Asian Studies Alumni Spotlight with Aaron Posehn

Interested in what you can do with a degree in Asian Studies? In our Alumni Spotlight Interview Series, we ask our alumni about their career paths, how they became interested in Asian Studies and for any advice they would give to current students. This interview features Aaron Posehn (BA 2010).  Aaron is currently the assistant to the director at UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs

Could you go into some detail about your career path until now?

My career path to date has been a mix of roles in university administration, communications, and writing and editing. For example, I worked at UBC for several years helping students in various programs related to their degrees, and have also worked as a communications assistant in another position promoting faculty and student research and events. I’ve also worked to promote and edit content for a website that discussed Chinese business, and have worked in Taiwan as a technical editor for university student and faculty publications. Lastly, I’ve been involved with a number of side projects that play into my personal interests, such as creating a guidebook to teach Chinese characters and a website discussing how to learn foreign languages.

How did you get your first job after graduating?

After graduating, I came across a position at the UBC Sauder School of Business which seemed interesting, and I ended up getting it because I had done a few previous summer internships in which skills that I learned were highly transferable. It also turned out that my soon-to-be boss just happened to know one of my references, so from that, I learned that it always pays to know people and to have contacts wherever you can.

How has an Asian Studies degree helped you in your endeavours?

Besides allowing me to study something that I was immensely interested in, I would say that my Asian Studies degree has helped me to better understand the world around me. My Chinese language skills have helped as well in countless situations, especially when I moved to Taiwan. The understanding of Asian culture that I had gained from my degree really helped me to settle in nicely while I was there.

Do you have any other advice that you would like to impart to students/recent graduates?

I would suggest that each student try as hard as they can to develop contacts through things like part-time jobs, internships, and extra-curricular activities. The best opportunities I’ve gotten to date are from those people with whom I purposely set up “information meetings” or otherwise just tried to get to know. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet; you’ll often be surprised at who those people in turn know, all of which can help you along in your career path and in life.

I would also suggest making an effort to learn skills that will complement your Asian Studies and/or Asian Languages degree. I’ve found that a Japanese-speaking Asian Studies graduate with an MBA is not only culturally ahead of his MBA peers, but is also ahead of his Asian Studies peers in terms of a marketable skill (i.e., an understanding of business processes). The same would go for a lawyer with a knowledge of international policies between Asian countries and the West, or an Asian Studies grad with further training in financial analysis. I have an interest in marketing and communications, so I’ve used my Asian Studies degree in the past to compliment that. This particularly helped me in the past to get a job promoting a Chinese business website, as well as to act as its editor. Of course, there are an infinite amount of “Asian Studies degree and X further training” combinations out there, so have your pick and progress in your career from there.

Can you recommend your favourite location in your region?

I would have to say that my favorite location is Taiwan. I once did a bike trip down one side of the island and it was just fantastic. The food is great and the people are kind, and the crime rate is next to none. It’s easy to get around and many things are in English if you really need it, though people are (of course) more happy to speak to you in Chinese if you can. However, I’ve also really enjoyed visiting Korea and China in the past as well. I think each country has its own special qualities and I’d really like to get to know even more of Asia in the future.

What is one of your funniest or memorable moments abroad?

My most memorable time abroad was probably in Inner Mongolia, China in the summer of 2007. I was helping a professor of mine try to open an English school there by meeting with business owners, government officials, and school administrators. We were even shown around cities and towns with a government car, at one point traveling hundreds of kilometres across open grassland in a Jeep to get to some yurts to stay the night. I actually got very sick during this time from what I gather was food poisoning. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed my time there because it was a view into another part of the world that I had never seen before and it was extremely interesting to see how people lived in the open grassland. A highly recommended area of the world if you’re looking to go to a place you’ve never been to before!