My future in LA (?) (Stanford: ski resort, 2010, job market)

[GermanGuy1990]

Hi guys!

I just need some advice regarding my future.
So, first of all a little bit about me:
I'm 18 years old, currently living in Germany and
I'm going to graduate in Juli 2010 (I'm in 12th grade right now).
So the thing is that my big dream is to emigrate to the US and to live in LA.

The problem about it is, that I'm not sure what profession to pursue and what to study for it.
Could you guys please tell me whether the job perspectives in LA considering business direction are good or not?
Because I've been thinking about studying "international business" or "international management" in Germany and to be engaged in a business in LA, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea.

Thanks in advance for your help and nice greets from Germany!

[Mostly Lurking]

Your job prospects would be terrible, assuming you could get a work visa, which you probably could not. Get a college degree first.

[firetraq]

why do people think immigration is so easy.... i think they forget that immigrating is like starting an entirely new life and most times identity....

[bobby79]

Get a proper college degree.
In fact it would be better to actually get a degree in the US. If Management is your thing, try getting into an MBA here.

On the immigration front, it depends on which country you come from. If there already is high traffic of people immigrating from your country, it gets increasingly more difficult.

Best of luck!

[Mike121]

Since you are young, you could qualify for a visa to work at a summer camp or ski resort. Google for Summer Camp Worldwide for a possible lead.

Summer camp visas are special work visas for youth. They are short term (a few months) and don't usually lead to permant residency here in the USA.

[h6972]

Apply and get accepted by a nice university (in California, UC Universities, USC and Stanford) or go to community college first with a student visa, and then transfer to a nice university, at the same time look for internship opportunities in companies with good reputation. Apply for OPT when you graduate so that you have about a year or so to look for a company that will support your H1 working visa. Since you're still young, you gotta make sure that you have something nice to put on your resume (education, internship, work experience) and don't forget to develop your teamwork and leadership skills. Those two are very important for almost every position in the job market today, especially for international business / business related major. The economy in the US is not as good, and job market is not good for business majors...but it's okay, you're still young, by the time you graduate, maybe the economy will be at the recovery. As for other fields...Nursing majors do get visa easier since it's always in high demand..otherwise, engineering would be a good one. Especially industrial engineering, if you're interested in both engineering and the business world. Some of the large companies, banks prefer engineering majors for their finance positions ('cuz they think engineers are smarter...) Anyways, plan early and good luck!

[GermanGuy1990]

First of all thanks for the helpful answers!

@firetraq: I've never mentined that immigration is an easy step.

To all: I'll probably go to the university in Bremen and study "International Management" which includes a one year residence at the "University of Missouri-St. Louis".
Do you guys think that might be useful considering my future?

[katenik]

Originally Posted by GermanGuy1990

First of all thanks for the helpful answers!

@firetraq: I've never mentined that immigration is an easy step.

To all: I'll probably go to the university in Bremen and study "International Management" which includes a one year residence at the "University of Missouri-St. Louis".
Do you guys think that might be useful considering my future?

that academic pedigree probably won't score you any points in the NY or LA markets, but if it's a solid regional school, you might land a job in chicago. chicago is NOT LA, however; it's a great city, in its own right, but NOTHING like LA.

another thing: LA is the US hub for international commerce in the asia/pacific region. if your emphasis is european, you really want to be in NY, not LA. if not, then i suggest you learn to speak japanese, korean, or, better still, mandarin.

[GermanGuy1990]

Originally Posted by katenik

that academic pedigree probably won't score you any points in the NY or LA markets, but if it's a solid regional school, you might land a job in chicago. chicago is NOT LA, however; it's a great city, in its own right, but NOTHING like LA.

How come that I won't score in LA market with that academic rank?
What would you recommend me?
I chose that study course because it complies with my aptitudes...

[katenik]

Originally Posted by GermanGuy1990

How come that I won't score in LA market with that academic rank?
What would you recommend me?
I chose that study course because it complies with my aptitudes...

i wasn't speaking of your academic rank, of which i know nothing. i was referring to the schools, themselves. put it this way: universities in the US can be categorized as local, regional, or national.

national universities attract the top students from all over the country (and the world), and are, in many respects, the most desirable to attend. you can go anywhere in the country with a degree from one of these schools, and it will mean something in the job market. think: harvard, yale, columbia, stanford, cal, UCLA, UVA, UMich, U of Chicago, etc.

regional schools have solid reputations in the part of the country in which they are located, but aren't as well known outside of the state or region (south, midwest, northeast, etc....it's a big country!). thus, if you leave that region before gaining some work experience, potential employers aren't necessarily going to be impressed with your academic credentials because they might not know much about your school. in some cases, they will never have heard of it. tulane university in new orleans, and the university of MS ("ole miss") are quintessential regional schools. in the south, having either one on your resume could be enough to get you the interview; in the rest of the country, no one cares that you went there unless he did also.

local universities may or may not be very competitive, but are not well known outside of the immediate area. in CA, many state university campuses and some small private colleges fall into that category. if you attend such a school, you'll be able to say you have a degree, but your experience and interpersonal skills will do the heavy lifting when you search for a job.

caveat: a regional or local school might have a national reputation in a particular field of study. in this case, it might be more attractive than a national school to students interested in pursuing that field of study.