...And that is how I landed THE Job

As you may know I have been debating between two job options.  One with the prestige but not the people and job opportunity that I wanted.  The other without the prestige but the job position that I wanted.  I have been talking to god-knows-how-many people in this process and collecting stacks of business cards and sending tons of thank you emails.  A manager in my department suggested I discuss my dilemma with a past colleague/friend, who was kind enough to meet with me and chat.  We eventually decided for me to meet with him near his work (a Big 4 that I did interview with in LA but was still waiting for an offer but I ruled them out merely because of location and because I could not specialize) and at 7:30am at a cafe.

11/22/11 7:00am @ Il Fornaio cafe . . .
Waiting for my fate to walk through the door...

Okay, so think about it- my time is spread thin from work and school.  Now I have to consider waking up at 5am to drive 1.5 hours to meet a stranger in Irvine who would give me "mere advice" and drive 2 hours to get to LA to make it into work on time.
Yes, I decided to make my life harder and go.  I was thinking of this as "networking."  After all he was an International Tax Senior Manager - you never know of the possibilities.
We met and talked and an hour later he decides to show me the office to meet with some people who could also give me "advice." Five hours and a stack of business cards later . . . I came back into an office and he tells me "Natalie, I pulled some strings and I'm going to extend you an offer right now to work with us."
WHAT?!  WOW!  I never felt such a surge of relief, such a sense of gratitude that with patience, perseverance and luck I would land the job that embodied everything on my list.  I did not have to choose between what my heart was telling me and what my mind was telling me.  I was able to have both!  The people were wonderful; the office was the nicest office I have seen and the location was prime; the pay was great; the prestige was there; the opportunity to be in International Tax was there.  It was all there waiting for me at 7:30am - I just had to show up and be myself and grab it.
This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for everything that has gone down lately.  I have grown so much merely going through this job search and meticulously asking questions every step of the way to make sure I would be making an informed decision.  After so much discomfort and uncertainty of each company that gave me an offer, I felt like I finally went to an oracle and told him my problems and exactly what I wanted in my career just to find he would resolve my problems and put me in the right path.  All I had to do was ask.  I have started the next chapter in my career, all to begin in October 2012.  Now, I need to refocus the next months on school and close this great chapter in my life.

Mind over Matter

I have so much I want to discuss because there has been so much going on in my head.  Of the 4 firms I have applied to, I have gotten 2 offers so far and no rejections!  That is great news because those were the 2 firms I really wanted for different reasons.  I have been pulled in different directions by the people of each firm who want me to be a part of their team and now I have to make the final decision of where I truly believe is the best place to launch my career.  Big decision.  

via weheartit.com

I have made a pros and cons list of both places and am gravitating more and more towards one firm.  I have chosen (1) firm prestige, (2) location, (3) a once-in-a-lifetime mentor and (4) money and competition over (1) nice people, (2) work/life balance, (3) the opportunity of working in international tax (the group I want), and (4) a senior title.  I'm going with what logically makes sense. . . not what emotionally feels right.  It was a hard decision, but an important decision to be made this point in my life.  I am taking a high risk and hoping for a high return, rather than a low risk for a low return.  

I have been extremely stressed because I have been talking to so many people in the industry, all at the expense of schoolwork.  I never knew I had it in me to have meetings, lunch, or dinner with high-powered partners and random professionals to discuss career advice with them.  I never knew I had it in me to be this poise and personable person that these professionals would praise and want to work with.  Once I stopped making excuses to get out of my comfort circle, I entered a whole new world that I thought I would be so intimidated by.  I feel all this networking and taking chances has paid off and now I need to refocus on my looming finals.     

Asides from all that, I have managed to squeeze my first Bikram Yoga class a couple of days ago and concluded I definitely need this in my life.  As fate would have it, I had stumbled across this great Groupon deal for 60 days of hot yoga for $25.  Although I did faint the first half hour of class, I came back into the hot war zone and finished like a soldier.  Everything in my life has been happening for a reason and although I have been feeling extremely down and tired lately each morning and night, I feel like I am in a great place and this can help change that.

To sum it all up. . .

Career-growth-wise, I have found:

• a well-paying job at a great firm with the perfect female mentor to start a long-term relationship with, to mold me into the career woman that she is and more.    
• the guts to network with strangers to open a myriad of opportunities I never knew were available (I literally have a stack of business cards) and 
• a great website (Forbes Women) to give me daily doses of inspirations

Personal-growth-wise, I have found:

• Bikram Yoga. . . the beginning of a journey through my mind and body to find balance through all this madness I'm experiencing and
• blogging. . . the continuation of, of course.

