Job Hunting For Oversea Chinese

How to Prepare Performance Review

2010-01-05T08:08:00.001-08:00

While I am preparing my upcoming performance review, I came cross this excellent article written by Samuel Hui, the Career Correspondent Every other Monday. I want to share it with everyone. Here is the original link: http://www.askmen.com/money/professional_100/139_professional_life.html

Your forehead feels damp as you stare down at the form in front of you. Worried, you turn to your colleague and ask what he wrote down. After all, there is safety in numbers… or so you think.

When it comes to performance appraisals and self-evaluations, people often suffer a bout of the chills. Your entire year of work could be riding on what you include in those precious few paragraphs; naturally, it makes sense to be at least a little concerned. But rather than spend your time worrying, put your anxiety aside and try to focus on the task at hand.

I have been both the appraiser and the appraised and I recommend, before writing your self-evaluation, that you decide what you want to accomplish during your review. Build a strong case for yourself by keeping your objectives and the following tips in mind.

review the original goals

Mission accomplished? You certainly hope so.

The best place to start with your self-evaluation is with a look at the goals and expectations that were set out for you at the last review. If this is your first review, look back at the job description.

Ask yourself: "Did I meet the goals and expectations that were set out for me? Did the meeting of these goals and expectations come with a reward

If you can say yes to these questions, the task should be much easier. Focus the first part of your self-evaluation on demonstrating how you met the goals. Make sure to reference the rewards that were anticipated as this might be your one chance to do it.

For instance, if you were expected to show that you could lead a large project team, flush out examples of how your helped the team finish ahead of schedule or how your guidance helped the team overcome difficulties.

make your expectations clear

Indicate how your expectations were formed; cite such things as the promises that were made in your last review or the criteria for others who were promoted.

I once made the mistake of not communicating what I thought was a fair reward for my work. When my expectations were not met, I was embittered about my slight for many months and even considered leaving. However, when I voiced my displeasure I received a promotion -- right away.

It works to voice your expectations. From my current perspective as a manager and a boss, I can now understand how, by not communicating your expectations, you are inadvertently signaling that you would be fine without a reward.

If you failed to live up to the goals set out for you, the emphasis of your self-evaluation should be on what you did accomplish. Try to avoid focusing on your shortcomings, but center your self-evaluation on your strengths and achievements.

Remember your accomplishments when you prepare for your performance review...

focus on accomplishments, not tasks

I have seen so many self-evaluations that resemble a list of duties. Duties place you in a job category and do not distinguish you as a performer or a laggard.

For example, take a second to compare and contrast these to possible answers on a self-evaluation: Supervised the activities of a dozen highly successful sales people.
Under my supervision, the sales of the team grew from X to XY for a gain of XYZ%.
Which answer do you think makes you look like the better performer? I hope you all said the second.

As a boss, I maintain a fair idea of what each member of my staff is doing. I have a good grasp of how busy most of them are and whether they could do with more work or with less. At the same time, I may not know about the little accomplishments that go unheralded because no one has brought them to my attention.

I am always happy to learn when someone is doing a better job than expected. Listing tasks does not accomplish this and listing every small task that you do is even counterproductive. Do not give your supervisor the impression that you are stretching the truth by giving equal weight to the minute and the important.

don't misrepresent yourself
A quick way to lose credibility with your boss is to talk up the demands of your job: When you go on vacation, the truth will be revealed. From personal experience, I feel most irritated if, in the absence of one of my staff, I misallocate resources as a result of his or her deception.

Where possible, focus on tasks that have dominated your work schedule and change it into an accomplishment by finding an example where your success has positively impacted the firm. Feel free to supplement this with any substantial accomplishments that may have been unrelated to your core duties, but were still a huge benefit to the company.

be critical of yourself
What are some reasons you should not get promoted or rewarded? Be someone who is open to criticism and who can learn from it. Invite someone to play the devil's advocate and make a case for why you just do not make the grade.

If you are open to being critiqued, you might be surprised at what you learn about yourself and about how others perceive your performance.

Structure a defense around your weaknesses. Find an example of how you overcame each weakness and use it as evidence that you can and have improved in this area. Your anticipation will take the sting out of the bite when your boss tries to use this "weakness" in his argument for keeping you back.

Think of job interviews when you prepare for your performance review...
The goal of this part should be to give your reviewer as little wiggle space as possible when it comes to not granting you what you want. Do not let your boss off easily. If he or she is reluctant to reward you, make it a very difficult decision to make.

treat it like a job application
The self-evaluation and performance appraisal is much like the application process for a new job. Treat it as an application for a better position and focus on what makes you better than your colleagues.

Take a long-term perspective. Prepare a list of what you want to cover in the review discussion and provide this to your boss well in advance. This will work to ensure that both parties are ready for the meeting.

Grasp the opportunity to set out conditions for your next promotion and pay raise. The importance of these actions are to attain a commitment on what you need to achieve to reach certain goals and rewards. Do not let things fall on the wayside: Arrange a follow-up meeting for any takeaways.

prepare for the future
Getting the most out of your performance appraisal takes effort, but with the right frame of mind and the proper practices, it is a great opportunity to give your career a boost.

如何拒绝offer和辞职

2009-09-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

在我上一篇博客里，我分析了自己最近面对的一个classic delimna. 这个星期，两个offers都来了！！当然很高兴拉，看着offer letters 上的base salary, bonus & relo, and other benefit，这些都是让我很兴奋的数字，比我现在的工作有很不错的增加。特别是那个小公司的offer, 工资开的很搞，很让我心动。现在经济危机，job market也特别不好，我还很幸运的有2个offers 来选择，于是心存感激。

但是我要对其中一个offer say no. 说不，是一件很难的事情。在事业和人生的道路上，我们都要面对很多需要说不的情况。也是如何有技巧的说不就成为了一个知道讨论的话题。这样往往是我们在工作的时候忽略的一项。

在拒绝工作offer的时候，很有必要写一封诚恳的感谢信。因为对方公司在你身上花了很多时间和精力，你也跟很多公司的员工，老板接触和交谈过。他们给你offer说明了对你能力的肯定，也是对你的一种信任。我们必须要对给于我们尊重，肯定和信任的人心存感激。在你信里要真诚的表示感谢，也表达自己愿意跟他们保持联系。这个对建立长久的professional relationship很很必要的，因为business is a small world，很有可能在事业的下一步你还会有机会跟这个公司或者这个hiring manager合作。

同样的道理，在写辞职信的时候，也请诚挚的表达你的谢意，让你的老板和同事知道你enjoy working with them and learned a lot from them. 通常情况下我都会把自己的联系方法告诉同事和老板，并且跟他们常常保持联系。

还有一些人，你也要跟他们update你的新工作。每次换工作，都给你提供了一个很好的networking的机会。比起在需要帮助的时候才联络他们，这是一个多么愉快而有效的机会阿。

请记住，在你的career中有过交集的人都是你networking的机会。常常有读者写信问我，如何才能networking，呵呵，其实秘诀就是一点一滴的积累，在不需要别人帮助的时候才是最好的networking 的机会。还有哦，有付出才有收获，networking也是这样，give and take，所以请也热心的帮助你的朋友同事，特别是我们中国同胞。：）

Classic Dilemma

2009-09-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

I haven’t written for this blog for a while. I was busy with other things in my life, such as green card application, house hunting, reading tones of books, and job hunting. Yes, I have been looking a new position inactively for the last two months. Even though my job is stable at this moment, I learn early on that the best time to look a job is when you still have a job. For me, I always believe that you should never stop looking for next step in your career, or things to do to improve yourself.

Both opportunities came in the same week, and interviews were scheduled fairly quickly. I just finished all the interviews with both companies, and now in the waiting mode. While I was telling those two opportunities to my friend yesterday over coffee, I realized it is the classic dilemma many people will face in their careers: Big corporate vs. Small company. Therefore, I decide to share my own experiences and thoughts with you.

Company A: it is the leader in the industry, a major competitor of my current company.

Company B: a small company in a nicer geographic location.

While they both offer a similar position, they have different pros & cons:

Big corporate:

Pros:

· Golden name: it will look better in the resume. It is always easier to move from a big company to a small one, but verse vise could be difficult. This is even important when you want to move back to China eventually, a big name is certainly very marketable.

· More resources and budget: It means less stress work and more work-life balance.

· Better benefit

Cons:

· Hard to get promotion or pay increase: big corporate is not very flexible in terms of pay due to the detail compensation policy. It is hard to get promotion or pay raise, usually it will takes years.

· Not many challenges: there are not many other things you can do outside of your job scope and tasks. Based on my personal experience, big corporate job can be boring.

· Lack of recognitions: it is hard to navigate through a big company with tens thousands of employers. A lot of times you don’t know many people outside of your team. Therefore, hardly anyone knows what you do and how good you are.

Small Company:

Pros:

· Recognitions and engagements: in a small company, it is not uncommon that a lot people within the organization know you. You get more respects and recognitions for your accomplishments.

· Easier Promotion and Pay Raise: small company often is flexible in the salary. If you are a top performer and bring value to your company, it is easier to negotiate a pay raise or promotion than in big corporate.

