u/PTroughton

I'm about to graduate from a highly-ranked environmental studies program next week. I have applied to a variety of positions since August, and nearly got a few, but fell short in the end. Recruitment for me really slowed down in the spring due to my honors thesis sucking up all of my application time, so I'm hoping that the summer will provide me the necessary free time to find something. However, I am very worried about whether it anything will be posting after this month.

Generally, how much does new grad recruitment slow down over the summer? How should I approach my job search now that I'm graduating?

I keep trying to book a flight on Vietnam Airlines using SkyMiles. The flight shows up in the website, but when I try to book, it throws a #CKO_101727 error. Does anyone know what this error is?

I called Delta and they said they can't even see the flight option I'm looking at, only seeing business availability. Economy is nowhere near out based on the lack of a "seats available warning," so I don't think it is like they ran out of seats and it just hasn't gotten updated yet. To make the situation more frustrating, customer service claimed that Vietnam Airlines isn't a Delta partner, which is just absurd (can't tell if this was incompetence or a lie to get me off the phone).

Where do I go from here?

EDIT: Resolved! After speaking with customer service a few times, I managed to get them to talk to ticketing. They seem to have been able to book it despite the fact that she thought the awards flight didn't exist. If anyone else ends up in a similar situation, ask them to speak with ticketing as it should be possible to get the flight. But do confirm with the partner airline that the flight exists afterwards---I did this and was only sure my booking went through after Vietnam Airlines confirmed.

Train schedules are not being my friend right now, so I can't get there any earlier than 5pm... was hoping this was at least potentially possible.

I plan to fly into Chongqing from Thailand with TWOV. My original plan was to fly from Chongqing to Vietnam via Hong Kong, but I'm now considering a plan which would involve me exiting via the Zhuhai-Macau border, which I know is a valid port.

However, I don't know how I would prove transit when flying to China, since it is a land border and would not involve tickets. The idea someone in a different sub came up with was to purchase refundable tickets to Hong Kong and just "change my plans" after entering China. Is this a valid plan? Do you have to exit through the same port you declared on your arrival card?

This is a follow up on another post. I plan to fly into Chongqing from Thailand with TWOV. My original plan was to fly from Chongqing to Vietnam via Hong Kong, but I'm now considering a plan which would involve me exiting via the Zhuhai-Macau border, which is apparently a valid port.

However, I don't know how I would prove transit when flying to China, since it is a land border. Any ideas for how to do this? Would it be better to take a boat from Shenzhen and get a ticket for it in advance?

I'm traveling to China in a month using TWOV. My initial exit plan from my final destination, Zhangjiajie, was to:

1. Take a train after the park closes to Chongqing
2. Stay at a hotel by Jiangbei Airport.
3. Fly to Da Nang, Vietnam via Hong Kong. This would have given me a nice layover to spend 10hrs in the city.

However, my flight was changed by the airline, giving me a normal 3hr layover and making the ticket refundable.

I recently discovered another possibile itinerary:

1. Take a train from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang which would arrive at either 6pm or 6:45pm.
2. Watch the sunset. Walk around the town at night looking at the architecture and the lights.
3. Stay at a hotel in Fenghuang.
4. Take a 10:30am train to Guangzhou, connect to a train to Zhuhai, and exit via the Zhuhai-Macau port (which is apparently TWOV-eligible, but I don't know how I would prove that I have an exit ticket when entering China).
5. Fly to Da Nang on a 10pm flight from Macau.

This is my question: Would it be worth it just spending the night in Fenghuang from 6pm to 10:30am? Or is it better to stick to my old plan and just stay the night at Chongqing Airport? If I exited via the Zhuhai border, how would I prove my TWOV plans when entering China?

Hello all. Some friends and I are booking travel for Central Vietnam in June and I'd like to get some feedback.

