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
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
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.