Immigrants with limited English getting jobs

[maya62 7]

With my husband's first job, I went with him to the interview, too. I also took most of the calls from the employer over the two years he has been there (like work being cancelled due to weather, etc...). That worked for them and us.

I think part of the challenge for us was just getting over the "hump" of the employer getting used to his accent. That's a good reason, in my opinion, to go to the interview. Most people understand my husband after their ears have adjusted to his accent, but they have to be willing to make a little extra effort at the beginning to get there...

Maya

[bora bora 1]

With my husband's first job, I went with him to the interview, too. I also took most of the calls from the employer over the two years he has been there (like work being cancelled due to weather, etc...). That worked for them and us.

I think part of the challenge for us was just getting over the "hump" of the employer getting used to his accent. That's a good reason, in my opinion, to go to the interview. Most people understand my husband after their ears have adjusted to his accent, but they have to be willing to make a little extra effort at the beginning to get there...

Maya

It's so nice to know I'm not the only one! Really.

I work w/ a woman who has been married to her husband for 13 years and she still helps him with paperwork - and he knows English well. She said it's been a struggle, but now he does well for himself (even has citizenship).

I know that things can only get better in the long run. In the meantime, I'm here to help hubby....

[Mononoke28 135]

Thanks for the kind words Meredith! First day at work was great, they walked him around the store and showed him a couple of orientation videos and he starts officially tomorrow at 6AM. They told him he's on a trial period to see if they can manage the language barrier, which I'm sure will be fine since it really shouldn't involve that much conversation. He's really excited about it and so am I, we'll see how it goes.

I think most of us have to get used to the fact that at the beginning we have to do everything for them. I'm the one who taught him how to drive, who went with him to get his Driver's Permit, his Social Security Card, who handled his interviews on the phone and in person, who had to find a place for him to study English, etc. I know it makes him unconfortable at times, well most of the time, but he has no choice until he learns his way around this new culture and until he learns the language.

Diana

[athena_ny 1]

Thanks for the kind words Meredith! First day at work was great, they walked him around the store and showed him a couple of orientation videos and he starts officially tomorrow at 6AM. They told him he's on a trial period to see if they can manage the language barrier, which I'm sure will be fine since it really shouldn't involve that much conversation. He's really excited about it and so am I, we'll see how it goes.

I think most of us have to get used to the fact that at the beginning we have to do everything for them. I'm the one who taught him how to drive, who went with him to get his Driver's Permit, his Social Security Card, who handled his interviews on the phone and in person, who had to find a place for him to study English, etc. I know it makes him unconfortable at times, well most of the time, but he has no choice until he learns his way around this new culture and until he learns the language.

Diana

My husband was here for 3 years before he even met me, so he had to do things himself, but now I find him wanting to fall on me. So I've had to do the opposite, step back and tell him he needs to do it on his own, and telling me his English isn't good enough isn't a good excuse. I guess that sound harsh, but my family and friends who have very little exposure to foreign cultures and accents think his English is wonderful, so it's not just me thinking he's great

I got pissed though when I had to do all the stuff for our car insurance, spending forever on the phone, etc. And they just put it in his name!

So now I make him do everything car insurance related

[reeses16 8]

This thread has really helped me out. I've been feeling really stressed lately, because like most of you I have to do EVERYTHING...at least all of the paperwork, technical type stuff. My hubby is great, and helps out A LOT around the house and does everything he can to help. I know its all a process, but I had gotten pretty frustrated lately. But hearing your ideas, experiences, and sucesses has made me feel better.

Thanks, ladies!

-DA

[bora bora 1]

I actually enjoy helping my husband out most of the time. I feel very useful, and I know he can only do so much on his own. At the same time, hubby is quite independent and goes for things by himself all the time. The only thing I noticed is that he uses me as a crutch when I'm with him. I guess that's normal - and I'm sure he gets tired sometimes. He says that he gets headaches a lot - and I never remember him saying that when we lived in Brazil. Obviously it's the language - and he recognizes that.

