If you are a high-achieving school leaver and believe you could be one of Australia’s future business leaders, then the Bachelor of Accounting cooperative education scholarship program has been designed just for you.
Bachelor of Accounting
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Applications for 2025 are now open
The Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc) provides you with a multi-skilled accounting degree with strong emphasis on both accounting and financial management, both essential business tools.
Find out more about the course by downloading our Bachelor of Accounting course guide or watch our BAcc Information Session.
Download the BAcc 2025 course guide
Career prospects
Graduates from the Bachelor of Accounting degree are some of the most highly sought after employees in the country. Discover more about your career prospects.
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Rachel Sidoti: Attention that we will be recording tonight's session and taking part. You are consenting to that rule recording being publicly available. We don't use anyone's names when we do. QA. So you will still have anonymity. However, just letting you know that it will be recorded and shared with attendees.
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Rachel Sidoti: So my name is Rachel, and I have the pleasure of being the student recruitment manager here within the business school and joining me this evening, is Michelle Cook, the director of the Bachelor of Accounting program, and Siobhan Drury, who is a partner at A. Y who is one of our amazing sponsor organizations in the program.
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Rachel Sidoti: and we're also joined by second year Beac students, Bianca and Tom and alum. Edwin, who graduated in 2,014 and works for the Coca-cola Company.
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Rachel Sidoti: In the background is Karen, who works on the Baac program as well, and will be answering any questions that you have throughout the session. Chances are that if you have already asked a question in the past about Baac Karen would have been the smiling face on the end of the email or the phone call helping you out as well.
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Rachel Sidoti: Now, I know everyone's incredibly well versed in zoom by now, however, just as a gentle reminder. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to type them into the QA box. On your zoom control panel. We'll be answering some questions throughout the presentation and leaving some time at the end for additional ones
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Rachel Sidoti: being an online event. Please do bear with us. If there are any technical issues, we'll work to resolve them as soon as possible. But often the tried and true. Logging out and logging back in again often resolves anything.
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Rachel Sidoti: Now, today we'll be covering exactly what the bachelor of accounting is how the course works. Talking a little bit more about our sponsors, internships, career options, and of course, the application process.
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Rachel Sidoti: So getting into it, Michelle, one of the questions we get asked all the time is exactly what is the bachelor of accounting, and and how is it different from a bachelor of business with a major in accounting.
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Rachel Sidoti: Oh, I think you're on mute, Michelle.
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Michelle Cook: Oh, my goodness! You think I've learned by now? I've only been on zoom for like 400 years, haven't we?
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Michelle Cook: But I'm back
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Michelle Cook: sorry about that.
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Michelle Cook: I really believe that the bachelor accounting program is just like a battle of business on steroids.
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Michelle Cook: So what I mean by that is that we cram a whole lot more into a very short time.
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Michelle Cook: and, unlike the bachelor of business, where you elect to do 2 different majors to specialize in in the bachelor accounting. One of your majors must be in accounting itself.
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Michelle Cook: That's because we, the aim of this course or the mission statement, is to have
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Michelle Cook: build global leaders and business leaders throughout Australia, using accounting as a foundation. And I'll go a bit more into that in a little second, some of the other differences. Within the bachelor of accounting program. You get 2 full time 6 month internships at our fantastic sponsor organizations.
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Michelle Cook: You also get a tax free scholarship. Very nice
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Michelle Cook: of up to about $54,000, and that's paid on a Wednesday every second Wednesday at 10 Pm. See? The second is a very happy about that as well.
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Michelle Cook: and we actually have some of the biggest bachelor accounting program actually has the most sponsors of any co-OP program in Australia for the accounting section. So we have an amazing choice when it comes to internships.
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Michelle Cook: And lastly, unlike the bachelor of business, we don't just rely on 8 h. So we actually have an application process which we will go into a little bit later. So we have interviews, etc. And before you might madly start typing just to let you know that. We will go into in depth when we, Rachel, for all these different sections, introduction as to what the differences are, and we can ask why? Accounting?
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Michelle Cook: Well, accounting, you know they always is touted as the language of business, but it is
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Michelle Cook: accounting itself
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Michelle Cook: is like a Swiss army knife. You know the application, all the little different knives. It is a Swiss army knife for business. You can go to any department
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Michelle Cook: and use any of those applications because of the flexibility and the knowledge that accounting gives you, you can move from accounting one day to marketing, or any other sections of business. But you cannot go the other way, and most industry leaders will have this sort of foundational knowledge as they go, and they start to get into the safe suite.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. And it's interesting when you say it is kind of like the Swiss army knife of business. Because I know often before people actually study accounting. It kind of brings to mind people sitting there with a calculator and.
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Michelle Cook: That's right.
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Rachel Sidoti: Shades and whatnot. But Bianca.
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Michelle Cook: Sorry I was. Gonna say, you know, we're sort of like the doctors of business
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Michelle Cook: with the doctors to industry. So we go in and we prescribe, we examine, and we rectify and make sure that the business is healthy and functional.
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Rachel Sidoti: But like that.
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Rachel Sidoti: Bianca, what about you? What did you kind of think before you actually applied for the program? About what accounting was. And how has that possibly changed now that you're in your second year?
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Bianca Julian: Yes. So as Michelle and you, Rachel, were just touching on, I thought accounting was like quite a niche degree to do so. I really thought that. You know, it meant you were just handling numbers all day, or my first idea about accounting was even just the people who did my mom dad's tax returns. At the end of the financial year. But I've since I've actually started accounting, I've really realized that
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Bianca Julian: the main one of the main roles of Emma. Counsel is to
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Bianca Julian: use the numbers and make the numbers through formulas then, and actually understand those and communicate, communicate what they actually mean to other people within the business, and particularly people that have a non financial background. And so that was more exciting for me, because
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Bianca Julian: now I'm able to see that an accountant's role is actually crucial within every single aspect of a business, because they're the ones that understand the numbers. And at the end of the day businesses run because they're able to
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Bianca Julian: make profit, and then use that to in other to generate other avenues of profit. And so I think that the biggest misconception of an accountant is that all they do is just look at the numbers and report the numbers.