There really has been rhyme and reason through all this chaos and I am embracing it every step of the way.  Time for round 2 of yoga class.  This time I will not faint.

                  

Love,

Nat

done

Done. Done. And done. 

I hope I do not have to go on another interview for a looong time. 

Faye Dunaway for Vanity Fair

Now we wait for the winner.

I've been up since 6 am. . . a 2 hour drive to San Diego for a 5 hour interview with a firm and people I was not very fond of. . . a 3 hour drive to LA. . . and now I'm getting ready for my 2 hour night class.  Then it's a 45 minute drive home.  It's merely Wednesday too.  Two final round interviews down this week and my last one is tomorrow.  I'm extremely, extremely tired and ready to drop dead in a corner.  I haven't felt like myself lately either. . . and on top of that, things have been tense with the bf.  Yes, I'm taking out my moodiness on him, but if he's going to throw his hands up in the air and give up - where do I go from here for moral support?  It doesn't help that I'm meeting interesting, independent people who are my age and doing their own thing and building their own career without the dependency of a significant other. . . Again, a part of me always wants to be there, even when I should be content being here.      

Interview #6: Future's Looking a Lot Brighter. . .

Camilla Akrans for NY Time Style

Went on interview #6 today with another Big 4!  They literally got back to me an hour later!  As of next week, I will be doing final rounds for ALL 3 firms!  This means 4 potential offers ;)

It's been tough and I had another meltdown last night, but the fruits of my labor are slowly paying off. . .

Happy Friday!

Arizona Muse for Vogue Paris

I got call backs for a final round of interviews from both firms!  Although I've been up since 5:30am, today has been a day full of wonderful news and hopeful opportunities!  I'm that much closer!

Interview #5

I got an interview with another Big 4 firm.  Applied to 3 of the 4 and got interviews from 2.  I will know if I get a callback from the first one next week.  My first interview for this new one is tomorrow (thank god it's a phone interview).

I'm pretty tired.  It's hard waking up at 6 am for work when the sun's not up.  It's also hard working in the early mornings and then going to class into the late nights.  I have to say that I am fortunate my classes are not eating me up this semester.  It's all manageable.  Nonetheless, it's still hard - I have yet to meet anyone who is in law school full time and working part time.  We're not legally allowed to work more than 20 hours per week with a full time schedule (I'm working 18 hours) - that just shows how impossible it can be.

Anyways, I should be excited by this interview tomorrow, but I'm not for some reason.  That "some reason" is probably the same reason I have once a month.  If not, it's because I'm tired.  On top of that, I think I really am stressed out.  I haven't been able to sleep since I started interviewing and working these past couple months.  It takes me forever to fall asleep and, when I do, I dream of horrible things.  For example, I tried going to bed early last night and I dreamt that I saw a light and went to it and a swarm of bugs started to attack me and I screamed and woke up - apparently it was just the light from the bf's cellphone.  Wow.

I'm still trying to prove myself at work.  My supervisor says I'm doing a good job but I can still work on understanding who my audience is when I draft something and make sure it flows. . . *sigh*  I have to be in the office at 7am this Friday - which means I have to leave my apartment at 6am - which means I have to wake up at 5:30am.  Damn.

Flavia de Oliveira for Elle Spain

I've been mentally drained, but at least I've been able to physically keep it up.
I've learned that when you look like a mess, you feel like a mess and
when you look like a million bucks, you feel like a million bucks. . .
whatever that means    

Wish me luck on hearing back from Interview #4 and acing Interview #5                     

Interview #4

I would like to thank God . . .
Yijia Cheng

So honored! One of the Big 4 this time! Wish me luck next Wednesday!

Offer Accepted

10:10 a.m. Throwing on my heels to rush out the door to head to a wedding

10:13 a.m. Phone rings from a 949 area code. . . I know what that means. . . I let it go straight to voicemail

10:24 a.m. Rushing to the check into the cruise ship as I return the call.

10:27 a.m. I got an offer!

As the day went on, I enjoyed glasses after glasses of champagne. . .celebrating this new matrimonial relationship I will be having with this new career.

In a couple of weeks I start as a part time intern. . . out to prove that I'm ready to squeeze the corporate world into any crevices left of my school schedule. It's going to be hell, but when has coffee and energy drinks not been enough to pull me through anything? Come December- my future will unfold before me as I'm sure an offer will be waiting for me. Of course in the interim, I will make sure that I have more opportunities to fall on in case things fall apart.

I never planned this and never imagined something this great can fall on my lap. The stars really are lining up for me this time and I am so grateful.

Love,

Nat

"Under Pressure"

Preparing for judgment day tomorrow evening...

