Dear Dad and Mom,
I'm sure you've received my last letter by now. I'm writing again to share some good news: I managed to land a summer job! It starts around mid-May, so by the time you read this, I'll probably either be packing for New Jersey or already there. I haven't received the official paperwork just yet, but it's basically a done deal. They said they'd be mailing the formal offer letter this coming Monday.
Honestly, I got incredibly lucky this time. One of my high school classmates, who was also my classmate in college, graduated with a master's degree last year and went on to work for AT&T Bell Labs. Two weeks ago, he happened to send an email to everyone saying there was an opening for a full-time permanent position and asking if anyone was interested. I replied and told him I was actually looking for a summer internship. He said that might be possible and asked me to send over my résumé. I never expected it to actually work out, but yesterday someone from Bell Labs called and interviewed me over the phone. Today, my classmate told me everything was set. Thanks to his recommendation, the whole process went much more smoothly than I ever expected.
Bell Labs is one of the world's most famous and respected industrial research laboratories. As it turns out, it is part of a parent company that's in the process of spinning off from AT&T to become Lucent Technologies. The office is located in Holmdel, New Jersey, about forty miles from Newark and just a short train ride from New York City. The internship runs from May 15 until the start of the fall semester, about three months in total. They will pay me more than $700 a week, which works out to about $3,000 a month.
This is such a fantastic opportunity for me. The salary is excellent, and the company has a great reputation here. Work experience is highly valued in America, and having Bell Labs on my résumé will make finding my next job down the line a whole lot easier. I feel incredibly fortunate—it's a great job, and I'll have a friend there to look out for me. There are also quite a few of our old college classmates in New Jersey, so it'll be great to catch up with them. Now all I have to do is find someone to sublease my apartment here in Austin.
I think I'll have a much better idea about pursuing a Ph.D. in a few months. Once I get a taste of an industry job at Bell Labs, if I decide it's not for me, I can refocus on research and stay on the Ph.D. track. On the other hand, if I find that I really enjoy the work, I'll just get my master's degree instead and head straight into the workforce.
Regarding your suggestion of asking Uncle Wei to bring me a watch from China, I think that's a great idea, especially since he'll be staying with his son in New Jersey this summer. What a coincidence! The only thing is that I really need a watch before I leave for New Jersey, as it'll be essential for both travel and work. I think I may just buy a cheap one for the time being. If you do end up sending one with him, it would be best to get one with a day-and-date display, though it certainly doesn't need to be expensive. As for anything else I might need, let me think about it, but I don't seem to be lacking much. On the flip side, if there's anything you'd like me to send you from the United States, just let me know, and I'll ask Uncle Wei to bring it back when he returns.
I feel a little bad that I haven't been able to save more money. I've been in the U.S. for over half a year now, and my bank account is still only sitting at a little over a thousand dollars. That emergency fund
1 you gave me is still untouched in a separate bank account. It matures on July 29th after a ten-month term at a 5.35% interest rate. Being short on cash was one of the reasons I wanted to get a summer job. Once I have enough saved up, you'll be able to apply for visas to come visit me in America whenever you'd like.
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I'll send over my new address and phone number once I have them.
Take care,
Tong
04/19/96
P.S. Is Mom's wrist completely healed up now? And is Dad still busy crunching numbers on his computer?
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