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Bianca Julian: and it's definitely a lot more than
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Bianca Julian: that, because no one can actually use the numbers without the advice and the account of being able to tell the story.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. And Edwin. Obviously, you've been from a high school student, kind of mulling around your own ideas of what accounting is to studying the bachelor, accounting to now 10 years graduating is there anything that you wanted to add to what Bianca said, based on your 10 years of work, experience.
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Edwin Lau: Yeah, absolutely thanks, Rachel. So yeah, I'd echo what Bianca just shared that the common perception of accounting is. It's purely number, crunching
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Edwin Lau: and looking at numbers, and absolutely the numbers are important. But what's more important is the story that the numbers tell, and therefore what's the decision to make from that.
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Edwin Lau: I think the other perception of accounting is, there's just one stream as well. So people typically think of accounting as financial accounting, which is critical.
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Edwin Lau: part of
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Edwin Lau: accounting knowledge, and it's a foundation and important pillar.
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Edwin Lau: But there's also the second pillar around what we call management accounting. And that's where there's a lot of
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Edwin Lau: commercial and analysis to make critical business decisions. And it's a lot more strategic as well.
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Edwin Lau: So really, partnering with whether it's your clients, your customer teams, your sales teams to
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Edwin Lau: understand the numbers come up with commercial propositions, problem solve together to reach an optimum outcome for for yourself and for the company and for for the customer as well
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Edwin Lau: think from an industry perspective. When we look at the role of
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Edwin Lau: chief financial officers, and where accounting is headed in the last 10 years at least.
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Edwin Lau: it's definitely moved towards being more strategic. When we look at the role of the Cfo. Or chief financial officer, it encompasses the the numbers, the financials.
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Edwin Lau: but it also extends into other areas, such as investor relations, sustainability in some organizations, strategy, and acquisition. So it's a very holistic type of role. And having that accounting foundational knowledge tended. You're up for success. If that's where you want to end up one day.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. Thank you.
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Rachel Sidoti: Now, Michelle, just before we go into. You know the kind of core structure and whatnot we. This is, no doubt, an incredibly competitive course. So you've mentioned, it's not just about atar, and we will go into application requirements first. But what is it that you're specifically looking from our students.
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Michelle Cook: Well, we, we do expect a lot
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Michelle Cook: from our students, both
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Michelle Cook: incoming and also present students.
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Michelle Cook: We have we look for those because it is in the intense course we look way past academic ability. We also look at developing students who are developing themselves to the high standards, both professionally and also personally
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Michelle Cook: at Ets. We have a very, very, very strong belief in social impact and social justice.
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Michelle Cook: So part of our, I suppose
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Michelle Cook: expectation of students is that they also always
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Michelle Cook: that contribute in a socially adjust fashion to each other, to our communities, and also to generally to the university. In giving back, so we do expect them to be active members of the university in societies, and and many have executive roles across the university as well.
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Michelle Cook: and also to make a good social impact, because what we're trying to create is ethically compassionate
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Michelle Cook: industry leaders.
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Michelle Cook: And they were very so. That is some of the things we look for
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Michelle Cook: in students and the qualities we look for in students themselves, we look for gratitude.
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Michelle Cook: People who are humble and also really willing to accept the privilege, because it is a privilege to be in this program.
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Rachel Sidoti: Absolutely 100%.
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Rachel Sidoti: And is there a academic requirement for current students to maintain a particular Gpa as they go through the course.
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Michelle Cook: Is so. We do realize that students have lives. So we do expect a credit average across all subjects. So credit is 65 and above.
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Michelle Cook: so very attainable, while still maintaining other things in your life.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. Now, Tom, as we've just heard, we expect a credit average, we do expect, and you know, anticipate that a lot of our students are involved in multitude of other activities and hobbies. And then, obviously, in first and 30, you've got internships. You're sitting here smiling. So how do you find the workload? You haven't crumbled. How do you manage all of that?
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Thomas Thornthwaite: Yeah, thanks, Rachel. I think one thing to just preface is coming into university. It's not going to be the same workload is year 12. I think that's a big relief for everyone to hear that I know for me going into university. I was really hoping that it wouldn't be year 12 all over again. And I think one of the beautiful things about the program. And whilst it is challenging, it's a healthy challenge.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: And you have such a strong support network around you. And it really is something that will become evident. When you come to this program is that it's the people around you that really care about you guys improving each other and helping each other. So, for example, during fast track, so fast track is like a intensive summer program at the start of the course during January it starts early in January.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: and whilst before I began it I was a bit nervous. I was like, oh, this is going to be really big workload like, am I gonna still be able to see my friends in the holidays? I think all those worries were quelled immediately, because immediately you just realized the strong community. So like we would go to class, and then we'll study together off the class. So we would go to the beach, would go out for drinks. Yeah. So I think the workload is really manageable because of the people that you have around you.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: And it is very, very achievable to have a healthy balance. All you need to do is look at the students in it, like the endless activities that people are involved in and is still able to cope with the workload. So yeah, definitely, very manageable.
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Rachel Sidoti: I think you you made a really interesting point, which is about the collegiality between bachelor of accounting students, because I know a lot of people tuning in tonight are in year 12, where at some schools there's a lot of pressure to come first in extension, you know, extension English first into unit maths and
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Rachel Sidoti: whatnot. But there really isn't that pressure at uni. And, as you say, everyone's really keen to kind of support each other, you're all in the same boat.
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Rachel Sidoti: And that can often be a really refreshing change from high school.
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Rachel Sidoti: Bienko, what about yourself? How do you kind of manage your time when assignments are piling up and exams are looming.
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Bianca Julian: Yeah. So as Michelle was mentioning, and Tom the students in our course are very well grounded. So we do have assessments and many fast work, part time jobs, or participated in the extracurricular societies that uts offers as well. So one of the main things I do to manage my time is what most of you are probably already doing in you 12 just having a simple timetable, but
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Bianca Julian: One of the major benefits in the course. As you were just mentioning Rachel, the collegiality is the fact that you have people to ask, and a big cohort of friends to make sure to keep you on track to make sure that you're doing okay. And you can help other people as well. But just having the peers cause sometimes in university, even in high school, you might find it a little bit intimidating to ask the teacher
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Bianca Julian: off for a little bit of help when you're struggling, but having that group of peers around you to ask questions makes it
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Bianca Julian: your time.
