Keith Henneberry
From pipedream to private equity: Keith Henneberry shares how his experience at RMIT is helping him turn his career dream into a reality.
What are your career goals?
I’ve aspired to start my own business since high school and my long term goal is to open my own private equity firm in Melbourne.
I’ve always understood numbers but ultimately I decided to study accountancy to gain a firm understanding of how to run a business from a financial standpoint.
Why did you choose to study at RMIT?
After graduating from high school I sought out a hands-on learning environment to continue my education. RMIT offered vocational education courses that gave me both practical experience and a pathway into further study.
I completed a Diploma in Business (Public Relations) before continuing on into an Associate Degree in Business. I’m currently now completing a Bachelor of Business (Professional Accountancy).
How would you describe your program?
The Bachelor of Business (Professional Accountancy) is a fast paced course that covers the essentials of recording for a business. It covers several organisational structures and relevant information that is applicable in the everyday work environment.
How has your experience helped you develop practical business skills?
To manage the responsibility I've become a more effective time manager. I can now multitask and prioritise to achieve the best outcomes.
My experiences at RMIT have taught me how to an analysis a company from a financial and strategic standpoint point. It provided me with the tools to explain the analysis.
This will be important in developing strategies, analysing businesses and communicating within and outside organisations.
What advice would you give to future students considering business studies?
Study something that you’re passionate about, something that you are interested in. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about what you are studying as long as you can see the course benefiting you and having a positive influence on your well being and life its worth the challenge.
Studying business has opened my mind up to what I can do. It has helped me develop business strategies and concepts that I will need to run a business or to be a successful within a business. It has provided the building blocks and the collaborative skills needed for today and the future.
How has volunteering as a Student Learning Advisor Mentor (SLAMs) contributed to your experience?
SLAMS has helped me develop and embed practical business skills. Nothing tests your understanding better than teaching what you have learned. To do this with a full range of people has been a valued part of the program. It has given me the confidence that I need.
RMIT and SLAMS are providing the foundation for me to be a successful leader in the business world.
What has been the best thing about your RMIT experience so far?
The environment that I have surrounded myself in at RMIT has been the most rewarding. There are so many new people to meet everyday, new cultures to explore and experiences to be had. It is simply up to you. When you put more into studies and commitments you’ll get more out of it.