Macquarie’s Bachelor of Commerce prepares graduates for a wide range of careers, from business analytics to cyber security governance.
Reality check: Varun Sahai chose finance and economics "because they both involve solving real-world problems".
Varun Sahai studied through the pathways programme at Macquarie University and initially completed the Diploma of Commerce, Accounting and Business Administration.
From there, he transferred to a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in finance and economics. Since graduating last year, he has begun a role as a financial crime analyst with Commonwealth Bank.
“I chose finance and economics because they both involve solving real-world problems,” Varun says.
My job is to look into suspicious activities and mitigate financial risks for the bank – it’s basically a compliance role.
“My degree gave me a strong understanding of why businesses operate the way they do, how to run a business and manage my personal finances, and why governments implement certain policies and how that impacts a working individual like myself.”
As part of his degree, Varun undertook a group assignment on how to solve the real-world issue of people avoiding using toll roads, which won him an Award of Excellence.
“For the project we had to use scientific methods. It taught you how to look at a problem from more than one angle, and that is something that I do in my job right now,” he says.
Diving into campus life also helped prepare Varun for his future career.
“I was involved with the university’s networking, investing and trading society (UNIT) for about a year and a half,” he says.
“I was events manager there for a while, then I eventually rose through the ranks and became a treasurer. That’s an executive role because the job there was essentially to do all of the bookkeeping for the society’s expenses. It was a really beneficial experience and I learned a lot of valuable skills.”
A promising future
Shortly after graduating, Varun secured a financial role with Commonwealth Bank. He was initially hired on a one-year basis, and his contract has already been extended.
Skills transfer: Being organised is an ability honed at Macquarie that is serving Varun well in his position at the Commonwealth Bank.
“My job is to look into suspicious activities and mitigate financial risks for the bank – it’s basically a compliance role,” he explains.
“Commonwealth Bank have also given me a lot of training. I’m with a very good team, everyone’s very friendly and gets along well and we help each other out.”
VARUN SAHAI
Degree: Bachelor of Commerce
My job: Financial crime analyst, Commonwealth Bank
Three ways MQ supported me to be job-ready:
- Discipline: “I learned how to work hard and be organised through Uni: to schedule what days I could go to work, what days I could go to class, what days I could stay on top of my studies.”
- Gaining extra skills through joining a society: “You have a lot more to offer if you do more than just your degree with the University itself. I learned a lot of skills through my involvement with a society.”
- Problem-solving: “In the project I took part in at MQ I had to look at all different angles of a problem, and that really helped me, because I have to look at as many angles as possible when doing my work, so I’m grateful to Macquarie for that.”
How I apply what I learned at Macquarie in the workplace:
“The ability to be organised. In my current role it’s a very structured type of work that I have to do, and knowing how to be organised [is important].”
Advice to prospective students:
“Get involved [with societies] and put yourself out there as much as you can, because that helps in terms of building friends as well as meeting people who have similar interests.”
