Photo Credit : From the Home Page of Teach for China Website http://www.tfchina.org/
“A single tree in the tropical forest in the south of Mexico has more different species than some European countries.” Carlos Salinas de Gotari
February 27, 2012
My drive into Mexico City – winding through the mountains near the airport until I suddenly see the gleaming new office buildings of Santa Fe. It feels like Hong Kong- modern structures, glass, lots of traffic. The traffic gets denser as I get closer to the city (which takes a bit of time). The ultra modern Santa Fe gives way to gracious colonial style homes and bungalows, diplomatic enclaves, and then the historic center of town – Paseo de la Reforma and Chapultepec Park. More tall office towers, international brands on shop fronts, an even larger number of local, Mexican brands, many young people, lots of commerce …. Missing: the smog that one reads about. Apparently, it happens only some months of the year. Visible: plentiful sunshine and purple jacaranda blossoms high up against the blue sky. It’s spring-time in Mexico, like in much of the Northern Tropics. I am reminded of India…
We read a lot about the crime and violence in Mexico – or think of it as a tourist destination. In reality, Mexico is a pulsating growth market, with a population of nearly 115 million and many ethnic groups and over 90% literacy. It’s economy gets greatly affected by its giant neighbor – the United States – but it grew much faster than the U.S. in the last two years – and I can feel this growth in the streets. There is violence in parts of Mexico but Mexico City does not have a State Dept travel advisory (many other parts of Mexico also do not have travel advisories).
While the country is majority Catholic and traditional, it is federal in structure and Mexico City is its liberal heart. Divorce – allowed in Mexico City; gay marriage – allowed in Mexico City; contraception and abortion – legal in Mexico City. Bet you don’t think of any of these when you think of Mexico. Many people in business have studied in the U.S. and speak English. But to work in Mexico, Zoomplestrongly recommends fluency in Spanish. Many LatAm regional offices of large companies are located in Miami. Zoomple tip: an internship / job at the LatAm regional office can be a good starting point for a career in Latin America. A transfer to Mexico will get you experience in a rapidly emerging market - close to home and in the same time zone!
Originally posted at zoomple.com on March 5, 2012
Featured Company … TEACH FOR CHINA
Photo Credit : From the Home Page of Teach for China Website http://www.tfchina.org/
In one of our prior posts , Zoomple … Heard on the Street .. China Outlook ( click this link for China Outlook post )we mentioned Teach for China. Here is more information on this organization. If you are a college student, and have an interest in working, living and experiencing China , this is one of your options. Check out and learn more about Teach for China !
Star network 7 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Network:(defn)
“an association of individuals having a common interest, formed to provide mutual assistance,
helpful information, or the like: a network of recent college graduates” (one of several definitions for Network
found in Dictionary.com)
Networking really does improve the odds you may land a job. As a student you do have whether you believe it or not a great foundation and beginning grounds of a network. But, we hear during on and off campus career conversations and meetings, students commenting they have no network. Is that true? We don’t think so…
Where is your network ? How to find it? How to develop it?
For starters, look around you , on and off campus, your college provides you a rich resource and ready made network.
Your classmates: Find out what they are doing, what they are thinking. Connect with them. At one meeting, a student that had found a nice internship was talking about her upcoming internship. Another student participant asked her how she ever managed to land such a plum summer internship, she told her exactly how she found the position. The sharing of information, the how to’s … your peer group can be huge help and an essential part of your network.
Faculty : Find out what they are working on, discuss what you are interested in. ASK questions! They may be able to add some further insight and even connect you to one of their former students now working in your area of interest. They may also know of open positions. Many faculty members want to assist and guide. It’s why they chose their profession.
Career Office : Go visit your career office. Don’t wait , get familiar with their resources, the staff. They are there to help you. That is their job.
