Mingjun Sun from China

I had the privilege of completing my Master of Finance at the Australia National University College of Business and Economics (CBE), following my Bachelor's degree in Economics Statistics at Xiamen University (XMU), which is a partner university of the College.

After graduating from my postgraduate studies, I secured a job in the management trainee program working within the global market department of Nanyang Commercial Bank, a prestigious banking corporation in China. 

Australia was an easy choice for my studies 

The Australian National University (ANU) ranked at the top of our partner universities. Before arriving, I imagined Australia to be full of sunshine, culture and friendly people – all of those things turned out to be true, which facilitated my study-life.

The decision to study at ANU enabled me to gain a great education. I had a chance to learn from excellent lecturers, while also meeting great classmates, a large proportion of whom have already had rich working experiences and terrific advice to share.

Being a management trainee for a global market department, a large ratio of my job involves the measurement of risk of derivatives, which requires me to have a comprehensive understanding of the subject. My derivatives course at ANU laid a very good foundation for my career.

There have been a few such experiences. Even before I commenced at ANU, I had the chance to talk to my professors. For instance, Associate Professor Steve Sault, Director of the ANU Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics, provided me invaluable information on applying for the CBE Internship Program and the on-campus accommodation. I am grateful to both CBE and XMU for giving me access to such a unique postgraduate degree. I’ve gained a lot of experience, not only from my courses, but also through opportunities that stimulated my interests.

When you commence a new job, some tasks will not be as exciting as you’d anticipated them to be. However, you should seize the opportunity to acquire as much knowledge as you can. Be sure to demonstrate your skills and keenness to undertake more tasks.

There isn’t a typical day in my management trainee program. Within the first stage of my program, I was sent to three departments, including the treasury, risk management and settlement departments. I learned the basic work procedures of each, developed an in-depth understanding of how they work together and gained insights into how a bank generates revenue.

Now, I undertake many risk-management tasks, which involve checking the risk index and the use of the trading limits. I also submit the transaction data to the regulators and communicate with them. In my position, we value a cautious and prudent approach.

I believe having a CBE degree will help you gain interview opportunities at top corporations. However, the key to enhancing the likelihood of receiving job offers depends on your knowledge and ability to demonstrate practical experience in real-world situations.