· Challenges: employees in a small company are expected to work very hard, and play multiple roles. Therefore, you often end up with a lot of work in different areas. It will keep you busy and challenge you. You will certainly learn a lot in a short period of time.

Cons:

· No name: less recognizable name adds much less value in your resume

· Less resources and more stress

· Less job security (of course, nowadays there is no more stable or job security. Both small and big companies’ employees are facing mass layoff possibility.)

I think what you choose it really a personal choice, and can be vary in different career or life stages. Ultimately, it is all about what do you really want from your career. Just remember, life is not perfect and you cannot get all: money, work-life balance, respect, or sense of accomplishment. You have to follow your mind and heart, and make hard choices.

Dear readers, what will you choose?

管理你的网络形象

2009-06-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

Manage Your Online Presence

管理你的网络形象

最近一直在WSJ上读“Laid Off and Looking" Blog, 讲的是８个下岗的MBA找工作的过程。挺有趣的，也蛮有启发性的，特别是读者发表的观点。其中有一篇博客讲到网络形象对找工作的影响，我觉得很有意思，所以今天我也来讲讲我的一些想法。

大家是不是跟我一样，每次在面试前都会对要面试我的人做个网络search, 我通常会在Linkedin.com OR Google搜索他们的名字，来了解他们的背景和兴趣。我通常会想了解他们的career path, education background, area of interests and expertises, hobbies or other significant aspects of their career and life. 所以，作为一个潜在的人选，或者被面试的人，被HR or hiring manager 搜索的可能性很大。那么管理自己的网络形象就变的很重要。

管理网络形象分两个部分：一个是减少或者消除负面形象和影响；二是积极有效的宣传自己。

如何减少或者消除负面影响呢？我的个人建议是在找工作的期间把自己的facebook, myspace or other personal social networks 账户暂时关闭，你不想自己的未来雇主看到太多你的个人信息和照片吧？在Google里搜索自己的名字，看看有什么结果。尽量减少任何对你找工作不利的信息。还有一个很重要的事情，往往被我们忽略。那就是如果你写Blog或者有自己的个人网站, 希望雇主看到的，那么一定要注意不要有spelling or grammar errors.

如何积极有效的推销自己呢？我在之前一篇Market Yourself的文章里提到过网络是推销自己的一个很重要的渠道。首先可以利用自己的professional social network,我个人很喜欢linkedin.com，建议是花写时间在上面完善自己的proflie和扩展自己的professional network. 如果你在上面有很好的推荐，记得在自己的简历上列出Linkedin profile的link. 如果有时间，可以参加一些linkedin's groups，参加这些组的讨论等等。总是合理利用上面的不同资源，对找工作会有很大的帮助。其次，如果有能力和时间，我建议建立一个专署找工作的网站，将自己的简历，成果，自我介绍等等列出来，然后写在自己的简历上。我听过不少成功故事，算是一个让自己脱颖而出的渠道。

总的来说，网络形象是我们个人形象很重要的一个部分，对我们的事业发展和个人生活都有很深的影响。特别是在现在这个困难的时期，任何能够帮助我们找工作的途径都需要充分利用起来。记得，网络是把双刃刀，不光要利用它推销自己，还要将其的负面影响减少到最小。

How to overcome the discouragement in your job search?

2009-06-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article on Fortune.com named “Keep the job-search blues at bay” by Anne Fisher (http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/03/news/economy/job.search.discouraged.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009060409), which talks about not giving up, and some tips to get moving again. It reminds me about my own personal situation now. I still have my job, but I almost gave up my efforts to find a job in my husband’s city. Of course, there is a significant difference between my situation and people who got laid off or just come out of school that desperately need a job to stay in US. However, I think there are some similarities in term of solutions。Here are my 2-cents:

1. Treat it like a full time job: If you are looking for a job, the search itself is a full-time job. This is an important mindset and commitment. It requires your attention, dedication, and a lot of time. My suggestion is to set aside 4 hours per day to conduct all job hunting related activities, such as polish/customize your resume and cover letter, keep in touch with your network contacts, search and apply job online.
2. Develop a detailed action plan: as the article said, you should develop a daily action plan. Make a list of each hour’s activity. It is easier to follow if you have a plan.
For example:
9-9:30 am: watch news (business and industry)
9:30-10 am: research job openings and company info
10-12 am: customize resume and cover letter based on the job description
12-1:30 am: lunch break
1:30-3:00 am: find/contact people in your network who can introduce or work for the target companies
3. Focus on what you can do better rather than negative emotions: Ok, let’s face it. The environment is very hash for our foreign workers, and job hunting has become much more difficult. There are hopes, rejections, and there are many disappointments, frustration, and other negative feelings throughout the whole process. Sometimes, it may be tempting to just give up looking in this tough job market, or feel depressed. However, remember we simply cannot change the big environment, and there are very few things we can do to change companies' hiring policy or selection. What we can do is learn to deal and cope with it. That said, instead of focusing on your negative emotions after rejections, you should focus on the lessons you learn from the interview process, and what you can do better next time around. Sharpen your weapons for the next battle, rather than cry for the lost battle. Sometimes, there is no need to take it too personal.
4. Find someone to share and support you: It is very important to find someone can understand your feeling and job hunting experience (you can email me J), as well as someone can cheer you up and be happy for your achievement. Emotion is a critical part of job hunting. In order to overcome the discouragimg reality, you need mental support. Your family, friends, class-mates are good candidates to share your job hunting experience. It is a bonding time with them, love is a powerful motivation.
5. Keep eyes on the goals and your dream: Don’t let yourself forget your goals in the long run, and don’t forget your dream. Remind yourself every day, what is important to you, and why you fight hard for them.
6. Give yourself a break!! I know job hunting is exhausting, and can be depressing from time to time. Therefore, you need to give yourself a break once a while. Taking your mind off job hunting for a while is a good way to recharge yourself. Read a book, watch a movie or tv show, or take a short trip with your love ones. Switch your mind to other things in life are important for you.

In summary, job hunting is a phase of our career life, and everyone has to face it. In the current market, the process is going be to longer than usual. As an oversea Chinese, we are facing more obstacles. So we need fight harder, and work harder. Write to me, if you want to. J

Job Hunting in a Recession for H1-Bs, Tips for Survival

2009-05-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Job Hunting in a Recession for H1-Bs

Tips for Survival

I knew, things are tough right now for everyone in the United States, and even tougher for people who need H1-B visa. Not only there are far few companies are still hiring, but even fewer of them are willing to sponsor H1-Bs. For example, as a TRAP money recipient, my company decided to stop hiring H1-Bs, and will no longer renew H1-B visas for current holders in the company. Therefore, like many of my readers, I soon will have to start job hunting again in this bad economy.

Alright, let’s talk about what we can do to face the huge challenges in front of us. Here are some tips for survival:

Redefine Your Options: Does the industry or line of work you like offer little promise of employment in the coming months? If so, now is a good time to step back to identify the projected top performing industries and jobs for H1-Bs. For example, investment banking is a dying field, so allocate your efforts into other industries that are still hiring, such as health care, IT and government related jobs. Be flexible in term of geography locations, salary, titles, and other aspects of position. Narrow down your list of companies to only those who sponsor H1-Bs. You can find them by a Google search.
Switch Your Focus: Start asking yourself the question, "What's in it for them?" as opposed to, "What's in it for me?" Especially in an economic downturn, you'll want to stay focused on what you can do for your next employer. Show them that you understand the macroeconomic "bigger picture" of the role you play in moving the company forward, and the immediately contributions you can make.
Marketing Results not Skills：Leave behind that old mindset that your job-related skills or length of service are selling factors. The new mindset is to think of you as a mini profit-and-loss center rather than just an employee. Employers today buy results and are less impressed with candidates promoting a long laundry list of skills. Highlights your accomplishments rather than your skill sets in resume.
Show the Bottom Line: The recession has made the private sector economy even more bottom-line oriented than ever. Hiring managers categorize employees into one of two distinct groups:those who help make money, and those who help save money. Collect specific examples of the benefits that your company gained from the work you've already performed. Clarify the specific benefit your company received by making money or saving money, and write them down.
Achievements get You into the Door: Employers don't hire employees, they hire problem-solvers. Your new resume should be a hard-hitting sales tool designed to accomplish one goal: get the interview. To demonstrate this, add a specific achievements list to your resume. Take the list that you developed in the previous section and hone it down to your biggest and most notable accomplishments. Now, describe the benefit that your employer gained from each example. This will put you several steps ahead of your job-seeking competitors. Plus, you'll now have some talking points ready for that next phone interview.
Networking harder: In the downtime, networking became even more important. As a foreigner, you really need network as hard as you can. I knew, it is extremely difficult for us to overcome our shy nature or comfort zone. But the reality is, network is not even an option anymore, it becomes a necessary step of job hunting.

The words from the other side of table-5

2009-05-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

"Networking, networking, networking. Very important, especially in a tough economy. Be a go-getter. Be proactive. Get involved in professional activities, such as seminars, networking/social events.

I am in IT industry and often there are IT professionals from India reaching out to me for various business and career related inquiries and networking invitivations. Almost no single Chinese reached out to me across the ocean or within the states. Isn't it telling?