Alumni: Many are motivated to help their fellow school mates discuss career ideas, share information about their field, maybe even have identify a job opening that they would like to see go to a qualified individual from their alma mater
In all the above instances, ask if there is anyone else you can talk to. Grow the network. See where it takes you. But also be realistic. It’s not a slam dunk, sure fire opportunity to a job offer. It’s a way to gather information and learn about careers, industries, options. Sometimes, you get lucky and may find yourself being offered an interview spot, and even better, a job offer. But start with the first step, networking isWORK and it takes practive. And hink of it like a NET , you where you are weaving and connecting to people and information creating a great resource and sounding board .
In computer terms, a network , according to wikipedia, is a collection of computers and other hardware components interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information.[1] Where at least one process in one device is able to send/receive data to/from at least one process residing in a remote device, then the two devices are said to be in a network. Simply, more than one computer interconnected through a communication medium for information interchange is called a computer network. And like computer networks, your network is a process, interconnecting, through communication for information, to many individuals who can share their knowledge and experiences with you.
Star type of network (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
So, start now! It’s never too soon but also definitely never too late. Boot up, Refresh, Ramp up your network! At school, At home, all around you is YOUR NETWORK. You only need to activate it!
www.zoomdojo.com (under construction) a college to careers resource,network and community
If you know a great restaurant in Boston- let us know!
Here’s some of our favorites:
Dumpling House ( Boston ) : http://www.gourmetdumpling.com/http://www.yelp.com/biz/gourmet-dumpling-house-boston
Flatbread Company ( Davis Square ): http://flatbreadcompany.com/
John Harvard’s Brew House ( Cambridge ) : https://www.johnharvards.com/
Harvest ( Cambridge ) : http://harvestcambridge.com/
photo credit : wikipedia/aerial view back bay
If you are not ready to commit to a long term lease until you have a feel of the place, you can look into shorter term sublets first. The large off campus student population in the city makes sublets plentiful.
http://www.tosublet.com/sublets_apartments_g1/boston_apartment_sublet.html.
Check Craigslist and local newspapers for sublets. Many students live off campus and are locked into one year leases, and may be looking to sublet during the summer months, other holidays, or if abroad for a semester.
http://boston.craigslist.org/hhh/
http://www.bostonpads.com/
http://www.bostonapartments.com/
http://offcampusapartmentfinder.com/
http://www.myapartmentmap.com/apartments/ma/boston/?internal=true
Getting around the town is very easy (Boston is usually referred to as “the town”, not the city). The “T” (aka the metro, subway, underground) is very convenient and reliable. Buses, taxis and commuter trains are also readily available.
New Yorkers beware – you can’t hail a taxi on the street; you have to call for one. But you can live and work in Boston without owning a car. As a friend who lived here as a grad student remarked: ‘I don’t know how to drive around town; I was always underground to get from point A to point B’. It’s true … you can go to almost everywhere you need to underground.
http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/
Tip: Get a good map! The city above ground, can be a puzzle to navigate. Boston roads are not based on a grid system. The roads were originally cow paths. Cows do not travel in straight lines.
If you really want to bring your car, check for parking before you load up and head to Boston. If you plan to park on the street, be aware of all the parking restrictions. First, if you’re not a Massachusetts resident, or have obtained a special permits that may not be possible. And you will be ticketed before you can say “pahk the cah”. We know from experience!
Make Way For Ducklings by ROBERT MCCLOSKEY. Yes, it is a children’s book. If you didn’t read it as a child, read it now and look for the statue in Boston Commons where this wonderful story takes place.
A Short History of Boston by Robert Allison
www.zoomdojo.com (under construction)
www.zoomdojo.com (under construction)
Heard on the Street … China Outlook
The Economist has a very good report on China and its Economy in its May 26 -June 1 2012 issue… even before the special report section, there is a very balanced brief summary on the current state and outlook on China’s economy.
http://www.economist.com/node/21555915
Photo credit: from the Economist’s online image of the portion of the magazine cover for the issue on China
www.zoomdojo.com (under construction)