Curtin Sarawak students benefit from CPA Australia conference

Miri – 7 November 2016 – 90 business and engineering students of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) gained new knowledge about career-related matters at the recent ‘CPA Australia Undergraduate Conference 2016’ organised by the university’s accounting students of CPA Australia Student Charter (CPAASC).

The conference, which carried the theme ‘Walk in Clueless, Walk out Flawless’, included activities such as a forum, workshops, mock interviews and lucky draws. It was supported by CPA Australia – Malaysia and the Department of Accounting at the Curtin Sarawak Faculty of Business and the university’s University Life Department.

The forum entitled ‘Linking the Generation’ saw three panel speakers giving talks on topics related to recruitment, employers’ expectations of fresh graduates and current issues in the working environment. They were Matthew Wong of Crowe Horwath, Yong Nyet Yun of Ernst and Young and accounting lecturer and industry collaboration advisor of the Faculty of Business, Chan Kwok Mow. Also present was CPA Australia relationship manager Leong Pui Kuan.

They elaborated on the differences between corporate culture and workplace, how employers attract and retain young people in their organisations, and their expectations of younger working adults.

Following the forum was an interactive workshop on ‘Personal Finance Tips’ where the students learned about managing salaries and savings based on current living and daily expenses. Such tips can be useful to fresh graduates securing their first jobs.

The highlight of the conference was a second workshop which allowed the students to interact with professionals from various organisations. They were also coached by experienced interviewers in mock interviews, and took part in a ‘CV Checking and Mentoring’ session where they were given tips of preparing impactful curriculum vitae, as well as a professional photography session where they were taught how to take professional-quality photographs for their CVs and LinkedIn profiles.

Another workshop, ‘Treat Your Job Interview Like a First Date’, facilitated by University Life Manager Haslina Malek, gave the students further insights into the requirements of various industries and potential challenges they might face in their future workplaces.

Student Wilson Tiono said the mock interviews were very beneficial to the students as they were able to get a sense of what job interviews will be like in the future. Fellow student Nicole Ling Swee San remarked that the conference was a good platform for them to learn beyond the classroom and getting themselves job-ready when they graduate.

For more information on the CPA Australia Student Charter of Curtin Sarawak, visit its Facebook page at CPA Australia Student Charter (Curtin Sarawak).

(L-R) Leong, Yong, Chan and Wong at the ‘Linking the Generation’ forum.

Leong (left) presenting a souvenir to Haslina at the end of the forum.

Group photo of the conference participants.