This article is reprinted from: Carving Machine Network http://www.gravograph.cn/
What comes after studying abroad? A simple answer would be stepping out of campus with years of learning and entering society. More complexly, it marks the true end of your adolescence and the beginning of an independent life. Putting on a formal suit, blending into the bustling crowds on the street - who am I? Finally, I have to find the answer alone.
Isn't studying abroad all about this day? Freedom, independence, and having full control over deciding how to live your life, striving for the life you've chosen for yourself. Studying abroad is ultimately about having a brilliant, unique, and even glorious self after the study abroad experience. Therefore, what truly matters lies in the "after."
The first step after studying abroad is naturally employment. Through collisions and refinement in workplaces, among people, and within society, the future "me" gradually takes shape here; the future's height quietly accumulates here. This step is the starting point, indeed important. We care about what comes after studying abroad because a good job means a beautiful start, which is also the purpose of most students' decision to study abroad.
Caring about what happens after studying abroad is also about caring about what happens before it —— "after" is just the beginning of striving, but the direction of striving has already been determined by "before." The performance in "after" will verify whether the choice in "before" was right and accurate —— studying abroad is really something that cannot be divided into "before" and "after."
How are Chinese students faring in terms of employment in the U.S.? "Whether it's studying or finding a job, the pressure is quite significant," almost all students contacted by reporters clearly told them that finding a job is easy, but finding a good one is difficult. However, as long as you're good enough, achieving success is possible.
Today, through the analysis and interpretation of some data, we provide readers with a reference perspective on employment after studying abroad.
Four Major Characteristics
Understanding the Ease or Difficulty of Employment in the U.S.
Ms. Rao Wei, who currently works at the Cultural Center under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and served as a visa officer at the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago for five years, discussed four major characteristics of employment in the U.S. during an interview with our reporter.
According to Ms. Rao, the U.S. does not impose special restrictions on foreign students seeking employment. However, industries and departments such as aerospace, nuclear physics, weapons research, and biochemical research laboratories, which are relatively sensitive, generally do not hire Chinese students. Finding a job in the U.S. depends on the economic development. During periods of recession, jobs are definitely harder to find. Under normal conditions, the ease or difficulty of finding a job varies by region, specialty, and level of education, roughly presenting four major characteristics:
First, in economically developed areas, it is relatively easier to find work. For example, in the East Coast regions like New Jersey; the Greater Chicago area in the Midwest; the California region on the West Coast, such as Silicon Valley and Los Angeles; and the southern Florida region. University tuition fees are also the highest in these regions, and so are the wages.
Second, popular specialties make it easier to find work. Business, computer science, engineering, biochemistry, medicine, pharmacy, and law are all excellent choices.
Third, the impact of education level on employment shows an inverse growth trend. It's relatively easier for undergraduates to find jobs; followed by postgraduates; the hardest is for doctoral students. Because their starting salaries are different, companies cannot hire a doctorate holder but pay him/her a master’s salary. They must wait for a vacancy in a doctorate-level position to hire new staff.
"I can tell you three people's stories. They were all top talents from Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences back then. They went to the U.S. with great enthusiasm to complete their Ph.D.s in high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and mathematics, but they couldn't find suitable jobs. Two of them were forced to abandon their professional studies—one became a car parts salesperson, another returned to China and started a laser engraving machine company, while the third switched to studying computer application certificates in the U.S. and became a computer maintenance officer at a Chicago securities company."
Fourth, graduates from prestigious universities, whether holding bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees, if their majors are needed by society, have no problem finding jobs, and their salaries will be high.
$40,000
The Average Starting Salary for Working in the U.S.
Generally, common majors for Chinese students studying in the U.S. include business, engineering (such as electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, biological engineering), computer science, natural sciences (mathematics, biology, chemistry, etc.), education, and some sociology majors. Objectively speaking, unless they come from prestigious schools or famous universities in their field, it is very difficult for Chinese students to secure high-paying jobs from renowned companies right after graduation. To find a good job is related to the student's school, major, ability level, and personality. Conversely, it is not difficult for Chinese international students to find a job in the U.S.
According to surveys by the National Association of Colleges and Employers in the U.S., accounting majors have been the easiest to find jobs in recent years, with an average starting salary reaching $45,000 per year for newly graduated college students. Other hot majors include business administration, management, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. The survey also indicates that nursing is the most helpful major for international students in finding jobs. Chinese students studying electrical engineering, mechatronics, and mathematics also have certain employment advantages, with annual salaries typically ranging from $40,000 to $50,000. In contrast, international students studying business or humanities have significantly weaker job competitiveness, with starting salaries generally between $30,000 and $40,000. These figures usually do not refer to graduates of American prestigious universities, as the starting salaries of graduates from top-ranked American universities after employment can reach $70,000 to $80,000 or even higher.
