Genevieve Onuoha, the best accounting graduate of Caleb University sits down with Geeky Nigeria for the second part of our exclusive interview.
In this installment, Genevieve opens up about her personal life, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.
Table of Contents
Can you tell us about your favorite course and why it interested you?
Okay, I told myself that I don’t want to have a favorite or even much of a favorite lecturer because if I start to see a particular lecturer in a different light, it’s going to affect my attitude towards that particular course.
I’ve never really thought of a course that was really my favorite, but now that I think about it, I think it has to be finance. That was “SFM” because I naturally gravitate towards finance. That’s the area I want to specialize in, the finance area of accounting. Finance is kind of daunting, really, but I enjoy the way it tasks my brain. It was something that I really loved and enjoyed.
How did you balance academic work with other responsibilities, such as your extracurricular activities or your business? How did you balance that?
One thing I learned is that I had to understand myself. I had to set my priorities right. I had to know what my priorities were at different points in time. Because I had a lot on me, I didn’t run for any departmental post.
I had started running for it, but I had to drop it because I needed to balance my life. What I had to consider at a point in time was, “What is my priority at this moment? What is the effect of doing this particular activity going to have on me?”
I made sure there were certain things I did not compromise on, such as attending classes. That really worked for me. I understood myself and knew that I had to start studying on time. Some people, what works for them is that they can read when it’s close to exams.
They can juggle the pressure when it’s close, but I knew I needed to give myself time. I needed to break down my semester. I needed to ensure that I covered everything beforehand, before the end of the semester, so I didn’t have to rush. During that time, it would just be a form of revision.
It was just me setting priorities right and knowing how to balance things. There were times, let’s say exams are close, I had to stop attending meetings actively, just partially, because I needed more time to focus on my studies. There were times I just had to put a hold on business, not aim as high as I would in certain periods, or go to the library to have personal reading time.
What are your plans after graduation? How do you see yourself contributing to the field of accounting?
Alright, I’m already pursuing my plans. One of my plans is to get certified, to get certified as an accountant. I’m currently going for my ICAN classes to get chartered.
I see myself delving more into the finance aspect. I’m currently into data analysis, honing my skills in data analysis, and then financial analysis as time goes on. I see myself contributing to the finance sector as an analyst.
Can you share with us your long-term career goals and what steps are you taking to achieve them?
Okay, my long-term career goals are to be an investment analyst. From ICAN, I aim to pursue other certifications and also have a side hustle, like run a business, because it’s something that resonates more with me.
I’m really passionate about contributing to society, being an innovator, and not just someone who takes from society.
Thank you very much, how do you think your degree in accountancy has prepared you for the workforce?
It has helped me to get relevant experience. I’ve gained certain experiences. The fact that I studied accounting has opened my eyes to a lot of things, and I think it’s preparing me for the world.
As I gain industry experience and work in companies that have an interest in finance, I hope to gain work experience and contribute effectively.
What do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing the accounting profession today, and how can they be addressed?
Hmmm… Biggest challenges facing accounting… In my opinion, the only challenge is the need for accountants to gain on-hand skills, experience in using accounting software.
There’s also a challenge with institutions providing the expected skills that would help accountants when they graduate. Most times, accountants graduate without the required on-hand skills to contribute to the profession.
In such situations, after your studies, you need to go out of your way to learn these skills, build yourself, train yourself, practice, and more. That’s one challenge. Obviously, if you have accountants or people in that field who are not well-skilled, it reduces professional competence. That can be addressed by encouraging people to gain relevant on-hand skills.
Can you share your thoughts on the impact of technology on the accounting profession and how accountants can adapt to these changes?
Technology has really taken accounting very far. We now have systems doing the work of individuals. Accounting has moved far from staff being employed to do manual jobs.
Everything is going towards people with tech-wise skills, such as financial modeling and knowing more about financial systems. Technology has revolutionized the accounting sector, and there’s a need for people to know how to use these technologies.
How do you think your achievement can inspire others, particularly young people from underrepresented backgrounds?
One thing I told myself back in school was that you don’t have any limitation except for the limitation you place in your mind. There’s nothing you can’t achieve except you decide that you don’t want to achieve it.
I wanted to correct the notion that people actively involved in the workforce don’t do well in their grades and are always distracted. When I joined the workforce, I told myself that I was going to change this notion so people won’t think that because you’re doing this and that, you can’t be the best.
I feel like this should inspire people out there who feel like no matter where they’re coming from, no matter their background, they can attain anything they want to attain. It’s just a matter of believing. You just need to believe you can do it. At every point in time, learn to compete with yourself.
There’s no need to compare yourself with anybody. Everyone moves at a particular pace. Even if you’re not in first class, find one thing you’re good at and bring forth that expertise to your world.
Ensure that you stand out. The aim is to be excellent in everything you’re doing, to stand out in everything you lay your hand on. No matter your background, nothing should stop you from attaining what you’ve made up your mind to attain.
Can you tell us about your experience with extracurricular activities or clubs on campus? How did they enhance your university experience?
It really enhanced my university experience by helping me learn how to balance. It was a form of balance. I could have time to engage with friends, we would go out and do certain things.
It helped me to see that when you’re caught up with work and you don’t balance things, there’s a kind of pressure that comes upon you.
You need to cool off. Engaging in extracurricular activities helped me in balancing these things, and I feel like it’s very important, but you shouldn’t let it distract you from your goals.
Alright, thank you so much, Genevieve. How did you get involved in leadership roles or volunteer work during your time at Caleb University?
I was a member of the workforce in the prayer department to be precise. There was a time we needed to do a movie set. We were all asked in our department to shoot a movie based on certain guides.
I was nominated as the movie director. I got to coordinate people in that department. It pushed me out of my limit. Most of the time, I get called upon by lecturers to handle certain responsibilities.
I was even involved in shooting a promotional video for my department in 400 level. I was actively involved with that, coupled with responsibilities handed over to me by my lecturers. I also involved myself in teaching students because explaining things I’ve learned to students resonates with me very well.
Thank you. Can you share with us a memorable experience or achievement from your time on campus?
A memorable experience from my time on campus…
I had a lot of memorable experiences, but most of them stem from the time I started my business and when I attained what I always wanted to attain while in school. Those were memorable times.
Also, leadership positions like shooting that video were quite interesting.
Thank you. Can you tell us about your experience with the accountancy program at Caleb University? What did you like most about it?
I liked the fact that my department was always serious. My department happened to be one of the most serious departments. As soon as we resumed, we were starting lectures.
Our lecturers were not playing around. We were starting lectures, and we even had lectures like – it actually trained me because there’s a particular lecturer that normally starts class by 7 am in the morning, so we were always up and doing. If you get to class a minute after 7 am, you can’t attend the class.
You don’t know, maybe that day he wants to set a test for everybody. So, it was a kind of training for me. Although I always love morning classes, I feel like from 12 pm every student should go back to their hostel and rest and do other things with their life. You can start by 7 and end by 12 pm.
That was something that resonated more with me. So, it was such a beautiful experience. I got to learn a lot of things in my department. I got to learn skills that I wouldn’t have learned normally, yes, even presentation skills. We normally have group assignments, working in groups, just things like that actually really helped me and built me into who I am now.
That is so nice to hear, how do you think Caleb University has prepared you for success, both academically and professionally? How do you think you have been prepared for success?
Yeah, it really taught me a lot about putting myself out there. It really taught me a lot about balance. It really taught me a lot about leadership, like carrying out leadership roles.
That’s something I know I really took away from Caleb University: that I could stand out and stand bold. I need to shine my light in my world, and there are no limitations for me.