Job Advice Needed!

Taiwan Where Can I Find...?
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Hi everyone:

I just need to let it out and get some advices from someone no-biased about my situation.

I received my accounting degree in '99 and have been working in the field ever since in states. One of the reasons I am in Taiwan is to hope to get into something other than accounting. (other family issues as well) So if and when I have decided to go back to US, I can change field easily since I kind of want to get away from accounting. I am unhappy at my current job and def. not learning anything. So a friend of mine hooked me up with an interview at her media / advertising firm. The job is Special Assistant to the directing manager. The job duties include booking travel arrangement, planning events / outings for the company, some HR, coordinated events / corresponded with headquarter in Singapore, running and creating reports…etc. As you can see, it is mostly administration job. The job prefers the individual to speak English and some French, who is outgoing- and oriented to details, which I am qualify for all.

I guess my concerns are that it is overall an admin job (sorry if I offended anyone here) and it doesn’t require a degree to do those stuff. I wanted to find a job that will be useful / related to my future job wherever it may be. My other concerns are that my family and friends are expecting me back this December since a lot of them think that I don’t belongs in Taiwan and there are more job oppt. in the US.

So should I go to the 2nd interview?? And if I do get an offer, should I accept it?? ( The salary I’ve asked for is $40000NT. ) this is a bit lower since I

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Miakaw, in the UK, media people start off earning less than bus drivers. When I was there five years ago, base salaries in media started at about 14,000 GBP. Not a lot in London, believe me.

The funny thing is is that media wannabe’s ALL have good degrees, some even from Oxford and Cambridge, yet they expect to start at the bottom, doing work that does not really require a degree. But the degree is essential for advancement. It’s a way of vetting people that’s all.

Take this job. It’s a start, as you will never start as an account executive. No one does.

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Thanks AlleyCat!

I don’t care / mind if I get into AE or Buyer or not, if the oppt. comes up, GREAT!! If not, oh well :?

But I just hope that I can gain some experiences doing something else and it might be a step stone for me to get into whatever field other than accounting.

4

This is the kicker. Because what you what to be doing for the next 15 to 20 years ought to enlighten your next major decision.

You have been in the workforce now for 4 to 5 years. So let’s assume you have a solid financial base – in short, you can effectively evaluate decisions from a financial perspective and apply discipline in the analysis. This qualifies you many things, especially since you want branch out to other industries. By the way, are you a CPA, or do you have some other certification of your accounting ability (seminars, specialization, project work)?

Let’s also assume that you cannot predict the future accurately (few of us can :wink: ). If you do not have any pressure to work in a particular profession (law, medicine, family business), then take a breather and ask yourself what and where you want to be for those next 15 to 20. Consider the soft-side of work since you can already claim a solid financial side.

There are many of these pop-psychology tests that can help guide you. Just remember that they are pop psychology – only a bit more valuabe than your horoscope. Don’t take them so seriously, but do use the results as a guidance for more introspection. Google the “Myers-Briggs Test” or visit Review.com for these kind of career assessment resources

You may not know what job you want in the future, but you should be clearer by now what type of work you prefer over others

I’ve heard that the prime money earning years are from 30 to 50. These are ages that most workers in the West are saving. Before this time you are either spending (older than 50) or borrowing (before 30, typically for mortgage, college, graduate school). Make your next choices in line for those prime earning-saving years.

In short, if you do not see this admin job as a clear path towards upper management, skip it and seek only opportunities or activities (like studies or skills training) that will bump you up. Although you still have time to make a “mistake” or two – make sure you learn from each one.

Your family is pressuring you to return to the land of more opportunities. Be careful here, too. If you are still unclear about what opportunities you want to pursue, you risk falling into a series of “unsatisfying opportunity” after another. I think this is part of what that “Rat Race” is about.

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Hey MiakaW,

Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind to go to the interview. If you don’t think the 2nd interview will be a total wast of time, see what exactly they are offering before you reject/accept them.

I’m currently teaching but I’ve been interviewing for the software field(yayaya).

But I’ve got two offers on the table now and I’m going to accept one of them. The other day I still went to another 1st interview even though I’ve got these offers just to see what they were like… it felt nice since I was in total control of the interview cuz I wasn’t begging for the position.

