Study Overseas

If there is one place in the United States that gives international students a wide variety of career options right out of college, it's the West Coast. Known for being the hub of the Hollywood film industry, the original and current capital of IT and computer engineering and a major spot for aerospace technology, the 'western seaboard' has a lot to offer recently graduated students who are looking to make it in a fast-paced, high-tech world. With brilliant companies such as Google, Starbucks, Microsoft, Apple, Boeing and eBay, among some of the thousands of companies available, students from any background and with any interests can find good work after graduation in the states and cities along the American West Coast.

Technology in the Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is located in the Southern part of the San Francisco Bay area in Northern California. Originally referring to the 16 number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers residing in the area, the name is now synonymous with the main high-tech region of the United States due to the 16 number of engineers and venture capitalists and top research and development centers located there. Despite the crash of the 'dot com' bubble in 2000, Silicon Valley and the surrounding territory has continued to be the headquarters of many of the best and most well-known internet companies such as Google, Yahoo!, and eBay. These companies have continued to thrive in today's industry and are highly used and respected by many individuals in the US and around the globe. Due to this, any of these companies or the thousands of others in and around the Valley make for great places to work, especially for students just getting out of college. Furthermore, due to the fact that there are many colleges located in Silicon Valley that train students in IT, such as Stanford University, University of California at Santa Cruz, and Northwestern Polytechnic University, there is easy access from the universities directly into the industry.

Life's Like it is in the Movies...

...well, sort of. If you are a television or film major, then Hollywood, California, a part of Los Angeles, is the place for you to leave your mark on the industry. With hundreds of studios in this small-but-16 area, it's easy to see right away why Hollywood is the hot-spot for both film and television alike. Even historically, this has been the capital of the business, and with a continued boom in the industry and increased interest in the lives of the Hollywood elite, it's the place you want to be. For those students holding a degree in production, direction, staging, and more, there's no better place to get in the action. But while there's the commonly-held notion that anyone can make it in Hollywood, those wishing to work on the professional side need more than a hope and prayer these days to be successful. Having a college education is key and the companies are looking for people they know can bring success to their business. While there is the occasional rags-to-riches success story, especially as it relates to actors or musicians, most graduates must rely on their learning and their degree to find placement. But more than any other place in the country, there are the most choices and opportunities to be successful in the entertainment industry located within the Los Angeles boundaries.

Up, Up, and Away

Both Los Angeles and Washington state are important hubs in the aerospace industry. Although the headquarters for Boeing has moved to Chicago, the company was founded in Seattle, Washington, and the city continues to be an important site for the business. The Department of Defense and NASA also employ a lot of workers along the West Coast, perhaps in recognition of the 10+ universities between California and Washington that have aerospace engineering programs that can feed directly into the local industry. Students looking to move into the business should recognize the area for its strength in the design and construction of air and space technology.

But Still There's More!

The Pacific Coast may have its strength in entertainment, IT, and aerospace, but that shouldn't limit the opportunities that all students from any background have to be successful in the Western states. Comprised of the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, and sometimes also Arizona and Nevada, there are plenty of other successful companies that provide steady futures for recent graduates. Perhaps you'd like to work at the headquarters for Starbucks, located in Seattle; or Microsoft, located in Redmond, Washington; or even for Facebook, Apple, Hewlard Packard, eHarmony, Adobe, The North Face, and many more companies all conveniently located along the West Coast of the US. The choice is up to you, but the possibilities are endless when it comes to graduating and finding a job along the American Western seaboard.