糖心Vlog

When Tom Leslie decided to pursue a Bachelor of Business (BBus) at the 糖心Vlog, he already had hands-on experience in the world of work.

鈥淢y family runs a logging business in Whang膩rei, and when I left high school I started my own labour contracting business,鈥� says Tom. 鈥淭hen I went overseas and lived in the United States for a year before deciding that I wanted to study business.鈥�

鈥淚t opens the door to so many different career options, so you鈥檙e not confined to one specific job.鈥�

He liked how the first year of the BBus degree gives students a taste of different subject areas before choosing their majors. One of the good things about all the group projects is they give you opportunities to meet new people.鈥�

Tom chose to major in Accounting, complemented by a minor in Chinese.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 100% set on accounting until I came to university, but I think it鈥檚 a really useful skillset to have in any business role. Eventually, I鈥檇 like to do my own thing and start my own business,鈥� he explains.

鈥淥ne of my favourite papers was Economics 101 because the lecturer is so engaging. He gets you thinking about real-world problems you鈥檒l come across in life, which economics can help us understand and solve.鈥�

Tom says he enjoyed the friendly and relaxed atmosphere on the Hamilton campus. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a really good vibe at Waikato 鈥� it鈥檚 not as hectic as being in a big city like Auckland, and the rent prices are more affordable."

He also wanted to stand out from other graduates by learning a new language and gaining international insight.

鈥淟earning Chinese felt like a smart move to position myself for where the future of global markets are heading. It鈥檚 not just about the language鈥攊t鈥檚 about understanding another culture and how business is done there.鈥�

Through the Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPE), Tom joined a two-week study tour to Beijing, where he attended Chinese language classes at Peking University and visited the Great Wall of China.

鈥淚t was an incredible experience and gave me a whole new perspective on global business.鈥�

After university, Tom headed overseas to work in London for a year. Currently working as an advisor for KPMG New Zealand, Tom says his Waikato degree gave him a strong foundation for his professional journey 鈥� particularly the WIL internship paper.

鈥淚鈥檇 recommend Waikato鈥檚 Bachelor of Business to anyone who鈥檚 interested in coming here. It gives you the skills, confidence, and experience to succeed in the workforce. And that鈥檚 a real plus of studying at Waikato Management School.鈥