First Jobs in the US for MENA SOs

[S and S 12]

Since my husband and I moved and can seriously start his job search, it has been really difficult. The economy doesn't help of course, but many of the jobs he has looked at required 1 year experience and/or certifications which require school. I am curious what were some of the jobs other SOs started out with so we can have a better idea of what to do. We are considering a wide range at this point because he really needs to work as I'm going back to school. Thanks for any input.

[prince+angel 3]

Ya know S & S, this is a very good question. Does anyone know of a "resource thread" of companies, businesses, organizations that may be a god starting point of newly arrived immigrants?

I've been at the same job for more than 10 years and am also at a loss as to where to help my husband begin to find a job. He has a degree in Math and speaks 3 languages so I'm hoping he'll those strengths 1st... does your hubby have any special skills/talents/education he can promote for himself?

[reeses16 8]

Well, my spouse isn't from MENA. But I think some of our experiences are probably similar.

(1) My husbands name was a barrier to him getting interviews. Its not fair, but it was true. For a few months he submitted resumes with his given name (first + last) - 0 interviews. I changed his resume to nickname + last and he got at least 3 interviews the week following the change. In his cover letter he would state his full name, and asked to be referred to by his nickname.

(2) Its hard to get over the experience requirements. We structured my hubby's resume so that it focused on his transferable skills, not necessarily the specific job he had.

(3) Its good to consider any position available, because it helps establish a US work history. Of course some people don't want to do this but it really can be used as a stepping stone. My hubby started out as a barrista, then dishwasher, then temporary state employee to full-time permanent within the span of 1 year. He did his best in each position and maintained good relationships with supervisors and co-workers who were more than happy to give great recommendations.

(4) List US references as much as possible. Hubby had a few former co-workers who now live in the US and he used them as references for his work in Ethiopia.

(5) Also don't send out many resumes at one time, particularly if you are interested in a particular type of position or field. If you send them all out at one time and don't have a successful interview you've severely limited the options you have. Send out no more than 2-4 at a time. This gives you an opportunity to follow-up. And if you get an interview and its not successful, it gives you a better idea of how to modify your resume, talking points for your next interview, questions to ask at your next interview, etc.

-Best of luck!

[Cheryl & Medo 3]

When Medo got here we had our planes to open our tattoo shop. ( he is a artist) So after3 mo of him being here that is what we did. Thank God that was our plans because with the economy I think he would still be looking for a job. But the economy has not always been good for our busness. We keep thinking about what else we could open to make money.

[prince+angel 3]

Cool idea & u took a chance, thats awesome!!

When Medo got here we had our planes to open our tattoo shop. ( he is a artist) So after3 mo of him being here that is what we did. Thank God that was our plans because with the economy I think he would still be looking for a job. But the economy has not always been good for our busness. We keep thinking about what else we could open to make money.

[reeses16 8]

Almost forgot, follow up with applications. I know a lot of places will say "no inquiries" or do not provide information to follow up. But in our experience its a good idea. Its shows that you are genuinely interested. My hubby called about the position he has now (we had to be detectives and search on the website for a number that might be appropriate to call) and was offered the job on the spot. And for us, it help us keep a realistic list of who was really considering his application vs who was not.

[prince+angel 3]

Thanks for the advice reeses16 ~ will be very helpful for us!

[S and S 12]

The problem is my husband is a medical school graduate. It will take a couple years to get through the exams and start residency so for now he must find some other work. We had hoped to keep him in the medical field with a lower job. I even sent him through Nursing Assistant school and he got the certification for that. He has applied through two health care systems, but no call back. The hospital recruiter at one really wants to help him, but the managers keep saying my husband is over qualified. It is really frustrating. He even took the hospital tests for both Nursing Assistant and Medical Assistant (though he didn't go to Medical assistant school) and he passed both tests. We tried the nursing homes, but they want him to switch his license to the state we moved to and that takes time, though we will do it. For now, the nursing homes will not even look at his application.

[Aymsgirl 0]

My husband had no luck finding a job in the same field that he has worked in for 14 years which was the legal field. He did work temporarily for CBS Personnel at Kohl's Distribution Center. This was his first job. It only lasted a few months because he was holiday help. Since then he has worked in a crummy hotel doing whatever they need and at their beck and call and his second job is working at a phone that basically cells everything but their specialty is cell phones. The owner is a man from Jordan. His pay is basically below minimum wage and he is promised that once he learns the job it will doubled. We will see......

