MSc Accountancy Gears This Auditor up for a Future in Southeast Asia

Andy Hu is an audit associate at Deloitte Singapore. His role entails acquiring a deep understanding of his clients’ business processes and examining account balances. His client portfolio covers the real estate, manufacturing, education and tourism sectors.

Before graduating from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore with a Master of Science in Accountancy (MSc Accountancy), Andy studied at the National Taiwan University for a bachelor’s degree in business administration. When he discovered his interest in accountancy, he dedicated himself to the field by pursuing the MSc Accountancy.

Here, he shares with us insights on the skills that he has gained for his career and the rising opportunities in Southeast Asia.

3 Essential Audit Skills

While studying for the MSc Accountancy, Andy, who is part of the Class of 2019, clinched an audit and assurance internship at Deloitte Singapore. About three months later, the company confirmed his full-time role as an audit associate.

Andy credits the Nanyang Business School’s Graduate Studies Career Development Office for its support in his career progression. He had participated in career workshops and talks on topics such as networking skills and resume and interview preparation, which the Office often hosts for students. “These sessions enabled me to improve my performance at interviews,” he says, “which helped me to secure the offer from Deloitte.”

Now a year into his role, Andy believes that effective auditors possess three crucial skills:

1. “Problem solving and analysis skills are important in audit. We provide solutions to our clients every day. There is also a lot of analysing of numbers.” 

2. “Communication skills cannot be overlooked. Every engagement involves working with various teams and communicating with different clients from diverse backgrounds.” 

3. “Last but not least, technical skills like FRS and accounting and auditing knowledge all play a fundamental role in a successful audit career.”

Andy honed these skills during the MSc Accountancy programme. He recalls how the design of the course materials, class discussions, group work and exams allowed him to develop independent thinking and improved his analysis skill.

“We were highly encouraged to speak up and contribute to the seminar-style learning environment,” he describes. “The curriculum was also very current and kept me abreast of the latest developments in the industry. It was comprehensive, which meant that I could acquire the critical knowledge and competencies from it to perform in Singapore’s highly competitive business environment.”

Yet it wasn’t all about the books for him. Andy was also drawn to the Yunnan Garden on the varsity grounds, which has been named as one of the most beautiful campuses in the world. “Two years after I completed my studies, I still miss the lush green campus a lot!” he reminisces.

Tapping Opportunities in Southeast Asia

Singapore became Andy’s dream destination because of its established and energetic financial sector, which generates many opportunities for aspiring individuals pursuing a career in accounting and finance, he says.

“The openness, diversity, international connections and rule of law built up over the years in Singapore have nurtured a stable society,” he explains. “Here, you can truly be part of a global perspective that is especially astute about Asia.”

Looking at the bigger picture, Southeast Asia has also become a gateway to endless possibilities, attracting many innovations into the region. Even as it is hardly homogenous, the region does share a wide-ranging, unstoppable passion for digital trends like fintech, e-commerce and data analytics, which Andy is keen to explore.

“Data analytics in audit is still at its infancy,” he says, “but it will soon make a bigger impact. As one without any analytics background before joining the MSc Accountancy, the concepts taught in the Data Analytics in Accounting module trained me to develop a more logical way of thinking. It has also allowed me to be one step ahead of others as the industry goes through some radical changes in the digital age.”

Andy adds: “I moved to Singapore because I’m excited about all these developments bubbling in the region. With a dynamic, youthful workforce, increasingly robust infrastructure and a rising middle class, Southeast Asia does have what it takes to be an economic powerhouse.”

Quick Tips:

“I tried my best to prepare for the seminars and discussion questions before classes and actively participate in discussions. Studying hours occupied most of my time, but in my free time, I made good use of the campus facilities and exercised regularly. I also hung out with MSc Accountancy friends, and we got to explore many tourist attractions and hidden gems in Singapore together!”

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