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OT Any career suggestions for 20 yr. old marketing major who speaks Chinese and will probably get Italian dual citizenship in a couple of months.

D

dailybuck777

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Jan 2, 2018
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My son is starting his junior year in college and has a somewhat different background than a lot of 20 year-olds. Will add that his academic record is also very good. While in high school he started two llc businesses that didn't make money (obviously, we can all learn from out mistakes) -- he is impatient to get on with a career and job. He did specifically mention to me that he hopes to leverage his Chinese skills and potential Italian citizenship with his marketing background.

I am thinking that there are undoubtedly people here who have had unusual as well as successful career paths and that I may be able to obtain ideas that will hopefully point him away from dead ends and towards areas where he can be useful and successful.
 
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dailybuck777 said:
My son is starting his junior year in college and has a somewhat different background than a lot of 20 year-olds. Will add that his academic record is also very good. While in high school he started two llc businesses that didn't make money (obviously, we can all learn from out mistakes) -- he is impatient to get on with a career and job. He did specifically mention to me that he hopes to leverage his Chinese skills and potential Italian citizenship with his marketing background.

I am thinking that there are undoubtedly people here who have had unusual as well as successful career paths and that I may be able to obtain ideas that will hopefully point him away from dead ends and towards areas where he can be useful and successful.
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Foreign Service.
 
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dailybuck777 said:
My son is starting his junior year in college and has a somewhat different background than a lot of 20 year-olds. Will add that his academic record is also very good. While in high school he started two llc businesses that didn't make money (obviously, we can all learn from out mistakes) -- he is impatient to get on with a career and job. He did specifically mention to me that he hopes to leverage his Chinese skills and potential Italian citizenship with his marketing background.

I am thinking that there are undoubtedly people here who have had unusual as well as successful career paths and that I may be able to obtain ideas that will hopefully point him away from dead ends and towards areas where he can be useful and successful.
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State Department
 
I believe there are questions on the SF-85 about dual citizenship. If I am remembering correctly, they will make you renounce the citizenship of the other country. Don’t quote me on that but that’s kind of what I remember.
 
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I was thinking welder, but Italians are usually better masons or finish carpenters. Government work is a good idea, like said State Department. But the private sector is where the money is. Working for Italian corporations doing business/marketing in China would be great fit. I believe that Italy is part of China's silk road initiative so they'll need people with language skills. English is always good to know.
 
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The big consulting firms often use bilingual business majors for all kinds of stuff. McKinsey, PwC, Accenture. There is a lot of merger and venture capital work. My neighbors son speaks Chinese and is an international finance major form Miami of Ohio. He interned in Singapore and worked for earnest and young. At - 30 he is COO of a venture capital group here that finds and brokers mergers for financial technology companies.
He actually just did a deal in London for a company looking to get into the us market and the CEO is Chinese. They called him in to listen as they would meet in English and the company team would talk among themselves in Chinese thinking nobody would know what they were saying. He never told them he spoke Chinese (mandarin actually)

It is bigger in the west coast.

the big companies often hire kids and work then to death. You get a few years experience then move to a boutique company where you get a partnership and big bucks.
 
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You probably already know this, but Italian citizenship will give him the right to live and work in any EU country without the need for a work or travel visa; it basically is regarded as “EU” citizenship. That will distinguish him from the vast majority of other applicants with multinational corporations. Good luck to him.
 
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Omar81 said:
You probably already know this, but Italian citizenship will give him the right to live and work in any EU country without the need for a work or travel visa; it basically is regarded as “EU” citizenship. That will distinguish him from the vast majority of other applicants with multinational corporations. Good luck to him.
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Exactly this. Try to get him a marketing internship with a multinational firm based in the US or EU; the hotel or casino sector for example. Then apply for work in the Asian division. After he gain experience working in Asia he will have a lot of options. If he eventually gets an MBA he will have even more options.
 