I like Reeses16 advice. We did most of those but almost and still are losing hope. It's hard going from attorney to housekeeper ya know? You have to do what you have to do though. I can only advise persistance. I hope one day it pays off for us.

[S and S 12]

My husband had no luck finding a job in the same field that he has worked in for 14 years which was the legal field. He did work temporarily for CBS Personnel at Kohl's Distribution Center. This was his first job. It only lasted a few months because he was holiday help. Since then he has worked in a crummy hotel doing whatever they need and at their beck and call and his second job is working at a phone that basically cells everything but their specialty is cell phones. The owner is a man from Jordan. His pay is basically below minimum wage and he is promised that once he learns the job it will doubled. We will see......

I like Reeses16 advice. We did most of those but almost and still are losing hope. It's hard going from attorney to housekeeper ya know? You have to do what you have to do though. I can only advise persistance. I hope one day it pays off for us.

I'm sorry you have had so many difficulties too. I knew it would be hard, but I really thought the health care industry would be easier, especially after I sent him through nursing assistant school as there is a demand for those jobs. Hopefully something will turn up.

[prince+angel 3]

Many hospitals in our area use temp agencies for medical staffing, is this a possible option for your husband to get his foot in the door? Are their local clinics in your area that would hire him - perdeim, PT/FT???

My husband had no luck finding a job in the same field that he has worked in for 14 years which was the legal field. He did work temporarily for CBS Personnel at Kohl's Distribution Center. This was his first job. It only lasted a few months because he was holiday help. Since then he has worked in a crummy hotel doing whatever they need and at their beck and call and his second job is working at a phone that basically cells everything but their specialty is cell phones. The owner is a man from Jordan. His pay is basically below minimum wage and he is promised that once he learns the job it will doubled. We will see......

I like Reeses16 advice. We did most of those but almost and still are losing hope. It's hard going from attorney to housekeeper ya know? You have to do what you have to do though. I can only advise persistance. I hope one day it pays off for us.

I'm sorry you have had so many difficulties too. I knew it would be hard, but I really thought the health care industry would be easier, especially after I sent him through nursing assistant school as there is a demand for those jobs. Hopefully something will turn up.

[S and S 12]

We tried the medical temp places. All of them want him to have one year experience as a nurse's assistant and say his work as a doctor outside the country does not count. They also want his license to be in-state which will take time to transfer, so no luck there

Edited June 9, 2009 by S and S

[UmmSqueakster 54]

AbuS' first job was in a check cashing place. Total soul suck and haram to no end.

There are a few things that really helped him:

1. Internship. I wish we had thought of this sooner. He got an internship as an accountant in a non profit. This was how he landed his first real job as an accountant at a theater. He learned valuable lessons of how to work in an american office, bulked up his resume and he got a fabulous reference who helped him beyond compare. If you are ok on money and dont need him earning a ton of money, americorp offers a lot of internship type opportunities that look fabulous on the resume.

2. Practice practice practice. Practice job interview. Practice writing cover letters. Practice writing resumes. Practice until he's perfect, literally. The accent may not have completly disapeared, but he should be able to hold a phone conversation without confusing the person on the other end. And his cover letter should be fluent enough that the receipient won't be befuddled by the quirky english.

3. ESL classes. Even if he thinks he's good, he could probably stand for some improvement. And if the local ESL classes say he's good enough, find a way for him to speak english with a wide variety of people. I can't emphasize enough how important verbal communication is for landing a good job.

4. Keep a list of everywhere he's applying. Seriously, spreadsheet. If he's applying for a dozen jobs a week, it can be hard to keep track of them.

5. Don't answer the phone. Now, this may sound counterproductive, but it works. If they're interested in him, they'll leave a message. Listen to the message, consult the list of jobs, review the job posting, review the cover letter he sent and then call them back. That way he has a chance to compose himself and sound put together and with it. This is seriously how my husband landed his current job. They were so impressed with his initial phone interview that they asked him to come in ASAP and hired him 2 hours after the interview.

