Employee Spotlight – James Nguyen

Tell us a little about yourself
I have been blessed to live in the great state of California all of my life. I was born and raised in sunny San Diego, attended UC Santa Barbara where I studied Economics & Accounting, and for the past 8 years have been fortunate to call Los Angeles my home. I grew up playing basketball extensively and I have been lucky enough to have been able to coach youth sports throughout my life starting in high school. Coaching youth sports is one of my primary passions in life and I enjoy every second that I spend with the youth and their families.

How has your career grown since starting at Marcum Search?
My professional career has been a combination of audit in public accounting, entrepreneurship, and recruiting for accounting & finance. I am grateful to have been a part of these industries, as they have shaped me into the professional that I am today. Since starting at Marcum Search, I have been able to help on building out the accounting and finance recruiting functions in the Los Angeles area and I am proud to have the opportunity to add value. At Marcum Search, I am happy to be surrounded by driven and like minded individuals and also insightful accounting & finance professionals by way of Marcum LLP.

My favorite quote is
“As long as you’re thinking the same thoughts, they lead to the same choices, which cause the same behaviors, which create the same experience, which produce the same emotions, which in turn drive the same thoughts” – Joe Dispenza

Three words to describe myself
Driven, successful, measured

My perfect day is
A day at the beach with my family. A night of watching sports with my friends.

Advice for my 16 year old self
Get an understanding of what you want out of life, the sooner the better.

Number 1 on my bucket list
Live in a commune with my friends and family.

The person who had the biggest impact on my life is
Without a doubt my mother. I am here today because of her and I am lucky to have been raised by a woman like her.

In my career I am most proud of
Helping others. In the world of recruiting, there is an ample amount of opportunities to help each and every person that I come across. Whether I find an opportunity for my candidates, consult with my clients on business strategies, or help improve people’s resume and interview skills, I find that there is always a way to help and serve. Recruiting is an opportunity that is truly what a person makes of it.

A funny or memorable experience from your career or personal life?
I will always remember where I was when Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in his last game. I went to Woodstock’s Pizza in Isla Vista with my friends to catch Kobe’s last game and I do not believe any of us could have imagined what was about to happen. Being able to witness Kobe on his last legs drop 60 points and lead the Lakers to victory, along with the reaction of everyone at Woodstock’s will be forever etched in my memories. A close second would be when Leon Edwards head kicked Kamaru Usman to win the UFC welterweight title after being dominated for the majority of the fight. Everyone was writing his obituary and he pulled the knockout win out of the fire in the last minute.