Seniors look overseas for employment

“I immediately got a few offers, whereas everything has been coming up dry in the U.S.,” he said.

Several seniors, like Beers, will be working overseas next year, though their reasons for seeking employment abroad vary tremendously. Some are taking advantage of University-sponsored programs like Princeton in Asia and Princeton in Africa, which help place seniors in jobs internationally, while others sought out positions on their own in European countries or the Middle East.

The University does not encourage job placements in Afghanistan and nearby countries, most likely due to the instability of the area, Beers said, adding that he will be working at a research institute within Kabul University and teaching English on the side. “It’s kind of a mixed bag because it’s obviously really dangerous,” he said, adding that he spent three summers working in Afghanistan during his undergraduate career. “I like the work I do there [and], just being there for a summer, I feel like I’ve been able to make a difference.”

Reasons for leaving the United States and working overseas vary, however. “I know one [goal] of mine was to get a job in China,” said Gordon Scharf ’09, who will work for Intellectual Ventures, an American company that trades in intellectual property. “My friend’s dad started this company, and they just opened an office last fall in Beijing. We got to talking about it, and it just worked out,” he said.

Drew Dixon ’09, who is also going to be working in China, said he wanted to live abroad and chose a job teaching English in Jishou because of his studies in Chinese. “I also wanted to teach in a country whose language I already knew to some extent, so that I could begin exploring on my own from day one,” he said in an e-mail.

Many seniors said they weren’t sure they would stay abroad long-term, though. Cynthia Barmore ’09, who will be working for the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in Rome next year, said she is still unsure whether she is going to be returning to the United States and, if so, when. “I don’t know yet where I’ll settle permanently, but I’m sure my experiences over the next two years in Rome will affect my future choices,” she said in an e-mail.

Several students said they definitely planned to come back to the United States. “In the short-term future, I’m planning on returning to the U.S. after a year or two,” Dixon said. “There are too many things to bring me back — like grad school and my girlfriend (but probably not in that order).”

All seemed to share similar feelings of anticipation about the time they will spend overseas. “It’s going to be weird not coming back to Princeton in the fall. It’s a big change, but I think I’m more excited than anything,” Beers said. “It’s time to move on.”