When I moved the U.S. from another country at the age of 14, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t a burden for my parents when I completed my college degree.
So when I entered college, I expected to get a degree and to get a job that paid $50K a year because that was the ticker price of my college at the time. My alma mater actually had the dubious honor of the most expensive university at the time.
Oy, I didn’t know that the prestige of the college had very little bearing on my career prospects.
During senior year in college, I applied to 100 jobs, was interviewed for a couple, and left the most college empty handed. When I exited college in 2009, I became a boomerang kid who moved back to my parents’ house as I completed the accounting classes for the CPA license.
Talk about being a disappointment.
As Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” I needed to be more inventive when I job searched.
I was taking the prerequisite accounting classes throughout the summer and fall but was still job searching here and there in case something popped up. I found out that a local public university with which I had no affiliation was hosting an accounting job fair. I knew then I needed to attend and to give out some resume.
I don’t remember the exact details now but I either picked up the phone and called or emailed the organizer a few times. Within days I was told that since it was a public university I was allowed to attend. Yay. Score!
I was nervous because I didn’t even know where to find the parking lot of the university and the building was. Also, as I was invading a foreign territory, I wondered how I would respond if recruiters asked me how I got in.
I decided to tell the truth because I knew at the time that was a good story to tell. I was also proud of what I did to get into the job fair.
I got a lot of business cards which I followed up immediately. But given the Great Recession at the time, many of the companies there were looking for candidates with some internship experience. So no dice for me.
One of the accounting firms specialized on audit and tax services for hedge funds. When I chatted with the HR recruiter, I made sure to highlight my interest in finances and investments, which was an anomaly compared to other candidates who only graduated with an accounting degree. Unfortunately, they weren’t hiring at the time.
Fast forward to 2010, armed with passing three out of four CPA exams, I went to the same job fair again. I made sure to strike up a conversation with the same recruiter again. Upon finding out that there was an opening at the company, I followed up and applied immediately and started at the company a month later.
She said on my first day at work that she remembered me because I was more interested in the company compared to other accounting majors. She was also impressed that I got into the fair twice even though I wasn’t a student at the university.
She remembered me and made sure to pass my resume to the hiring managers.
One year after I thought I would be in the work force, I finally found a full time job that paid as much as the tuition of my college.
In my limited worldview, I have achieved part of the American Dream.