ASIAN AMERICAN
CAREER SUCCESS CENTER



If career satisfaction
is important to you,
explore some exciting
alternatives before
giving in to parental and social expectations.

by Tyler S. Ling



8 PROFESSIONS OVERLOOKED BY
ASIAN AMERICANS

o other American population segment is as concentrated in so few fields as Asian Americans. Driven by parental and social pressures, the majority of the most ambitious have gravitated into computer sciences, engineering, medicine and finance/accounting.
     That's a shame because many of them end up hating their jobs and join the ranks of mid-career burnouts. So before letting yourself get pressured into a field in which you have no inherent interest, do yourself a favor and spend the time to explore alternatives. Here are a few professions we think would offer good opportunities for Asian Americans.

Corporate Sales
     What's wrong with a profession in which you decide how hard to work and how much to earn? Past generations of Asian Americans have stayed away because of the false belief that their ethnicity would be a handicap. Today at least, it may be an advantage. Companies are eager to tap the unparalleled growth of the Asian American -- as well as Asian -- markets but can't find enough willing applicants. Young Asian Americans who dislike structured workdays are starting to wake up to a profession that rewards discipline, sensitivity, persistence and ambition -- qualities possessed in abundance by Asian Americans. At least at the corporate level, sales is less about glib fast-talking and more about cultivating long-term relationships based on mutual respect and trust -- yet another skill at which many AA excel.

Corporate Education/Human Resources
     You have impressive academic credentials, strong language skills and are good with people, but dislike the traditional corporate office scene? The HR/education side may be just the thing. As economic changes keep accelerating, ever-growing segments of the workforce must be retrained on a continuing basis. Corporate educators have the satisfying task of coming up with educational videos, manuals and courses to keep loyal employees from becoming obsolete.
Intelligence Agent/Analyst
     If you have Asian language skills, a sharp mind, sterling character and a taste for adventure, check out the many opportunities with the various federal agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community. They offer jobs that involve travel and action, as well as a chance to apply your mind to geopolitical and security issues rather than the mundane ones that occupy most of us. The terrorism threat is increasing the demand for agents of various ethnic backgrounds. This also happens to be an excellent way to rack up credentials that are highly prized in civilian industries. When combined with the many benefits, compensation is on par with private sector jobs.

Law
     Notwithstanding the recent collapse of some high-profile California legal giants, the profession is practically recession-proof. In good times the abundance of new business activity generates demand for legal services. In bad times an obscene amount of money is devoted to trying to fix blame for failed deals and ventures. It's one of few fields where a professional who doesn't mind putting in long hours on tedious, morally ambiguous work can make a handsome living in a corporate environment without devoting undue energy to office politics.

Marketing/Advertising
     Asians represent a disproportionately influential segment of the U.S. economy. Major corporations seeking an edge in this market want employees and consultants who can serve as cultural liaisons in conceiving and executing vertical marketing schemes and advertising campaigns. Asian Americans with strong language skills and creative juice find this an attractive field. Relatively low entry-level compensation is made up for by career satisfaction and more money down the road.

Digital Animation/Game Developer
     Video games already gross more than twice as much as Hollywood movies. In the future, they could become the dominant form of canned entertainment, overtaking TV, music and even the internet. They require huge numbers of creatively talented, computer-savvy and well-paid graphic artists and programmers. The great thing about the field is that it's still in frontier mode -- a talented individual with hot ideas can go far.

Military
     What's wrong with attending a prestigious college all-expenses paid, then serving a stint as a military officer? Nothing. That's the path chosen by many of our most respected and successful Asian Americans. The life of a military officer provides benefits not offered by civilian work: training in sophisticated leadership and technical skills, opportunities for far-flung adventures, vigorous fitness regimen, excellent medical benefits for the entire family, respect of co-workers, and a generous pension following early retirement. Many top corporations prefer to hire former military officers.

Alternative Healthcare/Holistic Medicine
     American demand for herbal medicine, accupunture and other alternative medicine is growing at three times the rate of conventional western medicine. Currently most of the demand is being met by immigrant practitioners or non-Asians. Many AA avoid the field as being stereotypically Asian though they would enjoy the dual advantages of being seen as "authentic" while being able to communicate with the non-Asian clientele which represents most of the growth in demand.


"Young Asian Americans who dislike structured workdays are starting to wake up to a profession that rewards discipline, sensitivity, persistence and ambition."