Careers for RW

[Turboguy]

Ken, I can agree with you.  I think a lot of companies though just look to see what eduction someone has.   I think for example if a 50 year old MBA (AM) was applying for a job with GM and they asked for his college transcripts he would about fall over from shock.   I do think with a large corporation they are more likely to check and see if a degree really exists than would a smaller business.   It would be a definite plus to try and get her degrees evaluated.   It might also be good to have a professional translation service translate her transcripts and diploma, particularly if she is younger, not that any of you marry younger women.

[PeeWee]

As far as a business degree transferring I think that would not be as much of a problem as it would be with a doctor, nurse, teacher or anything where state certification is required.  Most employers just look at it as a line item on a resume.  They have a requirement and if her education matches their needs it will usually go no further.  Some corporations may want transcripts or the like but that should not be a big deal, particularly since the person looking at them probably won't understand a word of it.

More true with sales careers. With the exception of medical sales I would think that any bright and ambitious RW could handle most sales related jobs. I have a pal who is a VP for a very large Real Estate company. He tells me that the Russians and Ukraine men and women do very well in the real estate sales profession.

Peevee

[catzenmouse]

Totally agree with you there TG but we're not talking about a 50 Y.O. AM, this is an often nervous woman with a beautiful accent that can cause the interviewer to step back and ask the other types of questions that they won't ask the confident experienced AM. Just looking at what things can come up and how we can avoid those extra issues.

PeeVee,

 I know several RW in the DC area that are in the Real Estate business. Most seem to be doing pretty well overall. We've also come across some Russians in business here who look for Russians to hire as they know that they are first class workers and not like the normal lazy @ss Americans they usually get.

Ken

[Jet]

As far as a business degree transferring I think that would not be as much of a problem as it would be with a doctor, nurse, teacher or anything where state certification is required. 

It was not really any big deal at all to get Lil qualified for a teaching position here. Transcripts are translated when they are evaluated, in our case the total cost was $175.00 in 2003. That and a background check got her eligibility squared away complete with a 3yr "Temporary Educator's Certificate". Over the following 2 years she needed to take and pass 3 tests to gain her "Professional Educator's certificate" (Subject Area, General Knowledge, and Professional Educator) through the FTCE. She is currently  certified in 6-12 grade mathmatics & 6-12 grade Sciences for 5 years, and if she keeps up on continuing education, she'll never need to take another test again.

As Dostogirl pointed out in her earlier post, there was no way in hell Lil was gonna donn a "Wal-Mart smock" or work at the local mall, after being head teacher in her science department in Russia. 

[PeeWee]

Totally agree with you there TG but we're not talking about a 50 Y.O. AM, this is an often nervous woman with a beautiful accent that can cause the interviewer to step back and ask the other types of questions that they won't ask the confident experienced AM. Just looking at what things can come up and how we can avoid those extra issues.

PeeVee,

 I know several RW in the DC area that are in the Real Estate business. Most seem to be doing pretty well overall. We've also come across some Russians in business here who look for Russians to hire as they know that they are first class workers and not like the normal lazy @ss Americans they usually get.

Ken

Although men there are 7 Ukraine technicians working at my company. There manager tells me that he would hire more of them if he could find them. They are much better techs than their American counter parts are.

Peevee

[Bruno]

Someone important once said:
"When I was young, I used to think that money was the most important thing is life. Now that I am older, I know it is". 

from someone unimportant ( me ) :

"When I was young, I used to think that money was the most important thing is life. Now that I am older, I know it is NOT"

[beattledog]

Bruno

I  agree, totally, with you in the above post.  We do not get older.  We get more mature and wiser.   Money is not the most important thing in life.

beattledog.

[Jet]

Money is not the most important thing in life.

As long as you have some.....

[PeeWee]

Bruno

I  agree, totally, with you in the above post.  We do not get older.  We get more mature and wiser.   Money is not the most important thing in life.

beattledog.

It depends on who your are and what your objectives are. It is pretty important to me. Son in college, two mortgage payments, vacation property, RW looming on the horizon, newer cars...I'm always looking for money and I seem to find a place to spend it. I'd say for any man with the thought of finding and marrying a foreign woman that unless you are super rich then the money has to be one of the most important things in your life.