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Tell him to consider a career with the CIA.

dailybuck777 said:
My son is starting his junior year in college and has a somewhat different background than a lot of 20 year-olds. Will add that his academic record is also very good. While in high school he started two llc businesses that didn't make money (obviously, we can all learn from out mistakes) -- he is impatient to get on with a career and job. He did specifically mention to me that he hopes to leverage his Chinese skills and potential Italian citizenship with his marketing background.

I am thinking that there are undoubtedly people here who have had unusual as well as successful career paths and that I may be able to obtain ideas that will hopefully point him away from dead ends and towards areas where he can be useful and successful.
Click to expand...
 
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Some interesting responses in this thread with people suggesting your talented son should waste his time collecting a government paycheck. I suspect your son will have many opportunities in the private sector where he can actually contribute to improving society and make money doing it. I would think his ability to speak Chinese should be a major plus. Maybe he can find an opportunity in China’s belt and road initiative.
 
dailybuck777 said:
Probably good idea. Thanks. However, I wonder if you can be in foreign service with dual citizenship.
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It is not a disqualifier. The issue of dual citizenship is handled on a case by case basis. He would undergo a background check like everybody else. With Italian citizenship I wouldn't think it would be too big of an issue. Iran or China? That's a different story.
 
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dailybuck777 said:
Probably good idea. Thanks. However, I wonder if you can be in foreign service with dual citizenship.
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My daughter works at the State Dept so if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Foreign Service is a big commitment, basically you are committing to a career and a lifestyle. Must first pass an exam and can expect your first few tours will be in countries that are not exactly first world. But if you like the experience of travel and living abroad it can be a great experience.
 
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mfb5053 said:
I believe there are questions on the SF-85 about dual citizenship. If I am remembering correctly, they will make you renounce the citizenship of the other country. Don’t quote me on that but that’s kind of what I remember.
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It’s easy enough for me to find out; have a few FS friends. I’ll ask one of them.
 
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JoeBatters1 said:
Some interesting responses in this thread with people suggesting your talented son should waste his time collecting a government paycheck. I suspect your son will have many opportunities in the private sector where he can actually contribute to improving society and make money doing it. I would think his ability to speak Chinese should be a major plus. Maybe he can find an opportunity in China’s belt and road initiative.
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Waste time trying to make America better while helping Americans and American companies abroad? Yeah - China’s bellt and road initiative sounds much better 🤮
 
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Ceasar said:
My daughter works at the State Dept so if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Foreign Service is a big commitment, basically you are committing to a career and a lifestyle. Must first pass an exam and can expect your first few tours will be in countries that are not exactly first world. But if you like the experience of travel and living abroad it can be a great experience.
Click to expand...

I'd add that if you're looking to maybe leverage working a few years for the government and then transitioning to the private sector, you could opt for the Foreign Commercial Service, which is more selective than the FS and focuses exclusively on helping American commerce abroad. You still work at embassies, but only in places where American companies are doing business or want to - like say, China (less likely to end up at a place where all your food and supplies are airdropped to you via C130). This ties into his marketing background too as the whole idea is to promote American companies and help get them into foreign markets.

https://legacy.trade.gov/cs/index.asp
 
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dailybuck777 said:
My son is starting his junior year in college and has a somewhat different background than a lot of 20 year-olds. Will add that his academic record is also very good. While in high school he started two llc businesses that didn't make money (obviously, we can all learn from out mistakes) -- he is impatient to get on with a career and job. He did specifically mention to me that he hopes to leverage his Chinese skills and potential Italian citizenship with his marketing background.

I am thinking that there are undoubtedly people here who have had unusual as well as successful career paths and that I may be able to obtain ideas that will hopefully point him away from dead ends and towards areas where he can be useful and successful.
Click to expand...
There are great career opportunities in the Intelligence Community and with State Department, but, as another poster stated, going that route involves lifestyle choices that aren't for everybody. The nature of the work is also not for everyone. If you son's primary interest is in the business world, it is unlikely that he would enjoy either career option.

Dual citizenship is problematic for both. In both cases, you are a representative of the United States first and foremost, and your position exists to advance US interests. Any indication of mixed loyalties creates an issue. Beyond that, IC security clearance standards make dual citizenship all but disqualifying, and having dual citizenship isn't useful to the vast majority of the career paths. The IC has a very limited number of career options where dual citizenship would be seen as an asset, but the opportunities are few, and Italian citizenship would be well down the list of what they are looking for.
 