More than 40% of Students Choose to Return Home to Start Businesses
Nowadays, more and more students studying in the U.S. choose to return home for employment or entrepreneurship, a change that is significantly different compared to the 1980s and 1990s. At least 60% of students studying in the U.S. indicate that they will either return home immediately after graduation or return after working for a few years. Ms. Rao Wei also mentioned in her interview, "Most government-sponsored students return to develop in China, and one-quarter of self-funded students return to develop after graduation."
Among current undergraduate students studying in the U.S., the proportion of those who choose to return home after completing their studies is similar. The reasons include, firstly, many of them have good family or family business backgrounds; secondly, and most importantly, China's rapid development and numerous investments by American or internationally renowned companies in China make students with American degrees and Chinese backgrounds highly sought-after talents.
During the process of interviewing in the U.S., the reporter encountered a typical example: the Director of International Affairs at Saint Louis University introduced that Anheuser-Busch was looking for a Chinese business student from their school to work in their Shanghai office with an annual salary of $100,000.
The Success or Failure of Part-time Work Is Crucial for Visas and Employment
Two Models: Part-time Work and Internships Impact Employment
For each Chinese international student, wanting to smoothly obtain a work visa and find a satisfactory job after graduation, part-time work outside the campus during their study period in the U.S. is crucial, directly determining the success or failure of the former.
Chinese students studying in the U.S. typically engage in two modes of part-time work or internships outside the campus:
1. Applying for CPT (Curricular Practical Training) related to their major, engaging in relevant work. For instance, Li Sixuan from Columbia University and Feng Jing from Fordham University both did this, which greatly helped them later;
2. More Chinese international students engage in OPT (Optional Practical Training) in their final year of university or within one year after graduation, such as Zhou Mei from Columbia University interning at Deloitte, and Liao Hai from RPI interning at Morgan Stanley. Importantly, if they perform exceptionally well, they may obtain a work visa. Wu Chuanqin from Columbia University obtained a work visa due to his outstanding internship performance and became an employee of Citibank.
Three Steps: Turning Part-time Work into a Work Visa
How can a student visa be converted into a work visa? Most students legally and smoothly convert their student visas into work visas through OPT internship opportunities. In short, converting a student visa into a work visa requires three steps: first apply for an OPT internship work permit; intern and work in a company; and then have the company or employer apply for the conversion to a work visa on their behalf.
$7.25/hour Minimum Wage
According to the latest laws in the United States, the minimum wage must not be less than $7.25/hour, so the remuneration for students working part-time will range from $7.25 to $25/hour. The ease or difficulty of finding part-time work depends on the level of economic development. Generally, in economically developed areas, it is relatively easier to find work, and the wages are higher.
Background Data
From 2000 to now, the number of Chinese students studying in the U.S. has increased threefold.
In 2007, the approval rate for U.S.-bound visas reached 80%.
The latest information from the U.S. Embassy in China indicates that the number of Chinese mainland students studying in the U.S. has reached a new high of 67,723 people, an increase of 8.2% compared to the previous year. This year, the number of Chinese mainland students going to the U.S. accounts for 11.6% of the total number of international students worldwide, second only to India.
According to Michael Wang, an expert on studying in the U.S. from Shunxin America International, the U.S. consulates issued 51,546 visas to Chinese students and exchange scholars in 2007, an increase of 40% compared to the previous year. The number of Chinese students going to the U.S. has nearly tripled since 2000. Currently, the approval rate for Chinese students applying to study in the U.S. is approximately 80%.
The biggest highlight of the U.S. study market from 2006 to 2007 was the rapid growth in the number of high school graduates applying for undergraduate programs in the U.S. Taking Shunxin America International as an example, from 2005 to 2007, the annual growth rate of undergraduate student applications was over 20%. From autumn 2007 to spring 2008, undergraduate students accounted for more than two-thirds of the total number of students studying in the U.S. According to data from some educational institutions in Chengdu, the number of applicants for undergraduate studies in the U.S. is now equal to the number of graduate student applicants, each accounting for about 50%.
Statistics also show that the preferred major for international students in the U.S. remains business, accounting for 18%, followed by engineering majors, accounting for 15%. Intensive English courses saw the fastest growth, increasing by 30% compared to the previous year.