Starting out career advice please

Redhurlingman

Hi all

Would like to get the thoughts of those more experienced than me who may already be well into there career or those recent starters who may have also picked up a lot of experience and contacts. Our people who know alot about various interesting careers.

Basically a quick background on me and my education im male in my early twenties have graduated college with a research masters last Christmas from an nui. However I don’t have any real work experience in a professional capacity. The field my masters is in is renewable energy which is very topical at the moment but I don’t think my qualifications are good enough to work in any of the technical aspects (lots of jobs) of this field and from what I can see there are mainly jobs in sales (which I do not wish to work in) or possibly consultancy but I have no idea how to get into this.

Now for the cliché bit that every wide eyed recent graduate probably has, I don’t want to work in a boring job doing the same thing in the same place in the same office never seeing the outside world between the hours of 9 and 5. I want variety in my work (inside outside?) and a career that gives me the opportunity to work internationally as I really enjoy other cultures and a sense of achievement and with opportunities to progress or go out on my own later on. I like many others believe its Chinas century and thus the whole east Asian continents century not withstanding some major problems that will have to be tackled and will lead to an extremely bumpy road for that region ahead. So I would eventually like to go and live there or one of the other big players in that region Japan, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam or Thailand. I have been to these places a few times now and really like the cultures and lifestyles (Expat) of each of them. Also it’s a goal of mine to become fluent in a foreign language and mandarin seems to be the big one these days kind of like Japanese was when japan was booming I guess. Ok im rambling now but you get the idea im fascinated by China and asia in general but to do that in the lifestyle I would like I need a good career and experience first.

I was lucky enough to win a US green card there this year and have to be in the states by the end of May so im booking my flights next week. This is a great opportunity so I cant turn it down. I have no job there yet (still deciding on a career path!!! HELP!!! :eek: ) and im not really sure where im going to go probably NY or Boston but lately ive been thinking of California for the climate (like the sun and heat even though im red prob not the best idea!!).

So has any one got any suggestions for possible careers? I was thinking along the lines of consultancy, import export, though I would like to get some sort of professional qualification…..

Does anyone have any experience of starting life in America? Or know of good websites recruiters or companies where I could apply for work?

Does anyone just want to just ramble through their experiences of how they got to where they are!! And give me some advice at the same time?

markjobrien

sorry no real info for your thread just a quick Q. How did you get your visa did you apply yourself online or use a company

homeOwner

Congrats on getting the green card. I think you should definitely head stateside since you have it and it will be a life changin experience (hopefully for the good!) however without a clear goal of what you want to do it will be hard to pick a career. There is so much oppertunity in the US but it is very easy to sort of drift into a career that you dont really want just because you get the job and it pays well. I knows its a cliche but make a list of things that interest you. No one can tell you what you want, you have to decide your own career. I personally think your idea of getting involved in something involving china is more interesting and might lead to exciting oppertunities but then I've lived in the US so its doesnt have the same excitment for me that it used to.

Why dont you take a few months and do a bit of traveling and soul searching to see what interests you. If I had my 20s to live over I think I would be less focused on my career and spend more time trying other things.

Jim79

Hey,

You mention Consultancy, export and import? can you a bit more specific on what you are thinking there?

thx