Nothing beats the day you graduate. Well, except maybe graduating when you’ve got the perfect job lined up afterward. Talk about the icing on the cake. And that’s exactly what happened to Dennis Dun when he graduated after studying business at university, Charles Sturt University, to be precise.

Dennis completed his Bachelor of Business Studies¹ last year and scored a spot on a highly competitive graduate scheme in finance. It set Dennis on the road to making a difference – for himself and his community.

Starting his journey

When he was at school, Dennis wasn’t sure what direction he wanted to go in.

“Originally I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do. So my thinking was ‘well, everything is a business in some way’, so a business degree would help set me up with career opportunities in the future. I actually then got into a traineeship in banking while I was at school, and I liked the industry, so I thought the degree could help me progress in that field.”

Finding the path to studying business at university

The real game changer for Dennis was gaining practical experience.

“That traineeship was my first hands-on experience in the industry, and doing more work placements through different subjects in my course at Charles Sturt University gave me more practical exposure to aspects of business. So it all tied in really nicely in terms of seeing a path to a career. The degree was really good for giving me exposure to opportunities and broadening my horizons. And it also gave me a broad range of skills that I could apply to a range of career paths. For instance, learning economics is an important skill regardless of which area of business you work in. During my degree I also worked part-time for ANZ. The practical experience gave me an insight to the industry.”

“Currently I’m on the graduate program at the Commonwealth Bank, living in Sydney. It’s a very competitive area. So I was pleased that they chose me to be one of the candidates in a very high volume of applicants across the country. The degree from Charles Sturt helped me get one of those places.

“In the program you essentially do placements across different divisions of the organisation; so I’ve worked in small- and medium-sized enterprises, and currently I’m experiencing corporate and financial services in healthcare. You need a broad understanding as every organisation has different business policies and procedures. That’s why the business studies degree was helpful, as it gave me an overview of all aspects of business. The research and analysis skills that I developed during my degree help me with reading a lot of policy and doing research on companies and laws.”

Giving back to regional communities

Dennis is hopeful that his example can inspire others to follow their path through uni.

“I’m from Cowra originally and have a First Nations background. My nan was part of the stolen generation. In my family there was no expectation for going to university, but my mum and my relatives are all very proud of me. They all came to watch me get up on stage and accept my degree at my graduation, and they can see clearly what education can do.”

Dennis also inspired First Nations schoolkids during his degree.

“For one day a week, I was an First Nations mentor at a local high school. I would share my experience with the kids there, talk about where I’ve come from and what their opportunities could be in the future. It was a way to give back as I was grateful for things like the First Nations support programs at Charles Sturt for helping me during my degree.”

Moving forward – and studying business at university again!

And Dennis isn’t stopping any time soon.

“I’m hoping to get a full-time position at the end of the graduate scheme. And I’m interested in working more in the financing aspects of not-for-profits. I have also recently just enrolled in a Master of Professional Accounting at Charles Sturt part-time online as well. This will help me keep developing alongside the experience I’m getting in the graduate scheme. Moreover, it will set me up for the next step in my career.”

How are you going to change the game?

When you graduate from Charles Sturt, you’re brilliantly positioned to make your mark in your career. After all, we’re the number one uni in Australia for grads getting jobs.

So contact us and we’ll help you start your career now.

¹Cricos: 029254F