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dailybuck777 said:
My son is starting his junior year in college and has a somewhat different background than a lot of 20 year-olds. Will add that his academic record is also very good. While in high school he started two llc businesses that didn't make money (obviously, we can all learn from out mistakes) -- he is impatient to get on with a career and job. He did specifically mention to me that he hopes to leverage his Chinese skills and potential Italian citizenship with his marketing background.

I am thinking that there are undoubtedly people here who have had unusual as well as successful career paths and that I may be able to obtain ideas that will hopefully point him away from dead ends and towards areas where he can be useful and successful.
Click to expand...

Buck, his background with Chinese language, depending on the skill level, potentially opens various doors in the government's security and intelligence communities.

NSA, for example, is advertising for Chinese linguists right now:

https://apply.intelligencecareers.gov/job-description/1166357

Government careers in this field typically come with excellent benefits, a path for advancement, job security, opportunities for travel, and salary increases on a regular schedule.

The hiring process is lengthy as it features a rigorous background investigation and usually a polygraph. One caveat: dual citizenship could be a major obstacle...possibly a deal-breaker.

On the other hand, with that resume, there would seem to be no shortage of non-government possibilities. As you know, the Chinese market is huge, and a whole bunch of American companies are invested big-time in it. In that scenario, dual citizenship might well be a plus.
 
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mfb5053 said:
I believe there are questions on the SF-85 about dual citizenship. If I am remembering correctly, they will make you renounce the citizenship of the other country. Don’t quote me on that but that’s kind of what I remember.
Click to expand...
He will not necessarily be asked to renounce his dual citizenship. It largely depends upon who he works for and the country the citizenship is through. If he wanted to do some sort of intel. work for the US govt. and maintain his dual citizenship he might be better off working for a contractor. Regardless, unlike has been stated above, dual citizenship does not automatically disqualify one from jobs in the IC.
 
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What is the point/purpose of dual citizenship? Want to live in Europe full time at some point? My wife’s childhood friend grew up in PA, was Japanese-American, and spoke fluent Japanese and Chinese. She worked in hospitality for a five star hotel in China as a liaison of sorts for Japanese VIP guests. It too is a lifestyle commitment but she had a great time. Lots of options out there - does he speak Italian?
 
Obliviax said:
The big consulting firms often use bilingual business majors for all kinds of stuff. McKinsey, PwC, Accenture. There is a lot of merger and venture capital work. My neighbors son speaks Chinese and is an international finance major form Miami of Ohio. He interned in Singapore and worked for earnest and young. At - 30 he is COO of a venture capital group here that finds and brokers mergers for financial technology companies.
He actually just did a deal in London for a company looking to get into the us market and the CEO is Chinese. They called him in to listen as they would meet in English and the company team would talk among themselves in Chinese thinking nobody would know what they were saying. He never told them he spoke Chinese (mandarin actually)

It is bigger in the west coast.

the big companies often hire kids and work then to death. You get a few years experience then move to a boutique company where you get a partnership and big bucks.
Click to expand...
It’s Miami University not Miami of Ohio but good advice.

DailyBuck, isn’t your son at Miami as well?

Farmer is a great Business School btw. My oldest D graduated in June from Miami.
 
10.5 hours fasting followed by extra medium compound movements and 450 Pokemaannn dollars worth of Kirkland brand Jaxlink British Columbian Quebex free range jerky
 
Travel industry
State Department
United Nations -seemed to work for George Jefferson’s neighbor
He should look to pick up knowledge of one of the other Sanskrit based languages.
 
Midnighter2 said:
What is the point/purpose of dual citizenship? Want to live in Europe full time at some point? My wife’s childhood friend grew up in PA, was Japanese-American, and spoke fluent Japanese and Chinese. She worked in hospitality for a five star hotel in China as a liaison of sorts for Japanese VIP guests. It too is a lifestyle commitment but she had a great time. Lots of options out there - does he speak Italian?
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A lot of people have dual citizenship because (1) They were a citizen of another country before becoming a US citizen - revoking their old citizenship is not always necessary (2) They qualify for citizenship in another country due to ancestry and they think it would be nice to keep familial ties with said country (3) It makes travel easier, esp. in the EU. If you have an EU passport you can travel through the EU like you do through the US.
 