6. Job training. If he doesn't have a college education (or even if he does and isn't have any luck finding work with it), look into a job training program. They will help him with the necessary skills for job hunting and will help him in his search.

7. Patience! Patience! Patience! It took AbuS 3 years to find a good job, and many many many many long months of unemployment that were increadibly demoralizing. And then just when everything was looking up, he lost that good job due to the economy. It sucks. It really really does. But inshaAllah this too shall pass.

Edited June 9, 2009 by UmmSqueakster

[S and S 12]

AbuS' first job was in a check cashing place. Total soul suck and haram to no end.

There are a few things that really helped him:

1. Internship. I wish we had thought of this sooner. He got an internship as an accountant in a non profit. This was how he landed his first real job as an accountant at a theater. He learned valuable lessons of how to work in an american office, bulked up his resume and he got a fabulous reference who helped him beyond compare. If you are ok on money and dont need him earning a ton of money, americorp offers a lot of internship type opportunities that look fabulous on the resume.

2. Practice practice practice. Practice job interview. Practice writing cover letters. Practice writing resumes. Practice until he's perfect, literally. The accent may not have completly disapeared, but he should be able to hold a phone conversation without confusing the person on the other end. And his cover letter should be fluent enough that the receipient won't be befuddled by the quirky english.

3. ESL classes. Even if he thinks he's good, he could probably stand for some improvement. And if the local ESL classes say he's good enough, find a way for him to speak english with a wide variety of people. I can't emphasize enough how important verbal communication is for landing a good job.

4. Keep a list of everywhere he's applying. Seriously, spreadsheet. If he's applying for a dozen jobs a week, it can be hard to keep track of them.

5. Don't answer the phone. Now, this may sound counterproductive, but it works. If they're interested in him, they'll leave a message. Listen to the message, consult the list of jobs, review the job posting, review the cover letter he sent and then call them back. That way he has a chance to compose himself and sound put together and with it. This is seriously how my husband landed his current job. They were so impressed with his initial phone interview that they asked him to come in ASAP and hired him 2 hours after the interview.

6. Job training. If he doesn't have a college education (or even if he does and isn't have any luck finding work with it), look into a job training program. They will help him with the necessary skills for job hunting and will help him in his search.

7. Patience! Patience! Patience! It took AbuS 3 years to find a good job, and many many many many long months of unemployment that were increadibly demoralizing. And then just when everything was looking up, he lost that good job due to the economy. It sucks. It really really does. But inshaAllah this too shall pass.

Thanks for taking the time to write everything out. Those are good suggestions. We have done some of them, but not all. I will certainly keep your advice in mind. As for money, it is tricky. I'm not working anymore and will start unemployment soon. I am going back to school and will get paid almost a $1000 a month while in school, but that isn't much. We really do need him to work at least a decent job to make up the difference though it doesn't have to be super paying for starting out of course. Surviving and keeping up on the minimum bills is the key.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Ahmeds first and only job so far is a company that packages and processes foods like ketchup, mustards, salad dressings etc. Now his job has something to do with the packaging and boxing, something like 3-4 thousand filled boxes a day, (he lifts and stacks). This is the bottom job apparently and very hard but he is sticking it out. Now the thing is he talks to a few of the Mexican (there are all kinds of races there, everything is covered) and this mexican starts to tell him how he has been here 7 years with NO papers, working, and ALL his family is the same way. Ahmed doesnt get it why is he still here, how can he stay and all his family why do they go home etc......The company directly hired ahmed (helped i worked across the street for a state legal division) but alot come thru temp agencies but the biggest BUT is he got the lowest job. Now one day two bosses were assigning jobs and they told him here you stay at this station, and as they walked away he overheard them say (that job is for the foreigners), this one job usually gives people two hour shifts rotation but not for him he gets to stay all day. Now you tell me there is not racists against him compared to the ones who were also foreigners (viet naim, mexico, black, one was lebonese i believe all kinds. Cant something be done against those working with no papers ? I think they see somebody working very hard to please them, doing better than most have ever done, sticking out the situation and they are just letting him continue to please them but keeping him at the bottom.

At home he owned a grocery, degree in literature and also speak 3 languages