<p>This is kind of a random list, but there are some good ones in these "pearls of wisdom" for new grads from Forbes writers:
[quote]
3. Schedule at least one get-together a year with your best college buddies...</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Look for your first job in Asia. Economies are booming and companies are often desperate for educated and skilled job seekers...</p></li>
<li><p>Pick where you want to work and take any job you can get there. Smart people will rise in any organization.</p></li>
<li><p>Dont go to law school unless you really think you will love being a lawyer... </p></li>
<li><p>Get on LinkedIn and have your profs write recommendations for you before you graduate. Start blogging.
<p>Before you move to Asia, you might want to Google “freedom of speech” for the country you are interested in, as well as other basic freedoms we take for granted in the US.</p>
<p>I think the idea in the article is to work there for a few years to gain experience and language skills, hesdjjim, not to participate in the local political process.</p>
<p>I think what the poster meant was that in some professions, such as teaching, it is wise to know what you can and cannot say in the classroom. I remember hearing cases of teachers in some countries being arrested for saying things that were considered controversial, or, apparently, illegal about the national religion and some other philosophical ideas.</p>
<p>I so agree that many kids need to think about jobs outside of the US. This is why truly learning a language in college-reading, writing and speaking it-is so valuable. It’s not just Asia, Latin America is also booming.</p>
<p>The work culture is VERY different in Asia. Countries like S. Korea, Japan, etc. are very top-down. It’s like something out of the 1950s. Be prepared that as a new entry level worker you will work 12hr+ days and not have much say in what you are doing.</p>
<p>I love how Forbes assumes that all the US-educated asians (who make up 50% of the international student cohort in any year) just evaporate into thin air after graduation, and so Asia is just dying for americans with no language skills to please come work for them and their 6 figure salaries.</p>
<p>Pearl of wisdom 29. Dont let magazines do the thinking for you.</p>
<p>To really increase their opportunities students should focus on becoming fluent in a foreign language well before graduation. I’d suggest even taking up one as a second major in college. </p>
<p>I have a student completing her second year and found a great summer job. Her fluency in Mandarin has landed her a well paid position as a blogger for a Chinese magazine seeking to increase it’s international readership. </p>
<p>Similarly, today’s grads need to cast a much wider net and be much more creative to make their way in our present economy. Becoming multilingual lends a great advantage.</p>
<p>Personal safety is very important also. You would want to make sure not to go to countries where crime is very high, where being a foreigner makes you a big target for kidnapping and other violence.</p>
<p>Daughter is teaching English in Thailand for a year-- first job out of college. She found it very difficult at first because of all of the above-mentioned reasons. But she loves living there and is very happy now.</p>
<p>I figure it is because companies in Asia want a foreign face despite less than stellar language skills. I can tell you that companies looking to fill good paying English teaching jobs in China seek someone that does not look Asian, even if their Chinese language skills are way below that of a Chinese-American looking for the same job. It adds to their prestige.</p>