Diploma in Commerce (General Studies)

To make my parents proud, I aspire to follow them in having a career in the financial sector. I knew my chance had come when Kaplan awarded me a scholarship to pursue a Banking and Financial Degree with the University of Essex. Prior to that, the Diploma in Commerce (Finance and Banking) had already built up my fundamental skills and prepared me well for University studies. All this has been made possible under the close guidance of the lecturers. Not forgetting the friends I made in class, we often encouraged and motivated each other during the journey.

Attracted by my company’s offer to sponsor my further studies, I enrolled into the Diploma in Business Studies programme with Kaplan. Being able to complete the course in a shorter duration of 8 months compared to other institutes, affirmed Kaplan as the school of my choice. Looking back on my Kaplan journey, it has imparted me with essential industry knowledge and helped me grow my confidence as a person. For example, lessons in Statistics developed my critical thinking and analytical skills required to spot sales trends, and determine sales projection at work. In recognition of my efforts, I was promoted from a Sales Administrator to a Business Planning Officer.

My positive Diploma study experience also gave me the confidence to take a step further and pursue my Bachelor’s in Business Studies Degree with University College Dublin. Strongly recommended by my friends and assured by the prestige of Kaplan’s university partners, these factors sealed my decision to join the UCD programme. Upon graduation, I am sure this internationally recognised certification will give me an advantage in the workforce.

I have always wanted to become a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Enrolling with Kaplan for the Diploma in Accountancy programme was the first step towards my goal. Before enrolling with Kaplan, it was impossible for me to land an accounting job. Through the completion of my programme, I received two job offers to enter the accounting industry. I started my career in the accounting industry as an Accounts Assistant in an SME. Today, I am working in a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm where I will continue to grow in my career in the industry.

The Kaplan Diploma programme has imparted me with relevant knowledge and opened doors to the industry. It has helped my career progression and brought me so much nearer to my goal. Not only that, I was also able to progress into studying for an Accountancy and Financial Management Degree programme with the University of Portsmouth.

I was working as a flight steward when I first took up the Kaplan Diploma programme. Kaplan was my first choice as it gave me schedule flexibility without compromising on the quality of each lesson. The Diploma was crucial in fostering my critical thinking skills, which has helped to widen my career prospects. In particular, I was headhunted to join one of Singapore’s major banks as a Relationship Manager.

The Kaplan Diploma programme has allowed me to progress towards a Business Degree in International Business with the acclaimed Royal Holloway, University of London, where I graduated with First Class Honours from.

I was employed as a Media Planning Executive with a media agency during my Diploma studies with Kaplan and received more than 3 job offers during my course of study. Upon graduating from the Diploma in Mass Communication programme, I joined a new company as Account Manager with better salary prospects.

Today, I have progressed into doing Brands Marketing for a FMCG company. It was not easy taking up the Diploma programme while working full-time but it has certainly been a worthwhile journey. I will definitely recommend others to take up the Kaplan Diploma programme. My course of study has helped to expand my knowledge in the field and has brought me many job opportunities including career progression.