The problem may be deeply rooted in the culture. Your blog is certainly a step in the right direction. "

-----------George Shen

Director of Business Intelligence, The Hackett Group

Note: George is someone I met via Linkedin, and he is so friendly to share some of the wisdom he learned throughout his own career in US. As he pointed out, networking is very important, and sometimes requires we come out of our comfort zone. Please refer to the networking post for detail discussion.

The words from the other side of table-4

2009-05-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

"There are so many variables impacting job searches for everyone and in particular recent immigrants it is hard to know where to start. Just some random thoughts: a) don't over-kill work ethic, we get it already, 2) be forward looking not dwelling entirely on past accomplishments, vision vs details, 3) unless the job tries to connect with China in some way focus on communication skills, 4) don't put on an act to be American ."

--------- Dr. Bruce Wicks

Associate Professor at University of Illinois

Bruce is more than my advisor/ex-boss when I was studying in UIUC, he is my mentor and friend. I will always remember that no matter what, we need always be true to ourself, to our root.

From the other side of table-3

2009-05-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

I am Chinese-American and have been raised in the US. I am fluent in American-English (I consider myself more American than Chinese in culture) and am conversationally fluent in Mandarin. I have worked with many Chinese students that have only recently come to the US for schooling or employment. I have also been a mentor for international students in teaching them how to become effective Teaching Assistants in universities. As I agree with Dan's suggestions in becoming more fluent in the language (always a plus for any non-native speaker), I definitely agree with Sally-Anne's main point about understanding the culture of the workplace in the US. I think that is the most important point.

There are significant differences btw the way people present themselves in China and the US. The Chinese culture values the appearance of humbleness while the American culture emphasizes confidence and marketability. Of course there is a line btw confidence and super-ego but many Chinese feel uncomfortable presenting themselves in any manner above-humbleness. However the quality of exuding confidence is important to get noticed for job-hunting, to get clients to take you seriously, or moving up on the corporate ladder. A huge problem I see in my parent's Chinese friends is that they can work incredibly diligently and hard but they just can't seem to get a promotion, raise, or move anywhere at work. Why? LANGUAGE and CULTURE barriers and the fear or inability to move past them.

A Chinese person can present their resumes and themselves the best way possible and can have significant relevant experience, but will have trouble if they don't "sell" themselves the same way as Americans. I personally think the best solution to this problem would be to find a friend or mentor (preferably Chinese-American) who can talk to the Chinese students. Talking is the best way to break into a culture. That was my role for a year as a mentor and it had helped many international students. They gain experience from talking back and also from watching the mentor's mannerisms in speaking and acting.

-----------

Linda Zhang

MS Biomed Eng grad seeking career opps in science, engineering, or consulting.

From the other side of table-2

2009-05-13T16:17:00.001-07:00

The first and foremost hiring concern for any hiring manager considering a non-native English speaker is the level of communications skill they bring -- one can't very well instruct a subordinate who doesn't understand them, and it's difficult to give too much time to a direct report who is unable to ask questions in clearly understood language.

Conversely, Chinese languages (Mandarin particularly, but collectively including Wu, Min and Cantonese, etc.) rank among the most spoken in the world and are expected to grow in business influence and use over the next 30-40 years (as are Portuguese, Russian and certain of the more widely used Indian languages like Hindi) as the so-called “BRIC” countries (Brazil, Russia, India & China) grow in economic power. Fluency with financial or business terms in Mandarin particularly is considered a desirable trait.

There is a need for strong English fluency, and strong fluency in certain Chinese languages as well. A good resume, cover letter and even a blog can show both.

With respect to English, having resumes, cover letters and any public statements proofread by native speakers is a very helpful way to avoid tipping off less-than-perfect fluency. Any two different languages will almost always have differences in phrasing with respect to gender, verb placement/conjugation and modifiers (adverbs, adjectives) that natives might uncover more readily than non-natives. It’s a wise idea to build up a network of folks to draw proof-reading from, and it’s also a good idea to spend as much time immersed in the spoken and written words to further enhance fluency where appropriate. If one’s education was obtained internationally, it would be wise to highlight English-only coursework.

With respect to Chinese, fluency can be demonstrated using some of the same tools – for example, if a position asks for Mandarin fluency, why not have a two-part resume on a single document in Word – one version in English, one in Mandarin? Any Chinese language research papers, blogs, newsletter interviews should be highlighted as such.

Finally, any relevant specialized fluency in specific terminology (for example: medical, business, engineering) in one or the other language should be plainly stated.

----------------

Dan Ogden

Job Search Coach

http://www.lookseemove.com

The words from the other side of table-1

2009-04-22T17:05:00.001-07:00

Here is the first post from my "The words from the other side of the table", which provides perspectives from the hiring managers and other related experts:

"There are some good tips about how to interview, etc., in these answers. The importance of both language and culture has been mentioned. (And you even have advice on your blog about what to wear, too.)

I’d like to add: If your readers are just graduating from university, an employer might have two big questions about hiring them. But both questions also apply to American university graduates!

1) How good are their communication skills? Not only do they speak, understand, read and write English well (which is more of a challenge for an international student but, sadly, also applies to Americans to some extent), but also: Are they good listeners? Can they take feedback well? Can they express company policies politely and positively to customers?

2) Do they understand business etiquette for the work world? For example, will they interact well with coworkers? Do they know when it’s appropriate to ask for time off? Do they have business social skills for company events or meeting clients?

These kinds of questions are so interesting for business people, young and older, that newspapers, business magazines and blogs, and job websites feature them again and again. It’s a great idea to start reading them before you graduate. Your readers might also like to know that there's a book about the multi-cultural aspect (“Recruiting, Retaining, and Promoting Culturally Different Employees” by Lionel Laroche and Don Rutherford) and I have written about these questions for ESL speakers on my website (see link).

For many young people who are looking for their first job, having a mentor (as Linda says) or experience in a volunteer or internship placement is very useful. From their experience they can get a reference. And that reference should be able to give positive answers to questions like those above, which will be very reassuring to a prospective employer.

The above two questions address “soft skills.” Of course, a potential employer will also want to know about candidates’ “hard skills.”
3) Do they have the knowledge and skills required for the job? Or can they learn them quickly? This is where your degree, as well as any work experience, plays a role.

Hard skills are important for getting the job – because soft skills are difficult to assess from a resume and interview – but soft skills will help you keep the job and get promoted.

All the best to you and your readers."

---Joan Bartel, ESL Curriculum Specialist and Facilitator:

Business soft skills and language for internationally educated professionals

See www.OfficeSoftSkills.com for her biography and for tutorials on soft skills.

Other-side Perspectives

2009-04-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

I am seeking advice and suggestions from my business contacts regarding job hunting for Chinese, and I am getting some really good information from them. It is quite interesting to get some "other-side" perspectives. In the next few days, I will post some of their feedback in my blog. Hope you find them informative and useful.

And, thank you for all the people contribute to my topic.

There is always another option!

2009-04-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

They’re Taking Their Brains and Going Home

They’re Taking Their Brains and Going Home - washingtonpost.com.

By Vivek Wadhwa

Sunday, March 8, 2009; Page B02

Seven years ago, Sandeep Nijsure left his home in Mumbai to study computer science at the University of North Texas. Master’s degree in hand, he went to work for Microsoft. He valued his education and enjoyed the job, but he worried about his aging parents. He missed watching cricket, celebrating Hindu festivals and following the twists of Indian politics. His wife was homesick, too, and her visa didn’t allow her to work.

Not long ago, Sandeep would have faced a tough choice: either go home and give up opportunities for wealth and U.S. citizenship, or stay and bide his time until his application for a green card goes through. But last year, Sandeep returned to India and landed a software development position with Amazon.com in Hyderabad. He and his wife live a few blocks from their families in a spacious, air-conditioned house. No longer at the mercy of the American employer sponsoring his visa, Sandeep can more easily determine the course of his career. “We are very happy with our move,” he told me in an e-mail.

The United States has always been the country to which the world’s best and brightest — people like Sandeep — have flocked in pursuit of education and to seek their fortunes. Over the past four decades, India and China suffered a major “brain drain” as tens of thousands of talented people made their way here, dreaming the American dream.

But burgeoning new economies abroad and flagging prospects in the United States have changed everything. And as opportunities pull immigrants home, the lumbering U.S. immigration bureaucracy helps push them away.

When I started teaching at Duke University in 2005, almost all the international students graduating from our Master of Engineering Management program said that they planned to stay in the United States for at least a few years. In the class of 2009, most of our 80 international students are buying one-way tickets home. It’s the same at Harvard. Senior economics major Meijie Tang, from China, isn’t even bothering to look for a job in the United States. After hearing from other students that it’s “impossible” to get an H-1B visa — the kind given to highly-skilled workers in fields such as engineering and science — she teamed up with a classmate to start a technology company in Shanghai. Investors in China offered to put up millions even before 23-year-old Meijie and her 21-year-old colleague completed their business plan.

When smart young foreigners leave these shores, they take with them the seeds of tomorrow’s innovation. Almost 25 percent of all international patent applications filed from the United States in 2006 named foreign nationals as inventors. Immigrants founded a quarter of all U.S. engineering and technology companies started between 1995 and 2005, including half of those in Silicon Valley. In 2005 alone, immigrants’ businesses generated $52 billion in sales and employed 450,000 workers.

