4 minute read
ANU College of Business and Economics (CBE) student Seonghyun Yong is the undergraduate recipient of the CBE Outstanding Intern of the Year award for Semester 1, 2021, in recognition of his work with the ACT Government’s Suburban Land Agency (SLA).
“I am very honoured to be the recipient of this award. I’ve had an extremely constructive student experience at CBE. Both lecture-based courses and work-integrated learning opportunities, such as CBE Internships, have helped me realise the value of hard work and success,” shares Seonghyun, who moved from Seoul, South Korea to complete a Bachelor of Commerce at CBE in 2019.
Congratulating him, Aiden Kim-Hirata, an assistant director at SLA, says this recognition is well-deserved.
“It was a great experience for me to be able to work with such an intrinsically motivated intern like Seonghyun. He always demonstrated such high levels of drive and dedication. I hope to see him become an industry leader one day,” shares Aiden, who was Seonghyun’s workplace supervisor.
Seonghyun believes CBE Internships has helped prepare him for his future career, especially by enabling him to gain experience through participating in SLA’s budgeting, expenditure and revenue forecasting, and other financial reporting processes.
“Overall, my time with SLA was exceptionally rewarding and valuable. Everyone in the agency was very welcoming and happy to share their time and experience with me. I most appreciated the mentoring sessions, where I truly started to understand the professional values in Australian workplaces. While I thought I would only gain industry knowledge or financial modeling skills, I learned much more, including that the fundamental ability to communicate as a team overrides any technical skills one may possess. This was a crucial turning point for me, one which will influence my future studies and career,” he explains.
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Seonghyun’s journey has not been without obstacles.
“My routine, which incorporated regularly going to the library, attending in-person classes and meeting friends, fell apart when the pandemic affected Canberra. I unfortunately befriended procrastination and energy drinks,” he admits.
However, in the final year of his undergraduate degree, Seonghyun has embraced the College’s career development initiatives and renewed his focus to learn and enhance his professional skills.
As applications for CBE Internships in Semester 1, 2022 are now open, he has three tips for success: Be resilient, don’t hesitate to seek professional help, and be appreciative of everyone around you.
Seonghyun encourages students to apply and make the most of the supportive environment CBE Internships provides.
“Throughout my CBE Internship, I had a whole academic team assisting me. A manager, workplace supervisor, academic supervisor, course convenor, tutor, and the CBE Careers and Student Employability team are available to support participating students and help them succeed,” Seonghyun says.
Applications for CBE Internships in Semester 1, 2022 are now open. Click here to find out more about the application process.
The ANU College of Business and Economics offers an extensive range of specialised programs. Click here for more details.