or number two in the class, but I was always a happy and positive person.”

Check out our reasons why you should complete an MBA programme.

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Olivia’s MBA abroad at SP Jain School of Global Management

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Olivia’s MBA abroad at SP Jain School of Global Management

Olivia did her Global MBA abroad at SP Jain School of Global Management, Australia.

Olivia Marzuki currently lives in Singapore, where she works as a senior journalist at Channel NewsAsia, part of MediaCorp. I wanted to find out more about her time studying for her Global MBA abroad, so I asked her to introduce herself.

“Hi, I’m Olivia. I was enrolled at SP Jain School of Global Management in 2018. The Global MBA program included travel around the world, to three different cities. Originally I’m from Jakarta, Indonesia, but I did my undergraduate degree in New Zealand. I worked for various organisations, including a bank and the Australian State Government of Queensland’s Trade & Investment Office, before joining TV. I’ve travelled quite a bit, I guess! I would consider myself a global citizen.”

Why study a Global MBA abroad?

“I was busy enjoying my life and working in interesting jobs, but I wanted to do further study so I always kept it in the back of my mind. One day I received a great offer – to apply for an international student scholarship from SP Jain. So I just gave it a try, and I got pretty much full scholarship! Because it’s a very global program and includes studying in three different cities as part of the course, I didn’t think twice!

“Having spent most of my working life in business journalism, I felt that a business-related masters would enrich my knowledge and sharpen my skills. And, in fact, I found the course very effective. SP Jain really opened my horizons. The course brought me back to the core fundamentals of business – profit and loss, balance statements, that kind of thing. Things I didn’t really study in my undergrad years. Studying a Global MBA abroad really helped sharpen my business journalism work professionally.”

Check out our reasons why you should complete an MBA programme.

The SP Jain Global MBA – 1 course, 3 cities

“Studying my Global MBA abroad exposed me to how business is done in different international continents – the Middle East, Australia and Asia. This gave me a new perspective on how to approach things and taught me to take things like cultural nuances into consideration. Now, because I have been there, I know how things are done, so it really gave me a different perspective. And it makes me a global citizen.

“I don’t see any other universities doing the same type of model. SP Jain claims to be one of the top four universities offering this kind of one-year international MBA program. So they’re right up there at the top of the list of Forbes ranking. We went to Dubai for the first semester, January to April. Then four months in Sydney for the second semester. And finally, we went to Singapore to complete the final semester. This gave me the opportunity to find a job in Singapore, and that’s where I’m still working now.

From Dubai to Sydney to Singapore

“Dubai was very interesting. We went there in January so it wasn’t that hot, but it was becoming warmer. It was interesting because Dubai starts the week on a Sunday so their weekends are Friday and Saturday. The day seems longer there for some reason and there is sand everywhere, so we were always covered from head to toe! We were taken on excursions as part of the tuition, including a desert safari trip and a trip to Ferrari World. They took us to places outside of the classroom, which we really enjoyed. In Sydney, I rented a vehicle and headed out to the beautiful countryside of New South Wales – to Wollongong and the beaches. In Singapore, I was working to complete my MBA that’s where I started looking for a job.

“I think the Global MBA abroad program was great because it was challenging. As a business journalist, I am quite well versed in business topics, so all of the case studies were a walk in the park for me. But there are parts of business studies that I found difficult, like corporate finance because I’m not very strong with numbers and mathematics. I felt like I was really starting from zero because I had never studied corporate finance or accounting before. At the end of the day, I learned about new fields in business and gained a lot from the experience.”

Find out more about Olivia’s life as a TV Journalist here.

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Why Study Accounting and Finance in the UK? – BAFA Collaboration

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Why Study Accounting and Finance in the UK? – BAFA Collaboration

Why study accounting and finance in the UK in today’s global economic environment?

The number of international students studying accounting and finance in the UK has increased dramatically in recent years.

The UK is recognised as a global financial centre. By coming to the UK, you will be studying accountancy and finance in a rich, culturally diverse community. British universities are recognised as having international excellence in both teaching and research.

The UK hosts strong accounting and finances professional bodies, which lead the world in terms of the development of accounting standards. English is the language of business and so studying in the UK will equip students with relevant business language skills.

Universities across the UK offer accounting and finance courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Doctoral studies in accounting and finance are also available at many of the UK’s universities.

