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!

My Audacity of Hope (4) - It's All About Giving Back

My first year at SFU went by quickly. It was mainly due to the fact that I kept myself busy for the most part. I was heavily involved on campus with Orientation and other major campus events. I built my campus network which ranged from my peers, to the front receptionist of our campus, to library technicians, and to professors. I also studied hard in school and mastered most of the fundamental courses in business. It was with no surprise that I gained my entrance into Faculty of Business Administration in Fall 2005, which was exactly a year after I entered SFU. I was relieved, partially, because I can finally say to my high school peers with pride that I made it to a respectable program.

I started dreaming and setting out goals again. One of the things that I observed which our campus lacked back then was a business student run organization. As I would later write in my scholarship applications, "I saw a need and found a way to fulfill it."

My friend, Cody, and I drafted our proposal to the Faculty. I clearly remember the day we shared our idea to Sam Thiara, the Student Affair Officer of our Business program. The proposal instantly grabbed his attention and we proceed to finalize the detail of the club. We ran postings around the campus looking for our executive team. We recruited some of the most talented individuals at the Faculty. Many of them become my co-workers at the firm I now work for as well as went on to lead many other student organizations.

We named our organization - the SFU Surrey Business Student Association (SBSA). Things went extremly well right off the bat. We hosted events such as The Margin, an event aimed to fundraise for the Surrey Firefighter. It was a success. We had student representatives from all business clubs at SFU making their own stands at the Surrey Open House for the purpose of generating profit within an hour. It was exciting and a hell of planning. I learned so much about project management that later when I took the actual course myself, I found that my knowledge in that area exceeded most of my classmates.

We also started a bunch of socials that brought together all the business students with faculty members. These events were fun and educational. It shortened the gap between professors and students. I was grateful because of the relatively huge turnout at that time. I have always wanted to give back to the SFU community because it greatly helped to bring me, as a miserable young man, to someone who began to take ownership of what he does. I think with the creation of SBSA, I have finally had the chance to give back to the school and people that have supported me in my personal growth.

My Audacity of Hope (3) - Start a Journey, Leave a Legacy

My first day at SFU Surrey was eventful. The campus back in 2004 was situated at the end of the Central City Mall. It was referred to as the "beta place", which made sense because we will be moving to our new campus in 2007. To be honest, I wasn't impressed with how it looked from the outside. It was a small campus. In fact, I was able to walk around the entire campus in merely five minutes. In the mean time, I am hearing from my friends out at Queen's and UBC, enjoying their views and their daily strolls on campus. Sure I was jealous, but I was determined to make this a positive experience for me. I later realized that it was with this optimistic mind that enabled me to go through a lot of obstacles that I would eventually be facing.

The TechOne Program was truly unique by all measures. It was an inter-discipinary program designed to allow students to try out different fields in a relatively short of time (two semesters). I took classes in Interactive Arts, Teamwork and Communication, and Computer Programming. To my surprise, I did quite well in these courses. This gave me some confidence on my ability to do well in school. Besides from the core courses that TechOne required me to take, I took Financial Accounting and also Micro/Macro Economics. I must admit I wasn't quite sure on what path I would pursue. Thus, I based my judgement on courses by focusing on the strengths that SFU is well known for - its Faculty of Business Administration.

Several things occurred to me during this time period. First, I did exceptionally well in Financial Accounting and in my Economics courses. To me, it seemed as if I am more of a commerce type person rather than an engineer. I would rather spend time on figuring out the marginal utility and journal entries than on memorizing formulas or spending my life being a code monkey. Having said that, I would later regret that I never really challenged myself in the field of engineering. I attribute my lack of superior critical thinking back to not going through the engineering program. Nevertheless, I found tremendous joy and passion in the study of business organization and strategy and I was, for the longest time, content with my decision.

Another thing that cheered me up was that my application to become an Orientation Leader (OL) had gone through. Ever since my first orientation at SFU, I've always thought about contributing back to this program and making it better than before. My chance came when the annual application for OL came out. I applied and aced my interview. The interviewer, also the Student Life Coordinator, at the time, was impressied with my energy. Thinking back, I think this was the beginning of everything that I would eventually do. If I was not accepted as an OL, it will probably take me longer in figuring out my interest in volunteering and making a difference.

The 2005 Orientation came in a blink of eyes. I was assigned with another partner to lead a cohort of 25 new students. It was my first time representing SFU and the first time for the students to know about their campus. I was determined to make it a fun process for both me and the participants. I led ice breakers, gave a tour around the campus, fielded questions and had a great time making small talks with almost every individual within my group. Till now, we all share some kind of bonding of being Clan H even though we didn't take the same courses.

I would later receive very positive feedback from the student life coordinator regarding my performance. For one part, I made a name for myself for being actively participating in campus events. Most importantly, however, I gained some confidence about my ability outside of academics. These skills that I've obtained are what I would later found out to be referred as "leadership", "teamwork", and "communication" skills in the so-called real world.

My Audacity of Hope (2) - My Past

As I begin my journey in the search for a co-op job, I begin to realize that a lot of things taught in school have nothing to do with what the employers are looking for. Sure, GPA matters, however, the difference between a B+ average and an A average does not affect whether or not you will succeed in securing a job. I realize that what you need to succeed, in this society, is far more than the skills you obtained by aceing the exams in school.

Again, I felt I was lucky. As I sift through the job requirements, terms like "leadership", "teamwork", "interpersonal skills" quickly popped into my eyes. These are the skills that I have always valued and tried to build myself around with.