Current plan which I'm skeptical about:

1. Day 1: Fly into Da Nang Airport ~3pm. Taxi to Hoi An upon arrival.
2. Day 1-Day 3: Hoi An
3. Day 3 morning: Ba Na Hills.
4. Day 3 afternoon/evening: My Khe Beach, walk around Da Nang
5. Day 3-Day 4: Da Nang
6. Day 4 early morning: Bus to Hue
7. Day 4: Hue sightseeing
8. Day 4-5: Hue
9. Day 5: DMZ tour
10. Day 5 evening: Depart Hue airport ~10pm

My main concern is that the more I look at resources online, the more it seems like the entire Da Nang area is a bit of a tourist trap. As such, should I just visit Hoi An in the area and cut the rest of it? Or maybe JUST go to the beach or JUST go to the Ba Na Hills and try to make it to Hue by the late afternoon on Day 3? I prefer avoiding big touristy attractions.

Thoughts?

I'm looking to fly into Frankfurt-am-Main airport from Vietnam next month and need to get to Bonn. How long after my flight arrives should I schedule my ICE train for? How long does it typically take to get out of the airport?

I've been trying to find something in environmental consulting, policy, or research since August. Got absolutely nothing, likely because senior year burnout prevented me from having time to apply to enough positions---other commitments started taking twice as long as usual. Graduation is at the end of the month and I don't really know what to do. I have an internship which should last until mid-August, but I need to find a full-time position as I cannot get a return offer under my contract. I have a few questions:

1. Would I likely be able to find a full-time job over the summer in one of the subfields I listed if I gave it my all? Will there be enough positions posted over the summer?
2. Should I apply to fall internships (I already have four on my resume)?
3. Given where I am, will I probably need to give up and apply to grad schools (aka, should I start diverting time from job apps to the GRE)?
4. How important is it to get a job before graduating in this field? I know some require students to have something set up months before the summer begins, but I want to know how crucial it was for me to not miss this step given my career interests. I haven't really been able to find an answer to this questions from my peers and mentors.
5. Any other advice for what I should do now?

I've been having a debate with my mom about my career and was wondering if anyone could help.

I am about to graduate from an Ivy League university with a degree in Environmental Policy. I initially planned to bridge the gap between undergrad and law school with a stint in environmental consulting, but I have so far been unable to secure a position all year. However, it looks like I might be about to get a paralegal offer.

My mom thinks I shouldn't take the paralegal offer as it would force me to go to law school even if I decide to do something else or struggle to get in. The position is also not related to environmental law, which is where I see myself going after law school. Continuing to try with environmental consulting would obviously give me more flexibility, but I'm worried about becoming unemployable if I get too far out from graduation and can't find an alternative.

Should I take the paralegal position if I get it? Would it be possible for me to jump from being a paralegal to something else entirely?

A little anxious about my TWOV (US citizen) travel itinerary and don't want to get turned down at the border next month. How's my plan?

• Inbound flight: Thailand-Chongqing
  • Print out onward ticket confirmation, Vietnamese (onward) visa, and proof of US involvement in TWOV program. Keep all of them in a padfolio in my backpack.
• Day 1-3: Chongqing
• Day 4 detour: Leshan
• Day 4-6: Chengdu
• Day 7-9: Zhangjiajie
• Day 9: Return to Chongqing
• Outbound flight: Chongqing-Hong Kong-Vietnam
• All domestic travel via HSR train or Didi
• Come with translation app pre-downloaded
• Come with vpn set up ahead of time (haven't picked which one)
• Come with Amap and Alipay downloaded
• Get E-sim or new sim card immediately upon arrival

Should everything go well with this plan?

I will be sleep depriving myself in NYC on Tuesday May 26th to jump time zones before an international flight. Thought it would be a good idea to at least try to find music/clubs so I don't just pass out on a diner table or something. Any tips on where I could reliably find a crowd on a Tuesday to keep myself awake?

I have a current internship which I would be interested in turning into a consulting position. I am about to graduate with a bachelor's degree and know that it is unusual for someone to go down this road without an advanced degree. Is this a requirement or is it just standard? Is it permitted for me to be rehired as a consultant?