“Be self-disciplined, proactive, and open to different cultures.”
LAM Chak Man
Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration · Professional Accounting · Year 4
Having studied Accounting for seven years, Lam Chak Man is the go-to person if you want to know what the discipline is about. “Accounting is teamwork. You need to work with people in different roles. If you are a junior accountant, you need to work with your senior while he or she needs to work with a manager and, most importantly, the client.” This feature of accounting befits Lam perfectly, as he describes himself as “a good team player who embraces collaboration readily”
Another interesting aspect about accounting is its comprehensiveness. “Accounting is much more than bookkeeping. It encompasses a broad set of activities, from analysing the company's financial health, forecasting revenue, preparing taxes, to ensuring legal compliance.” He realised book learning is not enough to equip himself for his dream job, and therefore seized every chance to sharpen his skills in different competitions. “I gained more professional knowledge every time. In June 2021, I took part in the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong-Greater Bay Area Online Tax Competition. Our team was asked to investigate ‘transfer pricing’ before presenting our findings to the panel. It was challenging and stressful as we knew very little about the topic at the beginning. We looked hard for extra resources to support our arguments. We ended up winning 1st runner- up,” he recalled with much delight.
Being in contests also pushed him to hone his presentation and communication skills. He was glad he made it to the School’s A-Team Student Development Programme. “We could all be leaders in the future. The Development Programme got us well-prepared for that day.” The awardee of multiple scholarships has been offered a position at PwC, one of the world's top accounting firms, and is all set to embark on his new endeavour.
