To everyone that is reading, welcome! If you’ve clicked on this page then I assume you would like to learn a little more about the writer behind these blog posts.
My name is Richard Chen, I graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelors in Commerce, major in Accounting. My experience primarily lies in working professional settings including legal and accounting firms. Most recently, I was employed full time as an associate at PwC Canada (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP) where I provided external audit services to clients in industries ranging from oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, tech start-ups, and non-profit organizations. During Summer 2020, I was accepted into the Bachelor of Computer Science after-degree program at the University of British Columbia.
In my experience of serving clients in numerous industries, there is one commonality shared by all. That common trait is the increasing demand for digital innovation. From keeping track of oil output from numerous wells in rural lands to automating the processing of employee reimbursements, companies are looking to reduce the time spent by employees on repetitive tasks and reallocate those efforts towards value-add assignments. As a result of these efforts to innovate, I’ve been exposed to an increasing number of opportunities to drive change both within my former company as well as their clients. However, the limiting factor has been the extent of my technological prowess. I have always been intrigued by programming and the thought of creating applications that prove useful to a large demographic, and I believe that now more than ever is the time to capitalize on those dreams.
In the next two to three years, I intend on increasing my computing knowledge not only through the pursuit of this degree, but also the completion of numerous self-lead projects and hack-a-thons – such that one day I can deliver a truly useful application others can appreciate.