My name is Seng Chanda. I joined Business Partner in April 2014. After working in Japan for a year, I was assigned to Cambodia at the end of March 2015. I currently serve as the Head of Finance. I decided to study in Japan because of the long-standing friendly relations between Japan and Cambodia and the large number of Cambodian students studying in Japan.

I studied English at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. Afterward, I moved to Japan to pursue further studies. I spent two years learning Japanese before entering graduate school, where I completed a two-year master’s program in education.

I learned about Business Partner through friends in the Cambodian Student Association, who recommended it to me. Business Partner is a popular choice among Cambodian students, and it was the only company I applied to.

For job hunting, my advice is to expand your network as much as possible. Just as I learned about my company through a senior's introduction, building connections can open doors to new knowledge and opportunities.

The skills you need vary by role, but one thing is universal: you must keep learning even after you’ve started working. My background is in education, so I had no prior knowledge of economics, which is a key focus of my company. While I gained proficiency in Japanese through my studies and time in Japan, most of the other skills I’ve acquired have come from on-the-job learning. From finance to interpreting and secretarial work, I’ve gained skills by taking on various responsibilities at work.

In my first year working in Japan, I was primarily involved in sales and debt collection. After transferring to Cambodia, I served as the CEO's interpreter and secretary for three years. When the finance department faced a staffing shortage, I transitioned into finance and have been working in this field for six years now.

My role as Head of Finance includes overseeing accounting operations and managing a team of nine finance staff. What I find fulfilling about finance is that the more tasks you handle, the better you naturally become at them. Since numbers are always clear-cut, any discrepancies can be treated as puzzles to solve. With tools like Excel, I can build templates to handle unexpected scenarios, making the work both practical and intellectually engaging.

The Japanese headquarters of Business Partner has a very serious and earnest atmosphere. In contrast, the Cambodian subsidiary where I work shares that seriousness but is more dynamic, as reflected in its name, Active People's Microfinance Institution Plc.. With a workforce of 700 employees, the office is lively, and there are plenty of opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, both professionally and personally.

The ideal candidate for our company is someone serious and eager to learn. For example, even if you’ve never worked in finance before, you might be asked to try it. The ability to take on new challenges without immediately saying "no" is essential. Hardworking, proactive individuals thrive here. On the other hand, those without a strong desire to grow or learn may find it difficult to adapt.

What I appreciate most about working at this company is the chance to learn so much through daily tasks. The skills and knowledge I gain directly benefit me, making my efforts worthwhile. In the future, I’d like to explore roles in systems management and eventually take on responsibilities like auditing to help protect the company.