Student profile: Zoe Fogarty

Monash degrees: Bachelor of Business (Management)/Bachelor of Laws
Currently studying: Master of Risk Management
Current role: Manager, Risk Advisory Services, KPMG

Zoe Fogarty currently works as a Manager in Risk Advisory Services at KPMG and is studying a Master of Risk Management at Monash, to complement her double bachelors' degrees she also obtained from Monash.

Very supportive

"KPMG is very supportive of postgraduate study and I chose to study at Monash again because it's so easy and flexible to study here - for example I did my first semester studies via off-campus learning, and in my second semester I am attending weekend classes with other students.

"Monash is also well known for offering a cutting-edge and highly regarded Master of Risk Management. I also think it will be a great asset in relation to career progression," she said.

After graduating with a double degree in business management and law, Zoe started work with a mid-tier law firm in Melbourne, where she did her articles. She practised law for 18 months working mainly in insolvency law.

Fantastic experience

"I found working as a practising lawyer a really fantastic experience. I was very interested in insolvency law and finding out about what leads to a company becoming insolvent.

"But as much as I enjoyed being a lawyer, part of me was still very interested in working in a business role as well and making use of the business skills I had learnt in my business management degree. I wanted to try something different and progress my career in a business direction, so I approached KPMG and they were interested in the double degree I had and the skills I had gained as a practising lawyer.

Transferable business acumen

"I found that the business acumen I had learnt at university and built up in my time as a lawyer was very transferable to the business environment. In my role at KPMG the area I work in provides risk management services, and I look at how policies and procedures can help minimise risk exposure for KPMG and other companies.

"I feel that risk management is a particularly exciting area at the moment. With all the recent worldwide corporate collapses - such as HIH, One.Tel, Enron and WorldCom - risk management is right up there and more important than ever.

"The synergy of learning in my Masters degree and applying the theory straightaway at work has been really useful. I find this aspect of studying very relevant and it has helped me focus on our own procedures at KPMG," said Zoe.

Advice:

"Postgraduate study is a real balancing act of managing your time well. You need to be aware of the time commitment involved and have good organisational skills to juggle study, research and your own time to keep your life in balance. For me it wasn't will I do postgraduate study, it was when and I've found my organisational skills are really helping while I study for my Masters."