Job Search. Difficulty Level: Repatriate me please!
February 1, 2014 8:48 AM Subscribe
I took the Hivemind's advice to go abroad, now I need some ideas on how to get back. How should a early 20-something find for a job back in the US while abroad?
Almost 2 years, ago, I wrote this question, went with the advice, and ended up in Hong Kong. Now nearing the latter bit of my 2 year contract, I need to start thinking about a practical exit plan!
While I think I've learned a lot and gained some skills, I'm still rather unsure of what exactly my career will be. I've really enjoyed most parts of my job here since it's allowed me to take on a bunch of roles, allows for me to problem solve, and actually has a see-able outcome at the end of the day or school year.
I was hired to tutor high school students and to counsel them about the entire college application process, but I've also taken on projects dealing with marketing, including writing most of the marketing language that have shown up on the company website and advertisement flyers.
From this job, I've learned I really like writing, enjoy teaching, and can juggle more projects than I thought at a time.
Downsides: I can't really enjoy the holidays due to the timing of application deadlines and I find I'm not too great with dealing with irrationally angry people (I realize this is something I need to work on).
At the same time, I've delved into the world of CrossFit, for better or for worse, which has made me realize I like being healthy and I think I could make a career out of helping other people be healthy! A career path I've considered has been to go back to take some basic science classes, then to graduate school and to become a registered dietitian, which seems like it could let me combine multiple interests in one job.
For what it's worth, the B.A. is in political science from a top 10 US university (doubt this will matter too much for anything aside from grad school considerations) with a pretty good GPA.
So questions:
1) When should I start seriously looking for jobs back in the US? Now? 2 months before my contract is up? Ideally, I'll have something lined up before I leave for the US again.
Extending my contract is also a possibility, but my bosses understand if I want to go back Stateside. Suggestions of possible fields that would suit me would also be very appreciated.
2) Can anyone speak to experiences as a registered dietitian? My university's alumni directory is very lacking in people doing this, and I've only managed to speak to one person in Hong Kong who worked previously as one in the US, so any more information here would be appreciated too!
3) Is there any way for me to network back in the US? I have a decent one in Hong Kong, considering how short I've been here, but from what I gather from (still) unemployed friends right now, landing jobs back stateside won't be too easy and spending time back home living with parents isn't an option if I want to keep shreds of self-confidence and sanity.
Almost 2 years, ago, I wrote this question, went with the advice, and ended up in Hong Kong. Now nearing the latter bit of my 2 year contract, I need to start thinking about a practical exit plan!
While I think I've learned a lot and gained some skills, I'm still rather unsure of what exactly my career will be. I've really enjoyed most parts of my job here since it's allowed me to take on a bunch of roles, allows for me to problem solve, and actually has a see-able outcome at the end of the day or school year.
I was hired to tutor high school students and to counsel them about the entire college application process, but I've also taken on projects dealing with marketing, including writing most of the marketing language that have shown up on the company website and advertisement flyers.
From this job, I've learned I really like writing, enjoy teaching, and can juggle more projects than I thought at a time.
Downsides: I can't really enjoy the holidays due to the timing of application deadlines and I find I'm not too great with dealing with irrationally angry people (I realize this is something I need to work on).
At the same time, I've delved into the world of CrossFit, for better or for worse, which has made me realize I like being healthy and I think I could make a career out of helping other people be healthy! A career path I've considered has been to go back to take some basic science classes, then to graduate school and to become a registered dietitian, which seems like it could let me combine multiple interests in one job.
For what it's worth, the B.A. is in political science from a top 10 US university (doubt this will matter too much for anything aside from grad school considerations) with a pretty good GPA.
So questions:
1) When should I start seriously looking for jobs back in the US? Now? 2 months before my contract is up? Ideally, I'll have something lined up before I leave for the US again.
Extending my contract is also a possibility, but my bosses understand if I want to go back Stateside. Suggestions of possible fields that would suit me would also be very appreciated.
2) Can anyone speak to experiences as a registered dietitian? My university's alumni directory is very lacking in people doing this, and I've only managed to speak to one person in Hong Kong who worked previously as one in the US, so any more information here would be appreciated too!
3) Is there any way for me to network back in the US? I have a decent one in Hong Kong, considering how short I've been here, but from what I gather from (still) unemployed friends right now, landing jobs back stateside won't be too easy and spending time back home living with parents isn't an option if I want to keep shreds of self-confidence and sanity.
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posted by mareli at 9:01 AM on February 1, 2014