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Midnighter2 said:
What is the point/purpose of dual citizenship? Want to live in Europe full time at some point? My wife’s childhood friend grew up in PA, was Japanese-American, and spoke fluent Japanese and Chinese. She worked in hospitality for a five star hotel in China as a liaison of sorts for Japanese VIP guests. It too is a lifestyle commitment but she had a great time. Lots of options out there - does he speak Italian?
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The dual citizenship motivation was originally mine. Here were my thoughts 1. Options are always useful. 2. I visited Italy 20 years ago and loved it. 3. Italy has free healthcare.

In other places, I asked for the downside of dual citizenship and virtually everyone said there weren't many. Obviously, foreign service work might present a downside. Would add that what, hopefully, would be my son's passport is not merely Italian, but European.

About 4 months ago, he just mentioned that he thought dual citizenship would be useful because he could combine marketing, Chinese connections and European connections. He doesn't speak Italian though.

Finally, our application is pending and it isn't a 100% a given that it will go through. Did hopefully take care of a big problem with there being no birth certificate of my father by obtaining a notarized church baptismal certificate which is 100% consistent with other records like census records and naturalization records.
 
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ApexLion said:
It’s Miami University not Miami of Ohio but good advice.

DailyBuck, isn’t your son at Miami as well?

Farmer is a great Business School btw. My oldest D graduated in June from Miami.
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Thanks for your kind thoughts. Because I sometimes make controversial statements on other board, I try not to mention particular facts about my family so as to avoid having my kids take the brunt of blowback for some things I say.
 
Lion Lineage said:
He will not necessarily be asked to renounce his dual citizenship. It largely depends upon who he works for and the country the citizenship is through. If he wanted to do some sort of intel. work for the US govt. and maintain his dual citizenship he might be better off working for a contractor. Regardless, unlike has been stated above, dual citizenship does not automatically disqualify one from jobs in the IC.
Click to expand...
It won't help to work for a contractor since the IC clearance standards are the same for government employees and contractors. The vetting processes vary with the level and type of access, but the personnel security adjudication standards are uniform. This is simply a recognition that the CI/security risk doesn't change based on who the person works for. It goes back to the ICDs (704 for personnel security plus others on protecting SCI) and the implementation documents; none establish a lower or different standard for contractors.

While dual citizenship isn't an automatic DQ from the IC, the potential of it ending in rejection is high (assuming the individual indicates they would not give up the citizenship) and at the very least may limit what access is granted.
 
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dailybuck777 said:
My son is starting his junior year in college and has a somewhat different background than a lot of 20 year-olds. Will add that his academic record is also very good. While in high school he started two llc businesses that didn't make money (obviously, we can all learn from out mistakes) -- he is impatient to get on with a career and job. He did specifically mention to me that he hopes to leverage his Chinese skills and potential Italian citizenship with his marketing background.

I am thinking that there are undoubtedly people here who have had unusual as well as successful career paths and that I may be able to obtain ideas that will hopefully point him away from dead ends and towards areas where he can be useful and successful.
Click to expand...
Where would he like to live? We likely have some marketing analytics roles open for both APAC and EU at Epsilon, a Publicis-owned data company.
 
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PSU Mike said:
Where would he like to live? We likely have some marketing analytics roles open for both APAC and EU at Epsilon, a Publicis-owned data company.
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Thanks for the suggestion. My son is fairly knowledgeable about marketing analytics. In high school, he formed 2 companies to sell clothing type items through 3rd parties with his LLC acting as an intermediary. (One was a back pack for guys) We had some minor discussions about how extensive the data was and he told me something like if you looked, you could find out how many Indian men bought red backpacks on Saturday.

I will definitely tell him about your comment and company. Thanks again.
 
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