WLP
03-19-2006, 07:50 PM
Friday, March 10, 2006
By Ky-Phong Tran
These were the rules growing up: You must get good grades. You cannot date. You have to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer.
The Holy Trinity of careers is a pillar of the Vietnamese American dream. I remember being encouraged (i.e. threatened) by my parents to do well in math and science classes so I could get a “good job.” I also recall the guilt and anxiety about how Mrs. So-and-So’s daughter got into medical school or Mr. So-and-So’s son has his own engineering firm.
For my mom and dad, the Holy Trinity represented educational and financial success and stability, and hopefully, a Mercedes Benz — the ultimate immigrant status symbol.
But is it really true? And where does that desire come from? And if you veer from that path, what happens? Let’s explore.
The truth (Part 1)
Does anyone want to know why our parents want us to become doctors, lawyers or engineers?
It’s not just prestige or the lure of a high income, though that’s part of it.
They do it because they are unsure of the long-term prospects of any other careers, so they encourage the traditional ones that they think will give their children secure lives. I used to work as a college and high school counselor, and it shocked me that mothers and fathers, and thus their children, did not know the career possibilities that existed, so they clung to the Holy Trinity like it was a life raft.
But it’s 2006 and it’s crucial to understand what’s really happening with those so-called prestigious careers.
Brace yourself — parents especially — but doctors and lawyers and engineers have problems, too.
My cousin graduated from an Ivy League medical school and then quit being a doctor. Why? Stress. He worked in the emergency room, and the hours and fatigue and responsibility were too much for him, so much so that he became a day trader instead.
My college friend who is in medical school at UCLA will be more than $100,000 in debt and will go further into it as he specializes in his field. And with the reorganizing of HMOs and the high costs of medical malpractice insurance, being a doctor is no longer a sure thing towards being rich.
If you go to law school, there is a 50 percent chance you will not practice law. It’s the statistical truth; Google it. And that 50 percent that doesn’t practice will usually say something like this: “But I learned to be a better writer, reader and analytical thinker in law school.”
Take my advice: Save yourself three years and avoid a six-figure debt and do not go to law school. Use that time and money to take a trip around the world, buy some stocks or property. Anything else. It’s a lot cheaper, and you’ll learn a lot more.
And if you do go to law school, do this math: My friend earns $126,000 a year as a corporate attorney, but she also works 100 hours a week, including most Saturdays. Well, yeah she makes that much, she’s working two jobs!
And of course, let’s not forget the engineers: civil, computer, electrical, industrial, etc. The work sounds so stable. Wake up, get dressed and go to the job that will always be there, right? Wrong.
Engineers can and do get laid off as the economy fluctuates. Remember the dot.com era, or should I say dot.bomb? Computer engineers were getting let go left and right.
When military contracts for cargo planes and fighter jets run out, not only do they fire the aeronautical engineers, sometimes they close down the whole factory, sell the land and build a mall, which means that you are most likely not going back to that job.
And civil engineers and everyone else in the home construction industry — developers, real estate agents, financiers, construction firms, even hardware stores — are all shaking in their boots as interest rates climb. Loans will default, houses will sit on the market, construction will get halted halfway, and engineers will be collecting unemployment. Just watch.
The truth (Part 2)
The other side of the Holy Trinity is not hell, though it might feel that way at times if you argue with your parents like this:
You: “Mom, I want to become a social worker.”
Mom: “Tại sao? Con làm gia đình xấu hổ!” How come? You’ve shamed our family. (Followed with tears and yelling, then usually more yelling).
But there is another side to the job market. If you want stability, why not find something in the public sector working for any level of government: federal, state, county or city. What you want to do in the private sector, you can likely do in the public, but you’ll make about 30 percent less. On the other hand, you get all the holidays off and the government’s revenue (taxes), which pays your salary, is guaranteed by law.
