Plurk paste

After a total of nine years in Taiwan, I'll be returning to the US on August 13. I love living in Taiwan, but there's no future for me here career-wise: I'm pretty much limited to tutoring, translating, editing, or (of course) teaching English. None of these is attractive long-term.

First, the bad news: I'm 31 years old, with limited business experience and only an undergrad degree (BA in economics, Stanford, 2005). I had hoped to get my master's this semester, but I just wasn't making any progress on my thesis, and since I don't think a degree in Taiwanese history is going to help me find a job anyway, I decided to withdraw from my program and move back to the States to start my career. I may decide to finish the thesis later, but that won't happen unless I have a stable job that pays the bills.

Now, the good news: I'm still a pretty smart guy, and a Stanford degree is nothing to sneeze at. I've got lots of skills, ranging from math and Chinese (my undergraduate minors) to computer programming to teaching, and I'm a fast learner. I've met lots of amazing people in Taiwan, learned a lot from my master's program despite not finishing my thesis, and gotten to explore this beautiful island on my bike. I've taught intensive SAT classes to high school kids and I've learned from the many smart adults I've had the good fortune of tutoring. And I've had plenty of time to think about who I am and what I want out of life, which is more than most recent college grads can say.

Where do I want to live? The west coast, if possible; if not, I'll go wherever I can get a good job, maybe even (God forbid) back to Utah. What kind of job do I want? I'm still not sure, but I think I've got three possible paths. The one that appeals to me most right now is taking an entry-level analyst-type position at a good company where I can work with smart people, learn new things, and get some valuable experience. I can't really be more specific because my range of skills and interests is so broad--the key point here is that the company can't expect me to come in already knowing how to do every single thing it wants me to do. For example, I'm sure I would make a great financial analyst--I excel at math and I just finished a Coursera course on computational finance--but I don't have experience in the financial industry, so I'd need some time to learn the ins and outs of the job. My other two options would be teaching math at a private high school or working for the government or a think tank. I have a lot more experience with teaching and I know I'd like the job, but it doesn't appeal to me quite as much because I wouldn't get to learn new skills or work towards a promotion. As for government work, I'm not sure I have the patience for bureaucracy, and I really want to get back to my quantitative roots. But I'm keeping all my options open.

So, these next few weeks I'll be doing everything I can to line up a good job in August. I could use all the help I can get, so if you're willing to look at my resume, point me toward a company you think I'd be a good fit for, or just give me general advice, by all means, please do! I really appreciate the friends and family who have already shared their help and advice.