I Love This Quote!

“I must learn to love the fool in me–the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my fool.” — Theodore I. Rubin, MD

(via A Cup of Jo)

I posted this as my gChat status for a while, and many people wrote to me saying they loved it! So here it is again. I feel like it should live on this blog. Enjoy!

Stories from Hamburg, Hong Kong, Berlin, and Uganda

Here are some of my favorite articles and podcasts about working overseas in Hamburg, Hong Kong, Berlin, and Uganda. I see some common themes in these four pieces, which match my own experiences in China.

- Being an outsider makes you a “big fish in a small pond” (or at least a bigger one than you’d be if you’d stayed home!)
- Living in a place with a low cost of living gives you much more flexibility in terms of work.
- As a foreigner, you have more responsibility than a local would at the same level. This can help you to build a wide range of skills.
- Being far from home connects you to people incredibly quickly. It’s amazing how well I’ve gotten to know new friends in our first or second meeting. I think this is also true in a professional context.

OK, I’ll let the pieces speak for themselves. more »

Advice from Career Realism: Don’t Go Away Without Thinking About Career First

Interesting advice from Career Realism, part of a Top 10 list entitled “Can You Handle The Truth?”:

TIP #3: DON’T road trip, backpack or ‘take a year off’ without thinking about your career first. Those who delay to play, often pay!

As graduation approaches, many students feel the pressure of career and think, “I’ve done what’s expected of me and now I deserve to do something for myself.” However, rewarding yourself without at least organizing your plans for career before you go can make embarking on a job search when you return more difficult. Here are some stats to consider: Landing an entry-level job after school (from start to finish) averages at least two months. The process of finding the job opportunity, going on the interviews, receiving and accepting the job offer, and then starting the job, all take time. It is easier to manage this process when you are close to resources (i.e. campus career center) and a network of peers who are in the midst of finding work too. All too often, college grads put off their career homework until after they’re done having fun. more »

How to Find a Job Overseas, Part Two

I just came across this article that gives a great example of option #3 that I mentioned yesterday.

Three Ways to Find a Job Overseas

I believe that there are three basic ways to find a job overseas.

1. Convince your home-country-based company to transfer you.

• In China, I’ve found that this is most common for senior managers. These people come to China to begin a new division, mentor Chinese employees, or manage manufacturing processes.
• One of my good friends works for a multinational public relations firm and successfully convinced her company to transfer her from San Francisco to London. She had been with the company for approximately two years (first as a summer intern, and then as a full-time employee) and had to be very persistent to convince her managers to allow this. more »