If you are seeking a high income, graduate and professional school can actually be working against you by going into debt and giving up able working years (sometimes up to a decade) not making income. In fact, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, the founder of Microsoft Corp. and Apple Computer Inc., are both college dropouts, though I’m not encouraging that, either.
And if fame and prestige are your interests, I’d be careful. They’re fleeting things and don’t really fill you as a person. Only finding what you love and doing it can do that.
So if you’re in high school or in college or in-between jobs (i.e. unemployed) what are your other options?
Đạt Phan, the winner of America’s Next Top Comic, is a pioneering figure in the entertainment industry. Đạt Nguyễn played football for the Dallas Cowboys, and Cung Lê is a champion professional fighter.
There’s a growing field of Vietnamese writers and journalists, like Aimee Phan, Monique Trương and Andrew Lâm. And there’s a whole new wave of college professors studying everything from cellular biology to film studies.
Movie directors, politicians, astronauts, newscasters, business owners. Vietnamese Americans are doing it all.
My truth, aka truthiness
At UCLA, I studied history and ethnic studies and though I enjoyed both, I am neither a historian nor an ethnographer.
But this is what got me some pretty cool, educational and influential jobs: I can write well and speak well, and I get along with others (almost to the point of charm I’ve been told).
Those are skills that are often overlooked when preparing for the job market, along with being organized and having the ability to multitask. Underestimate them at your own peril.
My first job was working for the Oakland City Council, where I was a legislative aide. My chief of staff said she hired me because I wrote a compelling cover letter and interviewed well.
So what did all that reading comprehension, essay writing and socializing in high school and college get me? Well, my proudest moment was helping to pass a law that helped non-English speaking immigrants, the first type of its kind in the nation.
Random stuff including driving Mayor Jerry Brown (the former governor of California) around in my car and sitting in a meeting with Rep. Barbara Lee as a peer. That she was the lone dissenting vote against unchecked plans for war in 2001 makes that meeting even cooler.
After that, I worked for Coro Northern California and trained civic leaders. Between those jobs, I feel I have what equals a master’s degree in public policy, and I was the one getting paid in income and work experience, not in some graduate school taking my tuition.
I’ve also taught creative writing, been a basketball coach, and done some extended world travel (15 countries and counting, including Vieät Nam, of course). Yes, yes, a cao bồi indeed.
The last truth
If you want to help people heal or solve medical problems, become a doctor. If you want to represent clients or fight for civil rights, become a lawyer. If you want to build roads and buildings, become an engineer.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with the Holy Trinity. The most important thing is to be sure it’s what you want to do. In the long run, if you do what you want, you’ll be happier and ultimately more successful.
After all, we’re in a whole new millennium with traditional jobs and ones we haven’t even imagined yet. The world of careers is like a Vietnamese wedding banquet: diverse, free flowing, and with something for anyone.
--------------------
Distribution of occupational categories by groups
Friday, March 10, 2006
Chinese
Executive/senior management 11.1
Computers, sciences, engineering 25.8
Legal, financial services 4.9
Medical, health professionals 11.8
Education, media, community services 6.6
Sales, operations, support 22.5
Skilled blue-collar 12.4
Manual services, farming, military 4.8
Koreans
Executive/senior management 10.8
Computers, sciences, engineering7.0
Legal, financial services4.5
Medical, health professionals6.2
Education, media, community services6.2
Sales, operations, support31.0
Skilled blue-collar17.9
Manual services, farming, military12.8
Vietnamese
Executive/senior management 4.2
Computers, sciences, engineering12.0
Legal, financial services2.9
Medical, health professionals3.9
Education, media, community services4.2
Sales, operations, support18.1
Skilled blue-collar37.0
Manual services, farming, military17.8
Whites
Executive/senior management 11.2
Computers, sciences, engineering5.2
Legal, financial services4.1
Medical, health professionals 5.2
Education, media, community services10.5
Sales, operations, support29.4
Skilled blue-collar26.4
Manual services, farming, military8.4
Source: Le, C.N. 2006. “Employment & Occupational Patterns” Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America.
