Blog Post: Ask the Alum: Henry Liem

Name: Henry A. Liem
Job Title/Employer: Partner, Liem & Company, P.C., CPA
Years of Graduation: 1970, 1971
Degrees/Majors: B.S./Accounting, M.B.A.
 
What is your favorite part of your current job?
Managing the business. It’s enjoyable implementing your own decisions and seeing how the results affect the CPA firm.
 
What career path did you follow from your ASU degree to your present job?
I worked for a national CPA firm for five years, then worked for two large local firms before setting up my own CPA practice 10 years ago.
 
Describe one skill learned at ASU that you used daily in your job?
I use the basic accounting knowledge I learned at ASU every day, whether I am auditing, reviewing or compiling financial statements, preparing tax returns or consulting.
 
Were any ASU-affiliated persons helpful to you in advancing your career?
A fellow ASU alumni, Bob Borgmann, who was a partner with what was then Lybrand, Ross Brothers and Montgomery (now PriceWaterhouse Coopers) offered me my first job and was a constant supporter and mentor for many years.
 
What advice would you give to current students or job-seekers about finding work in your field?
Decide if you are interested in working for a CPA firm or being an in-house accountant for a business. Then seek out those firms at on-campus interviews at ASU or by using lists of firms that periodicals publish and various online job-search Web sites. Submit your resume to firms you are interested in and follow-up with phone calls and/or e-mails to obtain an interview.

When going through the interview process, be yourself. Be aware that your communications/people skills can be just as valuable as your technical abilities.