Fredrich Anson, recent BMgt graduate.
As a dedicated Bachelor of Management student graduating in 2024, Fredrich Anson’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. Raised in a business-oriented family, Fredrich’s upbringing ignited a strong passion for management. When it came time to choose his academic path, UBCO’s Bachelor of Management program offered Fredrich the perfect mix of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Four years later, Fredrich reflects on his transformative experiences at UBCO inside and outside the classroom and offers invaluable insights.
Q: What drew you to the Bachelor of Management program at UBCO?
A: Nurtured within a business-oriented family back in Ghana, my early ambition was to pursue a career in management. Coupled with UBC’s reputation as one of my top university choices, the Bachelor of Management program at UBCO stood out to me. Additionally, I was attracted to UBCO’s renowned close-knit community, an environment I believed would facilitate my personal and academic growth. Four years later, and here we are!
Q: What have been your biggest takeaways from the program?
A: Throughout the program, I’ve found the diverse range of courses to be particularly valuable. Before settling on accounting, I had the opportunity to explore subjects spanning from marketing to new product development to international business. This exposure enabled me to make a well-informed decision about my career path.
Moreover, I’ve greatly benefited from the resources provided by the faculty and professors. Through informative sessions on various career paths and invaluable advice from individuals like Tamara Ebl, I gained clarity on my professional direction.
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of the program so far?
A: Undoubtedly the practical experience opportunities were the highlight of the program for me. From engaging in industry analysis projects in the second year to spearheading digital marketing campaigns and governance projects, each assignment provided me with hands-on experience closely mirroring real-life scenarios. However, the pinnacle of reward came with the Capstone consulting project in the fourth year. This culmination allowed us to integrate four years of theoretical knowledge and practical simulations into actionable consulting recommendations for businesses. Additionally, the management faculty consists of diverse backgrounds, so I get to work with individuals from different cultures and philosophies, some of whom I have become close friends with.
Q: What advice or insight would you give a prospective student considering the program?
A: Get into the Management Student Association positions! Whether it is a Vice President, President, club, or internal team member role, you get many opportunities to work with the faculty, students, firms, and other members (which is an added bonus on your resume!). As an aspiring CPA, I joined the accounting club as the VP of taxes, and it is safe to say it has been a huge net positive in my life.
Working with industry professionals and firms from GT and KPMG helped me build many connections that would have been hard if I had just focused on the classroom.
Calgary and Vancouver business trips. Try to get to at least one of them. They have very good exposure to different business companies, networking opportunities, and bonding opportunities with like-minded students. Some pretty wild nights have happened on every one of these trips!
Case competitions. RBC and CPABC case competitions are the most practical avenues to test and improve your analysis and presentation skills. JDC West is also a good competition, as it provides exposure to more business schools. As an international business delegate for UBCO, I gained a lot of business consultation practice from competitions.
Q: Are you involved in any clubs or student organizations on-campus? If so, what inspired you to get involved?
A: I was the Vice president of Tax of the Accounting club this past year. With a burning desire to do more outside of the classroom, and a vibrant president (Ananya Singh) ready to take the club to the next level, I joined a group of nine elite students. The Tax of the Accounting Club allowed me to connect and work with experienced professionals from various accounting firms. I am very proud of all the showcases, events, and workshops we hosted for students.
Q: Are you or have you been in a co-op placement? If so, what was your role with that company?
A: I did not partake in co-op placement. However, I think it can be very helpful in landing jobs (call-back offers after terms). I think for accounting courses, students coming back from co-op terms have added confidence in the courses because of the practical experience.
I would recommend doing a CO-OP while you can. The CO-OP program is very resourceful, with resume-building and interview tips.
Q: What are your future goals?
A: I am aspiring to be a CPA. I am not too sure if I will be in assurance, tax, or advisory, but I should have a clearer picture after I get my CPA designation papers!
Q: Do you have anything else you’d like to share?
A: Get out there! MSA is what you make of it. You get what you put in. As my father always says “You have to embrace and hug fear. And when that happens, there are no limits”. I think things take time. If you rush and force them, they won’t work.
Fredrich with fellow BMgt students