Hello again and thanks for all your great comments this week. The following touches on something that's been on my mind for the past couple of months:
I live a blessed life here. I work a steady 40-hour a week job where I am paid competitively, the rent on my apartment is greatly subsidized by my city's government, and (officially) I am given 20 days each year, outside of holidays, with which I can travel. Currently I am able to take advantage of extremely favorable exchange rates when sending money home, and my friends working in the States frequently tell me that I am wise to stay here. All these things I know, and to the best of my ability I work to never take them for granted.
However, back-patting aside, I've begun to wonder how relevant international experience is in our current economy. Clearly after two years I can't (and wouldn't) take back coming here, but what of other young people fleeing from the recession in favor of a freer globe-trotting existence? With the unemployment rate at nearly 10%, "going where the jobs are" seems a smart move, but I wonder if it isn't a slightly whimsical one. Would it be better to take on more undesirable jobs back home and help try to stimulate the economy, or is there a real (if subtle) communal benefit to be gained for individuals going overseas? Indeed last year at UW-Madison more students studied abroad than ever before, but when does that money become better spent elsewhere?
My suspicions tell me that there is a payoff somewhere down the road, although how significant that is I can't be sure. It would seem that young people have always traveled the world for one kind of exploration or another, and in places like Australia and the UK young adults are routinely encouraged to take a year between endeavors to see something new. That said, is the price of global citizenship increasing now that we face an economic situation unseen since the Great Depression? It's unlikely that the current administration is overly preoccupied with the issue, but nevertheless I think it's an interesting one to think about.
6 Comments
Black Swan - Oct 09, 2009 3:33 AM
Cindy K - Oct 09, 2009 7:47 AM
It's still tough here. A number of recent grads, a few I know with teaching licenses, are having a hard time finding work in their field. While the unemployment rate is nearly 10%, the unemployment rate for younger adults is much higher. Stash the cash you can and head back in a year or two.
"Is the price of global citizenship increasing now that we face an economic situation unseen since the Great Depression?" I don't think so.
RealityCheck - Oct 09, 2009 8:30 AM
chkursix - Oct 09, 2009 9:23 AM
mikeyd - Oct 09, 2009 9:56 AM
Those experiences are valuable, and they will become more valuable to you once you come back and over the years.
France, England, Sweden, and Canada are really good places also. If you have never been there chkursix you should explore the world a bit more, they have very nice and warm people and beautiful scenery. I would suggest the Alsace region of France or BC in CA.
Equal pay for Equal Work also sounds pretty good! Do you think it better that women should be paid less for the same work/position that a Man holds chkursix?
Shinobo - Nov 04, 2009 7:09 PM
As other, more experienced people have said these experiences will only expand horizons and better prepare you to be an effective leader in your community.
Pardon the use of buzzwords, but getting experience for the new global economy while broadening your horizons at the cost of staying away from home for a few years and in some nebulous not easily quantifiable sense contributing to the local downturn? Sounds like a perfectly acceptable ratio of cost/benefit to me.