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Series 1, “Now What?” Episode 5: Paul Kim

It was professor Plum, with the candlestick, in the conservatory! Paul Kim, ’97, is a forensic accountant, a career you might not have known exists. It does, and in this episode of our “Now What?” series, he describes his breakthrough moment and explains how he got there.

 

TRANSCRIPT

TRACK
I’m Scott Huler and this is The Devils’ Share — a podcast of Duke Magazine

Series One: Now What?

[music]

ACTUALITY
Coming out of duke i was actually in navy ROTC program. That was a great four years but
after i got out of the navy i was like what am i going to do with my life what am i gonna do what Duke experiences can i draw on and then go and do

TRACK
We’ve been talking with Duke alumni about how their life’s path found them. Rare is the person who knows where they’re going, who ends up where they set out. In fact, people commonly barely know where to start.

ACTUALITY
Coming out of duke i really had no clue that this was going to be my career path. I have now had that moment of clarity where it is.

TRACK
Ooh! Moment of clarity! That sounds awesome. Was there really a specific moment?

ACTUALITY

Yes there actually is and I can remember it like it was yesterday… like this moment from “the usual suspects.” to reference a movie.

I was assigned to a fraud case where I was the most junior person assigned to the case and I was able to kind of figure out exactly what happened and how it happened: “oh my god it was professor plum in the conservatory with the candlestick!” It was one of those moments I was the junior person and nobody else could see it and I realized that the ability to see something that other people could not. Was I think a powerful moment for me.

TRACK
Evidently.

ACTUALITY
OK so Paul Kim, Trinity 97 and currently reside in San Diego CA

I am a forensic CPA by trade. I actually own four different businesses but that’s my primary business

TRACK
OK, we’ll leave those others alone for the moment and ask how forensic CPAs ply their trade.

ACTUALITY
I basically do fraud investigations. I’m kind of like Tom Hanks’s character in “Catch Me if You Can” where I go and catch the white collar criminals and I go and testify in court as an expert witness if necessary.

TRACK
Which isn’t something that has a standard certificate program. Kim got there by following his natural inclinations.

ACTUALITY
It was really problem solving. I think that being a math major at Duke helped in the mindset of solving problems. I ended up joining one of the big four accounting firms up in SF and that ultimately led to what i’m doing now, my forensics work.

TRACK
And Kim does other things too, meaning he has had other moments of clarity.

ACTUALITY
I would say there have been more than one of those in my career. The other three businesses have nothing to do with being a forensic CPA. I also work in entertainment i’m up in hollywood a lot for movie and television industry and i’m cfo for a marketing agency and i’m co owner of an events business.

TRACK
Which yields perhaps predictable advice.

ACTUALITY
hindsight being 20-20 obviously I would say explore what you’re passionate about even if it’s not an area per se as far as occupation. Explore what things you gravitate towards thematically as far as hey do you like doing this kind of job or do you like working with people or doing these types of things and that would havehelped me kind of lead me toward doing the type of thing i’m

Even though i didn’t know the profession, i knew the kind of activities i wanted to solve problems, i wanted to work with people, i wanted to do certain things.

TRACK
And the standard approach:

Don’t look for jobs. Look for the things that you gravitate towards the things you’re interested and passionate about and go from there.

TRACK

And chances are, you’ll find someone to help you out. Next, on The Devils’ Share:

ACTUALITY
You reach out, you’re going to get some help. As long as you’re willing to put in the work, somebody will be willing to mentor you, help you, and be an advocate for you.

TRACK
Thanks for listening to The Devils’ Share from Duke Magazine.