What Americans need to know to benefit from an EMERGING ASIA
HOW TO PROFIT FROM AN EMERGING ASIA
Asia’s rising influence in the world is the result of a staggering population hungry to modernize. As Asian economies develop, their booming middle class wants all the material goods we Americans now enjoy. If you take a look at the numbers you will understand why Asia offers such an amazing opportunity. The United States has a population of about 303 million people. Now take a look at Asia. China 1.3 billion, India 1.1 billion, Indonesia 231 million. That’s just for starters.
After World War II, Japan was pretty much like China is today. It wasn’t overly industrial and most of their citizens were poor peasants. In the decades that followed, Americans invested in Japan growing it into the second largest economy in the world behind the United States. Japan has less than half the population of the US. Just imagine the potential of a China with more than four times our population!
All those people will have the ability to buy a lot of stuff over the coming decades. Just imagine the new markets opening up! Most people in the USA already have a cellular phone, computer, car, etc. Not so in China and India. People there want all the things we take for granted. They also need infrastructure as they modernize. Asian governments are increasingly healthy with huge cash reserves earmarked for public works projects. It makes the meager American market look like a laughable drop in the bucket.
There are all sorts of ways you can profit from an emerging Asia. They are simple and accessible. It can be as easy as investing in a mutual fund containing investments in Asia. If you are more ambitious you could make business contacts and import or export. You could get a degree making you attractive to companies doing business with Asia. You can travel there seeking opportunities or move there temporarily to teach English or work with a company making money there. It's all up to you.
The purpose of EMERGING DRAGON is to point you in the right direction and get you started. The landscape is constantly changing so check back here daily for the latest updates and insider tips.
IF YOU ARE…
A STUDENT NOT YET FINISHED WITH HIGH SCHOOL… your opportunities are limitless. You can get a head start on everyone. You may want to consider studying an Asian language now. Japanese and Mandarin Chinese are the best choices. Millions of people speak them and they will be the future languages of commerce along side English. See the Japan and China sections in the Nations of Asia section of Emerging Dragon.com. Just imagine how valuable you will be to any international company when you speak fluent Japanese or Mandarin. There are some high school exchange programs that will send you to Asia for anywhere from a month to a year to study. This would be an amazing opportunity to soak up the culture and figure out how to benefit from an emerging Asia. Also, your language skills will blossom when you are immersed in it. This experience also looks great on a college application. It will give you a head start thinking about your college major.
A COLLEGE STUDENT… you now have more opportunities than ever to position yourself for a career benefiting from an emerging Asia. Most colleges offer Asian studies and Asian language courses. Many business courses also focus on the Pacific Rim. Consider your major carefully. See our Careers with Asia page of Emerging Dragon .com. What you choose could be in high demand for companies doing business in Asia. College offers more opportunities for learning an Asian language and studying abroad. See the Nations of Asia section of Emerging Dragon.com and click the links to countries that peak your interest. Living in Asia for a semester or a year will pay infinite dividends. Experiment a bit and see what appeals to you. After all… it is college.
ABOUT TO GRADUATE COLLEGE… you must be very excited to begin your career. If you followed our advice above then you are already poised to benefit from an emerging Asia. Recruiters should be lining up to hire you. If not, you still have many options. The job market is tough out there and finding your first job can be a major challenge. Consider teaching English in Asia for a year or two. See our Careers with Asia page of Emerging Dragon.com. If you are adventurous, it will be like being paid for an extended vacation. It will also give you valuable experience and help you decide which direction you will head next. Not into teaching? There are many other jobs in Asia for Americans with skills. See our “recruiters for jobs in Asia” section in our Careers with Asia section. Of course, you don’t need to go all the way to Asia to benefit. Many American companies do business with Asia and people with knowledge of the area are always in demand.
A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL… then you have already started to establish your life. Perhaps it’s not all you expected it to be or you are looking for a change of scenery. Asia certainly offers that. You could follow the advice we outlined for recent college graduates above and run off to Asia to teach English or pursue another line of work. It will be a lot of fun and just imagine the stories you will have to tell when you get back! Of course, you also have the option to stay in the United States and pursue a career working with Asia. We have all the information you need on our Careers with Asia page of Emerging Dragon.com. Perhaps your life is just fine and you want to profit from an emerging Asia. Check out our Investing in Asia page on Emerging Dragon.com.
IN MID CAREER… then you are probably having a mid life crisis. Since you are older, you probably have some money in the bank. Take a little bit of it and travel to Asia. Wander around and check out the multitude of splendors the varied cultures of Asia offer. Most likely you will return excited about what you saw. See the Nations of Asia section of Emerging Dragon.com and click the links to countries that peak your interest. You are in a better position to invest than your younger colleagues so take advantage of amazing opportunities in an emerging Asia. Check out our Investing in Asia page on Emerging Dragon.com. If you are having a severe mid life crisis then you could act like a college kid and escape to Asia yourself. Many middle aged people are picking up roots and starting over in the Far East. It could be a lot of fun and if you don’t like it you can always come home. You could also go back to school to gain a skill in demand or use the skills you already possess. Companies in the United States and Asia need all sorts of workers. They include engineers, doctors, teachers, business people, etc. Take a look around our Careers with Asia page of Emerging Dragon.com. You might be surprised by what you find.
RETIRED AND LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO… then you are in the best position of all. You have the most valuable commodity of all, time. Buy an air pass from Cathay Pacific Airlines and spend a month or two flying around to all the countries of Asia. All the details are found on the Travel to Asia section of Emerging Dragon.com. You will never be the same after an experience like that. Who knows? Maybe you will like it so much you want to stay there for a while. Some parts of Asia like Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines are ridiculously cheap. Many Americans retire there. If you are looking for a long term investment for yourself or relatives, then check out our Investing in Asia page on Emerging Dragon.com. It could end up putting your grandchildren through college. Whatever you choose to do, have fun. You deserve it!
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Thanks! Kent Ninomiya, Managing Editor EmergingDragon.com