I really thought that winning the hearts and minds of the director and senior associate in the first round of interviews was the hardest part, but based on my research. . . the final round with the Tax Partner may possibly be a lot harder and more intimidating than expected. Commercial awareness and the ability to cope under pressure seem to be the prevailing themes in the final round. . .

Commercial awareness? Um... I hope scratching the service of any relevant news article will help me get through this. Perhaps my daily commute with CNN will stick a couple buzz words in my head. Nonetheless, I am printing out tons of news articles about international tax to skim through and highlight tonight after class. Highlighting and making side notes help me retain information a lot easier than merely reading it online.

Coping under pressure? Hmm that was my theme song throughout UCLA, but little did I know how much harder things would get as life progresses ("It's the terror of knowing what the world is about"). Note to self: stay positive and don't let them see you sweat.

So in between all my school work, preparing for my interviews take up the rest of my life. . . I really hope and pray that this one is it. . . and after landing this job, it'll be smooth sailing into the horizon. At least in terms of finding a post grad job.

Yes! Made it to the next round of interviews! So close, yet so far!

My interview yesterday went so much better than I anticipated! This position was also so much better than I expected! It's a permanent position which would allow me to be a part time intern and, once I pass the bar, I can transition into becoming a full time INTERNATIONAL TAX ASSOCIATE! The best part is the firm is trying to grow its International Tax department and if I get the job, there would be so much room for growth! Better yet- I would be able to take on my own projects early on! I realized that if I worked at the Big 4, I would be merely another number in the system, at my own little corner, doing compliance work; however, this firm (being #5) will give me the hands on experience and responsibility I've been wanting. I left the interview with a really good feeling that both lawyers really liked me. . . but nothing is set in stone yet. . .

Just think. . . wouldn't it be awesome to know that I've secured a job already when graduation isn't for another 8-9 months? Fingers crossed.

interview #3

In a couple hours I'm off to my interview for an international tax position that I want oh-so-desperately! So bad that I reread all my essays that I wrote for my international tax classes and tried to catch up as much as I possibly can in the intricate world of FBARs, FATCAs, and of course transfer pricing. The fact that I get excited reading about arm's length parental guarantees to their subsidiaries and the intentional ambiguity of transfer pricing regulations not set forth by the IRS means it's definitely my calling. Although this is an internship position, it's the foot in the door that can land me that post grad job! But of course, I also need to look at this interviewing process as a two way street. It may not be all that I hype it up to be because, after all, I have yet to meet an interesting and glamorous tax lawyer. . .

Higher Standards (interview #2)

I just had an interview earlier this morning for a government tax externship position for the Spring semester.

Conclusion: I will not settle for working in the public sector. I lied to myself when I said this was the path I wanted to take because working with the IRS last year was "so great." Truth be told, the people are boring and look boring and there's no life in their depressing office. My first job out of law school should be at a place where I can be challenged, all the while feel ALIVE. I don't know if my interview was so awkward because the person interviewing me didn't ask questions but stared at me to make conversation or if it was me trying to convince him that researching tax penalties and procedures was so exciting. . . No way.

Nonetheless, my next interview is on Friday for a prestigious accounting firm for a paid intern position in the Fall! The great thing about this internship is (1) it's international tax, (2) it's a great firm, (3) it's paid and flexible around my school schedule and most importantly (4) it may land me a job post grad (not to mention they have an office in Irvine as well). So I will prepare strategically for that.

I need to set a higher bar for myself and not settle for less because of this depressing economy. I have to admit that I am better situated than a lot of other law students because of my Tax LLM and my tax credentials that I worked so hard to build up- all within the last 2 years (and still going). I can land a position at a Big 4 accounting firm (if not a next tier firm) as a Tax Associate- and I am out to do just that . . .

So far, balancing the beginning of the school year with an active job search has been a bit tiring, but the interviews coming in are making me feel confident. I just need to prove to them that I'm not just qualified on paper, but in person too.

Farewell Summer!

The interview with the firm went pretty well! I thought I was the best I could be. I haven't received a rejection nor a callback from them yet- so that's still pending. I'm not entirely sure I want this position anyways- labor lawyers don't seem as respected and interesting as tax lawyers, based on what the partner told me- nonetheless, an offer would be nice ;)

Then I went on the best 4 day vacation with my family ever! I love Cancun and Me Hotel! It was the perfect recuperation mechanism to get me pumped for my last year. I went out of hibernation and got a nice new tan and a new zest for life.

