Career Opportunities

RAAAY says on Apr 22, 2008, 08:16:

Whilst, I am obviously an expert on many, many subjects, this would not be one of them.
Bearing this in mind, my experience of people in the computing field is, they don't seem to be particularly well paid here.

Languages, with an International Trade element, would seem to be a growth area for the future.
Engineering would seem to be a good choice, in a country which is showing such growth.


.

.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

robi666 says on Apr 22, 2008, 08:19:

A lot of lawyers seem to be well paid here.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

kalder says on Apr 22, 2008, 08:20:

Aren't there a lot of unemployed ones too?

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

dwr says on Apr 22, 2008, 08:31:

Infrastructure is coming to Colombia. Civil Engineering.
Oil related fields. Petrolium Engineering. Geology (Geotechnical Engineering)
Study the language as a minor.

RAAAY says on Apr 22, 2008, 08:37:

I met two young girls in a bar one night. Both are engineers, and certainly gave the impression that they are doing very nicely, although still at the beginning of their careers.

If I was able to turn the clock back, and I lived in Colombia, it's definately a field I would look at seriously.


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.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

Mononoke28 says on Apr 22, 2008, 08:45:

I can only speak for the careers of my cousins:

Accounting - unemployed
Ingeniería de Systemas (bilingual) - unemployed
Dentist - working for children of low estratos making minimum wage
Lawyer - unemployed
Bacterióloga (bilingual) - unemployed (working 6 months out of the year, depending on who's in office)
Public Relations - working for Arturo Calle as a salesperson.
Teacher - employed, good benefits
Medicine - working as a volunteer in San Carlos

And there are 2 more cousing studying some kind of mining career at the Universidad de Antioquia, they're also not sure if they will find employment.

Diana

jonas says on Apr 22, 2008, 09:02:

I think the mining career might have a good future.

What I have, I do not want to lose, but Where I am I do not want to stay, but those I love, I do not want to leave, but those I know I no longer want to see, but Where I die, I do not want to go;I want to stay where I have never been

Tinto (Moderator) says on Apr 22, 2008, 09:28:

If I were a little whippersnapper, I'd get involved in energy or agriculture in Colombia. I'd probably start with engineering or operations in the university and I would definitely learn English. I could pick up finance/marketing/mgmt later on -- on the job, through an MBA, or through "short courses" -- what some people call an Executive MBA.

Second on my list would be engineering or operations work related to water and sewage treatment.

I have mixed feelings about IT. The consultants can make good money, the people that work for OEMs (creators of the software) can make good money, but a lot of the work now (and more in the future) in large corporate and institutional settings is going to be outsourced, off-shored or delivered via the internet.

vicshere says on Apr 22, 2008, 09:34:

good point tinto.....I always tell my young students English and tourism for the not too distance future

listo

rhydewithdis says on Apr 22, 2008, 09:35:

Become a Plastic Surgeon in Medellin.

They said I couldn't play football I was too small / They say I couldn't play basketball I wasn't tall / They say I couldn't play baseball at all / And now everyday of my life I ball.

kalder says on Apr 22, 2008, 10:58:

All very interesting. Thanks people.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

Albatross says on Apr 22, 2008, 11:07:

I've just begun looking for Engineering (Mechanical) positions... so luck so far.

Anyone know of a decent search engine or website for ex-pat jobs in Colombia ?

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

Juanes says on Apr 22, 2008, 11:13:

computer studies or men studies, there are a lot of internet/cam business based there now.

http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Juanes/

caligula says on Apr 22, 2008, 11:37:

becoming a drug mule might be an option..

expatriate says on Apr 22, 2008, 13:51:

I would suggest studying nursing and learning English at the same time. Nurses have been imported from the Philippines and other countries to the U.S. for many years.

Nurses are in high demand in the U.S., and I just read that the average registered nurse earns $57,000 yearly.

Robert Jorge says on Apr 22, 2008, 20:06:

I would say computer science would be the worst thing to study. If you need a programmer, just go outside a disco and ask the guy selling Chicklets if he knows anything about computers. The amount of people I have met who say they went, or are going, to school to pursue a career in computers is astounding. I never met one who was employed though (in that field).

sloopskipper says on Apr 23, 2008, 07:14:

Maybe the kid selling Chiclets can make a web page with some off the shelf software, but most anybody can do that now. Real computer programming is a LOT more than that.

Many people think they know something about computers because they can navigate the internet and publish some fotos or videos.

BTW, I made a comfortable living in that industry for nearly 40 (forty, not a typo) years.

static says on Apr 23, 2008, 09:38:

The advice that I give to young'uns is to study whatever, but to make sure that they are a wiz in Excel. If you know Excel, you are always employable.

The other advice that I give is to look to see what needs the fewest amount of units needed to graduate, pick that, be in a study group (very important!) and to not change majors.

sloopskipper says on Apr 23, 2008, 09:42:

The entire Microsoft Office suite would be important, regardless what they are studying

dwr says on Apr 23, 2008, 09:50:

Take the 200,000 dollars you would invest in education and start a business. Sucks to be someone else's bitch and let's face it, and undergraduate degree is useless in this world. I would give anything to give back my education in return for the cash! We live in a day and age where you can self teach yourself the basics and balls and risk will carry you the rest of the way.

RAAAY says on Apr 23, 2008, 09:53:

dwr.......I must respectfully disagree..............get a first class education first.........If you are inclined to go into business, then do it. But have the education and the availability of a solid career to fall back on.


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.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

Mononoke28 says on Apr 23, 2008, 09:59:

I think people should study what they want to study. I feel bad for people who went to college for business or law or medicine and hate every minute of it. And in Colombia some times a street vendor will make more money than an unemployed lawyer.

Diana

MaFe says on Apr 23, 2008, 11:53:

Mono muy buen ejemplo...Si hay muchos profesionales unemployed in Colombia...mi primito me dijo que studing something business is good....?

I am guilty of not knowing too much about this subject, only what my relatives tell me. I think there are too many attorneys in Colombia.

"No comment" is a splendid expression. I am using it again and again." -Winston Churchill

Mononoke28 says on Apr 23, 2008, 12:48:

I also go by what my cousins tell me and I would say most of them have college degrees and are unemployed. The only ones who make a decent salary are the few who went to the military and have been there for years and this other cousin who delivers Colanta milk. He's the one who has his own house, nice furniture, a car, a bike, travels all the time. While the college educated ones are stuck at home begging my aunts and uncles for money just so they can buy an empanada at the park after church.

Diana