I think that he's appreciate of me and that is important. I can't be selfish and get upset about helping him since without me he couldn't do this - and I love him.

Thanks so much for all of your replies and please keep them coming...it's good for us .

[athena_ny 1]

I actually enjoy helping my husband out most of the time. I feel very useful, and I know he can only do so much on his own. At the same time, hubby is quite independent and goes for things by himself all the time. The only thing I noticed is that he uses me as a crutch when I'm with him. I guess that's normal - and I'm sure he gets tired sometimes. He says that he gets headaches a lot - and I never remember him saying that when we lived in Brazil. Obviously it's the language - and he recognizes that.

I think that he's appreciate of me and that is important. I can't be selfish and get upset about helping him since without me he couldn't do this - and I love him.

Thanks so much for all of your replies and please keep them coming...it's good for us .

That's true for him because he doesn't speak much English.

Mine does at this point, and still wants me to do everything sometimes. I can't do it all, and it gets to a point where he needs to learn how to function and do things on his own without me - what if I get killed by a car during my lunch? He had to do things without me before but I taught him the proper way (aka living like a legal immigrant) but since I've come into the picture he uses me as a crutch. If I have to call somewhere where there is an automated voice system, I usually do it because he gets frustrated - they never understand him, even the good ones. But like I said, there are things he just has to do on his own so he learns (obv. this is after their English has advanced) and because there's not enough hours in the day for me to do it all

[Mononoke28 135]

Don't get frustrated DA, it's normal. I do find myself having to bite my tongue every now and then when I have to dissect things for my husband and sometimes explain things like he was a 5 year-old. Like what an ATM says in English when he's getting money, how to fill up our car with gas, how to use the microwave, washer/dryer, vaccum, etc. He's been very good at all that and is now a pro at it but I think us women like to be taken care of and when we have to do it for them, it's just weird. But we knew it would be like this from the beginning and hopefully it won't be for too long. I also have to remind myself that when we're in Colombia he's always the one in charge and taking care of me there because he's in his environment and he knows the ins and outs of everything.

My husband has also been complaining a lot about headaches but I'm sure it's because of the stress he's been under with the overwhelming amount of info he's had to process since he got here, and also the bitter cold temperatures we've had in Denver lately.

Diana

[GabachaYucateca 0]

This is the most useful thread for me!

A friend of mine said that she never expected to have a thirty year old baby, and this was her hubby's friend who was living with them!

Our problem now is FINDING that frickin' job. He worked for two weeks before Xmas, but now nothing through the temp agency. Another issue I'm finding (for both my hubby and my clients at work) is that everything is automated now. There's no opportunity to go to a place and be pushy and charming to get your foot in the door. Almost ever place that seems to be hiring requires an online application, which probably goes to some corporate headquarters.

We tell everybody we know that he's looking for work, but so far nothing has come up.

Any ideas?

Btw, Homeboy's background seems similar to Bora Bora's...limited education and limited but improving English.

I'm so down with accompanying him and talking for him, however, the problem is what i mentioned earlier....they have to send you to their online application.

[athena_ny 1]

This is the most useful thread for me!

A friend of mine said that she never expected to have a thirty year old baby, and this was her hubby's friend who was living with them!

Our problem now is FINDING that frickin' job. He worked for two weeks before Xmas, but now nothing through the temp agency. Another issue I'm finding (for both my hubby and my clients at work) is that everything is automated now. There's no opportunity to go to a place and be pushy and charming to get your foot in the door. Almost ever place that seems to be hiring requires an online application, which probably goes to some corporate headquarters.

We tell everybody we know that he's looking for work, but so far nothing has come up.

Any ideas?

Btw, Homeboy's background seems similar to Bora Bora's...limited education and limited but improving English.