Money can be set aside in  your mind from the quality in your life. Family, friends, religion, etc. Those should be important too. Unless she is seeking no more than a green card then your new lady is going to want to insure that she is not moving into poverty status once she arrives into your country.

Peevee

[Bruno]

It depends on who your are and what your objectives are. It is pretty important to me. Son in college, two mortgage payments, vacation property, RW looming on the horizon, newer cars...I'm always looking for money and I seem to find a place to spend it. I'd say for any man with the thought of finding and marrying a foreign woman that unless you are super rich then the money has to be one of the most important things in your life.

Money is needed... in no case, i am ready to live at the povrety level of any country...

Of course, the fact that i live in Belgium make me thing a other way... let see about property... i hire a home and not own a home... since the tax level on heritage in Belgium is enough high, i don't wish buy a expensive house where my futur children will loose a lot of money... i prefert "invest" in the good education of children who will allow them to have a good work and earn enough money for live in a confortable way... they don't need wait my death for receive something, they will have it during my life time...

A new RW is not a financial problem to neglect... to much people see the one time big expense for the seeking, dating and marriage... and they forget the recurrent expense who is coming each year... visit to wife family will happen each year... for US citizen, it can be a big amount... don't forget to rise price in a few year when you will have a child...

Vacation property and new car are not something important for me... simply, i don't like take vacation at the same place... and i use public transportation... maybe these year, i will have my own car... a very little one without driving license needed, with only 150 euro year insurrance... but maximum 70 km/h... no problem for here, Belgium is only 300 km on 150 km... and our public transport is very good ( maximum 600 meter for the near bus stop and possible to use the Bellbus who work like taxi : you phone, they come )...

In short, you need enough money to have a confortable life in your own country... but confortable don't mean a luxe life... and seriously, one of the big complain of RW married with AM is that they work too much hour for earn the "gold money" and have not enough time for family life...

In any case, when i will die, money will be from no use... my only legacy will be my own children and i wish the best for them during my living time...

[2tallbill]

As long as you have some.....

Thread bump

What does your FSUW Do? What did she do?

[ML]

My FSU wife completed a two semester Intensive English program at a major state university.

Then she completed a masters program in mathematics.

This led to her hiring by the same university as an instructor of mathematics.

Those who teach in academia without a PhD are treated as second class citizens when it comes to money, class assignments, etc.

So after 4 years as instructor, she went back to same university as a student in math PhD program.

After completing PhD in math, she might be able to get an assistant professor job at a second rate university at around $75,000 for two semesters.  She can't get job at first rate university because of her age.

This $75,000 will be less than current 22-24 year old graduates with bachelors in accounting are getting.

And if her PhD had been in accounting or finance, she could look forward to doubling her salary to around $160,000 for two semesters.  Supply and demand is brutally at work in the case of professors in academia.

Now, we would just as soon she stay at her current university, but universities do not like to hire there own grads; rather preferring grads of other universities to bring in 'new' ideas.  i.e.  If universities hire back their own grads, those grads will be teaching the same ideas that their professors taught them, thus lack of diversity in thinking and knowledge.

So . . . sad as it sounds . . . she could only be hired back here at the same job, instructor, that she held before spending 4 difficult years getting PhD . . . and probably only around $45,000 in salary for two semesters.

But the difference would be . . . she would not be a second class citizen . . . and possibility that she could progress in rank over time.

Advice:  Only look to marry FSU gals who have degrees and training in accounting, finance, computers, nursing.

[2tallbill]

This $75,000 will be less than current 22-24 year old graduates with bachelors in
accounting are getting.

So . . . sad as it sounds . . . she could only be hired back here at the same job,
instructor, that she held before spending 4 difficult years getting PhD . . . and
probably only around $45,000 in salary for two semesters.

But the difference would be . . . she would not be a second class citizen . . . and
possibility that she could progress in rank over time.

Advice:  Only look to marry FSU gals who have degrees and training in accounting,
finance, computers, nursing.

How many hours a week will she work in July?
How many weeks of vacation does she get per year?

If she studied accounting she would be working
60+ hrs per wk and 50+ wks per yr for a CPA firm.

Teaching jobs always pay less and they always work
less. She can spend the spare time doting on her American
husband, or working in the garden instead.