Yet rather than welcome these entrepreneurs, the U.S. government is confining many of them to a painful purgatory. As of Sept. 30, 2006, more than a million people were waiting for the 120,000 permanent-resident visas granted each year to skilled workers and their family members. No nation may claim more than 7 percent, so years may pass before immigrants from populous countries such as India and China are even considered.

Like many Indians, Girija Subramaniam is fed up. After earning a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia in 1998, she joined Texas Instruments as a test engineer. She wanted to stay in the United States, applied for permanent residency in 2002 and has been trapped in immigration limbo ever since. If she so much as accepts a promotion or, heaven forbid, starts her own company, she will lose her place in line. Frustrated, she has applied for fast-track Canadian permanent residency and expects to move north of the border by the end of the year.

For the Kaufmann Foundation, I recently surveyed 1,200 Indians and Chinese who worked or studied in the United States and then returned home. Most were in their 30s, and 80 percent held master’s degrees or doctorates in management, technology or science — precisely the kind of people who could make the greatest contribution to the U.S. economy. A sizable number said that they had advanced significantly in their careers since leaving the United States. They were more optimistic about opportunities for entrepreneurship, and more than half planned to start their own businesses, if they had not done so already. Only a quarter said that they were likely to return to the United States.

Why does all this matter? Because just as the United States has relied on foreigners to underwrite its deficit, it has also depended on smart immigrants to staff its laboratories, engineering design studios and tech firms. An analysis of the 2000 Census showed that although immigrants accounted for only 12 percent of the U.S. workforce, they made up 47 percent of all scientists and engineers with doctorates. What’s more, 67 percent of all those who entered the fields of science and engineering between 1995 and 2006 were immigrants. What will happen to America’s competitive edge when these people go home?

Immigrants who leave the United States will launch companies, file patents and fill the intellectual coffers of other countries. Their talents will benefit nations such as India, China and Canada, not the United States. America’s loss will be the world’s gain.

Interview Shopping List

2009-04-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

People asked me what they should wear to an interview. Therefore, I am going to create a shopping list for the stuff you need for job hunting/interviews.

For man:

Dark suite: high quality and fit, either black or navy blue, solid color preferred
Two collar shirts: light color, white or baby blue is good choice, solid color or strips
Black dress shoes
Dark color socks
A couple of ties: solid or stripes
Leather interview portfolio

For woman:

Dark suit: skirt (don't be too short) or pant, well fit
Two collar shirts: light color, white or baby blue is good choice
Black dress shoes: some kind of heels (low or medium height)
Medium size should bag: professional look, don't be too flashy
Hosiery
Leather interview portfolio

Look sharp, professional, dress to impress, and you will get the job!!!

Onsite Interview

2009-04-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Onsite是每个人都梦寐以求的机会，也是让大家很头痛的事情。由于语言，文化等的根

本差异，相对美国人来说，我们有着很明显的劣势。但是我们必须对自己

充满信心，如果说整个找工作的过程是一场持续很久的战争，那么onsite interview就是就有决定性的一战。如果你被邀请去onsite，那就意味着公司对你很满意，不然不会愿意花这么多钱来安排。

Onsite的主要目的是为了公司对你进行面对面的更深入的了解，但是作为我们来说，这也是一个非常好的机会了解未来公司的文化，工作环境等等。对你在最后做决定的时候，这些都是非常宝贵的信息，千万不可以忽视。记得这也是一个双向考察的过程。

概括起来，Onsite interview 有以下几个很关键的组成部分：

1. 最初的安排：由于每个公司的报销和旅行安排policy不一样，你要跟公司协商好旅程的安排。记得要留给自己充足的时间，以免由于意外而耽误时间。我个人的建议是如果允许的话安排在星期五面试。星期五一般公司都没有太忙碌，大家也会相对心情比较轻松。这样能够对谈话的时间和氛围有所帮助。记得你要带好公司的地址和联系方法,

还要保存好所有的收据。如果对所在城市不是很了解，记得做一些research.

2. 面试着装：很多人问我，面试要穿什么，我的建议是business suit. 投资买一套合身的深色西服，浅色的衬衣，深色的皮鞋深色的袜子。女生如果穿skirt,记得穿长袜。总的原则是不要太花俏，要professional.

记得头发，指甲都要整齐干净。

3. 对公司的研究：去onsite前，一定要对公司做好很深的了解，如果你在申请这个职位，或者phone interview之前没有做好充分的了解，那么这次一定要对他们的产品和服务很熟悉。同时要对在面试的时候将要遇到的人都做一个了解，记得要问hr要一份interview schedule, 那么你就会知道对方的名字，职位和面试时间。我一般都会google

将要面试我的人，对于他们的背景，毕业的学校有个了解。这样便于我到时候跟他们的沟通，也为small talk积累话题。还有一个很好的工具就是linkedin.com，上面一般都能找到别人的professional background. 如果你认识onsite公司里的人，请务必向他们打听一些跟你职位相关的信息.

4. 随身带的东西：带一个interview portfolio,里面放几份resume,interview script,reference list和 list of questions. 关于interview script我在phone interview的文章里已经介绍过了，其中包括一些对常见问题的答案，你的自我介绍等等。这个你一定要已经很熟练的记住了。你还好准备a list of questions you want to ask during the onsite. 根据你对面试人的研究，你可能会问不同的问题。

5. Small talk: 大家都知道onsite的时候面试包括formal和informal.很多人对如何make small talk感到很困惑。我知道这个很大时候取决于一个人的性格和对美国文化的理解程度。但是为了应付onsite,我在这里可以给大家介绍一些话题：你可以聊聊当地的天气和住宿情况，如果你有足够的知识可以聊聊ncaa的比赛，比如篮球，橄榄球等，如果你跟面试人是校友，记得聊聊学校。如果你知道面试人得过什么奖，不妨聊聊。还有industry的新闻什么的。员工福利，企业活动等都是比较常见的话题。

6. Things to do before you leave: 在面试的过程中可以做些notes，这样不光给人虚心好学的印象，也会给你之后写thank you letter的时候积累话题。在每一个面试结束后，要问面试人要名片，如果他没有名片，至少要问他的email address. 在结束面试后记得一定要去见你的面试接待人，一般都是hr.要问hr什么时候会知道决定，any feedbacks等。如果需要报销，记得问hr所需要的手续。

7. Follow ups: 面试后记得要给所有给你面试过的人写一封thank you letter. 感谢信要简短，但最好提到一两个你们面试中提到的话题（这时候note就起到作用了）。

8. Salary:面试过程中最好不要直接进行salary negotiation.如果被问到这个问题，要表现的比较flexible, 可以给出一个range,尽量不要说死一个数字。

总的来说，做好充分的准备，然后relax，be yourself是onsite成功的关键。如果你对onsite是很害怕的人，那么一定要多下点功夫在interview script上。可以找别人做role play的练习，所谓熟能生巧，只要你反复练习，很快你就会说的很顺口和熟练了。加油哦！

Golf & Job Hunting

2009-04-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

我喜欢打高尔夫,呵呵. 这项运动在全世界这么流行是有原因的, 其中很重要的一个原因,也是跟job hunting之间相关的一点就是the idea behind golf: challenging yourself. 我有机会打了很多场高尔夫, breathtaking mountain courses, oceanfront courses, etc. Sometimes I hit some really bad shots that let me feel so frustrated. But other times I might make some beautiful & magical shots that let me feel so good about myself. But no matter what, they are part of golf, high moments and down moments. It just likes job hunting. 有时候你发出去的简历没有回音,或者你在面试的时候没有表现好,让你感觉非常的沮丧和难过,开始怀疑自己. 可也有时候,你有很多的面试,很多正面的进展, 让你觉得信心满满,非常高兴. 这些高高低低都是找工作的一部分,我们要学会接受. 跟高尔夫一样, 在这样的过程中我们不断的挑战自我,超越自我. 要学会在低潮的时候认真地总结,为什么我的简历没人理,有没有什么地方我可以改进的? 我有没有认真的根据招聘启事修改我的简历?我有没有errors? 是不是内容?还是格式? 为什么自己面试表现不好, 有哪些方面我能够改进的, 哪些问题我没有回答好,如果下次被问到类似的问题我该怎么回答?等等......某种意义上来说在低潮的时候,我们能够学到更多的东西. 当顺利的时候,当然要乘胜追击, 那样的时候我们往往比较自信,通常表现和发挥也会更好.

还有一个道理也非常的重要.高尔夫虽然要跟别人竞争,但是我觉得它最根本的意义还是在于自我的竞争. 我们找工作也一样.表面上你是跟其他申请人竞争, 但是其实你最终的对手还是你自己. 很多人的失败都是败在自己手里,比如准备不充分, 心态不好,职位不合适, 简历没写好, 不写感谢信, 不注意细节 (这个我在后面的篇幅里会详细举例说明!!).