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Bianca Julian: makes your use of time a lot more effective because instead of sitting on problems or questions that you have that might, you know, encourage you to procrastinate a little bit because you just don't know what you're doing. Are you able to just immediately have that network of friends that you can ask for help, and then you're you can use your time a lot more effectively. So I think definitely
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Bianca Julian: taking advantage of the network that Bac offers is a really good way to manage your time a bit more effectively.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. And, Edwin, how did you find that this set you up for full time? Work.
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Edwin Lau: Sure. So I think, reflecting on my time and back, it was gain a lot of soft skills during the program. So definitely, you go through university. You learn
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Edwin Lau: the subjects in accounting, and you're chosen second major or sub major but you do gain a lot of soft skills around, and for me the most important was prioritization. So during my time it was university
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Edwin Lau: business society. So there's a lot of societies you can join catching up with friends, the full time internships that Michelle talks about.
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Edwin Lau: and if you're interested as well, you can take part-time work at sponsor organizations, depending on how the internship pans out. So
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Edwin Lau: there's a lot of opportunity available. But what's most important is, how do you prioritize your time between everything? And then how do you manage your time between everything, and that's very much like what happens in in the workplace. And when I reflect on the transition from school
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Edwin Lau: to university, it was a big transition. It's very different way of learning. You're meeting new friends. It's almost a reset, and you start again. And then when you leave university and enter the workforce. It's a transition again.
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Edwin Lau: But the experiences you gain through the internships, through
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Edwin Lau: the cohort of friends that you go through university with the prioritization, prioritization and balancing of what you're doing in terms of study and life
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Edwin Lau: is quite a
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Edwin Lau: a good transition into the workplace. And and I recall, the transition into work was actually
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Edwin Lau: quite easier. Relatively speaking, so you definitely gain the right skill set to set you up for for the workplace, and then that continues to build as you gain more experience at work as well.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent, fantastic. It's good to know that. Yeah, while it does grow, that foundation is is still very much there.
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Rachel Sidoti: So I've seen some questions come through about the course structure, and you know there is obviously a compulsory major in accounting. But
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Rachel Sidoti: you can really tailor it depending on your own interests. It doesn't always have to be accounting and finance, or those kind of subjects. Michelle, could you talk us through a bit how the course is structured, and where that flexibility comes in.
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Rachel Sidoti: Oh, you're on mute again.
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Michelle Cook: Slow learner, everyone. So in the beginning you actually do you as I think Thomas Bianca mentioned you do fast track. So that means you just do
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Michelle Cook: 2 subjects in 6 weeks, and why we do that in the summer is to allow you time to get time in your in your in the course structure to do your internships say, and then, as you go into normal session without the students, you will then do 5 subjects, but they're the basic core subjects for all business school students.
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Michelle Cook: In the second session of that time
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Michelle Cook: you will do your first internship.
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Michelle Cook: Then in second year you do subject. So when you look at all these words like, you know, accounting major specialist subject subjects
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Michelle Cook: what we're talking about in. If you do a major, it is actually 8.
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Michelle Cook: So 8 subjects within that, major. So you would do 8 accounting subjects which lays a really fantastic foundation knowledge when you do your internships, and of course, when you go out into industry, you can then choose. This is where the flexibility starts coming in in second year. You can choose whether you're going to do another major and look at all the amazing majors you can do
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Michelle Cook: or and then so you would do 8 subjects in that course, or you can decide that you do like to do 2 sub majors. So you do 4 subjects from any of those sections. The other way you could do it. Very exciting is you could do as sub major 4 subjects in one area, and then you could leave the rest and do 4 electives in any area, and many Bx will actually do those 4 electives overseas.
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Michelle Cook: So they might go to another sister school. Whether that be in the Uk. Us. Asia. It's their choice they apply, and then they will finish university overseas. Should they wish, or of course you could do other electives as you choose, and we really do encourage you to really pursue your learning passions.
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Michelle Cook: So it makes you a much more developed person. If you want to take, you know.
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Michelle Cook: mandarin, or as an elective, or what? Yeah, really explore your mind. And that's what university actually gives you. It gives you the opportunity to pursue what you would like to do and develop.
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Michelle Cook: I think. And so that's sort of the basic course. So first year, quite structured.
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Michelle Cook: Second year, you would choose your majors and I go into those third year, we, as well as doing some of the subjects. You would also do your second internship, and then progress to either going on exchange to finish or completing your majors or sub majors.
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Rachel Sidoti: And I think one thing I really wanna emphasize is what you said that first year is pretty much chosen for you. So for those of you looking at this thinking. Oh, well, I don't even know what business does.
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Michelle Cook: Yeah.
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Rachel Sidoti: Analytics is, or what Hr involves. That first year is very much your chance to try before you buy to experience those different areas of business. We under no circumstances expect those of you in year 12 to be jotting down exactly what your course is going to look like. Bianca, did you have any idea how you wanted to structure your degree before you officially kicked off.
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Bianca Julian: Absolutely not. I had no idea. I honestly still don't even know what it is that I actually really want to specialize in in terms of my actual career. So I personally chose the the sub major and the 4 electives because I'm thinking about potentially going overseas on exchange. But I think
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Bianca Julian: that's one of the best things about the bay, at course, is that you're not actually expected to know what you want to do, and that's why it offers you so many different opportunities, and it really gives you
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Bianca Julian: the ability to figure that out. And so I'm only halfway through my second year. So
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Bianca Julian: I've still got my second internship to go, and my first internship was extremely helpful in figuring out that I interned at Westpac, and so it was really helpful in figuring out that I kind of liked the banking space. So I'm I'm still figuring it out, but I think the more opportunities. You get that are offered through. Bayak is helping you to figure it out. But you're definitely not expected to know at all what you actually wanna do.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. And, Edwin, what about yourself? How did you choose to structure your degree?
