Making it big in the world of finance

By Charmele Ayadurai

Have you ever wondered how stock markets work, or how people make money by trading futures and options?

Are you curious about how banks create money from money, or how they make money when there are fluctuations in foreign exchange rates?

How do companies cut taxes by making the right investment decisions?

What led to the global financial crisis?

If you were in the field of finance, you would probably know all the answers. It’s never too late to pursue a lucrative career in the field or opt to be one of the many potential investors, speculators and arbitrageurs in the world.

Finance is indeed a fantastic career path for those who want to be key players in the dynamic world of business.

Famous finance moguls are George Soros, Donald Trump, Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Dr. Manmohan Singh and Warren Edward Buffett, to name a few.

Just as Rome was not build in a day, the making of a financial genius requires a lot of hard work.

Curtin Sarawak’s School of Business, which is affiliated to the world-renowned Curtin Business School at Curtin’s main campus in Perth, Western Australia, is well established to give finance students a thorough foundation in the theoretical and analytical skills to build successful careers in corporate finance, private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, merchant, asset management, consultancy and corporate banking.

They may also consider careers in derivatives, equities, FOREX and money markets, global custody, insurance, private banking, wealth management, quantitative analytics, research, risk management, sales and marketing, and trading.

Students are coached to share common personal traits, namely an interest in current affairs, analytical prowess, general interest in economic and financial problems, a scientific mind, and an aptitude for working with mathematics and diagrams.

To maximise their career prospects, Curtin Sarawak finance majors are taught to sharpen and enhance their existing skills, namely communication, intellectual curiosity, a desire to understand, commitment, the ability to work independently and in groups, and the ability to think clearly and logically.

The coaching occurs gradually over a significant period of time. These skills are ‘must haves’ in the industry, especially when it comes to dealing with pertinent business issues.

The Curtin Sarawak School of Business also promises a secure head start in graduates’ careers and networking through internship programmes with well known industry players.

Finance majors have much to offer today’s job market. There are countless openings for graduates in investment firms, merchant banks, consulting specialists, corporations, stockbroker firms and government offices.

Whether you want to be a stockbroker on Wall Street, a banker in Credit Suisse, a FOREX trader in London or a treasurer in the central bank, Curtin Sarawak can help make your dreams come true. Take your first step today!

Charmele Ayadurai is a Banking and Finance lecturer at Curtin Sarawak. Prior to joining Curtin Sarawak, she worked at Barclays Bank and Natwest Bank in the United Kingdom as a trainee associate, and having obtained her Masters degree, ventured out to work with UNISYS, an American insurance company as a lead verifier, and later on as a business development manager cum entrepreneur with TC Autos. In Malaysia, she has worked as a business development associate with OSK Investment Bank Berhad.