Every Big Achievement Starts With Small Steps
As an immigrant resurrecting a career in a foreign land
I realized I am an immigrant in the USA. To get a job, I have to first navigate a long path. The journey will start clearing the GRE and TOEFL exams, applying to universities, getting into one, completing the 2–3 year MS degree, obtaining a work permit, looking for a job, and then persisting until I found one.
It’s a lengthy process. I already had a Ph.D. in biotech, and I left my position as a professor to marry and move to foreign shores. My family wasn’t exactly thrilled with my intercommunity marriage choice, and my decision to quit my job.
My conscience told me that these were good decisions. I was in my late 20s, not a hormone-driven teenager.! The guy seemed decent, the kind a stable marriage needs. The outlook I would acquire by moving far from my native place, was a significant boost to my self-confidence.
So, I prepared to wage the war in front of me. I got GRE and TOEFL books and a bunch of magazines to improve my English. I read voraciously, underlined, highlighted, and wrote down important phrases. I revised and worked on making my English more proficient.
I cleared both the GRE and TOEFL exams in first attempt, applied to many places, and got accepted by San…
