Career planning is hard for everyone. But if you are an immigrant, you just added a whole extra layer (triple fat extra mozzarella cheese one at that) of confusion and rules that you are gonna have to navigate around.

Take for instance, the AC21 nightmare that restricts you to same or similar jobs. Or stupid H4 visa restrictions that restricts you from working altogether. Or H1-B visas that don’t let you start your own business or do freelance work. There are more. EVERY visa comes with its fair share of tragedy. F1 for students restricts them from working outside the campus and more than 20 hrs/week. The list goes on.

Through all that maze, it can feel suffocating. If you are still new to the country, prepare yourself for a LOT of these kinds of restrictions.

One thing that’s helped me through this journey is Penelope Trunk’s Blog on Career Advice. Read it every day. I only started recently and wish I’d seen it earlier. And her book too, if you have the time. For instance, her idea that you don’t have to LOVE your job (something which everyone tells you you do), makes a lot of sense to me after reading this post. It’s my few minutes of practical career thoughts. For years, I’ve worried about how to work around immigration related restrictions. After I started reading her blog, I realized I’m looking in the wrong direction. Perhaps there is more to it than just finding the perfect career. I still worry about my career. A lot. But her blog’s helped me live through it. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Thanks Penelope.

Life throws tons of googlies and curve balls at all of us. Here’s wishing you courage to face yours and make the right career decisions!

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