 |
|
 |
 |
     
|
 |
by Wendy Paris
[ More Job Q&As ]
Philip Vo is a lead developer at Flooz.com, an Internet company that issues an online gift currency called Flooz. Flooz is accepted at a wide variety of online stores for everything from books, music, games and videos to food, clothing, beauty and baby products. Philip immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1989. He was among a flood of immigrants who rushed out of Vietnam during the 1980s for political or economic reasons. He has been working at Flooz.com since May 1999.
Monster.com: What do you do at Flooz on a day-to-day basis?
Philip Vo: I do mostly ASP programming in a wide range of projects from short-term to long-term. In a start-up environment with a limited number of technical staff you have to do a little bit of everything, from fixing spelling errors to developing more sophisticated Web applications. I work closely with the tech team to make sure we deliver a solid product and also satisfy other departments with adequate business statistics.
Mc: How does living and working in the U.S. compare to your expectations?
PV: It actually comes very close to my expectations. The best thing about working here is that you always get what you deserve. You're always rewarded fairly for your efforts. The drawback is that you have to work very hard to get the momentum going. Stress is almost inevitable in working here because everything moves really fast and you always need to be able to catch up.
Mc: How do you think you've benefited from working in America?
PV: Working in America, I have had a lot of opportunities to pursue my dream career. I have the chance to learn and advance myself professionally. The U.S. is also one of the leading countries in technology, which really benefits someone in computing technology. I can always find the most modern machine and the newest technological updates here. All I really need is time and the willingness to learn.
There are also many higher education institutions that I can attend to sharpen my skills or learn new things. Switching careers is not really an issue here, so I never feel like I'm going to get stuck in one field for the rest of my life if I happen to choose a wrong career. Personally, I enjoy what I'm doing and I always feel rewarded with every effort that I put into my work.
Mc: What was the greatest cultural challenge you faced after moving here?
PV: There were countless numbers of challenges, but the language was probably the most challenging problem. I learned English a little when I was in the Philippines prior to coming into the U.S., but it didn't help that much.
Learning is one thing, but when you need to apply it in real life, it's a different story. It was hard for me to understand what people said and they also had to be very patient to understand me. Especially in New York City where people come from all over the world and each speaks in a different way, it's very hard if you're new to the language.
If you don't communicate well, it becomes difficult to adapt socially. At first I tended to make friends with people who spoke my language, but I eventually had English-speaking friends who were patient enough to hang out with me. I think the main thing is you just need to be yourself, be open-minded and don't let the cultural differences become a barrier. After about two or three years, my English was greatly improved.
Mc: How did you handle the whole green card and visa issue?
PV: The organization that sponsored me helped me obtain the green card. I was only 15 when I came to the U.S. so they pretty much did everything for me.
Mc: Any plans to return to Vietnam?
PV: No. I'll definitely stay here. I've been here for so long. This is where I got my education and built up my career, so I really consider it home. Besides, it wasn't easy for me to get to where I am right now, so I'm not going to lose it.
Mc: How did you get your first job?
PV: I didn't rely on one source in my job search. I applied through my college's career office, looked in newspapers and did a lot of networking. My college career office was pretty efficient in helping students get comfortable with the job search process. Even so, it was quite challenging to get into a good position when you're just out of college. I did some temporary work for the first few months after graduation. I finally got my first job through my college's career office.
Mc: What advice would you offer for others interested in working in the U.S.?
PV: Definitely learn English as much as possible before coming here. Do a lot of research on the industry of your choice and focus on it. It's also helpful if you make connections with people you know who live here so they can help you settle when you first arrive.