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Edwin Lau: So I I did a major in accounting and finance. Actually. So
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Edwin Lau: I. My first internship was at Macquarie Group, which is a bank, and I really enjoy that experience. And that's why I chose the finance Major.
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Edwin Lau: Even though post back, I took a role within the Coca Cola system. So I didn't actually pursue
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Edwin Lau: what I thought I wanted to do when I was in university. But in saying that it's a good reflection in terms of having
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Edwin Lau: those majors, and particularly for accounting
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Edwin Lau: it, enabled me to choose
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Edwin Lau: an alternate career path to what I had in mind. And then I took a role at coca cola in in a finance, an accounting role.
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Edwin Lau: and and that is, you know, open doors since then. So even though I chose a major in
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Edwin Lau: finance. I actually don't use it very much in my day to day. In saying that though the you know it was
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Edwin Lau: having both that accounting and finance major are quite complimentary for what I've done in my previous roles, in
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Edwin Lau: in both accounting and in
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Edwin Lau: strategy and in acquisition. So it was a complimentary
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Edwin Lau: major, but
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Edwin Lau: like I say, it didn't lead me to the career path that I thought I wanted to do
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Edwin Lau: in University.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent, and that's the thing. It is all about that kind of self discovery, and
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Rachel Sidoti: how it flows through. And ultimately where you go.
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Rachel Sidoti: Now, one thing that we have touched on is that uni, life is so much more than just what goes on in the classroom. The social component is incredibly important. And Michelle, I know internally, at Uts there's a lot of talk about like the back family. And how valuable that is for our students.
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Rachel Sidoti: you were able to talk a little more about the close, knit nature of our student cohort.
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Michelle Cook: Absolutely so. And you know it's funny. When they start, I'll I always say to them, you'll know each other for life. You'll be going to each other's weddings, and people will say
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Michelle Cook: I've got my friends
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Michelle Cook: so just to let you know you could still keep your other friends. It's just that I think they do a lot together.
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Michelle Cook: And it's quite amazing to get together with a really like a group of 30 or more people who are so like minded, and also, as Tom and Bianca did mention
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Michelle Cook: and help the constant help from each other and support in quite an intense program, I think, brings people very, very close together as well. So not only are they, and we do go to the family. It sounds pretty weird, doesn't it? It's a bit guilty, but it's not. It's very good. It's very nice. But so they are a tight group, and we also try and do a lot of things around that. So we have a mentor program. It's called, we've got your back
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Michelle Cook: where we have the H. First year has a buddy to help them along. And of course, that continues up a tree of buddies so that they can always get advice. We have wellness days. We have camps. The tomorrow, I believe, is the back bowl.
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Michelle Cook: so they will be having their ball tomorrow, which will be very, very exciting. You can see Bianca smiling a lot because she's helped organize it with Tom.
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Michelle Cook: and we do lots of things, I think, not only to support you academically, but also to support you personally and support your mental health, because we believe those things are so important. So in that way, we are very, I suppose.
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Michelle Cook: like, we're very committed to making sure that your progress through uni is as enjoyable as possible, and that you get the most growth and friendships as possible. And it's much easier in Bayak because there's only like 37 of them. But in the bachelor business there's hundreds. So you can't form very close relationships.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. And, Tom, so we've heard, even just from yourself, about how important that social aspect is, but
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Rachel Sidoti: rewinding back to you. Know your very first week of fast track.
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Rachel Sidoti: How was it for you coming from high school, where you're in year 12? You've got your jersey, either. Big fish in a small pond.
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Rachel Sidoti: How did you find adjusting and making friends.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: Yeah, look, I think I think the perfect way to describe it is through camp.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: So on your first day of bayak you arrive at Uts in the beautiful building that's behind both of yourselves. And you go into a room. You meet Michelle and Karen, and you get split up into groups of 4. Now, these groups of 4, they make up your car trip down to camp.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: So essentially how it works is, each little car gets designated their own little roles. So, for example, my car where you had to get all the meats for the barbecue for the first day of camp. And so you drive down to camp in the Kangaroo Valley.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: and you're in a house with 36 new faces. It sounds quite daunting, but trust me. It is such a wonderful experience. It really throws you in the deep end. But you come out of camp feeling like you've known these people for years.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: and I think what's really telling is the owner of the property where we go to a guy called Sandy. Lovely Guy. He always says to Michelle, how shocked he is that the people who come didn't actually know each other before they arrived. And I think it's like the bonding activities you do like would go on. Hikes would go. Canoeing would make rafts.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: Would cook together. And yeah, it was just a wonderful experience. And then, as Michelle touched on. I think it's the continuous events throughout the year that really build this strong network. And it is so evident when you look at the program and you look at the people within it. How you make lifelong friends, and I was lucky enough to have a friend who did the course with me. But the friendships that I have made in this course are just amazing. Yeah, I've I've really loved that experience.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. And, Edwin, your 10 years graduated. Are you still in touch with those from your cohort?
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Rachel Sidoti: Yeah.
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Edwin Lau: Actually, yes. So everything Michelle said is true. We've
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Edwin Lau: post university. We've kept in touch socially, attending everyone's weddings at this time as well. So.
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Edwin Lau: They really are lifelong friendships that you make
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Edwin Lau: from the Biak family, and even
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Edwin Lau: friends from different year groups as well. So I still keep in touch with many of you know, friends, that I've made in year groups above and below as well. So it's really
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Edwin Lau: a cohesive group. And I think that's yeah. One of the beauties of of this program that is very unique.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent fantastic.
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Rachel Sidoti: so
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Rachel Sidoti: obviously back would be a thing if it weren't for our sponsors. We'll be touching on the actual internships in a little while. But Michelle, in addition to actually sitting in the office completing their internships. How else do students network with our sponsors.
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Michelle Cook: Well, we think that's a really important part
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Michelle Cook: of their professional development, and also engage to know the companies and the companies getting to know them in preparation for grad recruitment.
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Michelle Cook: So we do lots of events, both socially and also in a more structured fashion, so that can get to know not only the companies that, but usually the safe suite of those companies. So as you can see, we have, as I said and mentioned before, we do have the most sponsor organizations of an accounting co-OP in Australia very proud of that, actually. And we thank the sponsors so much. But so we do things like we have a a back and sponsor organization career expo.
