Finding a job once they get to the U.S

[Leyla 0]

Hey MENA! I pray for the best for all of you!

My fiance, Tarik has managed his own cafe for 10 years now but he doesn't have a college degree. So I am not sure what he will be able to do here.

I was wondering for those of you who have your man here already, what kind of job do they have?

[Carolyn 1]

I think most work whatever kind of job they can get at first...

For most, a college degree doesn't help a whole lot. Nor does job experience in another country (unless it is very specialized experience). Employers want to see job experience in the U.S. so they have to take whatever at first.

[polarbear 0]

I think most work whatever kind of job they can get at first...

For most, a college degree doesn't help a whole lot. Nor does job experience in another country (unless it is very specialized experience). Employers want to see job experience in the U.S. so they have to take whatever at first.

I agree.. I took my husband to the local mosque and had the men there work on conections for him and he's now working with one of them. It's still a manual labor job, but he was offered jobs in arab stores,ect. but he just doesn't speak English

[Staashi 371]

Hey MENA! I pray for the best for all of you!

My fiance, Tarik has managed his own cafe for 10 years now but he doesn't have a college degree. So I am not sure what he will be able to do here.

I was wondering for those of you who have your man here already, what kind of job do they have?

Good luck with this...maybe he can find a good cafe to work for here...something as an apprentice where he can work his way up, and truly understand the American process of food distributors, health departments, and how money exchange works? You would be surprised how long it can take for someone to learn our system of change as nothing is marked with amounts like in other countries.

Also, like someone said, see what connections you can make at your mosque to build from there. Nothing like having your community to help you two succeed.

All the best for you two...it will be an adjustment - breathe it out, but with God's help, you two will get through this. I'm excited for you both.

Edited July 29, 2008 by Staashi

[caybee 21]

My husband took whatever he could get. He did some restaurant work, some grounds keeping, whatever he could find. He found some opportunities through other Arabic speakers, which was a mixed blessing. I hate to say it, but some immigrants who have been here for many years are as likely to try to take advantage of a new immigrant as someone who was born here is, but it's easier in some ways for someone with a similar background to take advantage IF they are that type of person. Not saying they all do, by any means, but it happens. My husband also attended career fairs and started surfing Craigslist and e-mailing his résumé. He has finally found something we think will be more permanent, thanks to a job fair. But in the beginning, he'll want to take any honest work he can find, and you'll want to keep reminding each other it's just the beginning, a step to a better future. It's not easy, degree or not, and it may be very discouraging for him at times. Set goals and focus on those. Everything he does, no matter how menial, will help him build his résumé and his references.

[mybackpages 0]

I think the first job for any immigrant is often a difficult task. Job applictions and interviews can be so differnt from the home country, but any first job is going to do wonders for adjustment and building selft esteem. Then it becomes easier to find a job more to their liking.

I wonder sometimes if it isn't harder or those with college degrees or specific training because they are so over qualified for entry level jobs and its difficult to start over in a new country at the bottom. Not having a college degree might actually be an advantage because he has so many directions he can ow go without worrying about putting to use that degree in teh field where so much time has been invested.

[AlHayatZween 2]

Salaam Babyeshell,

We are going through this same thing right now. My hubbie is out looking for work, with no real prospects yet. His English is minimal and he doesn't have a college degree. He's gone around store to store, and we are blanketing anything we see on Craig's List, but it is slow pickin's... i think for everyone. The economy is really in the gutter and i think there are a lot more applicants for each job... that's for immigrants, American citizens, everyone... The important thing is to keep trying, something will come along inchallah.

Something interesting... my hubbie is reluctant to ask at the mosque or at any Arab businesses here in NYC. Is that weird that he is reluctant? Maybe he is just trying to get comfortable and see his prospects first? i mentioned it several times, and he was pretty clear that he wanted to find a job working with "other people" not just "Arabs".

Good luck!

hz

[Imua 0]

A bit of a hijack: Did any of your hubbies get a job with benefits at the beginning? From your descriptions I would think not and this scares me the most... To add Govi onto my work plan it would cost $300/month which we will not have. Did you add your hubbies to your insurance or do they not have insurance?

[AlHayatZween 2]

i luckily just got this office job in June with insurance, and i hope to add Habibi to mine, inchallah, when we get the official US marriage certificate.

you are right though... insurance costs are through the roof! i really don't know how people are making ends meet... i don't know if I'LL be able to make ends meet.

[Imua 0]

Salaam Babyeshell,

We are going through this same thing right now. My hubbie is out looking for work, with no real prospects yet. His English is minimal and he doesn't have a college degree. He's gone around store to store, and we are blanketing anything we see on Craig's List, but it is slow pickin's... i think for everyone. The economy is really in the gutter and i think there are a lot more applicants for each job... that's for immigrants, American citizens, everyone... The important thing is to keep trying, something will come along inchallah.

Something interesting... my hubbie is reluctant to ask at the mosque or at any Arab businesses here in NYC. Is that weird that he is reluctant? Maybe he is just trying to get comfortable and see his prospects first? i mentioned it several times, and he was pretty clear that he wanted to find a job working with "other people" not just "Arabs".

