Summary

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, I graduated from Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a major in accounting. I began my career at EOS’s Honolulu Office as a tax intern during my senior year in January 2019 and earned a full-time position as a tax staff in August 2019.

Growth at EOS

As an intern, the knowledge and skills that I learned have been far more valuable than any college course could have provided. During my internship, the primary focus was individual tax returns. However, we also learned how to prepare corporate tax returns toward the end of the internship. The team was very encouraging and supportive. Everyone was willing to take the time to teach me about a variety of topics, such as general tax concepts or simple tips for improvement.

I felt as if the internship was a trial run for working full-time. At EOS, interns learn how to prepare tax returns from start to finish, just like a staff would prepare a return. This gave me an appropriate expectation for what the work of a tax staff entailed. After I accepted the offer to work full-time, my transition from intern to staff was seamless. As a staff, I have continued to develop new skills by working on projects that lend themselves well to my interests and skill set.

Why EOS?

I chose EOS because it has a positive work environment. As a professional, I feel comfortable in seeking advice from any of my managers or peers. We are all treated with respect, and I feel valued at EOS.

EOS provides many incentives and opportunities to grow. One such incentive is the reimbursement policy for CPA exam materials and fees. If passed within the first two years of employment at EOS, cost will be reimbursed. I am currently studying for the CPA exams and EOS is very supportive of the endeavor. I hope to pass the CPA exams and continue working for EOS for the foreseeable future.

Summary

After 3 years working as an assistant tax accountant in Tokyo, Japan, I decided to go back to school. I graduated from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Master of Accountancy degree in 2011. With several years of accounting work experience at subsidiaries of Japanese manufacturing companies in the U.S. and a CPA license, I joined the EOS Chicago office in 2016. After two years, I had the opportunity to relocate to the EOS Honolulu office.

Transfer Opportunity

One day, I knew that the EOS Honolulu office was looking for a tax staff. I felt I could be a good candidate in terms of skill set for a position and I had a gut feeling that it would be a very exciting opportunity for my professional growth and personal life. In terms of the job, I will have chances to prepare different types of tax returns from what I did in the Chicago office and experience different ways and/or systems of doing projects. I feel that putting myself in a different environment fosters my professional growth by broadening my perspective while accumulating new knowledge. At this stage of my career, I find it fulfilling when I can feel that I am growing and that was one of the reasons for the transfer. From a personal point of view, it is interesting to live in new places. There is always something that I can appreciate where I moved. Being able to live in Hawaii is such a rare opportunity and I am looking forward to a wonderful experience.

Why EOS

I really feel that EOS values its people. It believes in its staff’s potential and invests in their growth in the long run. I was very fortunate that EOS sponsored my green card application and gave me the opportunity to work for its different offices. EOS provides its staff with the flexibility to work and the opportunity to move around the firm. That way, we can design his or her career with EOS from a long-term perspective.

Summary

I studied accounting and Information Systems at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. A professor introduced me to EOS and I was fortunate to receive an offer to work at EOS after graduating. I did not have an internship during school, but I had a great professor that started my interest of a career in tax.

Growth at EOS

Every day is a little different when working on clients who have various tax situations. It makes work engaging and interesting. Seeing a completed return, which you helped deliver to a client, is very rewarding. I learned that the horror stories of public accounting are not necessarily true. Everyone in the office works hard during the busy seasons, but we help each other so the work is not as stressful. The managers have high standards, but they are patient and always willing to help and give advice. I am glad that I made the decision to start my career with EOS.

Why EOS

I felt that EOS Honolulu office was a perfect fit for me because we get the experience of large firm clients with a small firm environment. Many of my accounting friends and teachers did not stay in public accounting because of stress and time spent away from family. I feel it is much easier to balance my personal life and work at EOS. Coming from a Christian college and upbringing, I was very impressed by the moral character of the managers and other staff. And finally, while it is not a requirement of EOS, I was glad I could use my Japanese language skills to my advantage as many of the staff and clients are Japanese speaking.

Summary

I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Spring 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. I first gained interest in EOS at the office tour held for UH Manoa Accounting Club. I then applied and was offered a position as a tax intern. After my internship, I continued to work at EOS part time until graduating in 2019. After graduating, I accepted a full-time position as a tax staff. I am currently studying to obtain my CPA license.

Growth at EOS

I worked part-time for EOS for almost three years and began working full-time in June 2019. Going from student intern, to part-time staff, to full-time staff, the transitions have been smooth. EOS prepared me well and treated me like a staff from the very beginning, which has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge in accounting and grow as a professional.

At EOS, I continue to gain a better understanding of tax and receive advice, which has helped me gain professional wisdom for my first full-time job. We are pushed to research new tax concepts and challenge ourselves to understand new concepts without always being told the answers. As a staff, I appreciate the level of encouragement and assistance from the upper-level management to guide us, staff, toward advancing in our careers.

Why EOS?