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Michelle Cook: We have things like guest lectures where often partners like Siobhan and say suite will come and speak to the students themselves about the companies, about their journeys, and all the things they do. So that happens once a week in session, one for first years, and then we try and organize, and then, of course, companies will put on industry evenings for us as well, where we have the opportunity to go and meet them in their workplace.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. And, Bianca, how did you find that, you know, last year and first year.
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Rachel Sidoti: coming from Hsa to all of a sudden, you're sitting in a classroom with representatives from some of the biggest corporate names in Australia, or even internationally. How did you find that.
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Bianca Julian: I still soak it in today. I can't believe that I'm sitting in the offices with like these really really important people who have had such a long career and made such an impact. I think that's why we're so lucky that we actually have the opportunity to meet them and talk to them and discover
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Bianca Julian: a bit more about what they've done to get where they are and get advice from them, which helps us with our own careers. I think the networking events is something that
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Bianca Julian: none of us take for granted. That's for sure. It's a really privileged opportunity that we get to actually go out in the workplaces and get firsthand experience that we can actually apply within our everyday
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Bianca Julian: theory during our uni experience. I think it makes also the learning that we do during uni a lot more valuable, but also gives that extra element of excitement where we can actually see where we might end up one day, as we walk around the big offices in all our corporate attire, feeling a bit like adults for the day.
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Bianca Julian: it's definitely a lot of fun, and breaks up the the learning and study at Uni.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent and Siobhan ay, has been such a huge supporter of the program for many, many years. Why did ay, decide to come on board and support a course like this.
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Siobhan Drury: Yes, thanks for having me today, and firstly, sorry I've lost my voice over the last 4 h. It's been a really excuse me rapid decline. So if I have to clear my throat a few times, I apologize. But no, you're right. Look! We've worked with the program. For such a very long time. And we actually have at a YA huge number of bachelor accounting alumni
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Siobhan Drury: including one who is a partner. So it's really nice for me to be able to sit here today and say, not only have we had such a history with the organization, but we still have a number of those alumni with us today. But to to go back and answer your question. You know we came on board many, many years ago. For a few reasons. At a y. We work with all the biggest companies in the world.
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Siobhan Drury: And we spend lots of our time helping solve their problems, you know, solving their financial problems, but also solving their operational problems. How are they gonna grow in the future? What are they? Gonna do you know, if one path is a bit blocked because of government or anything else, what else can they do to continue that growth journey? And we want. And we need the best graduates to help us solve these problems. And we want the best people to be working with our biggest clients.
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Siobhan Drury: and we have seen time and time and time again through this program that the caliber of graduates is exceptionally high. And so that was one of the reasons we initially came on board because we wanna work with the best companies. But we want the best people as part of our organization, you know, helping us make the world a better place for the future. And look over time as we continue to support this program.
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Siobhan Drury: And we were working with these
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Siobhan Drury: incredibly well rounded students. We could just see that the caliber continued to improve. So it's an incredible program, and we will continue to sponsor and stay connected to it.
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Rachel Sidoti: Fantastic. And yeah, again, as a university, we're just so grateful for your support and on a personal level. I'm so grateful for you for tuning in when you've lost your voice, so any questions I'll throw to you. Please feel free to keep them.
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Siobhan Drury: That's all good. That's so good. Not a problem.
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Rachel Sidoti: So obviously, we've spoken a little bit about the internships. It is such a huge component of the degree, and graduating with a year of full time work. Experience really gives our students a competitive advantage. When it does come time to apply for grad roles. Michelle, we've heard a bit about this one in first year. There's one in third year. How exactly do the internships work.
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Michelle Cook: So as you know this a 6 month internship. So how that works is that I'm actually talking to first years right now about where they get their placement. So
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Michelle Cook: just to clarify
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Michelle Cook: you, go to 2 different organizations completely different organizations for both of your internships, and this really differentiates the bact degree from a cadet ship.
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Michelle Cook: so that you can actually have a taste of 2 different types of segments in industry. So you might go to Siobhan
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Michelle Cook: at in the big fall, or you might get a banking. And and because we have such a spread of sponsors, the choices are quite huge. So from then, after they've gone through guest lectures, students will then put a preference in
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Michelle Cook: about which sectors they'd like to go to, and then we have one on one discussions, but where they might get placed. So they're very excited, because first you will get their placements next Friday, not not this Friday, Friday after and and so in their third year they do another 6 month.
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Michelle Cook: Full time placement for work training.
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Michelle Cook: and they will do. We'll go through exactly the same process.
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Michelle Cook: We had the one on ones, but they must go to a completely different sector of industry. And that's really important, because that gives them a really good taste of what they may like, or they mightn't like, because, as Bianca was saying, we don't expect you to know what you want to do yet, because you don't even know what's out there.
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Michelle Cook: So it gives you that opportunity to at least try before you buy, as they say
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Michelle Cook: and and really look at how amazing and diverse accounting is which it truly is.
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Rachel Sidoti: Fantastic Siobhan. Sometimes the word internship brings to mind an exhausted intern.
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Rachel Sidoti: photocopying, making coffee all of that kind of thing. Not quite the case at all. Would you be able to talk us through the type of work that our students actually do? And and how that kind of differs with the first year internship compared to the third year, one.
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Siobhan Drury: Yeah, for sure. But, Rachel, it is funny. You say that because I'm much older than all the students on this call today. But when I did start as a graduate, I actually.
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Siobhan Drury: it's been some time photocopy. But the world has changed a lot since then. Right?
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Siobhan Drury: You know, everything's online. And that's just such a simple thing to say. But when I was a graduate it was not the case. You know. We did a lot of work manually. We use some mark up our papers, and you know you had to have certain colors for your papers here and there. It's completely different these days. So look what what you can expect from from an internship at a Y is that you spend all your time working with teams.