Good luck!

hz

Is there an employment agency which works specifically with Moroccan applicants or other MENA people? There is actually an agency in Jackson Heights which places Nepalis in jobs and I am hoping they can help Govi but I am afraid because he doesn't have a degree, only SLC(like HS diploma). I have noticed in certain stores/jobs there are clusters of immigrants from the same country/region and I suspect that the agencies place these workers, like I see all African guys doing supermarket deliveries on the UES and Nepalis stocking shelves at the Health Nuts store on 2nd Ave.

Edited July 29, 2008 by Pattu Rani

[morocco4ever 63]

I think that these men have grand ideas of these great jobs and lots of money, so I would prepare him the best you can with the fact that he will have to start out at the bottom of the barrel and work up. Kind of a hard pill for them to swallow.

My hubby has an okay job, but it does have benefits. I had him on mine, which cost a little more, but not bad. But we are saving around $50 a month having him on his own.

[Imua 0]

i luckily just got this office job in June with insurance, and i hope to add Habibi to mine, inchallah, when we get the official US marriage certificate.

you are right though... insurance costs are through the roof! i really don't know how people are making ends meet... i don't know if I'LL be able to make ends meet.

Yep, we are going to be living 3 people in a 1br when he gets here(G and I will be sleeping on a futon in the living room - luckily he is used to tight living) and then hope to save for our own place - there is no way I can spend $300/month on insurance, especially while he is not working. We are unionizing at my work and hopefully if/when it is all done then our premiums for family plan will be lower(maybe by the time G gets here) but until then I am looking at him going uninsured - of course he doesn't realize it's a problem...

Edited July 29, 2008 by Pattu Rani

[Staashi 371]

A bit of a hijack: Did any of your hubbies get a job with benefits at the beginning? From your descriptions I would think not and this scares me the most... To add Govi onto my work plan it would cost $300/month which we will not have. Did you add your hubbies to your insurance or do they not have insurance?

I did...but I could do it for about $100 a month 4 years ago. It is scary, and they always say - oh, I'm healthy. I just think insurance means, as Chris Rock said, "In case $#!T happens" which it inevitably will.

i luckily just got this office job in June with insurance, and i hope to add Habibi to mine, inchallah, when we get the official US marriage certificate.

you are right though... insurance costs are through the roof! i really don't know how people are making ends meet... i don't know if I'LL be able to make ends meet.

Yep, we are going to be living 3 people in a 1br when he gets here(G and I will be sleeping on a futon in the living room - luckily he is used to tight living) and then hope to save for our own place - there is no way I can spend $300/month on insurance, especially while he is not working. We are unionizing at my work and hopefully if/when it is all done then our premiums for family plan will be lower(maybe by the time G gets here) but until then I am looking at him going uninsured - of course he doesn't realize it's a problem...

One other thing you can check out is catastrophic coverage...it is typically very reasonable and can be a wonderful resource if you do have a truly worst case scenario. My mother, who goes on Medicare in 3 months, is dropping her traditional coverage of $1200 a month and going with catastrophic for about $550 total for these 3 months.

Edited July 29, 2008 by Staashi

[Imua 0]

A bit of a hijack: Did any of your hubbies get a job with benefits at the beginning? From your descriptions I would think not and this scares me the most... To add Govi onto my work plan it would cost $300/month which we will not have. Did you add your hubbies to your insurance or do they not have insurance?

I did...but I could do it for about $100 a month 4 years ago. It is scary, and they always say - oh, I'm healthy. I just think insurance means, as Chris Rock said, "In case $#!T happens" which it inevitably will.

Yep - especially if you are working a bottom-of-the barrel job like a dishwasher, break a glass, cut your hand and have to go to the ER, or are a stock clerk and drop a gallon jar of mayo on your foot - of course guys NEVER think these things through.....

[polarbear 0]

Salaam Babyeshell,

We are going through this same thing right now. My hubbie is out looking for work, with no real prospects yet. His English is minimal and he doesn't have a college degree. He's gone around store to store, and we are blanketing anything we see on Craig's List, but it is slow pickin's... i think for everyone. The economy is really in the gutter and i think there are a lot more applicants for each job... that's for immigrants, American citizens, everyone... The important thing is to keep trying, something will come along inchallah.

Something interesting... my hubbie is reluctant to ask at the mosque or at any Arab businesses here in NYC. Is that weird that he is reluctant? Maybe he is just trying to get comfortable and see his prospects first? i mentioned it several times, and he was pretty clear that he wanted to find a job working with "other people" not just "Arabs".

Good luck!

hz

Mine was too, but given that he only speaks french and arabic and had absolutely NO english when he got here, his choices were pretty limited. He's really frustrated bc he speaks arabic or spanish all day with the type of work he can find and I'm the only one who ever speaks english with him

Hopefully he will start to pick up the english faster now that he has a little bit of a basis - I really wish we could afford some school for him bc all the free classes are teaching spanish to english ((sigh)) He wants english to be able to find a better job.