[Steamer]

My wife was a Math professor in Moscow at a highly rated university so when she came here she wanted to do the same but couldn't get the time of day from the area colleges. She was totally depressed about it thinking her career was over. I tried to convince her to look into teaching at a public school but she thought that was lower than whale poop. I convinced her to apply at some of the larger school districts because they have unions and if you find the right place you can get a good contract. It took a lot of pushing on my part but she landed a good job at about twice my pay. She has been very happy ever since.


The key thing was to get her to realize that the prestige from working at a university didn't really amount to diddly squat, that things work different here in the US.

[Boethius]

If she studied accounting she would be working 60+ hrs per wk and 50+ wks per yr for a CPA firm.

Not necessarily.  If one of the big four, yes.  But there are plenty of CPA careers that are "9 to 5".

[ML]

Not necessarily.  If one of the big four, yes.  But there are plenty of CPA careers that are "9 to 5".

And actually I worked for one of the big four (way back when) and I also only worked 9 to 5. 

But I was only there for two years (that time period of work at a CPA firm was required in California to get CPA license . . . in addition to passing the very rigorous exam of course).

In year 3 or so, I would have been classified as a Senior Auditor with a lot of responsibility to get a job done on time.  Then I probably would have put in a lot of hours.  And most of those Senior Auditors did not book those hours as it would have made it look like they couldn't finish a job in the predicted time (which really was impossible to do).

Also a seemingly strange fact (until you think about it) . . . large CPA firms need about 10 'glad handing' partners for every one partner with superior technical (auditing) skills.  i.e. bringing in new business and keeping existing business was paramount. 

Think golfing skills, tennis skills, drinking skills, a knockout wife (no knockout husbands back in the day), fraternity background, impeccable manners, grew up in a country club family, etc.

I saw early on I was not going to make it.

[Trenchcoat]

I run away from career women no matter where in the world like my arse is on fire. A girl with a bog standard job is fine, a hobby business or working assisting me in a business is fine but women that are after reaching for the heady heights just spells trouble I feel. If a guy has a top career or a good business it may work fine but otherwise she's going to end up getting high and lordy and split with the guy. Just steered clear of a 38 year old career woman that messaged me in Russia. Her profile statement of her 'wants' were red flags enough for me.

[Boethius]

You’re just intimidated by women with intelligence and drive.

[GQBlues]

At the time my wife left Russia, she was on her second University year studying Information Systems. I remember her explaining this to me, and to this day, I still haven't the slightest idea what it is.


After arrival, she continued her studies first in our community junior college, before jumping to a State University. In hindsight, which I wrote here on the board, when she was asked for her academic records from Russia, a notarized record was sent. For some reason at the time, and I don't remember how and why, we thought we had to also pay and get a certified translation of her academic packet. That was a waste of money. The college/University we found out, only wanted to get the packet as sent by her Russian University. They didn't eve entertained the translated version. They did their own translation and evaluation of her Russian accomplishments.


So, after achieving the US general required courses in the community college, she continued to pursue her chosen course, Information Systems, in a State University. She graduated and got her bachelor's degree with a 'combined' 4.0 GPA.


She had a difficult time getting a job with her degree, so she took an offer for internship from a small accounting firm. She prepared herself with a reality she may 'work' but not really get paid as an intern. She was going through it to gain precious experience. Instead, she was actually paid $12.00/hr, which she was actually relatively 'happy' for.


Of course, throughout her years studying, she also insisted working various part-time work, Restaurant hostess, clothing retail, etc..., not for the money, but to reinforced her language and social interaction abilities.


Anyway, 6 months into her internship, her employer doubled her salary. She also started 'liking' accounting. Wanting to explore further possibilities in accounting, she began sending her resume to bigger accounting firm. The nation's top-15 accounting firms. 3 responded for an interview. The interviews were all conducted in multiple tiers/persons in each firm. 2 offered her staff position for $55-60K/yr. More or less the same she was already getting at the smaller firm, but with the bigger firm, she'll also get benefits like 401K, PTOs, etc...and more importantly, a much more stronger resume.