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Siobhan Drury: so you don't go to the same place every day. You don't go to one office for 6 months and sit at the same desk. That's not the case. So in audit we work with a number of different clients. So your 6 month time, if you came to a Y would be spent working with a number of different clients and teams. So you might spend
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Siobhan Drury: 6 weeks with one team. So where everyone is coca Cola, that's one of our larger clients. We might have a team be there for 8 weeks, because it's such a big company. It takes a while to get through that order and results. So as a graduate or not, even as a graduate rather, but as an intern. You might spend 8 weeks going out to Coca Cola every day. Maybe you'd have one day week in the offices. But you'd spend time meeting those clients. And when you're out there with your team you're working through the results of that company, you know.
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Siobhan Drury: trying to understand. How did they achieve the results they did? Are those results? Have they accounted for them in in accordance with the accounting standards correctly. So yeah, you're you're doing something different with different companies, you know, week on week. And I think particularly our Bayac students love that because they've worked in a fast paced environment, and they enjoy doing something different and kind of learning from different countries.
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Siobhan Drury: Companies. But fundamentally you need it under. You need to spend lots of under lots of time rather understanding your clients business.
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Siobhan Drury: You need to know how their business works to know, how should they account for something, and how have they accounted for it? And what has happened during the year?
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Siobhan Drury: So, as an example, one of my clients is the Nrl. The National Rugby League, and I'm sure most of you on the call would have heard of that game, and personally, I love sports. So it's something you know, it's like, it's an organization I love to work with, and I understand the game very well. But you know, as a partner. I spend lots of time with my team.
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Siobhan Drury: both with my team
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Siobhan Drury: and with the C suite and executive leaders of that organization. Understanding, you know, the contracts they have. How? What does the contract with fox so look like? How does that work? You know what different components of that contract are there? How does that flow into their financial results? So my team will be working with the Nrl to understand all the different agreements they have? So that they can clearly understand how that kind of flows through to the financial.
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Siobhan Drury: So you know, between first year and 30, we really have a a broadly similar experience. In that you do spend time with different, you know, different teams and different clients. We expect by 30, though, that the interns have learned a bit more, you know, over that first internship and through their second year. So we do kind of challenge them a little bit more with the work that we give them but they support it every day.
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Siobhan Drury: their teams and with people around them so definitely, definitely a change from when I was a grad. But really, they spend lots of time applying their mind and working through our clients problems.
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Rachel Sidoti: Fantastic. And again, I I don't wanna hammer too much on this point. But just that example you gave about the Nrl. Being a major client and working with them and understanding all the nuances of their organization. It's just so
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Rachel Sidoti: far from that, you know, accountant, sit in a quiet room with a calculator stereotype. It's it's I'm so glad you spoke to that example as well.
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Siobhan Drury: Oh yes!
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Siobhan Drury: Fry.
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Rachel Sidoti: Tom, so we heard from Bianca that a bit about her internship in first year. What about yourself? Who did you intern with how did you find it?
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Thomas Thornthwaite: Yeah, thank you. So I interned at a company called Costco
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Thomas Thornthwaite: and their payments provider. So essentially, every time you use your phone or your credit card to pay for coffee. They're the people behind the scenes doing all the work to make sure the money transfers between the 2 banks.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: And look! I had a wonderful time. It was such a great experience, I think one key takeaway I had from it was what you learn in your internships is really accelerated. So it's it's all great learning, everything in university. But I think when you go into your internship, you really learn like, because you're putting into practice what you've learned in university. The learning curve accelerates so much, and that becomes really apparent when you finish your internship
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Thomas Thornthwaite: and you go back to Uni, and you've got these new set of skills that you've acquired. Yeah, it's really telling. And
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Thomas Thornthwaite: like, I think the stuff that you get to get involved in is also something amazing. So my company made me feel really welcome. They always put on really fun events. I put myself out there tried to meet as many people as I could. So yeah, I think the internship is always great. And it's also how you make it so. It is your approach and your attitude as to what you want to get out of your internship. That is the true determinant of what it's gonna be like.
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Rachel Sidoti: Absolutely 100%.
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Rachel Sidoti: Now
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Rachel Sidoti: we've spoken a lot about
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Rachel Sidoti: what accounting is, what it involves. All of that. I've been, you know, keeping an eye on the on the questions that Karen has been frantically answering in the background. But how do you actually apply? It's as you mentioned. It's not just about your Ata. It's not just about submitting that uac application. How do students apply.
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Michelle Cook: So to apply the first, both stage one, you would just fill out a online application form in that online application form. We went to see. As you've heard, we're looking for all rounders.
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Michelle Cook: So what have you done? What can you show us that you've done? It's not just academic success. We're looking for your leadership qualities. And remember, being a prefect is not just being a leader. You could be a leader in your community. You could be a leader in your school, you could be a leader in your family.
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Michelle Cook: So think about it in that way. We also look for things like, you know. Do you? Do you have any part-time work?
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Michelle Cook: Have you entered the workforce in any way? And anything is great, so sometimes people will say, Oh, I only work at Bunnings. That's amazing.
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Michelle Cook: I said. That's fantastic.
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Michelle Cook: So really be proud of your achievements. We want to see people who maybe have, you know, have a volunteering experience, bring the whole of you into that application. And we also, most importantly, we want to see an interest in accounting.
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Michelle Cook: That's very, very important, because our degree is based in accounting, and I say that because always follow your dreams, I know most of you might not even know what accounting is as yet. But but if you're passionate about business, show that in your application.
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Michelle Cook: show it in your application. We're not looking for investment banking. We don't go down that path. But there's other avenues you can follow. If that's the path you'd like to go in, so have a little think about it. And then, after that application price, after you put that in online application process in with your statement about your interest in accounting.
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Michelle Cook: Then we will also
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Michelle Cook: look for
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Michelle Cook: then we'll say, mate, we might offer you an interview in November. Now. The interviews in November.
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Michelle Cook: Wait up an old mine. I just have to look it up. Fourth to the seventh.
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Michelle Cook: that's it. The fourth of the seventh of November. So applications for this round will be on seventeenth of May.
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Michelle Cook: You will then get notified to say that you have got the opportunity of an interview and an assessment in the in that November timeframe, and you would then book in a time with us.
