Beyond Our Borders

After Commencement, the Class of 2010 will finally be setting off on their own, but exactly where they are going is another story. Lured to far-off lands, some seniors are going beyond American shores—from Hong Kong to Paris—to seize what the international job market has to offer.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS

Rui Lin Gao ’10, who will be working in Bain & Company’s Hong Kong office, discovered the job opportunity after interning there during the summer after her junior year.

Gao notes that Bain’s recruitment process in Hong Kong was separate from the company’s domestic e-recruiting. She heard about their summer positions her junior year through involvement with Asian student groups on campus and applied directly to their Hong Kong office. When comparing the e-recruiting interview process to the one she went through to work abroad, Gao says that though the experience was similar, the international employer was looking for certain language skills. “The only thing that was different was that they tested my Chinese,” says Gao.

Russell C. Mason ’10 had another perspective. Getting his job at Mahindra and Mahindra in Mumbai, India required a specific approach. “All domestic jobs have a very structured way of hiring,” says Mason. “With Mohindra, it had a unique style of interviewing. From there, it took a couple months of courting, and that’s much less than a standardized process.” In Mason’s experience, comparing the international process with the domestic one was much like “comparing apples to oranges.”

FINDING A FIT

During her time at Harvard, Gao has been actively involved with the Chinese Student Association and other cultural organizations. When it came time to look for a job, being able to work in China was a major plus for her. “I’m taking Chinese, I have family in China, and China’s market is growing at a very fast rate,” she says. “I would like to be a part of it.”

The consulting opportunity in Hong Kong also matched Gao’s professional interests. After becoming involved in global health and going abroad her sophomore summer, she looked to explore another field, “I think working at a non-profit as a college student made me realize my limitations in terms of how the wider world works, so I thought business was good for learning more,” says Gao.

Similarly for Lawrence D. Arbuthnott ’10, who will be working in a law firm in Paris, previous experience overseas played a factor in his job search. “I studied in France spring of junior year, but I wasn’t planning to go abroad in particular,” he says. “The offer came, and it was more luck of the draw.” Arbuthnott is interested in law and hoping that the position will give him a better sense of what he would like to do in the future.

Mason’s journey to his job has been an intrepid one. After leaving North America for the first time his freshman summer, Mason “caught the travel bug,” spending summers in South America, Asia, and a semester in Barcelona. “I loved it, and it’s just my personality and my curiosity for adventure. So when I started looking for jobs, this international component was definitely in my head,” he says. “I prioritized jobs that had international opportunities. I was applying to consulting firms and travel fellowships to go to India so this job was a perfect hybrid of everything.”

Many students like Gao also use their own connections and networks to conduct job pursuits, but Harvard is trying to do its part. With databases, informational panels, and specialized counselors, the Office of Career Services covers both international and domestic job and internship opportunities.

“All of the job search resources at OCS are global,” according to Nancy Saunders, the Associate Director of Career Services for Employer Relations and Internships. This year, Crimson Careers, the comprehensive job and internship database, has posted 250 non-domestic jobs and internships, and they’ve received over 650 applications. OCS has also purchased a new online service called “Global Global,” which provides students with more specific resources for not only jobs, but also related topics such as securing visas.

DOWN WITH THE ECONOMY

In the rough field of job searches, seniors looking to go abroad have faced similar challenges as those staying domestic. “Everyone’s having trouble, and you don’t know when you’ll actually get it. You have to be really proactive,” says Arbuthnott.

When it comes to the international stage, it’s difficult to measure the effect of the economic downturn on students’ decisions to either go abroad or stay close to home. “The changes in the economy have touched all parts of the globe with some countries experiencing unemployment rates better than, similar to, or worse than the U.S.,” says Saunders

She also adds that many Harvard students have always chosen the international option, in good economic times and bad. “International employers are the same as domestic employers in that they are seeking applicants who are committed to the organization,” she says.

And the economy doesn’t seem to have discouraged these seniors as they prepare to embark on the next part of their lives many miles away. “It’s a great chance to meet new people, get to know a different culture, and get to know a different area of the world,” says Gao.

Arbuthnott agrees. “I’m really excited. It’s a little nerve-wracking,” he says. “This is much more independent, but it’ll be something great.”