I recall when I first started at SFU, the theme of the Orientation for that year is "Start a Journey, and Leave a Legacy". I thought to myself, "Wow, what a tag line... I will never come close to leaving a legacy."

Looking back, I was an insecure young man. Coming out from high school, with transcript full of C's and B's, doesn't help to boost my confidence either. I paid little attention to school. It got to a point that my math teacher actually referred to me in class as the "trash that will eventually go down the drain." The fact is, I didn't care much about "education". To me, learning physics and math, are, if to state bluntly, useless. However, I didn't go out to party either. Instead, I spent time in the library, reading through biographies on famous figures such as Winston Churchill, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, John Kennedy, Michael Jordan and, to many who didn't know until later and found quite surprised by my knowledge of, Chinese history.

I spent my high school life studying all sorts of things that were not valued by the traditional education system. I became really good at basketball, at skipping classes, at barely passing exam without studying and at organizing social outings. I also had my first relationship. To me, however, it was just like being a kid in a candy store, choosing what he wants and rejecting the treats that didn't appeal to him.

It was not until later, when I am in university, that I found I learned far more through experiencing all these things than my peers who hit the books like its their bible. Till this day, I think I mastered the art of essay writing through reading speeches made by Winston Churchill. I learned not to make mistake like the emperors in Chinese history who made decisions solely on gut instincts without making a full evaluation of the situation. I learned to appreciate life and love, and most importantly, the need to be persistant and determined in pursuing the things I want. After all, it took Michael Jordan seven years to get his first championship ring and it took Bill Gates the courage to drop out of Harvard to start Microsoft.

After 12 years of structured education, I was excited to embark on my journey in university. I can finally choose the courses I am interested in. However, my high school grades didn't allow me to have much options. I was enrolled into the TechOne Program at SFU Surrey, simply because the admission office had no where else to place me. So, as my fellow friends, whom by all accounts, are well educated and gifted, eagerly awaits for their first year to start, I found myself nervously anticipating a program that I had no idea about until the day I received my admission letter.

My Audacity of Hope (1) - The Start of Something Big

Ever since we were in elementary school, one of the many usual topics that we come across is: "What is your dream?"

Remember the times when teachers and parents, leaning over you, eagerly looking for the next word that you would put down on paper. To them, you are their dream.

A friend of mine accepted a job in New York a while ago. It is a prestigious investment banking firm. He worked hard at it, first graduating from SFU, then went on to Berekley for gradute school. A pure mathmatician and business man at heart I had no doubt that he will succeed in everything he does. His dream is to create financial instruments that will bring wealth to people and to the firm. Through his love of numbers, he want to devise financial products that can change how money works. Essentially,he aimed to be part of the Wall Street.

When asked about his schedule, he said 16 hours a day is the usual, plus the frequent regular hours of ten on Saturdays. Faced with such a grueling schedule, he never faltered. He enjoys coming to work and living his dream every day.

My dreams have always been changing. When I was a first year freshman at SFU, I dreamed of building a student organization that will provide students with the resources they need to succeed as business students. Thus, I co-founded the SFU Surrey Business Student Association with a friend of mine. We had lots of fun running the show, although, looking back, I lacked of great organizational skill and leadership. At the time though, missing these skills didn't mean much to me. I acted with passion and determination. We single handedly convinced the Faculty to assign us, for what I later found out, an unlimited club budget. For the first time in my life, I thought, "hey, maybe, if I dreamed enough, something would eventually come true."

Then, my dream changed. I wanted to become a teaching assistant. Seeing 4th year students up on stage, giving us tutorials, really lit up my eyes. From that day on, I dreamed about what I would do if I become a TA, how I would conduct my tutorials, hold my office hours, and what kind of a mentor/TA I would become. Then, either by chance or luck, I was selected to become a teaching assistant by my Professor. At the time, I was hired as the youngest TA in the history of SFU. To be honest, I was very proud of my accomplishments. I quickly drew up how I am going to teach and interact with students.

My dream quickly met its challenge. I was just going into my second year and my students are essentially just one year younger than me. Some of them are even older than I am. I remember how I would always avodi telling them my year because I was afraid of losing respect from them. Then at the end of the semester, my fear was removed. A student came up to me and told me that I had inspired him to work hard and be someone like me. I was truly honored. For the first timein my life, I felt my responsibility increased. I had students looking up to me, watching and learnng from everything that I do and display. As time passed, I became really good at what I do. I would joke around with students and cheer them up in the midst of midterms and finals. I learned how to improvise on the spot and how to communicate in a way that would allow thiry students to understand what I am trying to explain in my first attempt.

I went on to become the first TA in the Faculty of Business to be ranked #1 by students three times in a row. I am grateful, because I know full well that I was just lucky to be assigned with such talented students. I thank my professor for trusting in my ability when I was just a second year. She saw my potential way before I did. Even after she left her job at SFU and went on to become the Head of Faculty at another university, we remained friends till now.

Teaching was a lot of fun and I truly enjoyed every bit of it. However, life got bored again and I started dreaming. In my third year, my peers started looking for co-op jobs. I thought, "what the heck, might as well get some cash in summer." Then I started looking in the job posting. Most of the jobs are in industry and provided, in my mind, minimal learning opportunity. Money has never been a factor to me and I thank my parents on that. So, when I was focusing on choosing jobs, I looked for one that would stretch me as an individual.