Building a More Complete Business Mindset

Monday, November 2, 2020
by Neil, M - AFM

neil
When applying to jobs and taking part in interviews, I often get the question “Why Accounting?” My answer usually goes along the lines of “I believe it’s the language of business” as it provides us with the fundamental knowledge to understand any business. Entering my 3rd and 4th year in the AFM program, through my courses taken and co-op experiences, I realize the importance of expanding my knowledge in other fields of business such as strategy, finance or marketing. Having the knowledge and skills in multiple fields forges a more well-rounded business mindset that is required for any business professional.

The School of Accounting & Finance (SAF) provides students with many opportunities to explore the various types of business topics. I had the opportunity to participate in the Schulich Rise Case Competition in the Entrepreneurship discipline. Having little experience in Entrepreneurship, I saw this as a great learning opportunity to test my problem-solving skills under a time pressured environment.

When I think of having that complete business mindset, I think of having the ability to wear different “hats” and analyze a problem from multiple perspectives. During the case, I found myself putting on my “entrepreneurship hat” and leveraging my experience from the Student Venture Fund (SVF) to help me understand what the key problems that small business face.

Reflecting on my experience, I am glad I took on the opportunity to test my skills in a business topic that I was not too familiar with. In AFM, we have a focus on accounting, however, SAF offers many resources such as case competitions for students to explore new topics. Every time you experience and learn some new, you help yourself build that “Complete Business Mindset.”