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Michelle Cook: Now, the other question I get all the time is, why is there second round?
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Michelle Cook: So
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Michelle Cook: the reason for that is that in October I believe it's around October eleventh.
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Michelle Cook: You will. The a second round closes. It's it's all together the same
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Michelle Cook: altogether the same. There's exactly the same marking criteria for your online application.
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Michelle Cook: Everything is mirrored. So you it's not more favorably looked at. If you apply in first round or second round. It's up to your time. But the interesting thing in first round is that if you do get an interview and you get you might get an early entry. At least, you know, there's still the opportunity to get into Bayak
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Michelle Cook: without, and then you can commit at a later stage, and what I say to you is, do not be scared of the process.
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Michelle Cook: It is not a punitive process.
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Michelle Cook: It's actually quite a developmental process, which is pretty fantastic. So after that that we go to interview you? Have you have a group tile. So you sit in fours.
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Michelle Cook: solve a problem.
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Michelle Cook: present your solutions, and then you go and you meet lovely people and have a chat with some of our sponsors, and from there you might get a conditional offer
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Michelle Cook: if you had a conditional offer. If I say, for example, I've got 37 places
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Michelle Cook: and we give out 50 conditional offers.
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Michelle Cook: then we'll take the top
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Michelle Cook: 37, 8 h.
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Michelle Cook: so that can be in that range of those offers
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Michelle Cook: that were given during that time.
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Michelle Cook: So my advice to you is, when people say, What's the 8 h range? Well, what's the 8? I go? I don't know.
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Michelle Cook: I have no idea.
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Michelle Cook: because but what I would do is try and do your very best to get as an
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Michelle Cook: a high 8 h as possible, remembering that what we're looking for is nice people.
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Michelle Cook: We're looking for nice people.
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Michelle Cook: people who can communicate with others, people who
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Michelle Cook: like would work well in teams. That's why we have the group assessments.
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Michelle Cook: So think about it as human 101,
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Michelle Cook: not 8 out 101,
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Michelle Cook: yeah, and then try your very best to get so a higher, so a higher mark in that. But all interviews are then held together
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Michelle Cook: during that timeframe.
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Michelle Cook: and from there, as I said, we went to the release release of 8 h, and then we give the actual offer.
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Michelle Cook: Habeck.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent, and Bianca from a student's perspective. If you can rewind 2 years down the track, how did you find the process of applying, and then coming in and interviewing.
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Bianca Julian: Yes. So I actually heard about the program because one of the previous students came and visited my school and gave a little talk about what back was, and I think I didn't had no idea what I wanted to do at Uni at all at that stage. But when I heard them speak. I was like, you know what? That actually sounds like, something I'd be really interested in.
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Bianca Julian: And then, when I looked through the application process I started with. So you have the written application initially, which is what you have to submit either the first or the second round, and I think, the questions that you have to answer and filling out your
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Bianca Julian: kind of savvy type of section of the application is where I realized it was actually something I wanted to do as Michelle mentioned. It's really important that you actually do have an interest
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Bianca Julian: in accounting because if if you're interested in this degree. Then you're gonna do as well as you possibly can, and you're gonna enjoy it. And you're gonna find it easier because it's gonna be something that you actually want to study. I think there's a big
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Bianca Julian: because it's a scholarship. It's quite exciting. And you get internship experience. And so sometimes that whole part of the course can become a bit more intriguing. And you start to kind of forget about actually what the course is for but I think if if you enjoy filling out that application, and it's something that excites you and you find it interesting.
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Bianca Julian: Looking up a bit more about accounting and what it actually offers. As you answer that question, then I think you know that this is something that this is a program that actually is for you.
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Bianca Julian: And then, in terms of the interview, the interview process with the individual and the group interview. I had never done a group interview before I'd had a part time job. So I you know you kind of know what to. I kind of was aware of what to expect in the individual interview. But walking into a group interview I found quite daunting because I had. I had no idea what to expect. I didn't even know that like
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Bianca Julian: it was a we had to. Answer a problem question. I kind of just walked in fresh, and I think, regardless of whether I had actually made it into the program
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Bianca Julian: or not, I think.
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Bianca Julian: Give it your best shot, because it's a really big learning experience. And it's a really important learning curve, and I know when I've had to apply
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Bianca Julian: for a part time job that I've recently taken up this year. They did sort of a group scenario like that. And I know, even when you go into grad recruitment after your degree, many of the grad recruitments have group interview type stages. So I think this is a really really important learning curve that you should just take the opportunity to take him.
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Bianca Julian: If if this is a if the accounting area is something that you're you're really looking forward to. Don't don't get impostor syndrome and think that everyone here is so much smarter than me, and how such it is. Gonna get such a good atar. Because you guys have all worked so hard throughout your Hsc, and you're going to get the best result that you can so treat the group interview like learning experience. And you never know what the outcome is. Gonna be.
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Rachel Sidoti: Absolutely fantastic. And I I love that. You admitted that you did find it daunting, because I think there's nothing more scary as a prospective student than just hearing. Oh, went in, was breeze nailed it. It was totally fine, but it is normal to feel intimidated and nervous, but it is what you get out of it. That's just invaluable.
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Rachel Sidoti: Now, Bianca, you just kind of took the next question out of my mouth, which was while we wait for some additional questions from the audience to come in. What would each of you say to someone in year 12? Who's watching right now. There's been a whole host of amazing advice from all of you. But if it was just one thing.
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Rachel Sidoti: what would it be? And, Edwin, I'll start with you.
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Edwin Lau: Sure. So I'd say,
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Edwin Lau: number one is.
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Edwin Lau: I think, look after yourself as well. Year 12 is a really tough time. You're going through exams. You're going through intense pressure.
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Edwin Lau: And you're going through thinking about the future.
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Edwin Lau: Be clear. Yeah. Have give some thought of what you wanna do but make sure you look after
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Edwin Lau: and monitor
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Edwin Lau: your your situation.
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Edwin Lau: your mindset.
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Edwin Lau: How you're managing through exams. That's just the most important thing. And then, second, is just believing yourself, you know, if you might
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Edwin Lau: be thinking, going through this
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Edwin Lau: presentation, I've probably got no chance.
