Theory into action: Eden’s KPMG career-ready experience

Growing up in Vietnam, Eden felt the education system focused too much on theory and exams. “I wanted a more practical, real-world learning experience,” he says.

The University of Newcastle’s Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Business Analytics program offered exactly that. “My family owns a medium-sized business in Vietnam; yet, almost no one in our family studied finance or technology at a university level. Everything was learnt on the job.” Eden shares.

The program stood out to him as it provided a foundation in accounting and finance knowledge. He also appreciates, “That it provides experience in using data analytics tools, such as Python, Tableau, and advanced Excel modelling, to solve real-world business problems. It’s the exact combination I need to modernize how my family thinks about growth and risk,” he adds.

Putting knowledge into practice 

At the University of Newcastle, every undergraduate degree comes with a built-in career-ready placement. For Eden, this quickly became one of the highlights of his studies when he secured an internship at KPMG Newcastle. The chance to take what he was learning in class and apply it in the real world was invaluable.

During his placement, he reviewed financial statements, prepared tailored industry benchmarking reports, conducted market research and competitor analysis, performed data analysis in Excel, and assisted in presenting insights to managers and partners. A standout project was co-authoring an internal thought-leadership paper titled ‘AI Adoption in Advisory Services: Insights and Industry Impact’. “The report was presented internally across the firm and received positive feedback from the manager,” Eden shares.

Working closely with a senior manager in the Digital Transformation and Strategy team, Eden worked on a range of different projects that deepened his understanding in the field. “I conducted competitive benchmarking exercises comparing how the big 4 banks and MBB firms deploy AI in advisory practices, analysed cost structures versus revenue impact, identified industries with the highest market potential for AI-enabled advisory services, and built finance models and visualisations in Excel,” he reflects.

Shaping career goals

Before his placement, Eden planned to graduate and return to Vietnam to help grow his family’s business. “I saw Australia only as a place to study, not as a place to build a career,” he explains.

However, his experience at KPMG and the University of Newcastle changed his perspective. “The professional standards and environment here are accelerating my growth in ways I never expected. Now I’m aiming to secure a graduate role at KPMG and another big 4 firm in Australia. I still want to return to Vietnam one day, but I know that an additional three to five years of big 4 bank experience in Australia will be more valuable to me.”

Advice for students starting their own placement

Eden encourages students to, “Build relationships with your mentors and schedule regular catchups, they can give you very useful advice for your job application and your future career plan.” He also recommends not being afraid of asking questions. “No one expects interns to know everything, but they notice who shows curiosity and initiative,” he shares.

Eden’s journey shows how the University of Newcastle’s practical, hands-on approach, combined with Career-ready Placements, equips students to make a real-world impact while accelerating professional growth.

Eden Nguyen

Eden’s journey shows how the University of Newcastle’s practical, hands-on approach, combined with Career-ready Placements, equips students to make a real-world impact while accelerating professional growth.

The professional standards and environment here are accelerating my growth in ways I never expected.