最后就是打高尔夫most important thing is not what score you get in the end, but enjoy yourself. 找工作也是, 最重要的不是多少工资的工作你找到, 而是找到一个合适你, 有发展机会, 你自己喜欢的工作. 并且享受这个过程……

Evaluate/Accept Offer

2009-04-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

Keywords: Be true to yourself, Money is not everything

恭喜！如果你点到这个章节，那就说明你已经有job offer了.我知道你work so hard for it. 不过请不要松懈，因为这是最后也是最关系你切身利益的一步。在高兴兴奋之余，请冷静下来认真的分析这个offer是否合适你，是不是你能得到的最好的，当决定接受后，还要争取最高的工资！

Evaluating:

有很多因素决定is this the right offer for you. 而每个人都有自己的考虑，no one knows better than you. And money is not everything!! 那么你在self-analysis阶段积累的信息现在就可以派上用处了：

Base Salary: is it meet your expectations? Enough to support your or your family's life style? Is it a fair price?
Work/lifestyle values: 尽可能的了解那个企业的文化，工作氛围。看看是否适合你，当你工作以后你就会知道那是多么的重要。我们都要花这么多时间上班，一定要尽量让自己能找个开心舒服的环境。
行业和机构：要了解这个行业和公司的稳定性和前景。比如这个行业有没有大批量的裁员，未来发展的前景如果等等。这些对你将来的职业发展有很深远的影响。
工作内容：了解平时需要做些什么，跟哪些人打交道等等。
Compensation package and other benefits: 不要忘记考虑其他福利，比如stock, 401k match, vacation days, sick days, personal days, relocation, bouns, education reimbursement, medical and other insurance, and other extras.
所在地方和城市：你需要了解所在地方适不适合你的生活习惯和个人追求，消费水平，气候和发展程度。工作其实只是我们生活的一个部分，你也要考虑其他方面的需求。
移民政策：这个对我们来说非常重要，比如公司是否帮助申请绿卡，工作多久才能开始这个程序等等。

权衡了以上这些因素以后，你会做一个决定说是否愿意接受.当想清楚之后要开始negotiation.

Salary Negotiation:

我知道很多人担心如果自己negotiate 工资，公司可能就会不要你了。根据我自己的经历和招人过程，我可以告诉你其实不需要害怕。原因有以下几点：

招人是一个很长和耗精力的过程：在美国很多时候需要６个月时间来招到人。有些特殊要求的职位往往更长时间。所以用人经理没有那么多时间和精力，也不愿意不停的反复面试人。而且招人的费用很高。
每个职位都是有一个salary range，有时候这个区间非常的大。比如在我公司，同样的职位最高和最低的工资可以差到１００％。
公司也不想你因为太低的工资而拒绝他，所以你有主动权。

那么，要怎么样才能知道自己的fair value呢？ Research!!! 对于我们H1-B来说，有一个最好的办法来知道通常这个公司都给这个职位多少钱。因为所有H1-B applications都是public records, 所以我们可以美国The Foreign Labor Certification Data Center的网站上查到the prevailing wage. 你可以在useful links Section找到它的链接。如果那里没有你要找的公司和职位，那么还有很多其他工资网站可以用，比如： http://www.myvisajobs.com/Salary.aspx， salary.com等等。

记住，在开始讨价还价的时候要开出比自己心里底线高一些的数字，但不要太过分。语气和措辞要礼貌和冷静，记得be professional, don't take it too personal.

最后，你可以在网上找到关于接受和拒绝offer信的模板。记得要在deadline之前给人答复。有时候你脱的太久就意味着你的同胞少一个机会，所以请注意人品。：）

End Results: New Start of another long journey

Networking

2009-04-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

今天我想写写关于我一个朋友的经历，从他身上我们可以学到关于很多networking的东西.

我朋友top 25 左右的 MBA，没有在美国的工作经验，在国内一个不错的市场研究公司工作过几年。可是人不善于言辞，英语口语不怎么好. 可他身上就是有那么韧劲, 找工作非常的有计划有步骤,对于networking也非常的上心. 毕业前, 想去参加一个工业界的会议, 但是注册费要近$2000. 他于是给组办单位写信询问有没discount for MBA students. 主办单位的人回信说没有,但是need someone to help with some side works, can waive registration fee. 于是他自己花钱买了机票, 定了酒店就去了. 因为帮助组织工作,他收集了非常多的contacts. 开会的三天,他利用一切机会去认识业界人士. 会议结束后, 他收集了大概300 个人的 contact information. 有选择的给其中近200写了信, 半数以上的人都回了信,帮他介绍人,递简历,提供面试机会等等. 光这一次会议的networking, 他就拿到了50多个phone interviews, 20 多个on-site interviews. 还从中找到了业界很有影响力的几位人物做mentor. 很多在会议上认识的经理们都很佩服他的extra efforts.

我也很佩服他,从他身上受到很多的启发和鼓舞. 仔细想想, 大家在开会的时候通常心情比较好, 也容易认识. 回来后给他们写信的时候也方便开场, 对他们来说你是跟他们比较好地回忆联系在一起的,他们通常会有印象,也会比较乐意给你回信. 我知道很多人都会担心别人不搭理我们, 其实他们中的大多数人都经历过我们这样一个阶段,只要你身上有他们欣赏的地方,他们大都愿意给你提供建议和帮助. 而他们的举手之劳对我们来说都可能是非常宝贵的机会. 常常有网友问我,去哪里找mentor. 嗬嗬, 这样的场合就很有机会结识能够,也愿意给你做mentor的人. 我那个朋友的mentors都是在他身上看到当年他们的影子,或者被他的某些东西给打动. 当然了,我不是要建议大家都这么做, 只是觉得他身上的这种精神值得我们学习.

我个人的感觉是, networking 不能够太多顾虑. 前思后想的,很多时候都是我们在做不同的假设,自己下不了决心去做.说到底还是个心态问题. 其实networking opportunities are everywhere. 当然了, 我们也要了解networking是一个循序渐进的过程,而不是立竿见影的. 短时间内没有看到效果,不要以为自己的功夫都白花了, 说不定什么时候就用上了. 跟很多事情一样, networking 也不能太急功近利. 慢慢积累, 这些networking contacts不光对你找工作有帮助, 找到工作后做好工作, 升职阿, 跳槽啊,创业阿都会有意想不到的帮助,总之这是个不断积累的过程.

Phone Interview

2009-04-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Keywords: Listen, take note, structure, ask right questions

我知道电话面试对很多人来说都是很头痛的一个问题，我在最初的时候也很烦恼。但是有一点我想先澄清一下，那就是不要觉得电话面试只有我们外国人才头痛，其实一般的美国人也都为这个困扰着。所以啊，我们首先要树立信心。

首先我想先说说电话面试的种类。大致来说可以把phone interview根据who conducts分成2个大类: HR or Hiring manager. 这两类面试的内容侧重不同，我在后面再慢慢分析。而这两类又可以细分成两类：structured or unstructured. 顾名思义，structured phone interview 就是HR or Hiring manager 事先准备好了很多的问题，给你电话面试的时候就会照着手里纸上的问题一个一个问下来。而unstructured的常常就是想到那里问那里。这两种类型都有它的难度，每个人的偏好也不一样，我个人比较喜欢unstructured,觉得比较容易获得主动权，交流的感觉比较多。当然了，如果想要master the phone interview, 我们要学会熟练的应付无论哪一种类型的面试。

通常来说 HR会多问很多behavioral的问题，就算问到technique的问题，也会比较浅显. 有很多理工科的人会觉得HR 都不懂技术上的东西，如何才能跟她/他证明自己的实力，通过screen是一个很大的难关。我这里要说说一个我自己总结的对策。记得我反复在以前文章里强调对job description 的keyword analysis，这个对phone interview也有着相当重要的作用。想想看，HR他/她不懂那些技术上的东西，对她/他来说screen唯一的信息依据和武器就是hiring manager给出的job description. 所以如果你对其中的keywords理解得很透彻，在交谈中也反复提到，那么通过的可能信就会很大。切忌跟HR说很晦涩的学术术语，一般来说他们也听不动。要用他们能听懂的方式来回答问题, Present information in a comprehensive way. 对于behavioral 问题，千万不能轻视。要如何才能在短短的时间能回答好这类问题呢？没有别的捷径，只有通过充分的准备，反复的联系。我之前已经强调过要写一个interview script, 在里面准备一些面试中常被问到的问题，比如tell me yourself, why you are the best candidate? Give me an example of your organizational skills/analytical skills/leadership skills? Walk me through a project you done? What is your biggest accomplish? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Etc. 市面上有很多关于面试问题的书，网上也是一大
把，自己好好收集总结，写好有自己特色的回答是最难，也是最关键的。要多花时间打好这个草稿，然后根据自己的一次次面试来总结修改，反复练习，到最后你就会发觉自己很自然的能够都记住，对答如流了。

一般情况下，HR或者hiring manager 会给你写信或者打个电话约个时间进行正式的电话面试，有的时候也会直接打来就要面试，在这样的情况下，除非你对这个职位，这个公司很了解，心里很有把握，不然不要害怕跟他们重新约个时间。要知道每一个面试的机会都很重要，千万不要匆忙上阵。一个小窍门就是我通常喜欢约星期一，那样自己有充分的时间准备，而对方也不会觉得过了很多天（因为周末不上班）.

