1. Firstly, can you briefly explain what the competition was about?
The Proton X70 Challenge is a National Business Case Competition with an emphasis on marketing in the automotive industry. Participants were expected to develop a marketing plan for Proton to maintain the position of the Proton X70 as the best-selling SUV in Malaysia. Team Taylor's emerged victorious as the National 1st Runner-Up out of 51 teams from 20 institutions of higher learning across Malaysia.
2. As a law student, what made you decide to participate in a business case competition?
Being an avid learner, I wanted to delve into fields beyond the legal curriculum which allowed me to further develop my critical thinking and strategic analytical skills. I was drawn to business strategy, analytics and consulting due to the challenging yet stimulating environment that it offers, which encouraged me to take part in a number of Business Case Competitions for the past two years while being a Law student.
That being said, I believe that my ability to perform in the Business field is attributed to the skills I acquired in Law school from analysing legal cases and applying legal theories. The learning curve and analytical skills acquired in LL.B are highly transferable across various industries, and the opportunities we have as Law students are not solely confined to the boundaries of the legal field.
3. Who were your teammates and which course did they come from?
Carmen Chin - a Law student, Marcus Liaw and Christal Chin - Accounting and Finance students, as well as Coryn See and Low Eu Gen - International Business and Marketing students.
4. Did you find the competition stressful and if you did, how did you cope?
As the bulk of the competition took place during the final examinations preparation period as well as the final examinations itself, it was certainly a challenge having to juggle both my academics and the competition, especially when the content for both were extremely different! Eventually, I still managed to pull through the final examinations with a First-Class GPA and a book prize - mainly with the help of my lecturers who were ever so patient in attending to any queries I had, be it via consultation sessions or e-mails. My fellow classmates were huge pillars of moral and emotional support as well.
5. What was most valuable takeaway that you’ve gotten from this process?
Through participating in Business Case Competitions for the past two years in general, I believe that my greatest takeaway is the courage to step out of my comfort zone. I doubted myself and my abilities at the start - questions along the lines of: “I'm a Law student. How is it possible for me to excel in a Business Competition?” bothered me constantly. But through it all, I learned that ultimately, it is the willingness to learn that matters the most. There will always be doubt, but it is important to always remind yourself that you are often more than what you perceive yourself to be.
6. What did you hope to achieve when you decided to participate in the competition?
To win and bring glory to Taylor's, of course! And most importantly, to prove that Law students are versatile creatures - Mooting and Debate Competitions are not the only sectors we can excel in!