Leilani Wai
Financial Services Audit Associate
KPMG, LLP @ Irvine, CA. Jan. 21 Hire
Irvine, CA USA
“Only you will know deep down what is best for you and your family.”
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
Leaving the comfort of the island I grew up on, my friends and family—especially my little sister who was only 3 at the time I left—was the HARDEST thing I've ever had to do up until I was 17.
During my first year in CA, nobody wanted to hire me. I got a slew of restaurant / retailer rejection letters / no responses at all. After finishing 2nd in my HS class in Guam, my spirits were crushed.
I spent 3.5 years at OCC, figuring out what to study. I wanted to be an engineer but soon learned it wasn't my forte. In my 2nd year at OCC, I put down "Business Admin" as my ADT and joined clubs.
Also volunteered at a hospital because I thought I could be a nurse but at the sight of blood—soon learned I couldn't. I helped my cousin set up weddings. I worked at a pizza shop then Olive Garden.
TIP: Serving at a restaurant is one of the BEST experiences you can have on your resume if you're recruiting with firms. They like to see that you can handle stressful situations and difficult people.
Transferred to CSULB in Fall 2017, learned about BAP and decided to pledge the following semester. My college career was a balancing act of working, recruiting, helping BAP committees, and getting As.
Summer 2019, I interned with KPMG, accepted the FT offer, then set out on the road with RTN to help with the CAQ's "Discover Audit" Initiative by being 1 of 3 selected individuals to interview folks.
In 2020 before I was set to start FT with KPMG, I had a mental health episode. KPMG compassionately pushed my start date back, and I took time to heal. Now, I'm studying for CPA & crushing it at work.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Okkodo High School - Guam, U.S.A.
Okkodo High School - Guam, U.S.A.
Bachelor
Associate of Science Degree for Transfer (AST), Business Administration
Orange Coast College - Costa Mesa, CA
Associate of Science Degree for Transfer (AST), Business Administration
Orange Coast College - Costa Mesa, CA
Bachelor
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accountancy
California State University, Long Beach
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accountancy
California State University, Long Beach
Career
Financial Services Audit Associate
I work closely with my engagement team to ensure that we provide exceptional client service through our quality audits.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Technology
Learning / Being Challenged
Day to Day
A day as an associate at KPMG might look like this: 9-930 - Check emails to help prioritize my tasks for the day 930-945 - Review audit support 945-10 - Communicate with IT Audit team 10-1245 - Document controls testing 1245-130 - Break 130-315 - More controls testing 315-4 - Get coached on something new by my teammates 4-530 - Onboard the newest member of the team below me 530-545 - Email client. This is a snapshot of just one of my workdays, but my day is dynamic and usually changes. Fun! :)
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
As mentioned in "Milestones," I pledged with Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), which makes your college career more demanding—but also more meaningful. If you're in college, pledge, or at the very least attend the recruiting events hosted by the firms you're interested in working at. Talk to people in the field. If you're nervous / intimidated to do this in person, I recommend perusing through profiles submitted by professionals who wanted to "Share Their Road." Take note of anyone you relate to. Reach out.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
Associate of Science Degree for Transfer (AST), Business Administration
Associate of Science Degree for Transfer (AST), Business Administration
Bachelor
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accountancy
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accountancy
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"You won't make it out here. You need to be thick-skinned and you're not. And you want to go into corporate America? You should just go back to Guam now because that's how you can best help your family: by being there. —Former manager, former friend"
Challenges I Overcame
First-Generation College Student