在为面试作准备的时候,除了我说到的keyword analysis, interview script, 还要准备些问题. 关于问问题,是非常重要,但是往往被人忽略.当面试的人问: do you have any question for me? 一定不能说no. 这是一个很好索取信息,重温对话的机会. 根本的原则就是ask as many information as possible. 这些都是为你得下一次面试收集更多的信息. 除了跟公司职位有关的一些问题,这里要强调一些必须要问的问题:
1. Is this a new position? If not, what happen to the person in this
position? 问这个问题,你可以了解到公司的内幕.比如说对方回答,这是个新的职位,公司最近发展快需要新人,这个说明你将来在这个职位上要靠自己摸索,困难大些,但是也相对多些灵活性.如果这是个旧的职位,那么可能已经有了很多做事的方法和流程,灵活性就会比较小.如果原来的人升了职才腾出这个职位,那么你就大致知道你可能的career path, 如果原来的人离开了公司,那么有可能这个职位留不住人.
2. Can you give me some feedback? Or what do you think about my interview?
这样的问题不仅让对方觉得你很重视她/他,而且也能从他们的回答里了解自己的不足和优点, 从来用来作为提高自己的以后面试水平的参考.
3. When I can expect hear from you? Or what will be next step? 问这个问题,能让自己心里有数, 等待的时候也就不会这么迷茫,而且给你提供follow up的时间信息.
4. Could you please give me your contact information for me to follow up?
一定不能面试完了也不知道谁是谁, 一定要记下对方的姓名 (让对方告诉你怎么拼写),电话,email. 然后在面试完24小时内给对方写感谢信.

当然,问问题还有一个另外的境界,那就是化被动为主动,在你们的对话中已经问了对方很多很好的问题,特别是跟职位直接相关的问题. 于是在不知不觉中了解很多insights, 有的时候HR是相对比较容易套话的人,嗬嗬,这个就是说话的艺术问题了.大家自己体会了.

另外还有非常非常重要的一点,那就是Take notes of your phone interviews. 笔记的重要性往往被大家忽略, 仔细想想,你问了那么多好的问题,有那么多好的信息,一定要把他们记录下来,以便准备下一步的面试, 等到second phone interview or on-site interview 的时候你就有了除了job description之外更加进一步的资料了. 就算你没有进入下一轮,仍然对你以后的面试有很大的参考价值. 我常常寄下别人说得很精彩的话用到我以后的的面试里,嗬嗬,或者拿别人夸我的话来说成我的优点,等等.

至于hiring manager 的phone interview, 我个人觉得就看大家各自学术和技术上的实力了. 当然问好的问题也是非常非常重要的. 我的诀窍是尽量让hiring manager does the talk, listen and take notes. 关于如何问hiring manager 问题我那个阅人无数的mentor 教了我一招绝招, 非常的管用: Ask the hiring manager :" As the hiring manager/or people in charge, what are some of your expectations for the person in this position?”这个问题的好处在于一来你能表示出你对他/她的尊重，二来能够了解他/她最在意的几个qualifications,结合之前对招聘启事的关键词分析会为之后的电话面试和on-site 面试提供最好最直接的参考。

End Results: Job Offers

Resume/Cover Letter

2009-04-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Keywords: Customize, Keyword, Error free

这次我想说说关于写简历和cover letter的问题。在说这个之前，有一个非常重要，但又往往被大家忽略的事情要说。那就是对job description 的运用。

大部分情况下，我们对某一职位的信息和认识都是基于job description。而这又几乎是最关键，最有用的信息来源。有效的理解分析job description是customize resume and cover letter 的根本。

这里我介绍一下我自己总结的一个比较有效而实用的方法:
keyword analysis. 顾名思义，就是将job description 里的keyword 分析一下。大家都明白很多情况下，我们的简历都是被keyword screen的。无论是机器还是人来读我们的简历，keyword 对通过最初一关，拿到phone interview是尤其重要的。我的方法就是将job description 里的keyword highlight 出来，然后将他们归类，对那些反复出现的类似意思的keyword 要尤其注意。这些你分类好的keyword会给你一个很好的轮廓这么写好有针对性的resume & cover letter. 这个分析结果对你之后面试的准备也有很重要的意义.

Resume
很多人在找工作的过程中都经历过，简历投出去以后没有任何的回音，很是苦恼，我也曾是这样。的确，写简历是件不容易的事情，但是它又是非常重要的第一步,也是找工作过程中很少一些可以由我们来控制的东西。所以大家都意识到其重要性。Generally speaking, 每个人因为各自专业和背景的不同，简历都非常的不同。不过还是有些guidelines can be followed. 以下就是一些我的总结：
1. 没有针对性的简历的用处很小,所以务必认真的根据不用的职位修改, 这里就用到了keyword analysis的结果.
2. 简历要经过千锤百炼, 反复修改. 我的简历改过不下20多遍.
3. 多看看别人写的简历,无论是格式和内容,特别是跟自己背景相似的简历有很大的启发和参考价值.
4. 写好建立初稿后,给不同的人看,(最好能有过来人的意见). 征求他们的意见. 最有效的方法就是给他们看看你要申请的job description,然后问他们是否觉得从你简历上看match. Honest opinions are best!!!
5. Objective/profile is useful to highlight your qualifications. 务必根据你对keyword 的分类结果合理的强调. Think it as “five second commercial of yourself”.
6. Education or professional/working experience, which one should put first? 我个人觉得你自己觉得哪个更significant or which one the position cares more, then put that one first. (Again, based on the results in keyword analysis)
7. Should I include all the software, programs, certifications, and specialtrainings? Answer: Depends. 我个人认为你一定要列出这个职位要求会用的software,systems or programs, 和你自己认为那些能够add value to the job的. 我的mentor 建议我用一个separate sections to list all of them。
8. Should I include my hobbies in resume? 我认为it is personal choice. I included some of them, and found out some of them can be small talk topics (golf, Calligraphy, etc.) later in the interviews. But many people told me it is no help for you to get interview or job at all.
9. Make your resume interesting. Show more than those qualifications, including those volunteer works, trainings, leadership activities, student projects, etc. Basically, anything makes a vivid and positive image of you.
10. 要对你自己的简历非常的熟悉. In the interview process, you should be able to tell a story or explain further of everything in your resume.
11. Double check!!! Triple check!!! Make sure error free!!

Cover letter:
1. Just like the name of it, it is your cover. So please pay extremely attentions to it.
2. Must customize it!!!! No body wants to read a “mass” cover letter. Again, can use the results of keyword analysis of job descriptions.
3. 多读别人的cover letters. 网上有很多范例, 注意别人词汇和句式的用法.将其中自己喜欢的,好的一些摘抄下来. 我们中国人很多时候就是词汇不丰富, 句式单一, 而改善这一情况要从平时的积累开始. 图书馆也有很多书关于cover letter, resume and business writing 的书,有时间多看看,多做笔记.
4. 跟写简历类似, 写完后也要给别人看看,是否符合你申请的职位,能不能激发出别人对你的兴趣,而给你面试的机会.
5. Add your personal style, and personality. 这个很难解释, 简单来说就是不要让别人一看就是雷同,千篇一律的.
6. Cover letter 的结构要清晰, 不要写得太长. 我常用的结构就是classical的总分总, 呵呵, 小学语文就学过了.
7. 同理, double check!!! Triple check!!! Make sure error free!!!

看到这里大家一定能够感觉到写好简历和cover letter是需要很多时间和精力的.所以我的建议是, 把时间和精力放到自己最match, 最想去的职位上, 也只有自己的这种兴趣和热情才真正能够支持我们坚持下去. 如果一个职位,你不想花这些时间写resume & cover letter, 那就不需要浪费时间去申请. 总之, 我觉得只要大家好好的准备,反复修改, 我们能写出比很多美国人都要好看,有效的简历和cover letter.

End Results: Interviews

Market Yourself

2009-04-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Keywords: Targeting, Relevent, Multi-channel

对于找工作，这是一个非常重要的问题，特别是当前这么严峻的就业形势。对于我们来说，这就更加重要了，因为employer have to pay extra and go through extra steps/paperworks to hire us。在前面的章节我们已经讨论过如何找到自己的市场和定位，那么现在把自己想成一个marketer, 要如何才能把自己这个产品推销出去。根据我的个人经验，觉得关键是要delivery targeting message, show the relevance, and multi-channel.