By Ky-Phong Tran
These were the rules growing up: You must get good grades. You cannot date. You have to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer.
The Holy Trinity of careers is a pillar of the Vietnamese American dream. I remember being encouraged (i.e. threatened) by my parents to do well in math and science classes so I could get a “good job.” I also recall the guilt and anxiety about how Mrs. So-and-So’s daughter got into medical school or Mr. So-and-So’s son has his own engineering firm.
For my mom and dad, the Holy Trinity represented educational and financial success and stability, and hopefully, a Mercedes Benz — the ultimate immigrant status symbol.
But is it really true? And where does that desire come from? And if you veer from that path, what happens? Let’s explore.
The truth (Part 1)
Does anyone want to know why our parents want us to become doctors, lawyers or engineers?
It’s not just prestige or the lure of a high income, though that’s part of it.
They do it because they are unsure of the long-term prospects of any other careers, so they encourage the traditional ones that they think will give their children secure lives. I used to work as a college and high school counselor, and it shocked me that mothers and fathers, and thus their children, did not know the career possibilities that existed, so they clung to the Holy Trinity like it was a life raft.
But it’s 2006 and it’s crucial to understand what’s really happening with those so-called prestigious careers.
Brace yourself — parents especially — but doctors and lawyers and engineers have problems, too.
My cousin graduated from an Ivy League medical school and then quit being a doctor. Why? Stress. He worked in the emergency room, and the hours and fatigue and responsibility were too much for him, so much so that he became a day trader instead.
My college friend who is in medical school at UCLA will be more than $100,000 in debt and will go further into it as he specializes in his field. And with the reorganizing of HMOs and the high costs of medical malpractice insurance, being a doctor is no longer a sure thing towards being rich.
If you go to law school, there is a 50 percent chance you will not practice law. It’s the statistical truth; Google it. And that 50 percent that doesn’t practice will usually say something like this: “But I learned to be a better writer, reader and analytical thinker in law school.”
Take my advice: Save yourself three years and avoid a six-figure debt and do not go to law school. Use that time and money to take a trip around the world, buy some stocks or property. Anything else. It’s a lot cheaper, and you’ll learn a lot more.
And if you do go to law school, do this math: My friend earns $126,000 a year as a corporate attorney, but she also works 100 hours a week, including most Saturdays. Well, yeah she makes that much, she’s working two jobs!
And of course, let’s not forget the engineers: civil, computer, electrical, industrial, etc. The work sounds so stable. Wake up, get dressed and go to the job that will always be there, right? Wrong.
Engineers can and do get laid off as the economy fluctuates. Remember the dot.com era, or should I say dot.bomb? Computer engineers were getting let go left and right.
When military contracts for cargo planes and fighter jets run out, not only do they fire the aeronautical engineers, sometimes they close down the whole factory, sell the land and build a mall, which means that you are most likely not going back to that job.
And civil engineers and everyone else in the home construction industry — developers, real estate agents, financiers, construction firms, even hardware stores — are all shaking in their boots as interest rates climb. Loans will default, houses will sit on the market, construction will get halted halfway, and engineers will be collecting unemployment. Just watch.
The truth (Part 2)
The other side of the Holy Trinity is not hell, though it might feel that way at times if you argue with your parents like this:
You: “Mom, I want to become a social worker.”
Mom: “Tại sao? Con làm gia đình xấu hổ!” How come? You’ve shamed our family. (Followed with tears and yelling, then usually more yelling).
But there is another side to the job market. If you want stability, why not find something in the public sector working for any level of government: federal, state, county or city. What you want to do in the private sector, you can likely do in the public, but you’ll make about 30 percent less. On the other hand, you get all the holidays off and the government’s revenue (taxes), which pays your salary, is guaranteed by law.
If you are seeking a high income, graduate and professional school can actually be working against you by going into debt and giving up able working years (sometimes up to a decade) not making income. In fact, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, the founder of Microsoft Corp. and Apple Computer Inc., are both college dropouts, though I’m not encouraging that, either.
