Not the biggest risk (as I didn't have much to lose), but right after my undergrad I took a job in China with a young, 3rd party Quality Control service company

Not the biggest risk (as I didn't have much to lose), but right after my undergrad I took a job in China with a young, 3rd party Quality Control service company, getting paid about $1200/month + food/housing. I learned the ins and outs of factory work in China, over a vast number of industries. The owner invested in his foreign employees learning Mandarin. This year and half experience paid off since my work now involves buying from China heavily, and I have insight into this process.