BUSINESS

Best-laid plans

Amy Wu, CGA, CPA, took a very practical approach to immigration and starting her own firm in Vancouver

By Noa Nichol

Amy Wu fell in love with Vancouver and simply had to live here. She has since built up a successful accounting firm in the city.

Photo by Sherly Ho Design and Associates

Amy (née Hsiu Jung) Wu isn’t the type of person to go through life without a plan. While this practical mindset certainly bodes well for her professional accountant career as a CGA and CPA, it’s played an equally important role in her quest to find a place to call “home.”

Wu, who was born and raised in Taiwan, graduated from college and immediately took up work as an accountant in her homeland. However, just a few years into her career, she found herself craving more.

“I had bigger hopes and dreams; I wanted to accomplish greater success than I knew I could achieve if I stayed [in Taiwan],” she says. “My idea then was to go to the United States, to Philadelphia, to further my education.”

Wu acted on her intention and, four years later, returned to Taiwan, where she continued to climb the corporate ladder, working for larger and larger financial firms, many with stakes in North America. Everything was going according to plan when, in 2001, a trip to Vancouver changed everything.

“I was so impressed, I immediately fell in love with the city,” she says. “It is just so beautiful, like no place I had ever seen. I knew I needed to be there, but I also knew I would need a very good plan to do it.”

Wu, who had honed her English skills during her time in America, says there were other preparations that needed to be made before she could make her dream of living on Canada’s West Coast a successful reality. “I knew that my main problem would be, can I find a job in Canada?” she says.

“This is the same challenge so many immigrants face, even if they have much experience in their fields and can speak the language. Many Canadian employers require Canadian work experience — and, when you are not from Canada, that can be difficult to obtain.”

Difficult, but not impossible. Wu’s immigration plan included saving enough money ahead of her move to allow herself the time needed to gain the kind of experience that could help land her a good job in Canada.

“I saved enough to stay for one year in Vancouver without working,” she says. “I made sure I would be OK, so I could see if it would work for me.”

Indeed, upon her arrival in 2007, Wu did encounter the “lack of Canadian work experience” challenge, despite her impressive resumé and academic background. Again, she went into planning mode.

“I thought, how can I gain this experience if no one will hire me?” she recalls. “But I didn’t see a dead end; I saw that there were solutions. It was up to me to do something about it.”

Swallowing her pride, Wu accepted an entry-level job in her field that she knew would help gear her up for something better down the road. She also volunteered to do personal income tax work at a local seniors’ centre and, on top of it all, studied for her CGA designation, which she obtained in 2010. She added the CPA designation to her name recently as well.

“Then, I looked at all I had accomplished and, with support from my husband, I decided to take a risk and start my own business,” she says, adding that her downtown Vancouver accounting firm, HJ Wu & Company Inc., has experienced tremendous success in the five years since it launched — so much so that she is now looking to add a new partner and grow her business even more.

“So many people, immigrants, are scared to leave their comfort zone, but I really think you have to make a plan, work hard and believe in yourself first in order to find success,” Wu says, adding there have been times along the way where she’s had to rework her plan to deal with change and challenge.

“Get out of your comfort zone,” she adds. “You have already made a big jump, leaving your home to make a new one in Canada. When you’re here, don’t let obstacles stand in your way. Do something to overcome your challenges. You can find friendship and support at a church, a community centre or with your colleagues. Most important, you cannot just think about the past. Take time to learn about Canada, and to make a new home here.”

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