Why internships can accelerate a finance career

When Glenn Lim CPA graduated from high school, he expected his future would be in science. Now, as finance manager at global tech giant Tencent, he operates at the intersection of finance, regulation and rapid digital innovation in one of Asia’s most dynamic business environments.

Lim credits his success to a solid foundation built on curiosity and keeping his eyes open for new opportunities wherever he can.

“Upon completing my polytechnic studies, I was still figuring out which field and major to focus on for my degree,” he says. “I initially thought my future lay in biotechnology, where the potential of driving innovation and doing something that could help people really appealed to me.”

His perspective shifted during military service with the Singapore Armed Forces, where engaging with mentors and leaders from all walks of life exposed him to new career paths. He also discovered an interest in navigating complex financial frameworks in businesses.

“I found the concepts of accountancy fascinating because it acts as the backbone of every industry. I love the challenge of solving intricate financial puzzles and providing the clear, actionable insights that help businesses thrive.”

Determined to build his foundational knowledge, he borrowed an accounting textbook from his brother to study during his free time in the army. “I started reading through the basic accounting frameworks and found the structured logic incredibly fascinating,” he recalls.

This newfound career interest led Lim to enrol at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, choosing the program specifically because its practical course structure suited his learning style and professional goals.

He initially studied through distance education in Singapore before an opportunity arose to transfer to Melbourne for his final year. “It was really one of the best times of my life,” he says. “It gave me the chance to reconnect with friends and build new relationships that remain important today.”

Studying in Melbourne also broadened his professional horizons. Lim discovered that accounting was far more varied than he had initially imagined, and he realised he wanted firsthand experience of how different organisations and accounting functions operated.

Like many accounting graduates before him, Lim’s first goal was to land a role with one of the Big Four Australian firms.

“As a university student, I initially faced a string of rejections in my internship applications,” he says. Rather than seeing rejections as a setback, he used the opportunity to gain experience elsewhere, securing an internship with an accounting firm in Singapore, alongside a six-month stint working in China on a separate overseas internship opportunity.

“I just knew that beyond classroom learning, the best way for me to figure out what I truly wanted to do was through internships,” he says. “I wanted to give myself as much exposure as possible and learn from different environments.”

Lim believes that internships are as much about attitude and environment as they are about technical ability.

“There generally are not huge expectations of interns beyond having the right attitude and a willingness to learn. There is also room to make mistakes and learn from them. More importantly, it is having the right bosses to create the right environment — I was fortunate enough to have great bosses.”

Those internships provided far more than technical experience. They also gave Lim the opportunity to learn from the people around him. “I spent a lot of time talking to senior colleagues and trying to understand their career journeys,” he says.

“I would ask them about the challenges they faced, how they ended up where they were and whether they would make the same decisions if they had the chance to do it all over again.”

Those conversations helped Lim build a clearer picture of the career he wanted for himself.

“I was trying to understand what I wanted to get out of my career and, ultimately, how I could contribute and give back.”

The next opportunity came when he crossed paths with an employee from the accounting firm KPMG and decided to reach out directly to inquire about an internship. “I figured there was nothing to lose. The worst thing that could happen is he would say no,” Lim recalls.

Welcoming his proactivity, the KPMG employee said the firm was always looking for good candidates and encouraged him to send through his résumé. Soon after, he was invited to interview with a partner and secured an internship with the firm’s transfer pricing team. By the end of the placement, KPMG offered him a priority graduate position, guaranteeing him a role once he completed his studies.

“As the saying goes — you miss 100 per cent of the shots you do not take,” he says.

Building expertise

Lim’s early years were spent developing expertise in transfer pricing as a tax specialist, which appealed because it drew on many of the qualities that had first attracted him to accounting: structure, logic and analytical thinking. As he gained experience and looked ahead, his drive to learn and contribute more pushed him to look beyond a single specialisation.