Employability

The attraction is also closely related to excellent employment opportunities in accounting and finance. The requirement for accounting and finance skills grows as the economic climate becomes more difficult. Accounting and finance students will go on to be employed in professional firms, corporate finance and investment jobs in the City, as

  • Accountants and finance directors in large corporates
  • Accountants and finance managers in public and third sector organisations
  • Senior executives and directors across a whole range of organisations

Skills taught in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses enable students to become leaders and managers in global organisations given the complex requirements of managing across international boundaries. Degree programmes taught in the UK embrace a diverse range of approaches to the study of accounting and finance. That enables students to fully appreciate the social context in which accounting operates.

Exemptions from professional accountancy bodies

Having studied at degree level, students can then go on to gain exemptions from professional accountancy bodies.

  • ACCA
  • ICAEW
  • CIMA
  • CIPFA
  • and ICAS

all provide exemptions at different levels of their professional qualifications dependent on the specifics of the degree course undertaken by a student.

These are globally recognised professional qualifications and you will find employees with these qualifications working in organisations across the complete range of continents.

Placements

At many UK universities, placements are incorporated into the degree programmes and these can count as part of the work requirements for professional body membership requirements. Work-based placements provide an opportunity for both students and employers to better understand each other in terms of the requirements of the job and the skills possessed by individuals. Many degree courses, particularly at postgraduate level, incorporate projects that engage students in working with both large and smaller organisations.

Skillset

Given the vocational nature of degree programmes, employability skills alongside critical and analytical academic skills form a very important part of the student experience. In UK universities, students engage in real-world scenarios and decision-making activities linked, for example, to stock exchange trading floors and company boardroom challenges.

This brief review will hopefully encourage you to come and study accounting and finance in the UK. All of my colleagues across the broad range of UK universities will give you a very warm welcome and an exciting academic experience.

Written by Professor John Cullen
Chair of the Committee of Accounting and Finance (CDAF)
British Accounting and Finance Association

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How to Train as a Tour Guide in Ireland – AATGI Collaboration

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How to Train as a Tour Guide in Ireland – AATGI Collaboration

Are you interested in working in Ireland and have a passion for the country’s history, heritage and culture? Whether you’re an international student studying in Ireland for university or have a passion for business and tourism in beautiful countries, you should consider a career in tour guiding. There are various courses available throughout Ireland that can prepare you for tour guiding, and provide you with the necessary skills and qualifications to become a registered tourist guide.

  • Tourism-based degrees at higher and further education institutions
  • Specialised training programmes certified by Fáilte Ireland and FETAC (Further Education and Training Awards Council).

Tourist guides can work in various roles. Some work on specific sites or attractions, some do half-or full-day city tours and others do regional or country-wide tours that last several days.

Why train as a tour guide?

Being a tourist guide involves having a real interest in, and passion for, learning about Ireland, as you must continue to learn about Ireland throughout your career.

Guiding is not just about telling stories; you need to know about day-to-day living in Ireland as well as the geography, dates, history and culture. Not all of this will be taught to you; you must spend time independently learning everything possible in order to give a knowledgeable and interesting tour.

Having a connection with Irish people and experience living there is a plus, so studying in Ireland will be great preparation. You must also be good at organising and have skills in customer service and talking to people. Being fluent in a language other than English is also a great asset and may help you get more work.

The tourist guide industry in Ireland is not yet regulated, but having training and the necessary qualifications means you will find it easier to find work and can be certified and registered by a professional body, giving you an advantage over unqualified guides.

How to be a tour guide

Training and Association Membership

When you have the necessary qualifications, you can apply for the Failte Ireland Tourist Guide Badge, for which you must complete six, four-day tours evaluated by an employer. Once you have this badge, you will be able to apply for membership to AATGI – The Association of Approved Tourist Guides of Ireland.

AATGI is the professional body representing tourist guides across Ireland and lobbying for better working environments for them. It was founded in 1977 and currently has nearly 250 members. It is a member of the Federation of European Tourist Guide Associations and can assist members with:

  • Advice
  • Job seeking
  • Insurance
  • Guiding rates
  • And ongoing training such as first aid.

AATGI advises that you must have a love for the business to be a successful tourist guide; the work is seasonal, meaning it cannot bring a year-round salary unless you work elsewhere during the winter. For this reason, many tourist guides have other jobs such as teaching.

They also warn students to be aware of recruiting companies who offer tourist guide training. Some of these will provide the minimum training and then do not allow students to work for other companies, tying them down to one place.

For more information about tourist guide training and certification, including about higher and further education courses, visit – www.aatgi.ie – or – www.failteireland.ie

This content has been provided by The Association of Approved Tourist Guides of Ireland.

Enjoyed this article? Check out our other articles on living and working in Ireland.

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