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Jim French

Jim French

PwC LLP

San Jose, CA USA

"I learned to fail, but I also learned that it is important to fail quickly and learn from your mistakes."

Career Roadmap

Jim's work combines: Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Problem Solving

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Day In The Life

Partner

I consult with client service teams on their client's application of GAAP to complex transactions.

Skills & Education

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Accounting

    University of Connecticut

Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Accountants and Auditors:

Bachelor's Degree: Accounting

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    I couldn't afford the college of my choice.

  • 2.

    My fall-back college choice, the state college, didn't accept me into their school of engineering.

  • 3.

    In my first semesters of college, I took an intro to financial accounting course and did exceptionally well. The professor said I should really consider majoring in accounting.

  • 4.

    I switched my major to accounting.

  • 5.

    In order to try to graduate a year early to reduce my total college costs, I took as many summer classes as the college would allow.

  • 6.

    During summer school, I met the president of the accounting honors fraternity, who introduced me to the recruiting partners from several of the big accounting firms.

  • 7.

    One of the firms invited me to participate in a learning & education program to help train their recruiters and needed some students to participate in mock interviews.

  • 8.

    I did so well in that firm's mock interviews, I was allowed to bypass the campus interviews and come in for an office visit where they presented me with a full-time job offer.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Peers:

    Maybe you're not cut out for this profession, you're too much of a perfectionist.

  • How I responded:

    I turned this character trait into a positive. Being detailed oriented is actually considered a good trait in this profession, but I had to learn to strike a balance, as perfection is not always attainable. I learned to fail, but I also learned that it is important to fail quickly and learn from your mistakes.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • I had to finance my own way through college. My parents were unwilling or unable to help me pay for college. I started working and saving for college early in my teenage years. I applied for every college scholarship I could find.