跟当今社会发展一样，我们找工作也需要多渠道多媒体：

Resume/Coverletter:一般来说我们跟一个公司的联系是从coverletter 和resume 开始的。最新的数据显示８５％的公司都是用keywords来filter out resumes. 所以拿关键字来武装自己是非常重要的。这个我会在简历那个章节展开来说。关于summary section, 意见不统一，我个人觉得要根据自己的情况，比如说你有很具体的技术，认证，或者软件，不妨列在summary里。还有一个比较讨巧的策略，就是可以用summary来套用job description 里的关键字。：）
Emails: 这个包括很多形式，比如follow-up emails, networking requests, thank-you letters, and many other communication emails. 这些形形色色的email, 都有它们各自的目的和格式。你可以从网上找到各种范本，可是千万注意你写的东西要relevant. 这是个忙碌的社会，特别是在负责招人的。所以这些信件都要简单，直接和礼貌。不要因为是email就忘记spell check.
Interviews: 各种面试都是种艺术，也是门技术。所以说只要做好充分的准备，反复练习，be true to yourself. 当然，information interview, phone interview and in-person interview 各自有不同的技巧和注意事项，我会在单独一个章节讨论。
Website/Blog: 在信息时代，有一个很好的推销自己的媒体就是网页。不妨设计一个简单的个人网页，来showcase自己的背景特长。要注意的是，网页不要太花哨（除非你是设计专业的），内容不要太多，there is such thing as too much information. 我的建议是这个网页只有跟工作有关的内容，要精简。
Social Media：facebook, myspace, linkedin, etc. 这些都是很powerful的媒体，但是一定要注意善加运用。在这里我的建议是要注意自己在这些里面公开的信息，不要将不雅的照片，或者对自己不利的信息公布出来。很多HR/hiring manager有时候会google你，看看有什么关于你的信息。我要推荐linkedin.com,这是个很professional的 business networking site. 如果好好利用，可是达到意想不到的效果。如果你在上面有很多人推荐你，或者有很多年工作经验，不妨将链接注明在你的简历上，作为个人网页。
Personal Business Card: 我认识的很多MBA学生都有自己的名片，我觉得这也是一个很好的媒体。就算你不是商科的，也可以考虑印张有自己联系方法，职业认证,专业和学校信息的名片，在出去开会或者其他networking的场合发给别人。简单google一下就能找到不少提供free business card 服务的网站。记得名片设计不要太花哨，简单清楚就好。
Networking: 在开始的时候，这个对我们大多数人来说都觉得很困难。其实networking的机会无处不在，相对美国人来说，我们华人还有自己特有的机会。我在单独的一个章节里会展开介绍。
其他： 比如presentation, portfolio等都要注意简单清楚，typo/error free, and be professional looking.

总之，推销自己的机会和方法很多。对大部分中国人来说，很多时候是一个克服惰性，克服自卑心理的过程。我知道这是个很繁琐的过程，但是只要我们对自己有信心，有策略，有积极性，坚持不懈的努力推销自己，我们一定找到很适合自己的工作！

End Results: Effective Resume/Cover Letter, Interviews, Job Offers

Explore Career Options

2009-04-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Keywords: Communication, Networking, Leanring

很多人包括我，在找工作的初期阶段对能够在什么行业，找什么工作很茫然。特别是那些比较冷门的专业，或者自己学校根本就没有针对本专业的job fair。有人说，你的教育程度越高，你能够选择的职业也就越窄。我自己的体会也是这样。但是，通常情况下，如果我们这些高学历的人能够找到合适自己的工作，那么工资起点或者未来发展的前景会比普通学历的人要高。所以，首先我们要对自己，对前景充满信心。

好了，现在我说说一些关于career options 的信息来源:
1. 导师，教授：嗬嗬，这个我就不需要解释了。很多人是通过自己的老板介绍，而直接找到工作的。当然这些人都是非常幸运的，而我们之中更多的人没有这么好运，包括我。但是换一个角度想，其实找工作的过程也是个学习成长的过程，人生很重要的一种经历。

2. 同学，学长：跟自己一个专业的人，不分国界。他们找到的工作，或者找工作的心得都是非常珍贵的信息。向这些过来人虚心征求意见，往往很有效果。当然了，我也知道有很多同学可能找不到可以参考的例子和人，比如我。我的同学，学长（包括美国人）几乎所有人都去读博士，走学术道路了，对我没有很大的参考价值。

3. 学校，学院或者系里的Career office：有时候能找到一些openings 是针对你们专业的。很多人是通过这个渠道找到合适自己的职位和公司。就算这些职位不适合你的背景，但至少给你一个方向，明白自己专业的主要雇主是那些行业，那些公司。当然了,很多专业所在的系，或者学院根本就没有career office, 比如我。这种情况下，career office 的价值往往被忽略。其实，学校的career office 有很多资源可以拿来利用。比如他们中的很多都有职业书库，有非常多的关于找工作的书籍，很多也提供修改简历的服务，还有帮你录像来练习面试的。我本人的感觉是，他们修改简历的服务很差，至少我们学校是一堆美国本科生在改，我是不放心他们的水平的。但是书籍和面试录像练习都很用,特别要强调录像，我建议每个人都去做做，看看在别人看来自己到底是什么样子的，很多小动作，口头禅什么的，自己平时都不知道的，看了录像就明白了。

4. Alumni office: 这个往往被大家所遗忘，其实他们提供很有价值的信息，特别对那些冷门专业来说。Alumni office 通常有校友信息库，在里面找找自己专业毕业的校友的信息，看看他们现在在什么行业做什么职位，能给你不错的参考。很多学校的校友办公室还提供其他服务，比如career workshop and lectures, internship. 我们都要好好运用。当然了，还有很重要的networking opportunities. 在以后我会重点讲讲。

5. Research occupational descriptions and trends: 我想很多人都不知道，美国federal government has produced the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). It lists over 20,000 jobs and provides a brief description for each, including a nine-digit occupational code, the occupational titles, the industry where the job occurs, alternate occupational titles, and a summary of tasks performed in this job. 我给大家推荐Occupational Outlook Handbook compiled by The United States Department of Labor. Copy can be found in “The big book of Jobs” 2005-2006 edition. 学校的图书馆如果没有的话，就在LOCAL图书馆找找。

6. 专业的年会或者业界会议：就算你没有在上面发言，自费也要去参加，至少开始找工作之前去一趟。很多人通过年会找到实习，找到工作。年会是非常宝贵的信息来源，主动跟别人聊天，留下别人的联系方式，这些人是很好的networking,。这里我要强调一下一个观念问题。既然大家花了这么多钱去新东方培训，而现在找工作，这个特别重要的阶段，也需要有投资观念。不要舍不得自费去开会，想想如果你能在会议上认识有用的人，获得有用的信息，更新你对专业的认识，或者networking的机会，为什么不去呢？有网友问我怎么找到mentor,嗬嗬，她是我在开会的时候认识的。我的很多networking contacts是我开会时认识的。记得要名片,留联系方式!!

7. 专业协会的网页: 很多专业协会的网页上都会有career sections, post those openings in your areas. Good leads for job.

8. 对job fair的看法.无论学校的,或者local的. 我认识的人确实从job fair上找到工作. 当然学校的要比LOCAL的有效. 我本人的感觉是,如果你是冷门专业,那很可能你很难看到你能申请的工作.但是我建议还是要去,至少给你一个机会观察别人,看看其他人是怎么样dress, 怎么样跟招聘的人推销自己的.明白竞争的激烈也是件好事情. 如果会上有你心仪的公司出席,那就一定要去参加, 拿到招聘人的名片!! 记得,这也是networking 的机会.

9. 其他, 报纸,杂志,网络, 闲聊……信息时代,信息无所不在,就看你怎么样合理的运用他们. 欢迎大家补充.

当你对这些信息分析过滤后,你应该会对career options有了一个比较清晰的认识. 那么现在是时候make a target company list. 先问问你自己,想去大公司还是小公司? 自己更在意起步的工资,还是未来的发展,自己想要轻松的工作,还是愿意疯狂工作来换取高薪,自己有没有prefer的地理位置. 根据自己的答案来建立一个target company list. 关于这个list的长度, 我觉得不能够太长, 30个左右,根据个人的情况和背景. Bottom line: you can handle them nicely. “Target”!!!!

Special notes: 在建立这个list过程中,我们也要注意对行业的了解,networking 机会的积累. 这些都对以后的面试有很重要的意义. 我建议大家写简历之前要先explore, research and understand your own career options. 当然了,这是个持续的过程,就像简历要不断修改一样,你的这个list 也要不断的更新.

End Results: Target Company List, Understandings of Industry/Positions

Where/When to Start

2009-04-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Keywords: Realistic, Focus

很多人问我找工作应该从何入手，什么时候开始最好。简单的回答是：从认识你自己开始，越早开始越好。找工作是一个很漫长的过程，在某种程度上像是打仗。不仅要知己知彼，还要尽早准备。

When:

我的建议是在第一个学期就可以开始着手了解internship的机会，开始连接自己专业的就业形势，开始积累Networking的机会，开始学习写简历了。而正式找工作至少要在毕业前半年就要展开了，不光是因为就业形式严峻，而且很多找工作的步骤都需要不少时间来准备和等待。开始的越早，准备和练习的机会都会比较充足，找到工作的机会就越多。而且时间上不会被动，那就更有可能等到自己的dream job. 多年前，我就是因为要赶紧申请H1-B而无法等待我最想去的公司的Offer, 只好去了second best offer. 所以要给自己留下充裕的时间来应变。

Where:

千里之行，始于足下。开始找工作前要先对自己有一个清楚和客观的认识。我的建议是在着手找工作前做一个self-analysis, 写下自己的优点和缺点，passion, interests, career goals, any locations preference, life style, and salary expecatations. 具体来说就是很诚实的面对自己，了解自己跟工作相关的长处和短处（比如很有逻辑，编程技术强，但是语言表达能力欠缺），是想找学术类还是工业界的工作，有没有对某一个方向，或者领域特别感兴趣，自己的５年计划是什么，是不是喜欢大城市的生活，最少的工资要求是什么，有没有其他个人或者客观原因会限制工作的选择？这些自我分析和信息，会对以后explore career options, resume writing, interviews, evaluate job offer等都有很直接的影响，是打好找工作这个仗的基础和关键所在。在对自己有了客观的分析之后，将它们与自己的找工作目标和兴趣作对比，找出中间地带，也就是最适合自己的定位。我个人觉得兴趣很重要，但是也要考虑到自己的能力，be realistic. 好的定位，会给你一个很好的起步。接下来的一步就是了解市场行情，所谓demand (job market). 这个我会在下一章的explore career options详细讲。

Here is the roadmap for your reference:

Know Yourself (self-analysis)--> Know the market (explore career options)-->Know the audience (targeting certain industries, companies, and positions)--> Market Yourself (Resume, coverlette, interviews, and other communications)--> Close the Deal (evaluate/accpet offer).

