What is/has been your favorite job/occupation?

I started working in 2012 just as I turned 21. To be honest, I wanted to start working earlier than that, like when I was in high school but my mom was against me working at coffee shops or anywhere involving waiting tables. Since 2012, I’ve done quite few odd jobs – English tutor for high school students, secretary, translator, interpretator, driver, bookkeeper, staff accountant, accounts payable specialist, and finally (breathe) accounting specialist.

Of all the jobs, my current job as an accounting specialist has to be my favorite. I love the flexible working hours. It allows me to go to my doctor appointments without needing to take time off, all I need to do is shift my working hours around. I also love the working environment, it’s a good place to just work until retirement.

Everyone at work has to do a “stay-interview” each year and there’s always a question that asks, “what would motivate you to leave?” My answer, “you will have drag me kicking and screaming to get me to leave this job.”

Is there a job you would never consider doing?

There are 3 kinds of jobs I would never consider doing:

1. Any job that’s dangerous and/or involves heights – like a construction crane operator. Eek, there’s no way I’m sitting in that tiny box hundreds of feet in the air. One would need a heart of steel for that kind of job.
2. Anything that involves giving presentation or getting up in front of a group of people. Basically, anything involving public speaking. Even after spending a decade in Toastmasters, I still don’t have the confidence to give a talk in front of people.
3. Any job that involves working directly until the head honcho (the big boss). I’ve done it before and it makes me nervous as hell. I should mention that I’m the only one working under this big boss. It means I should know anything and everything. I’ve been there before. No way am I doing that again. I’m a team player, I work best with a team.

Did your family own a business and expect you to join the ranks when you got older?

Owning a business is a no-no in my mom’s book. She was a teacher before moving to the US. After working in a restaurant for the first little while, she swore she would never allow anyone in the family to work in a restaurant. Apparently, working as a entrepreneur is a no too because I wanted to open my own business about 6 years ago and she told me it’s a bad idea.

Did/do you have a career requiring qualifications or did you learn on the job and work your way up?

I have an undergraduate degree in accounting. I’m not a CPA because I couldn’t bear to put myself through any more schooling, especially when I know I would have trouble passing the CPA exams. I’m a fast hands-on learner but when it comes to learning by textbooks and theories, I can’t do it. My brain would be screaming “cannot compute, cannot compute…” like a computer that cannot compute emotions.

I had another undergraduate degree before accounting – civil engineering. I barely made it through because, again, I don’t do well when it comes to learning by theory. After 3 tries of the licensing exam (8-hours each), I gave up. I could’ve done my accounting degree as a Master but couldn’t pass the GMAT after 3 tries.

I don’t understand why people tell me I’m smart. See? I’m not smart at all.

Anyway, I am probably only using about 1/10th of the stuff I learned in my accounting degree at my current job. Much of my current job involved learning on the job. I don’t even think it matters of whether or not I have a degree but it is help to have an accounting degree since I would understand the concept of credits and debits.

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