By Jordan-Ashley Walker, APR
Cain Huynh is a PCAOB Scholar, 贝塔·阿尔法·普赛兄弟会的主席和会计系的研究生助理. He is graduating with a Master of Science degree in Accounting this summer. 他也是Strome导师授权同伴成功(STEPS辅导)会计和运营管理的一员.
Tell us a little about your hometown and your childhood.
I grew up in Rach Gia, a beautiful town in southern Vietnam. I still have fond memories of my parents and me eating “Chè bưởi,” a Vietnamese pomelo sweet soup, outside of the run-down local amusement park after school. 我想起了那张不结实的黄色塑料椅子和我们要坐的那张矮桌子. Every time I eat “Chè bưởi,” my mind flashes back to that memory. While I loved my childhood there, the town was small and there were limited opportunities for success. 这就是为什么我的父母决定搬到这里来给我提供他们没有得到的机会. 我非常感激我的父母愿意迈出这一步，搬到美国来. 他们来美国的时候不懂美国的语言，在过去的15年里，他们做美甲师来养家糊口. 像这样, 我深感有责任为成功而奋斗，这样我既能养家糊口，又能为后代树立榜样.
What made you choose ODU’s Master of Science in accounting program?
我选择ODU的硕士项目是因为指导我的老师和我所在的组织. I am currently serving as the President of Beta Alpha Psi, the national honor society for financial information students. 在COVID-19大流行之前，ODU的Beta Alpha Psi有60多名成员和候选人. However, due to the pandemic, the number has significantly decreased. 虽然其他人可能认为这是衰落或终结的标志，但我认为这是一种挑战. In the role of president, 我鼓励我的分会与当地的动物收容所一起参加各种志愿者活动, Keep Norfolk Beautiful, 女童子军, 和J&一个赛车. 除了, 我们协助学院举办了秋季和春季会计准备研讨会, 允许组织成员前往亚特兰大展示并与其他组织竞争. 作为总统, I have led the revitalization of my chapter to bring it back to stability, 从两年前的5名成员发展到现在的30名，并在全球贝塔-阿尔法-普赛组织中取得了卓越的分会地位. 这段经历帮助我培养了其他大学无法提供的领导能力.
我非常尊敬会计学院的老师，因为他们传授给我的知识. 我非常喜欢听他们的经历和职业故事. I have had many wonderful conversations with them, not only about accounting theory but also about life, 约会, and fashion advice. ODU has some of the best accounting faculty members, with years of diverse experiences as CFOs, managing partner of CPA firms, 企业主, and even an IRS agent. 我觉得他们选择教书是值得赞扬的，这也是我选择ODU作为我的MS项目的原因.
How did you get your internship(s)? 你对其他正在寻找实习机会的学生有什么建议吗?
当你在你所寻找的领域中没有任何经验时，获得实习机会是令人生畏的. 我还记得我得到实习机会的那一天, and then receive a job offer after graduation. 9月1日, 2022, was the day when ODU hosted its 组织 Fair, 我有机会见到了一位两年前毕业的贝塔·阿尔法·普赛的校友. 他让我对在他的公司工作感兴趣，所以我申请了并得到了面试机会. 回顾我是如何获得实习机会的:当我听说其中一家公司正在发放免费红牛时，我在正确的时间出现在正确的地点，遇到了正确的人!
But, the process of getting an internship is not that easy. The semester before I landed my internship, I applied to numerous companies. 我被每个人都拒绝了，因为我把我能找到的所有工作/实习机会都寄去了. 冷申请是指你在网上申请一份工作，没有人脉和推荐信. It was tough getting rejected. I stayed persistent and determined to be more proactive on campus. I showed employers that I am more than a student.
对于寻找实习机会的学生，我的第一条建议就是现在就开始. I noticed that getting your first internship is the hardest one, 因为你没有任何经验，而且面对的是其他有同样目标的学生. Companies are recruiting earlier and earlier every year. 我的一个Beta Alpha Psi成员在1月份获得了2025年暑期实习的机会, which is over one year between receiving and starting an internship. 建立人脉永远都不嫌早，所以当你有资格的时候，你就会知道该联系谁了.
另外, a second piece of advice is to join an academic organization, which I found to be the best way to get an internship; it is not necessary for you to join mine unless you feel compelled to. 像我这样的组织有收集大学所能提供的最优秀和最聪明的人的记录，因为我们的价值观和期望是专注于学术卓越和回馈社会. Employers love to see students who are involved and active. 你的参与可能是决定你能否得到实习机会的关键. It is not enough to maintain a 4.0 GPA; focusing purely on academics has a diminishing return. I am not saying that grades do not matter, but I am saying that it will be tougher if all you have (is) a 4.0 GPA and nothing else that makes you stand out from the crowd.
My final piece of advice is to show up and use all the resources available. 招聘会和公司开放日等活动是结识雇主的最佳途径. ODU hosts these events so that students can meet the potential employer, and they are there to meet you. Both of you have the same goal. 学生时期找工作或实习比等到毕业再申请要容易得多. ODU的握手和职业发展服务(CDS)是所有学生都可以获得的优秀资源，价格为0美元.
What advice would you give incoming freshman at ODU?
我给一年级学生的建议是寻找机会融入最靠谱的网赌软件. ODU has numerous organizations and clubs that are available for you to join. 参与其中的好处是，你可以在校园里遇到很多有着共同兴趣和目标的了不起的人. It is also one of the best ways to find friends. Looking back on my time here at ODU, I wish I had joined the chess club. 我在高中时是国际象棋俱乐部的前任主席，我想念比赛和社区.
What are your plans after graduation?
毕业后，我计划参加注册会计师考试，并在毕马威会计师事务所开始我的职业生涯. My goal is to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a partner of a CPA firm.