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Edwin Lau: a lot of people probably had that same thought. I had that same thought. And you just never know. So give it your best shot.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent, fantastic, and Siobhan, what about you.
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Siobhan Drury: Yes, for me, I would just say, be your authentic self. Be yourself, you know. Like the the guys have explained to you today. You spend so much time with the people in that program.
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Siobhan Drury: You know, we spend so much time with Michelle and Karen and the people who are leading that program and teaching you through the interview stage. You know you get to that stage. They just wanna say who you are. They wanna understand who you are, what you're about to be yourself, cause you're gonna have to be yourself every single day when you show up, you know, to that course, so that would be my one, too.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent 100%. And, Tom, what about you.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: Yeah, look, this is something. So my little sister, she's currently studying in you 12 as well. And this is something I always tell her is just put everything in context. Of course. Try a hardest in year 12, and do try and work towards your best atar.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: but that number doesn't define you. Michelle and Karen are looking at you as people as whole rounded people who are engaged in a whole bunch of different, awesome things it's not just your atas. So yeah, just give it your best shot, but don't get too worked up in the end result. You've obviously worked really hard, and you deserve it. So yeah.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent, and, Bianca, as I said, you already gave some fantastic advice. But was there anything else you wanted to add.
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Bianca Julian: Just quick, just short. Just enjoy yourself because time goes so quickly and university is so different to high school. It's equally as exciting and fun, and you make just as many friends, and it's great. But don't
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Bianca Julian: don't miss out on all the opportunities and fun that you have still have left in high school worrying about your future because you're gonna miss everything that you do get to experience being young and in year 12 and not maybe some of you might not have a job yet. So just enjoy being in the present, and don't don't skip over the present just to worry about your future.
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Rachel Sidoti: Great advice, and you know one question for being key. You and Thomas. How many people, once you've got into your need, have actually asked you what your atar was.
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Bianca Julian: Not a single one.
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Bianca Julian: Actually, I think my 3 best friends asked me the day after the Hsc. Cause. Obviously they're my best friends. How did you go other than my family? Other than that? Not a single person.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: It's kind of like a socially banned question. No, no one really asks it. So you're really not defined by Ata, like most people have probably forgotten the at all by this point.
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Thomas Thornthwaite: Yeah.
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Rachel Sidoti: Yup, exactly. Well, I'm so glad that you both pointed that out, because there really is that perception that you know once that Ata comes out it'll be marked on your forehead for the rest of time. But, as you said, you know, you've been through it, and it is that kind of taboo subject where someone would get kind of side a little bit for asking that so.
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Rachel Sidoti: as I've said before, you know, if you do, wanna add some questions in. We do have a couple more minutes. But Karen again. I hope your fingers are okay, because you've been responding so quickly to all of these questions that have come in but one that I just wanted to touch on with you, Michelle, because.
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Rachel Sidoti: as you said, there is a lot of
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Rachel Sidoti: questions around round one applications versus round 2. In the event that someone is unsuccessful in round one? Can they apply again in round 2.
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Michelle Cook: No, they can't.
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Michelle Cook: Yeah, it's excellent, but it's the same criteria we put on.
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Rachel Sidoti: Exactly. And another question that kind of follows through from that is, if they think that you know they, they grades, will go up later in the year. Would your advice be to wait until round 2.
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Michelle Cook: Just apply.
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Michelle Cook: Really give yourself the chance. I think everyone what everyone said is so so true. And when I asked Bayax on the first day not one of them would thought that they would get in
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Michelle Cook: so interesting.
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Michelle Cook: and that all they did was give themselves a chance. I always say it's like winning the lotto. You know, people talk about it, but they don't buy the ticket.
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Michelle Cook: so apply. See where it gets. You always grab opportunity.
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Michelle Cook: You just never, ever know. So and I'm really, really looking forward to reading your applications
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Michelle Cook: and hopefully seeing you in January.
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Rachel Sidoti: Excellent. And one last question that's come up and I'm glad it's come up organically, because it is quite a bracking right? That we do have for the B at program, which is what is the graduate employment rate like? And how does that generally stack up to other accounting programs.
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Michelle Cook: It's a hundred percent.
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Michelle Cook: We have a hundred percent graduate employment.
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Michelle Cook: We are very, very lucky.
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Michelle Cook: that that sponsor organizations give back preferential grad recruitment. So we go very early before the general cohort goes, and the sponsors will open a special section for back only, and they apply
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Michelle Cook: to the sponsors that they have would like to go to
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Michelle Cook: so amazing privilege, because we're talking to some of the biggest companies in the world and Australia
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Michelle Cook: that open their doors to them before they actually
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Michelle Cook: open applications to the rest of the population.
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Rachel Sidoti: And I think because obviously as director of the program, you oversee all of our students who are graduating. So you know, sometimes there can be a little bit of inaccuracy in graduate reporting data, because they can be, you know, different definitions of what full time employee is. But you oversee every single group.
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Michelle Cook: I do?
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Rachel Sidoti: You know where they are going.
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Michelle Cook: I do?
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Rachel Sidoti: And it's such a such a feather in the programs, Cap, that we do have those graduate employment rates.
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Michelle Cook: Absolutely, absolutely.
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Rachel Sidoti: Well, we've actually gone 1 min over time. So in the interest of not keeping everyone too much longer, I just wanted to say, thank you so so much to all of our panelists. Bienka, Tom Edwin, and of course to Siobhan, not just for her time. Well seek, but also for all the fantastic support that AI have provided the program.
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Rachel Sidoti: And thank you everyone so much for attending. We really hope that you found this session useful? If you do have any further questions. And if you do, we would encourage you to get in touch. You can email co-op.ed@uts.edu.au you can get in touch with us on our social channels. And of course we'd love you to come visit us on open date, which is Saturday, the 30 first of August.
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Rachel Sidoti: But thank you so much for those of you that are in year 12, all the very, very best with your Hsc. We would love to see you and your applications coming in. And have a lovely remainder of the night. Thank you so much. Everyone.
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