I'm back in school this week and I realized after 2 years of law school, I've finally broken out of my nervous shell of speaking in front of a large group. After all, my goal for law school is to leave behind the self-conscious valley girl who comes off as the redheaded stepchild that doesn't belong (literally, redheaded) and become the confident redheaded lawyer whose not afraid to speak her mind.

Finally, the breaking news! I just checked my LL.M grades for the summer and guess who got the highest grade in the class?! I did! First Honors! Woohoo! I never even imagined or expected this would happen! I was too scared of just trying to get a decent grade I never expected I would get the highest grade! Pinot and I are celebrating tonight!

In conclusion, unlike a couple months ago in which Summer greeted me with all this bad news and a draining schedule, the end of summer has bid me farewell with the greatest gift I can possibly ask for: a vacation in paradise with my loved ones and top recognition for my hardwork.

So far, so good. I'm ready for my next challenge.

cliff of courage in cancun

Wow.

I never thought this day would come. I am finally finished with tax boot camp. 10 weeks of pure unadulterated torture. The first 2 hours of Partnership tax kicked my ass like a merciless bully beating me when I'm already down (note: 4 hours of sleep, minus 1 due to the bf's dreadful snoring, and on the brink of collapsing but barely saved by the 5 hour energy drink that pulled me through 5 hours of studying this morning followed by another 5 hours of testing). However, the last 2 hours of Corporate tax was like a kind friend making it easy on my bruised corpse to still have hope to walk out of the exam alive and content. Sounds like a bunch of nonsense because I haven't a grain of intelligence left in me at this point.

I have one interview to tackle tomorrow and then my vacation finally starts. . . I'm not going to beat myself up on this one though. There were interviews on campus today and upon seeing the back to back interviews these employers sit through, I think my chances of really landing this job is asymptotically approaching zero. I'm a realist. Not gonna bring my hopes up high just to see it fall hard. Besides, I'm probably going to have to go through tons of interviews to land the final job. Labor law is nice, but tax law is where I belong.

Anyways, each year I get about 1-2 weeks off. I'd say that's enough to recuperate and jump into the next battlefield. . . Learning to live with the stress.

After tomorrow, I finally have the time to dye my hair, do my nails, and shave my legs. I have to admit, it really is hard to be a smart scholar and a sassy socialite at the same time. I'll work on the latter in a year.

Ideally.

interviewing for a law firm is not the equivalent of interviewing for a job at vogue

Just did my mock interview and oh god did I need it. On one side of the table was a poised, charismatic, and eloquent Asian woman. On the other side was a scared, clueless, and I-speak-like-a-teenager Asian girl. Yes, guess which one I was. Although I soaked in all her constructive criticism, and was very glad I did a practice interview before I approached the real thing, my interview confidence feels a little trodden on...okay, a lot trodden on. This transition into the corporate world is going to be difficult. What do they say? Fake it till ya make it. I need to practice professionalism and get that teenage twang out of me= speak like a pretentious British woman, not a fake California girl.

Wouldn't it be ironic if years from now I become exactly this woman I sat across from? She came from the same school I did and years later is a partner of her law firm. She's probably in her early 50s but wow does she look like the stress never aged her.

Inspired.

Big Fish

I am excited to say that I got an interview with one of the most prestigious law firms in the field of labor law through OCI!

I was so excited with the opportunity of just interviewing for the job, that I got carried away- imagining that the recruiting partner and I would engage in such a lovely conversation about TARP and excessive executive compensation (as it relates back to my research assistant position) that he would tell me how intelligent and charismatic I was and how he would love to have me as part of their firm, then I would receive an offer shortly after with a fat compensation package, then I would break the great news to all my friends and family, and we would pop champagne bottles like they do in the movies and . . . yes, a girl can only dream. . .

I mean, it's just an interview right? And how many smart people am I competing with? It's not just the girl that sits next to me in tax class that's also in law review and was a judicial extern, but I'm competing with every other Ivy Leaguer out there, who is by far a lot more qualified in every aspect of their lives than little O.C. me. . . so that thought splat the ethereal daydream bubble forming over my head.

So here I am. I need to pull my thoughts away from the future and bring it back to the realities of stock dividends and corporate liquidations. Although this interview is for the ideal job because of the GREAT pay and the fact that it's located in Irvine- I need to remember how many applications and interviews an entry level student has to apply to and interview for before she's lucky enough to land THE job.

I am naive at times and, like I mentioned before, every event has always been the be all and end all for me.

Passion when it matters and nonchalance when it doesn't...

So I need to focus my energy on finals, which is for the next 2 weeks. My interview is in 3 weeks.

I may be a little Loyola Goldfish in an ocean of Rainbow Fishes and Ivy League Sharks, but that's not going to stop me now is it?