Graduate Diaries: Su Lin Tye

Hi, my name is Su Lin and I’m a Future Me Graduate in Business Banking at ASB. I studied a BCom/LLB conjoint degree at the University of Auckland. I majored in Economics and Marketing within Commerce, and my law degree had a strong commercial law focus.

Given I was unsure of what I wanted to do when I left university, the rotational nature of a graduate programme where I could try different things appealed to me. It has been the best decision to join ASB and have the opportunity to rotate through five business units to date. I have been involved in a variety of work, from strategic projects and operational support roles to frontline banking, building up a broad range of soft skills and technical knowledge. While I am based in Business Banking, pan-bank projects have allowed me to work with other departments, including Retail Banking and Technology and Innovation.

The graduate programme is a great way to transition from university life to work life, especially with the network of past and present graduates. I was also lucky enough to be able to complete my Professional Legal Studies course at the same time as full time work, so I could be admitted to the bar.

While I am not currently practising law, my law degree has definitely contributed to my work in banking. There is cross-over between my studies and the work I do as most of my law papers were business/finance-related, covering subjects such as mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, competition law, property, corporate structures and insolvency. This knowledge is directly relevant to our customers in Business Banking, who range from SMEs to large corporates, and gives me a better understanding of the issues their organisations may face. Other skills learned at law school, such as research, drafting and public speaking are all valuable regardless of career path. A legal background serves as a great foundation for many careers. ASB’s graduates come from diverse backgrounds, with degrees in Commerce, Science, Computer & Information Science, Engineering, Arts etc.

I have been at ASB for 15 months now, and will move into a permanent role sometime this year. I have thoroughly enjoyed every team I have been a part of and appreciate the vast networks I have built throughout the entire bank as a result. The banking industry is constantly evolving and I’m excited to see where my career takes me.