Is it easy to find work in the US after graduating from Ateneo? I know the market has been bad lately but what are the chances of getting a good job at consulting firms such as Mckinsey, BCG, etc or investment banking firms such as Goldman Sachs?

Getting a job in the US for a non-immigrant pilipino after 911 is a real feat! one has to consider the INS aspect and the second is the employer aspect. the second is easier to tackle than the 1st.

There's an informative thread on this w/c started a few months back...i'll refresh it for you. it's entitled "Seeking advise from Ateneans who are already in the US"

[ October 14, 2002: Message edited by: fray torquemada ]

I think your post can be broken down into 2 components: (1) What kind of firms will sponsor your work permit? and (2) How easy is it to get a job in the US in these firms?

For (1) Most top consulting firms and investment banks will hire and sponsor your work permit regardless of your nationality. However, they will normally require you to have an MBA from a top b-school w/ good grades before they consider your application. Brick and mortars like Honeywell, Pfizer, Merck, P&G, etc. do not sponsor work permits even if you have an MBA unless you are an internally assigned expat coming from a foreign subsidiary.

(2) The job market is not doing well right now, but if you start your MBA next year it might be better by the time you graduate. I-Banks and consulting firms were the hardest to be hit after the bursting of the tech bubble and they have laid off quite a lot of people (JP Morgan and Lehman are gearing for another round of layoffs by the hundreds) and are not hiring that many people this year. However, for whatever few positions they have open, they will still hire any qualified person regardless of nationality.

[ October 14, 2002: Message edited by: reyesaa ]

well, i think the visa would not be a problem since I'm a greencard holder. i'm just afriad that they would not recognize the ateneo diploma and i would land in a bad job after graduation. if i get a not nice job then my chances of getting into b-school would probably be low too.

I am not familiar w/ the prospects of those looking for work in the US who have undergrad-only degrees earned in the Philippines. The thread that fray torquemada pointed to may be useful.

Most of the people I know of who are doing well (1) earned their undergrad in the Philippines, (2) worked for several years in the Philippines after college, (3) took their MBAs in the US/UK and (4) worked abroad after graduation. Examples of Ateneans here in Atenista.Net who have taken that path are victory_fils and his wife, tintin96, rescolar, and myself. There are really lots of good pre-MBA careers in the Philippines such as brand management (P&G, Unilever, URC, SMC, RFM etc.), consulting (Accenture, Iberpacific/Soluziona, SGV BC, etc.), finance, and so on. McKinsey has a Manila office as well. Business schools do not discriminate based on what country you worked in or what your pay was. What they do give importance to is the quality of your work experience - Did you demonstrate analytical and leadership capabilities? Have you shown professional maturity? Also, try your best to get high GMAT scores.

However, this assumes that you can easily work in Manila after college. I do not know if you must return to the US immediately to maintain your green card status. A few people I know who wanted to work in the US immediately after college graduation took a 1-year masters degree (MS/MA) in a US school first before getting a US job and then took their MBAs after a few years.

For what it's worth, you're better off than most Pinoys bec. your green card will give you more options when you complete your MBA. You will be qualified to apply to companies that normally don't sponsor work visas.

Reyesaa is absolutely correct. As a greencard holder, companies will consider you for their job openings. The problem is the job market. It is in a sad state. You will have to compete with other recent graduates who have not found a job, any job.

I banks and consulting firms normally do not hire fresh college graduates unless they come from the top schools and the graduate has excellent grades. Sorry to burst your bubble but this is the cruel truth.

Grad and law school enrollment has grown because of the poor job market. Students are taking a chance of getting more educated before they compete in the job market.

Like Reyesaa said, you have options that is not available to most of your classmates. They would definitely want to be in your shoes but you'll probably have to settle for some job even if it is not your dream job. You have to start somewhere.