As a tax staffer, the first year as just brutal during their 'busy season'. That was always a tough period for wifey. Literally 70-80 hours/wk for 2-3 months solid. Of course the flipside to that was, she developed closed friendships with her colleagues, and during the slow period, she literally have seemingly endless time off to relax.


Accounting firms' normal policies are: August +/- is the 'fiscal' period when performances are evaluated and promotions/bonuses, etc were handed out. Wifey got an accelerated steps on the ladder. She became a Senior staff in less than a year at this firm.


Immediately after, her company urged her to take the CPA exams, and they'll pay the cost. So she studied for the exams. It's a 4-part examinations, and she passed each one on her first attempts with flying colors. I remember the stress she was going through on each one. I was so proud of her. I felt she was actually made for this profession. A little after that, her salary was nearly knocking six figures.


Less than 3 years, basically, she went from $12.00/hr with scant benefits to crossing the 6-figure threshold. Then she became a Tax Manager, then a Senior Tax Manager.


I'd say about 3-4 years ago, most (if not all) top accounting firms started programs like 'flexed schedule' as an option. Employess were made to choose with working as usual, or choose a 'flex schedule'. Flex Schedule is an option where an employee can choose to work 'only' 40-hours/week, but their salary will be directly relative to the total 'chargeable hours' they achieve. Too much administrative charges on a given period is detrimental to your employment. Shortly after that, and I believe Ernst & Young was the first to implement this, employees have the freedom to 'work from home'.


Wifey opted for the flex schedule as the allure of 'only' working 40 hours/wk was too tempting not to choose. But by this time, she was already a Senior Tax Manager, specializing on Financials..


But through it all, my wife always longed to either work for the IRS, or just get out of public accounting. She had tried to apply to some fortune 500 companies around our neighborhood, but I guess the time wasn't right.


Last April's lockdowns, all accounting firms began to shed their employees. Top management level positions were first on the firing squad. Wifey first tasted 'reality' that for the most part, in US corporate culture, no one is considered indispensable. She got furloughed. I admit, there was a small part of me that was glad because there had been times my wife started showing some signs that she can just waltz through this career and everything would just fall in terms in her favor. A little slap or reality and humility now and then, is the proper dosage to wake her up a bit.


But as always, someone always watches over her welfare. While she felt 'useless' all of the sudden fearing she won't be able to carry her weight in our total household income, the additional amount of the federal unemployment assistance, in addition to the State's usual benefit, gave her a small reprieve that while it doesn't even nearly match her usual earnings, it was still relatively formidable. So she took my advice to relax and enjoy the time off for a while as any possibility of firms hiring again is directly tied to the pandemic's persistence.


4 months later, right after the federal assistance program ended. she interviewed with a fast climbing fortune 500 company. a zoomed, 4-level interviews, and a call back for a follow-up interview, resulted in an offer hat blew her away. She finally arrived!! Working for an international, private firm, in a position directly below the company's VP/Tax Director for their domestic and international finance/tax department - with a salary package that will pay her far more than she was getting at her last tour. Since hiring, she had only gone to their office building once. That's to get her ID, laptop and sign documents related to her acceptance to the firm. She ha been working from our home since.


Today, wifey is learning a new endeavor. She had progressed rapidly, too. She had not only nearly mastered post-trotting and cantering, she had also mastering general horsemanship and care.


She's simply impressive in so many levels.

[2tallbill]

Not necessarily.  If one of the big four, yes.  But there are plenty of CPA careers that are "9 to 5".

It was my impression that during the first years most aspiring CPA's got
"worked hard" before they took their exams and having 40 hour weeks
(if they wanted) after getting certified. The 2 weeks of vacation per year
are pretty standard fare for corporate America.

[ML]

It was my impression that during the first years most aspiring CPA's got
"worked hard" before they took their exams and having 40 hour weeks
(if they wanted) after getting certified. The 2 weeks of vacation per year
are pretty standard fare for corporate America.

There are probably hundreds of different paths aspiring CPAs are subject to.
As I posted above, my experience was different from that posted by you previously and above . . . except for the two weeks vacation.

[2tallbill]

There are probably hundreds of different paths aspiring CPAs are subject to.
As I posted above, my experience was different from that posted by you previously and above . . . except for the two weeks vacation.

I defer to your more meaningful experience.