I chose EOS because I am surrounded in an ever-learning environment, and I am very well supported by my team. I have been constantly challenged with new tasks while working in an environment that allows me to freely seek advice and guidance. I feel that these opportunities are rare in a typical CPA firm.

At EOS, the employees are taken care of and the firm is always looking for ways to improve, both firmwide and at the Honolulu branch. They push and incentivize us to obtain our CPA licenses, which shows they are looking out for our well-being and advancement. It’s reassuring to work with a company who cares for their employees.

Summary

I was educated in China and received an MA in material sciences and engineering from the University of Science and Technology, Beijing. However, my real interest was in accounting because I am, by nature, analytical and good with numbers. Once in the United States, I chose accounting as my career and earned a Master’s of Science in Accounting. Within six months, I passed the CPA exam and found I had a real passion for the subject. I believe accounting is the common language for all businesses and that there are countless opportunities for people with accounting backgrounds.

Why I Decided to Become an Auditor

Before joining the EOS team, I had no experience in accounting, but after a few years I gained enough experience and became a senior staff. I enjoy trouble-shooting and solving complex problems. I now lead my own audit team. Working closely with my colleagues, I look into issues, think about solutions and apply the best one as quickly as possible.
My work ethic is strong because I know my supervisors, clients and audit team all count on me. Auditing takes special skills because the accountant must work independently while keeping in touch with the client’s head office. I have to understand not only a company’s financial data, but also have a feel for its business and the industry in which it operates.
I believe I handle the daily pressures of our business and meet tough deadlines because I'm well organized, reliable, good at planning and efficient. I'm currently in charge of several mid-size clients in multiple locations. I also assist the tax department with some corporate tax work.

What Skills I Have Learned

When I started at EOS, my ambition was to become an audit manager within five years. I am on track to achieve this goal and am looking forward to advancing my career with EOS. In the coming years, I aim to expand my audit team and provide excellent service. Working here has allowed me to develop my skills and gain valuable experience rapidly. While working at EOS, I've polished the following skill sets: leadership, analytical, communication, research and problem solving.
Accounting is not a static discipline; change is inevitable, and I welcome the challenge of keeping up with new legislation and standards. I improve my skills by self-study and coursework. In my spare time, I enjoy photography and running. Photography fulfills my creative needs and running ensures physical fitness. Together they keep my personality in harmony.

Summary

I was born and raised in Southern California. I attended California State University, Long Beach in 2008 where I became an officer of the CSULB chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor organization for accounting, finance and information system students. During my senior year, I interned for a local CPA firm which I eventually earned a full time position for after I graduated in 2011. I gained experience in both taxation and auditing over the next 4 years while obtaining my CPA license in the state of California. In May of 2015, my wife and I moved to Hawaii to be closer to her family. Two days later, I began working for EOS.

Why I Decided to Become a Tax Professional

I gained a lot of experience in both tax and audit early in my career. I believe that having a background in either department makes you a stronger candidate for the other. The first two years of my career really made it tough to decide which route I wanted to go in as both sides had their pros and cons. Ultimately, I decided to stay in tax. I felt that enduring long hours away from home for projects that can last weeks at a time was not very conducive for raising a family. Additionally, having the satisfaction of completing a lot of smaller projects more often outweighed the satisfaction of completing a few large projects. I enjoy the advisory side of tax and the value added aspect it can bring to clients. I got into the profession with the intention of helping people and I felt that this was better accomplished in tax.

What Skills I Have Learned

As I mentioned earlier, having experience in both audit and tax has really helped me grow as a professional. From a tax perspective, I’ve touched on a large array of clientele including Corporations, S Corporations, Partnerships and LLCs, high net-worth individuals, expatriates, nonresidents, and even a non-profit organization here and there. Even though each type of client is different and no two clients are the same, I’ve carried all sorts of concepts and logic from one client to the next. Whether it’s something technical or just learning how to interact with clients or colleagues, experience is the only way to effectively learn in this profession. The most important skill I needed to pick up was learning how to organize myself. There is no class or one-size-fits-all template on organization. I quickly realized how unorganized I was when I first started and how it really can hold you back. Finding a system that worked for me really propelled my career. Additionally, through my years of experienced, I’ve gained a level of proficiency in software and IT that I’ve been able to implement in everyday practice, improving office organization and workflow.

Why EOS?

I chose EOS because it has given me the freedom and the tools to master my craft. Shortly after starting at the Honolulu office, I was promoted to senior and was tasked with training and supervising the newer staff on developing their skills as tax professionals. Within 3 years, I have advanced to Tax Manager which confirms that EOS truly recognizes their employees’ efforts. I was given opportunities to further my knowledge of tax applications and implement new, efficient systems in an already established office while still maintaining flexibility with my personal life outside of the office. Everybody here is treated as a professional and has the freedom to take their career however they want. The opportunity for advancement is very real if the effort and drive are there. I believe that hard work deserves to be recognized and with EOS, I truly feel appreciated for what I do.