Hannah Zhang

What is your major and sub major?

I studied a major in Accounting and a sub-major in Economics. 

 

I have always believed that Accounting is truly the language of business and would give me a solid grounding in whatever area I entered into. I chose Economics because I really enjoyed it during high school and it flowed through to university. On top of this, I wanted to understand the impact of high-level decisions on financial institutions, smaller businesses and everyday consumers. 

 

I knew I wanted to study Commerce / Business after high school; hence I followed that direction by applying for the UTS Bachelor of Accounting co-operative program. I could not be happier with my decision to come to a university that offers great opportunities to all students and a very interactive and hands-on degree. 

I also knew that UTS provided some fantastic extra-curricular activities ranging from ACES to UTS Women in Business. 

 

I think that UTS has a very interactive degree that draws upon concepts that are commonly used in accounting, finance and economic careers. Subjects such as Business Analysis and Corporate Finance have helped me grasp concepts that are extremely applicable in any business profession. 
 

These theoretical and practical concepts have been paired with my degree, which offers a variety of work experience in the accounting sector. All of these aspects have granted me with deeper insights into not only different areas of accounting, but also how to balance my tasks effectively throughout a university semester. I believe this experience has prepared me to tackle my future career in finance.

 

I worked at American Express in the Corporate Controllership team for 6 months, and worked at KordaMentha in the Restructuring team for another 6 months. These were vastly different experiences in both work and culture, but both have given me a more holistic understanding of the business environment and work ethic that is required. 
 

In addition to this, I looked for experience out of my degree and worked part-time at Social Impact Hub for 10 months, as well as a summer internship at McGrathNicol. 
 

In general, I am quite a spontaneous person. However, during the period where I worked full time and undertook part time university, I was able to manage my time by ensuring that I kept a to-do list that covered all the tasks I had to complete within a week. I think that this helped me manage my expectations. 
 

My time at university has been great. UTS has always offered opportunities for students to get involved through the variety of extra-curricular activities offered. When you come to university, remember that it’s not just a place to study, get good marks and leave. Put yourself out there and get involved on campus, join societies and take advantage of the sponsor events that both the university and student societies hold. If you do this, you will not only build upon your current skills, but you will also gain new skills and put yourself in a great position when it comes to applying for summer internships and graduate jobs.