When an opportunity emerged at Tencent, Lim decided it was time to test himself again and move from a specialised tax role into broader finance controllership in one of China’s largest technology companies.

The recruitment process was rigorous, consisting of multiple rounds of interviews designed to test a wide range of competencies across various aspects of business operations, technical finance and cross-cultural communication.

“The interviews really pushed me to showcase a diverse skill set. Effective communication was just as critical as technical expertise because you are ultimately bridging gaps between different market perspectives and stakeholders,” he says. Eventually, Tencent extended an offer he accepted, and the role proved to be an invaluable milestone. Lim says it was a classic case of “nothing ventured, nothing gained”.

In his first year at Tencent, Lim set himself an ambitious milestone: to deliver a major business presentation to his general manager entirely in Mandarin. This was a massive step outside of his comfort zone, given that it is not his native language.

While the presentation itself was a success, handling the dynamic question-and-answer session that followed required a new level of communicative agility. The experience proved to Lim that effective communication is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution; it demands adaptability and a focus on whatever method ensures the clearest alignment.

This proactive growth mindset was strongly encouraged by his leaders. His boss frequently reminded him that deep strategic reasoning carries far more weight than flawless delivery. “She told me that at the end of the day, logic and reasoning transcend language,” Lim says.

 

"I found the concepts of accountancy fascinating because it acts as the backbone of every industry. I love the challenge of solving intricate financial puzzles and providing the clear, actionable insights that help businesses thrive."

 

Today, Lim’s responsibilities include overseeing financial reporting, funding requirements, licensing support, risk management and tax matters across Oceania and Hong Kong. Much of his work involves acting as a bridge between the finance, tax and operational teams, ensuring information flows effectively and risks are identified early.

In the technology sector, things are evolving every day. Artificial intelligence platforms and tools are constantly being updated, and applications are regularly refreshed as new versions are released.

“The momentum within this industry is incredible,” he says. “Being in the industry gives you a front-row seat to the breakthroughs shaping our digital future.”

What he has particularly enjoyed is the collaborative nature of the work. Teams are constantly working toward shared goals, and there is a strong emphasis on openness and knowledge-sharing.

“Everyone is chipping in to reach a certain milestone,” he says. “There is a lot of collaboration and a willingness to work together and share.”

Mentoring and more

Outside work, Lim applies the same discipline and goal-setting mindset to competing in triathlons. He recently completed the T100 Singapore and is preparing for a Half Ironman event in Port Macquarie, on the New South Wales coast of Australia.

The commitment required is substantial, but his motivation extends beyond personal achievement. As the father of a young son, Lim sees fitness as an opportunity to lead by example. Rather than simply telling his son to stay healthy and active, he wants to demonstrate those values himself.

“I want to be a better role model,” he says. “If I can do it at this age, you should be able to do it at half my age.”

Beyond sport, Lim also makes a point of giving back professionally. He is actively involved with CPA Australia, where he sits on the Young Professionals Network committee and mentors student ambassadors.

“At the start, I was a pretty clueless student,” he says. “I knew I was studying accounting, but I did not really understand what it meant in practice. People kept talking about the Big Four and CPA Australia, and I did not even know what those were.”

This experience is what motivates his involvement today.

“Along the way, I have met so many people who were generous with their time by sharing insights about their work, their daily realities, even their struggles and regrets,” he says. “For me, it is about paying that forward.”

Through CPA Australia’s mentorship programs, students are matched with professionals based on their interests, whether that’s tax, finance or industry-specific pathways. Lim also speaks at student events, particularly for those involved in ambassador programs.

“When I was at university, I was a student ambassador, too,” he says. “So, I understand what those concerns are like and not knowing what direction to take, or whether you are on the right path.”

For Lim, the aim is not to prescribe a single career trajectory, but to reassure students that there is no one fixed path into the profession.

“Different people take different routes,” he says. “You do not have to fit into one mould. It is about finding your own path and figuring out what works for you.”