I myself am contemplating whether I should go to the third interview of the company who’s offer I’m going to reject. I think I’m gonna go just to say thanks to the guy and to see if he’s willing to like double the salary offer even though money isn’t my biggest factor hehe, one can definitely make more teaching. :wink:

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Don’t know a lot about the field you are talking about, but quite a few people in finance here who are now making good money started off in local houses earning NT$40,000. Perhaps it is the same career path in media.

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Thanks for all your advices!! I have my resume with me today so I am sending it in to the gal who called me for 2nd interview. I will let you guys know whats up!!??

anymore thoughs?!

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Just go for it, giving it a try. Someone is giving you a chance with not bad pay when the market is low. It’s a experience as well!

You will know if you like it or not after doing it. If not, then try next!

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I can’t imagine anything more mindbuggeringly tedious than accounting, and after teaching a few highly-placed CPA/MBA people here I have to say that you seem too bright and outgoing to condemn yourself to a lifetime of it.

Although really I agree with the people posting above I have to ask how many other jobs you looked at before settling on this one. How much time have you spent looking for your next move?

Is this an admin position or is it a glorified secretary/slave? I’ve met plenty of bright, capable people being used in jobs that are far beneath their abilities, because they’re too useful there to be promoted to where they will be fulfilled.

If you haven’t spent a lot of time planning your move then I guess you could plan your real move while taking some time out to do something different. Short term what do you have to lose? Long term, what are you getting yourself into?

Finally, my advanced Business English/conversation class was put together around a great little book called “How to become CEO”, by Jeffrey J Fox. One of my accountants got promoted to VP after 2 months of it! (But I have a feeling that may have been in the works anyway.) It’s at Eslite, or you can borrow mine.

Chapter 1, page 1:

[quote]After you have decided what you want to do - - go to work for the company that offers you the most money. If you have not decided what kind of career or industry is for you, then take the job that offers the most money.

There are several imprtant reasons why you go for the money.
Second, the higher paid you are the more visible to top management you will be.
Third, the more money you are paid, the more contribution will be expected of you. This means you will be given more responsibility, tasks, and problems to solve. And a chance to perform is an invitation to success.
Fourth, if 2 people are candidates for a promotion to a job that pays ?0,000 and one person makes ?0,000 and the other makes ?0,000 the higher paid person always gets the job.
Someone approved the higher paid person’s compensation. Others concurred. To leapfrog the higher paid diminishes the sponsor of the higher paid. And the sponsors of the higher paid are, themselves, even higher paid. Promoting the higher paid endorses the wisdom of upper management.[/quote]

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This is the latest update…

I went to the interview but kindly recline the offer since it was a bit too low and they couldn’t offer me anything else… :unamused:

I will be at my current job for awhile, probably till end of October since we have a big project coming up. Maybe a new job search will start then…

Thanks everybody!!
~miakaw~

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You slept with the interviewer? :shock: I wouldn’t recline so easily - I’m sure you’re qualified for many jobs that don’t require you to get (kindly) horizontal… :wink: :laughing:

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[quote=“MiakaW”]This is the latest update…

I went to the interview but kindly recline the offer since it was a bit too low and they couldn’t offer me anything else… :unamused:

I will be at my current job for awhile, probably till end of October since we have a big project coming up. Maybe a new job search will start then…

Thanks everybody!!
~miakaw~[/quote]

Too bad, I was going to advise that you go for it. Your leaving in December, right? A little diversity will go a long way. Good luck on the next leap.

Chou

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Well, if I do decided to leave in Dec. I don’t want to be rude to the company by accepting the job offer even though the job might be interesting. Beside, my friend is the one that hooked me up w/ the interview, therefore I don’t it to look bad on her part.

I guess the MAIN decision I have to make @ this moment is where I wanna be. Once I have an answer for that, I should have no problem (hopefully) finding another job.

Maoman, you caught me there… but hey, it isn’t a bad way to get a job from time to time, do you want some tips from me?! :wink:

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I’m hiring. Will you please come for an interview?

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Doesn’t it just feel great to decline job offers instead of begging for them!