My Audacity of Hope (5) - Job Hunting in the Real World

I have always been a strong believer that GPA is not everything. Sure, it reflects your work ethic and your book smart, however, at the end of the day, it will not get you what you want. Early on in my second year, I have noticed that SFU has an extremly well run co-op program. In fact, about 85% of our business students participate in our co-op program.

I was fascinated with all the jobs that were out on the market. Being a student who concentrated in Finance and Accounting at the time, I was quick to find myself swamped with all the options I have. It was at that time that I met one of the most important mentors I have that made an impact on my career - James Hsieh. Mr. Hsieh was our very own Chartered Accountant (CA) Co-op Coordinator. I first heard about the CA profession in my accounting classes and my first accounting instructor in fact told me that if I ever choose to go into accounting, I should become a CA. So you could imagine that the word "CA" was already rooted in my mind ever since first year.

My very first conversation with Mr. Hsieh was quite embarassing. I walked into his office and introduced myself as someone who wanted to become a CA. The first question that James asked me was "Do you know what a CA do?". I blushed, because I had no clue whatsoever what a CA do. I was attracted to it by all the glorified stories surrounding it that I heard from my peers and teachers. I learned an important lesson out of this which is that one should never choose to go into a profession simply because everyone else is doing it or getting all the hype. I went home and did my research. I learned that Chartered Accountants are not just bean counter, but they are also business advisors. They focus not only on the numbers but also on businesses' operations. I knew instantly that this was for me.

I joined the 2006 SFU CA Co-op Cohort. It was a group of selected students that strive to secure an articling position with the CA firms. I was invited to join by the Co-op Coordinator, Susanna Kan. I had known her during my term serving as President of the Surrey Business Student Association. The group consists of 18 students. All of them are extremly smart and well qualified for the articling positions. Again, I found myself surrounded with incredible individuals. It fueled my desire to succeed.

CA recruit is known for its grueling process. In the Fall, firms would come up on campus and hold networking events that attract hundreds of students who are interested in becoming CA. Armed with the training I have received from the CA Co-op Cohort, I attended every single firm event and learned about the profession in a great detail. The process was long and tiring. There were times when I would go home and think to myself, am I really up for this. However, I never doubt my ability because I know I had worked hard enough on building my experience and academic that would eventually lead me to a position. During this time, James and Susanna provided the most caring support that I could never have asked for more. I ended up with several offers from the Big 4 and medium size firms and signed my offer with KPMG.

Looking back, the CA recruit taught me a lot in a relatively short of time. I understand that networking is not just about going to an event holding martini with one hand and dashing business cards out with another, but it was about building real genuine relationship. The whole key to the whole process is about being confident with the real you rather than figuring out how to change your personal style to adopt to firms' tastes.

Most importantly of all, I learned that one should never be afraid to chase after his drem or try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic!