Stephanie Hoang steps her best foot forward in the corporate space

For Stephanie Hoang, the University of Adelaide was her first option to obtain the best education, which she knew would set her up for her future. 

Stephanie Hoang at Deloitte, Adelaide office

“What the University of Adelaide does very well is connecting students with industry, where you’re able to begin forming business relationships before you’ve even left campus. For my chosen career path, this was very important”, she said.

Enrolling in a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws double degree, Stephanie was able to explore the worlds of Law and Business. Naturally, she fell into the space of corporate governance, and company law to be precise, where she developed a curiosity for the scale of key challenges that face the corporate world. 

“From learning about Legal Theory which taps into ethics and philosophy, to studying International Business, a very relevant and tangible discipline, I was able to build on my view of the world and better understand how I can create value in my chosen career,” she said.

From shaping her interests and putting her best foot forward, Stephanie reflected upon the learning opportunities available to her during her undergraduate studies which helped secure her future. 

Actively undertaking internships and seeking to complete a broad range of law electives and subjects enabled Stephanie to build her confidence in decision-making abilities, a highly valued skill that she believes is one of her personal business strengths. She cites this as one of the key reasons which helped her secure a coveted role in an increasingly competitive job market.

What the University of Adelaide does very well is connecting students with industry, where you’re able to begin forming business relationships before you’ve even left campus. For my chosen career path, this was very important.Stephanie Hoang, Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce.

Stephanie said the network of students and opportunities to get involved in student societies also helped her build the skill and business acumen to secure a graduate role, well before her graduation date.

She also believes that the University of Adelaide does very well is the student experience, through seeking mentorship via the societies and clubs. This was where Stephanie embraced the opportunity to practice relationship building skills with her law and business school contemporaries, some of whom are her colleagues at her 9am-5pm job. 

Stephanie now works at Deloitte Australia in Adelaide, in risk advisory.

“My law and commerce degree gave me a great advantage in the professional workforce. As part of the team which looks at risk management and controls, we focus on how businesses might be exposed to a variety of risks (reputational/brand damage, litigation, regulatory). We identify these through walking through key processes with clients, understanding the ‘how’ of the business, to formulate recommendations on how they can improve their operations.”

While she deals with complex legislation and client-relationship management as part of her work, Stephanie said she saw the value in completing a double degree in Law and Commerce. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed learning about corporate responsibility for global business, where I was able to explore how businesses and corporations, with multinational operations can have an impact on the everyday lives of people and cultures,” she said.

Specifically, she found the course content where law and business overlapped to be an eye opener on the role of business in building a more sustainable and conscious working world. This would go on to inform the work ethic and how she approaches dispensing advice for clients in her current role at Deloitte. 

“This (course content) heavily aligns with the work we do in risk advisory at Deloitte. For example, the idea of good governance is a prerequisite for ensuring the business is kept accountable for its obligations to its shareholders, employees and the wider community as a key stakeholder.

“Part of the work we do in risk is ensuring that the right processes are in place, and that they are designed effectively to ensure that business can be held accountable for its actions whilst taking into consideration its impact on external stakeholders,” Stephanie said.

When asked about what is her favourite part about completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Adelaide, Stephanie finds it difficult to settle on one part. Instead, she offers words of wisdom which encompasses the positive experience that led her to study at Adelaide in the first instance. 

“My degrees offered a wide breadth of courses and opportunities to deepen theoretical understanding of my chosen areas of law and business. The network of students, and opportunities to get involved in student societies also helped me develop the skills and business acumen to secure a graduate role well before my graduation date,” she added.

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