And if fame and prestige are your interests, I’d be careful. They’re fleeting things and don’t really fill you as a person. Only finding what you love and doing it can do that.
So if you’re in high school or in college or in-between jobs (i.e. unemployed) what are your other options?
Đạt Phan, the winner of America’s Next Top Comic, is a pioneering figure in the entertainment industry. Đạt Nguyễn played football for the Dallas Cowboys, and Cung Lê is a champion professional fighter.
There’s a growing field of Vietnamese writers and journalists, like Aimee Phan, Monique Trương and Andrew Lâm. And there’s a whole new wave of college professors studying everything from cellular biology to film studies.
Movie directors, politicians, astronauts, newscasters, business owners. Vietnamese Americans are doing it all.
My truth, aka truthiness
At UCLA, I studied history and ethnic studies and though I enjoyed both, I am neither a historian nor an ethnographer.
But this is what got me some pretty cool, educational and influential jobs: I can write well and speak well, and I get along with others (almost to the point of charm I’ve been told).
Those are skills that are often overlooked when preparing for the job market, along with being organized and having the ability to multitask. Underestimate them at your own peril.
My first job was working for the Oakland City Council, where I was a legislative aide. My chief of staff said she hired me because I wrote a compelling cover letter and interviewed well.
So what did all that reading comprehension, essay writing and socializing in high school and college get me? Well, my proudest moment was helping to pass a law that helped non-English speaking immigrants, the first type of its kind in the nation.
Random stuff including driving Mayor Jerry Brown (the former governor of California) around in my car and sitting in a meeting with Rep. Barbara Lee as a peer. That she was the lone dissenting vote against unchecked plans for war in 2001 makes that meeting even cooler.
After that, I worked for Coro Northern California and trained civic leaders. Between those jobs, I feel I have what equals a master’s degree in public policy, and I was the one getting paid in income and work experience, not in some graduate school taking my tuition.
I’ve also taught creative writing, been a basketball coach, and done some extended world travel (15 countries and counting, including Vieät Nam, of course). Yes, yes, a cao bồi indeed.
The last truth
If you want to help people heal or solve medical problems, become a doctor. If you want to represent clients or fight for civil rights, become a lawyer. If you want to build roads and buildings, become an engineer.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with the Holy Trinity. The most important thing is to be sure it’s what you want to do. In the long run, if you do what you want, you’ll be happier and ultimately more successful.
After all, we’re in a whole new millennium with traditional jobs and ones we haven’t even imagined yet. The world of careers is like a Vietnamese wedding banquet: diverse, free flowing, and with something for anyone.
--------------------
Distribution of occupational categories by groups
Friday, March 10, 2006
Chinese
Executive/senior management 11.1
Computers, sciences, engineering 25.8
Legal, financial services 4.9
Medical, health professionals 11.8
Education, media, community services 6.6
Sales, operations, support 22.5
Skilled blue-collar 12.4
Manual services, farming, military 4.8
Koreans
Executive/senior management 10.8
Computers, sciences, engineering7.0
Legal, financial services4.5
Medical, health professionals6.2
Education, media, community services6.2
Sales, operations, support31.0
Skilled blue-collar17.9
Manual services, farming, military12.8
Vietnamese
Executive/senior management 4.2
Computers, sciences, engineering12.0
Legal, financial services2.9
Medical, health professionals3.9
Education, media, community services4.2
Sales, operations, support18.1
Skilled blue-collar37.0
Manual services, farming, military17.8
Whites
Executive/senior management 11.2
Computers, sciences, engineering5.2
Legal, financial services4.1
Medical, health professionals 5.2
Education, media, community services10.5
Sales, operations, support29.4
Skilled blue-collar26.4
Manual services, farming, military8.4
Source: Le, C.N. 2006. “Employment & Occupational Patterns” Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America.