End Results: Clear Knowledge of yourself, Career Directions

American Dream

2009-04-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

今天我想说说American dream. 嗬嗬，也许有人会想这个和找工作有什么关系。其实有非常深的渊源。看我慢慢讲来。。。。

我跟大家一样，都去过新东方，为了考个好的GRE,为了能够申请到自己理想的学校，在红宝书和题海中度过了很多艰难的日夜，难忘那年夏天北京的干热，难忘那年夏天自己的孤单。还有签证前的忐忑，都是难忘的回忆。不过我，还有现在在美国的每个人，我们都坚持下来了，因为我们心中都有个美国梦。在踏上这片充满希望的土地的那一刻，我们心里满满的都是喜悦和憧憬。学校的生活简单悠闲，我们大部分人都在课业和研究工作力游刃有余。我们有了车，结伴去旅行，在美国的旖旎风光里我们浏览往返。就连刚开始那么浓的思乡之情也慢慢的在日子里减弱。

而身边很多的同学都是中国人，于是我们花在英语学习上的时间反而比出国前少了。特别是很多理工科的同学，我有些读计算机的同学，整个系大部分都是中国人，包括教授。中文似乎成了主要的语言。他们跟我说，自己比来美国前还少说英语。学校还是个象牙塔，那种慢节奏，少竞争的环境让我们慢慢的忘记了what American dream really is. 拿到奖学金来美国读书其实只是我们美国梦的一个开始，在那之后还有很长很艰辛的道路要走。是的，这中间最大，最重要的一个坎就是来美国找第一份工作。

我知道有些人没有真正找过工作，他们或是继承了家族的事业，或者就是老板给直接找了个工作，这些人是非常幸运的。但是我们中的大部分人，都经历过找工作的艰辛，或长或短。个中的酸甜苦辣，只有自己知道。可是这一次，我们没有了新东方，没有人给我们这种燃烧一样的激情和动力，没有了一起挑灯夜战的战友。我们只能异国他乡孤军奋战，在跟美国人，印度人，欧洲人。。。。中摸索挣扎。其中的无助，孤独，艰难我跟大家一样都经历过。于是我就想给大家说一些观念上的误区，希望大家能够提早最好心理上和精神上的准备。

1. 投资观念：我这里所说的投资包括时间，精力和金钱。我们中很多人都花了至少半年的时间来准备GRE,再几个月的时间准备申请资料，联系学校，陶瓷什么的。还有一段时间考托福，签证什么的。所以很多人前前后后花了至少一年的时间来申请学校和奖学金。而找工作，average American spent 4-6 months to find a job. 我知道的人，大部分跟这个平均值相似的时间内找到工作。扣除1，2个月的等待时间，有效的找工作时间就少于半年。而大家average 的奖学金往往只是第一份工作工资的几分之一。想想这些数据把，其实我们很多人都不够重视找工作，在上面花的有效时间和精力不够。新东方的培训费（Travel expense），GRE的考试费，还有其他课本费什么的，学校的申请费，邮寄费等等，我们在申请学校上花了很多的金钱，想想这些钱的购买力折算成美金该是怎么样一个数字，而我们为了找工作花了多少钱？建立正确的投资观念是很重要的。教育是一种非常好的投资，来美国接受高等教育是更重要的一种投资。可我们读这么多书，到底是为了什么？每个人的答案可能不一样，大家有不同的原因。可是至少有一个非常重要的现实原因就是为了找到你喜欢的工作和事业。那么，我们又为了这个投资了多少？有投入才有回报，而找工作的投资的回报率是非常高的，这个大家该仔细想想。

2. 钱：钱永远是很敏感的话题。大家都是穷学生，这个我理解。而且是有一部分人在毕业前找到工作。毕业后没有了奖学金，经济上有了很大的压力。所以如果我们要为找工作花钱，必须花在刀刃上。也就是说要谨慎合理的投资。这方面，我有些建议。其实当我们在学校的时候free的资源很多，比如我之前提到的那些关于写简历，关于找工作的书籍，能借就不买。学校和地区的图书馆往往有很多这方面的书籍，还有学校的career office.从那里借来好好的学习，作适当的笔记。老板，教授，同学，和朋友的建议和推荐是不需要花一分钱的，但又往往是最好的信息来源，我们一定要好好利用。花钱买一身高质量的西装和皮鞋，这是非常必要的。俗话说，人要衣装，佛要金装。找工作面试的时候，一定要穿的professional. 这个钱不能省。开会的机会很多，大部分的人都不需要自己花钱，那么这样的会一定要去开。原因我在之前的一个帖子里已经解释了很多了。那些行业的会议，自费的，要仔细选择，要带着目的去开会。这个我下次专门讲networking的时候再仔细讲。关于monster等等很多收费的服务，看法不一。我有朋友花了钱在monster上,他从中得到了很多phone interviews, 4 on-sites. 我本人没有用过。我想这个要根据各人背景和经济情况判断。 Bottom line: 找工作是一种必需的，回报率极高的投资。
3. 心态问题：ok, 我知道这个是很复杂的问题，我不可能在这短短的篇幅里分析清楚，所以我只想说一些我认为特别重要，而又直接跟找工作相关的东西。首先，我想印度人。我知道很多中国人都不喜欢印度人，因为各种各样的原因。这些我都理解，但是无论如何，当我们说到找工作，印度人身上有两点值得我们学习：一是他们的团结，团结就是力量，我每次听到别人说一个中国人是龙，几个中国人是虫，我就很难过。我觉得在这个异国他乡，如果自己的同胞都不团结，我们如何才能获得别的国家人的尊敬，我们如何才能活得好。特别是在找工作这个艰难的阶段，就像考GRE一样我们要团结起来。要乐于跟人分享，乐于主动的帮助别人，有些举手之劳，比如帮忙看看简历，帮忙推荐工作，看到一个跟自己朋友MATCH的职位，给朋友Forward过去，等等。这些其实都是win-win situation, and 你在帮助别人的时候其实就是在建立良好的人际关系，就是在积累自己
的networking. 二是印度人的执著。他们找工作的时候都用一股韧劲，想来大家都从身边的印度人身上看到过。印度人不比我们聪明，不比我们刻苦，综合素质不如我们高，但是就是因为他们的团结，他们所谓的“脸皮厚，会吹“，他们往往能够找到非常好的工作。当然，我不是鼓励大家脸皮厚撒谎，但是there is nothing wrong to show people who you are, what you good at, there is nothing wrong to sell and market yourself, as long as you don’t harm others. 我看到大家在议论一个这里的帖子，关于给每个同学，学长写信。我觉得这个同学非常聪明，他做得没什么不对的，只是要注意个度的问题。不要觉得吹是不对的，只要你说的都是真的，你努力的表现自己是没有什么错的。想想很多时候面试对方根本不认识你，如果你自己不好好表现自己，不好好的推销自己，别人因此而不雇你，那就是你自己的问题。就这么几分钟，几小时，怎么样让别人了解你，怎么让自己闪光，跟好好的准备好好的推销自己密不可分。大家要把这种无谓的架子放下，踏踏实实的找工作。

About this Blog

2009-04-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Warm Welcome!

I am not an career consultant or job hunting expert, but just someone like you. Here are something about me:

I was born and raised in China
Came to the United States after college
Finished my graduate schools in the United States
Was struggling to find a job in U.S.
Now working for Corporate American with a H1-B visa
Trying hard to move up the corporate ladder

Therefore, I share the same passion, goals and pain as you. I know what you are experiencing or what you have been through. I see people around me struggle so hard, feel lost and desperate to find a job after graduation. With current economic condition, it is hard for US citizens, and even harder for us. We have many restrictions and limited resources when it comes to job hunting and navigating through our careers. But I made it, after many mistakes, failures, disappointments, and frustrations. We, Chinese are highly-educated, intelligent and hard-working, so if I can, you surely can!

So, this website is for you, for all Chinese students and professionals that are living outside of the homeland. I want to share my stories, my job hunting experiences, the lessons I learned alone the way and other career development resources with you. Hopefully, you will find this site helpful, informative, and inspiring. Please, help others when you can!

自从２００６年起，我就有建立这个网站的想法，陆陆续续悉写了些东西,本来我打算在写完所有内容后再公布这个网站，但是到目前为止还有不少章节(for example, onsite interview) 还来不及写完。想想已有的内容应该就能给很多人一些启发，所以就决定先公布，在add more information. 希望大家多多包涵，如果有什么问题和建议，请跟我联系，我会尽量回复。谢谢!