I'm so down with accompanying him and talking for him, however, the problem is what i mentioned earlier....they have to send you to their online application.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but we were looking at relocating at Providence for a little while - isn't that city something like over 50% Hispanic? That a higher percentage than Florida (I think Tampa is 11% and where I'm at is 9%) - perhaps a resume explaining that "my English is limited, but I have x, x, x as skills (obv. more detailed than that but you get the idea), I am a legal permanent resident and am willing to learn, etc" would help in that arena?

I've never hidden that M came here on a tourist visa and was forced into work when his father died to support them while they sorted out legal issues that are ongoing almost 5 years later, and when he started work it was the typical jobs illegals work, but then he got a decent job at a jewelry store, where he and two others were the only Spanish-speaking individuals and was forced to learn English. That was SOOO essential to learning English - the bosses weren't Spanish speakers and couldn't talk to him that way, but he had people (well one person, the other one still doesn't speak English because she doesn't want to) who could explain it to him and teach it to him so he'd understand, and he picked it up quickly.

Don't know if that helps.

[Mononoke28 135]

This is the most useful thread for me!

A friend of mine said that she never expected to have a thirty year old baby, and this was her hubby's friend who was living with them!

Our problem now is FINDING that frickin' job. He worked for two weeks before Xmas, but now nothing through the temp agency. Another issue I'm finding (for both my hubby and my clients at work) is that everything is automated now. There's no opportunity to go to a place and be pushy and charming to get your foot in the door. Almost ever place that seems to be hiring requires an online application, which probably goes to some corporate headquarters.

We tell everybody we know that he's looking for work, but so far nothing has come up.

Any ideas?

Btw, Homeboy's background seems similar to Bora Bora's...limited education and limited but improving English.

I'm so down with accompanying him and talking for him, however, the problem is what i mentioned earlier....they have to send you to their online application.

What we did is go to every place we saw and applied online, Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, etc. They need a lot of people to work stocking their stores. Once they get the application, the HR department will decide on who to call, we got a call from every single one of them and the people at Babies R Us were the ones who were very interested in him. He has to go to work at 6AM everyday and make sure everything is stocked right. I also handled every call he got regarding the jobs we applied for and told them I was his wife and that I was going to translate. Most of them didn't have a problem with that.

Diana

[GabachaYucateca 0]

See, that's the problem! Not getting any callbacks about the apps we filled out online! We're looking for exactly that...shelf stocking.

Yes, meow..Providence is VERY Hispanic, but it seems that everyone hires their extended families to work for them!

[bora bora 1]

We've had some luck with craigslist - I mean finding jobs and getting call backs. Maybe you can try that in your area.

My husband has been on about 4-5 interviews in the past week but we're still in an unstable position. Tomorrow is the last day of his trial week at his current job and he's a very hard worker and see no reason (though I'm not there) why they shouldn't ask him to stay. Yet I'm still nervous. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

My hubby is quite quick at figuring things out so I don't have to teach him too many things - though he'd never applied on-line before...that was new.

I think it's a big plus that his employers speak only English. I'm happy with that.

I wish I could relax some...I guess I will tomorrow. I don't want to be selfish but I don't want to apply for any more jobs. I'm looking for new schools to work out for next year and trying to handle that and some other business....

I keep telling myself this will get better - and I know that it will.

Thanks for this girls!!

Edit: oh yea, I remember what I was going to say. My hubby's "boss" told me that he wanted to give him a chance. They're Indian (and immigrants) and I think they're doing it for that reason. I'm very grateful to them for this. We need more people out there like this - I know there are some.

Edited January 4, 2008 by Bora Bora

[bora bora 1]

My husband just called me to say he's on his way home from work, and that his new boss told him to return back to work on Monday. His trial period is over....

Thank God!

[Mononoke28 135]

That is wonderful, congratulations! You can now have a worry-free weekend.

My husband got the same from his employer, they want to keep him permanently. Phew!

Diana