All grown up… now what?
As an ATCK I am curious as to what university studies/professions other ATCKs have pursued. Do most of us tend to go the int’l route in some form? I myself did international affairs for my degrees with foci on culture and communication, and I wondered how common this is. Sometimes I wonder if we are more or less “qualified/differently influenced” into our life choices due mainly from what we know and have experience or from what we expect in our lives in order to be satisfied… Any thoughts?
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:38 am
I made my educational choices before I read the TCK book/heard about the TCK-term, but still:
After bible school with one year as exchange student in my “second culture”, I did an MBA to keep my options open. My career so far have involved IT-support, different administrative jobs and for the past three years, teaching (K12).
The only thing I haven’t switched is culture. So maybe that’s what I’ll go for next time ;-).
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July 22nd, 2008 at 8:18 am
I left the US, my passport country, before finishing my university education. I ended up finishing it here in Switzerland, and have no long term plans to return.
I studied political science in the US, but was honestly disheartened by the fact that I had to study American politics as a pre-requisite to go into other fields. I also paled at the idea that if I wanted to go into diplomacy/IR, I’d be working for the government of a country I’d lived in for only a smaller fraction of my life. I and others probably wouldn’t consider me exactly representative of the interests of my passport country.
If you’re on a low budget and want to enter a new country on that low budget, English teaching is possibly the best route into it. Some companies train you before leaving the country and therefore require no prior experience or certification, and then plop, you’re there.
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July 22nd, 2008 at 10:04 am
I went into medicine after growing up among the devastation of treatable, yet untreated, diseases. The lack of medical access for the poor was a motivating factor. I intended to work in a developing country, but after witnessing third world conditions in parts of the US, I stayed.
I have many family members who have worked abroad - in linguistics, engineering, jewelry designing, international/organizational development, systems analyst, teacher (K-12, music), human resources… I’ve read that botany, animal husbandry and anything dealing with water management is in demand - especially in developing countries.
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July 22nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I am still an undergrad student but I entered college with a plan of studying abroad, learning languages, and meeting people from all sorts of background. I wanted to become a doctor without borders so while studying languages (I temporarily declared my major from undecided to East Asian Languages and Cultures), I studied pre-medicine for a couple of years. It is not until this past semester that I learned with the natural talents I have, I can better serve people in different professions. It has always been in my heart to bring healing to people whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual. It was before I found out that I was a TCK when I decided International Studies as my major and with this major, I am planning on studying abroad in Japan. Then I intend to have a career in international business.
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July 24th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Yeah—I definitely think being a TCK influences career choices. I studied abroad in France last year, and will finish my degree within a semester. I’m thinking that I want to go live abroad after university, because I don’t really feel at home where I am. Like Uncle Dan said, speaking English often provides an easy way out because you can teach it, even without proper qualifications, in many countries.
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