All the technical accounting knowledge in the world might help you ace your next exam but launching an enduring and rewarding career requires something more – connections, confidence, and practical know-how. For Ishan Kakkar and Tasnuva Raidah, the Master of Professional Accounting and Business Performance delivered just that.
Having completed his accounting qualifications in India, Ishan Kakkar first came to the University of Sydney seeking something he couldn’t quite find back home. “I was looking for universities to do my postgraduate degree back in India, but Australia was always on my mind,” he says. “The University of Sydney had such a great reputation, and the employability opportunities after the course really drew me in.”
For Tasnuva Raidah, the decision to leave Bangladesh and pursue postgraduate study in Sydney, came from a desire to challenge herself beyond the role she was already working in back home and seek additional credentials that carried international weight. “I really felt I needed to go to the best of the best,” she says. “When I looked at the courses and opportunities, and realised how highly the University of Sydney ranked in the employability index, I was sold.”
New ways of learning
For Ishan, the University of Sydney Business School’s real-world approach to learning came as somewhat of a surprise. “It was a shock to see how studies are done in Australia – it’s a lot more application based, which was very different for me at the time.” This initial change of pace quickly became one of the program’s greatest assets for Ishan. “Now that I look back on it, it was very, very helpful because it really gave me a platform to apply what I was studying, rather than just knowing it, and holding it all in my head.”
This outcome was also echoed in Tasnuva’s experience, having joined the cohort as someone who was already applying theoretical knowledge to real-world circumstances and a professional environment. “When I joined, I could see that I was grasping information a bit quicker because I’d already been exposed to environments beyond the classroom,” she adds. “I loved how we used technology on a day-to-day basis in the learning environment, such as attending data analytics workshops or Excel workshops, which really helped me.”
What truly transformed the journey for Tasnuva however was her time spent living on campus. “That changed my life,” she says proudly. “You don’t have to live on campus to have a similar experience, but I do think you have to spend time on campus and be a people person – it’s such a diverse environment and we all have different backgrounds, schools of thoughts, and disciplines, but we all still seek that connection.”
I met so many people from different parts of the world, and it really helped me understand different ways of working with different cultures. You have the opportunity to meet people from the big fours – the biggest firms and those individuals with the highest positions.
Ishan Kakkar
Master of Professional Accounting and Business Performance graduate
Building networks, growing confidence
The concept of a growing community, both socially and professionally, was one of the most impactful elements of the course for Ishan. “I met so many people from different parts of the world, and it really helped me understand different ways of working with different cultures,” he says. The program’s industry connections in particular proved invaluable. “There were a lot of opportunities to have a larger social circle in a professional manner – rather than just an informal social circle,” he adds. “You have the opportunity to meet people from the big fours – the biggest firms and those individuals with the highest positions.”
Ultimately, it was the industry placement program that delivered the competitive edge Ishan needed. “I was placed within a local business as part of my unit until my final semester and that really helped me because I was able to gain the real critical local accounting knowledge that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to get,” he explains. This placement opened a number of doors for Ishan, including securing a position at Special Group – a marketing firm that went on to launch his Australian career. “I totally attribute my journey to the industry placement program within the course,” he adds.
For Tasnuva, who has worked at Grant Thornton since graduating, the program offered a range of academic challenges as well as unexpected opportunities – including the option to lean into her leadership skills. “I was part of a peer-assisted study session working group, which allowed me to help students better understand their lectures and give them more ownership of that content,” she says. “Later, when I became a mentor in my current organisation, it meant I already knew the strategies for how to succeed in that kind of position – it was amazing.”
From opportunities to credentials
While Ishan and Tasnuva both experienced the career-defining features of the Master of Professional Accounting and Business Performance – they each walked away with a unique set of outcomes that still influence their daily professional experiences. “As an international student, you always come with a little bit of an imposter syndrome, but the University of Sydney gave me the tools I needed to assimilate into the culture and a challenging academic environment that’s paid off,” says Tasnuva. “Sometimes you just don’t realise how much you're learning in the background until you get to apply it.”