Visa isn't a problem at all. You're lucky dude. You don't have to go through the hoops of immigration bureaucracy. That green card is your ticket. Make good use of that silly card. Anyway, in your case, suck it up a little bit here in the US. The market is pretty bad. Don't take the route that I took. I assume you're a business major or of a related major. No time to be lazy. Key: bombard the diff industries w/ resumes both on-line and by mail. Few will respond but then again it's an numbers game. Even if the market is gloomy, companies will still hire. Depending where you'll be staying in the States--if NY, Chicago, LA, there's always some job fair going on. If you live or have relations in NY, that's the place to be for business majors even in a gloomy market. It's the business capital of the world.For some reason there's always some job fair at Javitt's center or Madison Sq Garden. If you check the NY times classified, there's always stockbroker trainee openings. Not very many actually survive the entire trainee program--it's alot of grunt work -- called calling baby and whole lot of studying for the series 6 and 7 certification before you actually be handling accounts. I went that route after a short stint w/ the US Army, it was too cut throat for me. So I went back to gov't service. In your case, some humility will be needed because of your apparent (???)lack (???) of experience. Take the first decent but not so-high paying job in a reputable firm. Grad school is the key around here. Since you are a green card holder, you can avail of Federal Stafford student loans to finance you grad school (part time that is) unless your parents can afford it. The best strategy, I think, is decent work and part-time grad school or even certification courses like CFA or network/systems certification if you're looking at IT. Be patient! You're young.
As for the diploma, contact right away an evaluating agency to receive an equivalency certification to your Philippine degree. I went to the World Education Service for $50.00 but this was back in 1993. It's worth it at least for me-- for my gov't service evaluation. Assuming you're still in the Philippines, make sure before you return to the states, have all your transcripts ready, diploma translation.
In your resumes, emphasize "Loyola Schools." I know of the pride in Ateneo's name, but there's no Ateneo here. And claiming we have multitudes of sister jesuit schools don't really help. That school at Taft is even luckier because there are schools bearing that name...there's one in Philadelphia (pretty second rate) but what matters it's a an American institution. So there you go--you have a headstart above other ateneans who don't have any immigrant or non-immigrant status in the states. Preparation is key.
World Education Service

[ October 16, 2002: Message edited by: fray torquemada ]

Thank you for all your advice. Right now I'm considering applying to transfer to UCLA/Berkeley even if I have to repeat my undergrad junior. Another option I'm looking at is just getting this undergrad degree over with. From there I'm thinking of either getting a masters in finance/ financial engineering/economics or working here in the Philippines or in the US.

I'm quite worried about the costs. If I take a masters for 2 years and then an MBA for 2 years then it might run up to a lot of money. Also, we don't file taxes in the U.S. so I'm not sure if I can apply for federal grants/loans.

I also plan to go to culinary school a few years after I get my MBA.

Voltaire -

Fray pretty much sums it up and he hit it right on the note with 'humility'. Local experience is quite big here. Here's my 2 cents worth - - get yourself in the door of companies that offer good benefits i.e. free education. I work for JPMorganChase and they pay for 'relative' education meaning business related courses/degrees (can't take up Law - -although it maybe an exception). You can get your MBA or get accepted into the eMBA program (JPMC partners with top tier BGS. Right now a 2 yr eMBA program with JPMC through Columbia runs around $100K (quite a bundle isn't it?) since nothing is really FREE here's the downside - - some companies like JPMC require you to stay for a number of years in exchange for paying the tuition. But you know what? Nothing beats getting a degree from an Ivy League school and getting paid while doing it. And once you graduate you will be paid even more. Good Luck and climb the ladder hard and fast!

well, hello there... I just graduated last year with a BS Bio degree. Well, some do recognize Ateneo and uhmm La Salle, but it doesnt really count. You have to show the dominant group what youre made of... It is always advisable to take your masters... and this I learned from my teachers here. Theres competition anywhere we go. Consider the fact that we are only a minority in the states... Better make your presence be more felt. Break a leg you all!

Hey come on now! that wasn't a bad route (hehehe I guess coz I'm on it right now). But as a word of advise, Fray took a good route focusing on a federal job right now --- it's very stable and the pay is not all too bad --- of course it all depends on your taste. But yes, preparation is the key. I found out the hard way that Americans want to see a person with solid confidence. Don't give them that ADMU type answer summing up to the effect that "it depends". Usually, when working with Americans, they are looking for tangible results at the end of each day. Just make sure that you are sure. Coz remember, that job you are applying for is also an open invitation to many other graduates here in the U.S. and you've got to give them a good reason to hire you instead of them --- that's just how it goes.

[ February 21, 2003: Message edited by: GUD_BADOODLES ]

i've been in the US for two years and i'm currently on my third job now (lucky enough to have a green card). i'm doing secondary marketing for a mortgage company and i could say that i'm pretty settled with my current job. my first job mostly invovled administrative stuff and borderline "summer job" tasks that really bored and frustrated me. my Ateneo degree didn't really help me here with regards to name recognition or having a recognized bachelor's degree. the Ateneo education, however is what helped me prove myself and perform at a higher level than what is usually demanded from my position. people are usually surprised at my "relatively high" level of proficiency with the english language (at least for a guy who's been here 2 years) and also with the fact that i don't run for the calculator everytime i see a bunch of numbers in front of me. it's kinda frustrating to know that you're not being used to your full potential, but i've started to realize that experience and job knowledge is more important to most employers here rather than a degree from a fancy school. i realized this when i saw graduates from USC and other universities starting out the same way i did.

before 911 and the current recession, however, i've been hearing about people w/ MIS, COMSCI and technically specialized degrees have a relatively easy time getting work here. unfortunately, everybody seems to be laying of people and cutting costs these days, especially the technology sector.