MSC ACCOUNTANCY

PURSUING HER DREAM IN THE FINANCE INDUSTRY WITH AN ACCOUNTANCY DEGREE

Shirley Xu took her first step into the finance industry when she joined Haitong International Securities as an associate while she was enrolled in the Nanyang MSc Accountancy programme. Today, as Assistant Vice President of Margin Sales at CGS-CIMB Securities, she drives business growth by taking deep dives into data—the twin approach she believes is necessary to evolve the company.

Shirley has always been good at analysing numbers; she has a Bachelor of Mathematics. But a few years ago, she yearned to bring data to life and, better still, create organisational impact with it.

She knew that the business world—particularly the finance industry—is where she could make all of that happen. So, she began considering a master’s degree programme that could show her the workings of it. She researched on various universities and decided on the Nanyang MSc Accountancy programme because “it offers the most comprehensive curriculum, delivered in the most time-efficient manner,” she says.

“Within a year, we learnt so many sophisticated accounting concepts through lectures, projects and exams,” the alumnus of NBS Class of 2018 recalls. “It was definitely a very challenging time for all of us!”

Striving as a class also formed closer bonds. “The friendships from the programme are special: we laughed and had fun while studying hard together,” Shirley says. “The learning journey was rigorous, but it became enjoyable because we had one another.”

The programme’s intensity turned out to be exactly what Shirley wanted: she quickly sharpened her business acumen while acquiring deeper data analysis skills. This empowered her to transit confidently into the financial services sector.

One of the courses which she found particularly useful was Accounting for Decision Making and Control. “I learnt that accounting and cost management are critical parts of an organisation’s strategic plan and future,” explains Shirley. “Accounting numbers are not just data about a company’s health; they can also be translated into meaningful strategy and story.”

She is appreciative that the faculty—a good mix of Nanyang professors and guest lecturers—imparted their knowledge through plenty of real-world examples. She says, “Their case studies helped us to see how successful corporations achieve goals through the power of accounting acknowledge.”

Shirley’s current work scope at CGS-CIMB Securities focuses on margin/credit sales and business management planning—“all of which accounting plays a big part in,” she emphasises. While she uses different hard skills for different occasions, she often brings most of her soft skills to bear on a daily basis. Numerous presentations and group projects in the programme had refined her interpersonal and communication skills. “It was crucial that the programme became a training ground for us to practise those skills,” she says.

Dream industry? Checked. Dream job? Checked. Shirley says, “I wanted the right exposure that would open the way to my dream. The MSc Accountancy programme at Nanyang Business School was what I needed. From there, I made my way forward.”

Quick tip: Before applying, meet and talk with programme staff.

“I requested to have a one-to-one coffee session with the Outreach & Admissions team from the Nanyang MSc Accountancy programme. They warmly attended to me and answered my questions. After our fruitful conversation, I knew exactly where I wanted to do my master’s degree. I submitted my application to Nanyang Business School, and the rest is history.”