Graduate /
'At 15 my father asked me to work at his home' - USC MAcc program [3]
Question:
What is your motivation to study for a MAcc/MBT degree at USC? Describe how you believe a MAcc/MBT degree fits with your future career objectives
Essay:
When I was 15, my father asked me to work at his home-textile factory during the weekends. I'd never thought this simple job would change my life. At the beginning, I was obligated to make payment to self-employed manufacturers to whom some small orders were outsourced. Later I help the factory's only accountant clerk during weekends and holidays, inputting computer data and verifying receipts. Constant patience and caution serve me well. At the same time, I found myself being very passionate about accounting. Thus, after high school years I chose to come to America to continue my education in accounting.
Four years of college has changed my impression that accounting was a simple matter of properly handling numbers and a more complete image of the way real world accounting functions as language of business has been built. College has also set me on the road to my ultimate goal of having my own accounting practice, the first step toward which is becoming a CPA to open a much broader range of job opportunities for myself. Hence, to be qualified for CPA exam is one of the reasons I chose to continue my education.
However, graduate school means more than education for me. In 2008, one year after I came to America, my father's business faced bankruptcy. The company's cash flow was thrown into disarray when one of the biggest clients defaulted on payment, banks tightened loan terms, and intensive competition put the business under pressure. Workers were starting to quit in the face of late paychecks. When things seemed most dire, five of my father's best college friends banded together to offer him an interest-free $1 million loan, allowing my father to renovate machines, hire better trained sales personnel to break into the European market, and finally drag his business back on track. A network of friends had saved my father's business, and I soon realized that success in business is predicated on strong networks, especially in such a globalized world.
Therefore, building up a strong networking becomes my most important motivation to continue education and that is the reason why USC is so attractive to me because it has the strongest alumni network in the country- the Trojan Family. Being a part of the Trojan family will enable me to access valuable resource outside the classroom, including distinguished people with diverse backgrounds and exciting experiences, useful career tips and job information, and enjoyable social activities. For short-term, the career service within the Trojan family such as Trojans hire Trojans program will maximize my opportunity and shorten my period of seeking for my first job during the one-year program. While for long-term, the role these vital contacts and friendships will again play as I start my own practice down the road. I believe the lifelong connections between Trojan Family members will be such a valuable asset that bleeds the entire culture of success.