North America Travel Guide

Foreword: I never imagined this series would continue for three consecutive years. Looking back on these three job changes, it felt less like job hunting and more like a journey of self-discovery, a constant oscillation between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. These three years also felt like a rebalancing, a process of repositioning and reassessing myself in the market—trying, exploring…

I've received quite a few job offers in the past two years and undergone numerous background checks. However, each check still makes me nervous. Even though there's nothing shady going on, I never know what kind of trouble they might cause, which makes me very uneasy. After all, I don't want my hard work to be wasted…

I went through another round of interviews this year and received offers from FANMG. I realized that coding practice plays a smaller and smaller role in the job search. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest factor is that coding practice is no longer as difficult for me. Looking back, coding practice is actually a one-time effort with lasting benefits…

I finally received my new passport today. Renewing a passport during the pandemic was extremely difficult; the whole process took about six months. I'm writing this guide to help you out. Timeline: October 18, 2020: Emailed to inquire about passport renewal. October 23, 2020: Received a reply explaining the pandemic situation…

This past year of the pandemic has flown by. I recently realized my driver's license is about to expire and I need to apply for a renewal at the DMV. A colleague had previously told me that non-citizens can also apply for a Real ID, so I looked into it. *Originally, starting in October 2020, those without a Real ID couldn't use their ID to fly, but…

The sudden outbreak of the pandemic caused a sharp downturn in the global market, severely impacting all industries. Many technology companies, serving the service sector, were naturally significantly affected. The shrinking market, coupled with a lack of confidence, made this year's job market exceptionally difficult. Fortunately, I personally participated in the job search this year and secured a position…

Today I received a marketing email from PostPony, hoping to promote their products. I generally dislike hard-sell marketing, especially on blogs; I usually only recommend products I've used and found satisfactory. However, this time they provided many real-world examples…

Because of this trip, I wasn't able to finish writing "Year After Year" before the new year. After all, it's the tenth year of "Year After Year," and I wanted to carefully consider it before putting pen to paper (I can really find excuses for delaying, haha). Getting back to the point, this time I spent five days and four nights in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, plus last year I went to neighboring Puerto Rico (link...).

Recently, I needed to apply for visas to several Southeast Asian countries for work, and I found the visa application process there to be quite strange. The methods I found online varied greatly, the official website descriptions were unclear, and many links were inaccurate. Here's a summary to help you avoid the same pitfalls: Official Website/Application Methods…

I previously wrote about the application process at the Washington, D.C. consulate (Japan Visa Application Process – Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.), but a friend later reminded me that Japan now offers 5-year multiple-entry visas. I checked and it's true; I feel like I missed out. I just moved to Seattle, and there's a Japanese consulate there too. I tried applying for a multiple-entry visa…

When I changed jobs a couple of years ago, I shared two articles about my job-hunting experience in the greater Washington, D.C. area (links: "A Brief Discussion on Job Hunting Experiences in the Greater Washington, D.C. Area" and "A Brief Discussion on Job Hunting Experiences in the Greater Washington, D.C. Area 2 - Four Years Later"). This time, I'm expanding my scope to the entire United States, which is a big leap. I have many insights to share with you all…

I've been doing onsite interviews all over the US recently, experiencing the recruitment processes of many companies. Some were excellent, others terrible, and after several trips, I've gained a lot of insights and experiences. How do American IT companies treat candidates? This is something many American friends may already be used to, but it's still quite common in China…

I've been using HSBC quite a bit lately. After opening accounts in the US and China, I recently applied for their direct saving and premier accounts. I'd like to share the process with you all. Here's a link to my previous post: "Opening an HSBC Account and Transferring USD between the US and China"...

I've been traveling abroad quite a bit lately. I previously obtained a Schengen visa from the Spanish embassy, and this time I got a Japanese visa. Both visas were relatively simple; just submit the documents according to the online instructions. However, there were some issues with the list of required documents for Japan, so I'm writing this guide to remind everyone of the process. Official information website: https://ww…

July 2020 Update – A netizen compiled his experience: Cheating experience. March 2020 Update – Attention Australians! If you've heard similar things, please contact daisylu314@…