Looking for work & need some advice.

[Gary_UK 17]

Hey VJers.

Ive been looking through the forums on here for the last hour or so. And am fully aware that there are a lot of people new to the

states who are having problems finding work. I, sadly am also in the same boat but have not found anyone talking in the forums who has commented on similar situation to what I am in and hence this post.

I have worked in IT for over 20 years (I am currently 41 years old). That experience began with Mainframe computers and then back in 99 was lucky enough to move into networking. I have worked for a number of large blue chip international companies since then and have

a shed-ton of that magical word "Experience". I have worked on cisco, alcatel and HP hardware to name a few. Pretty much you name it and I have worked on it.

I have even worked for advanced service center's doing remote PC support and domain administration roles.

I have also gained years of experience planning, implementing and supporting a range of LAN and WAN's using any tech you can imagine.

My last role ( which i loved ) was for local government and was in charge of a number of field engineers. Management were very sorry indeed that I was leaving.

Sadly with all this experience comes little in the way of paper qualifications, I gained a CCNA back in 2000 but has now expired.

and when i left college i had a HND in computer science but that's it. The rest of what I have is real world 100% solid experience.

I received my employment authorization about 3 weeks ago and have applied for every job in my field as I can with little to no feedback what so ever. I am fully aware that the job market is suppressed. I can also understand that in my current situation I may well have to "aim lower" to bring some money into the house. I have applied for over 20 jobs within a commuteable area, but so far not even a civilised reply from any of the applications.

I have a real fear that if I do land a job stacking shelves or flipping burgers that it will have such a negative impact on my future career prospects that it would be tantamount to committing professional suicide. Am I right to think this ?

Being out of work since I arrived here back in Oct of 2009 and with a few personal issues which have occurred on the way has put our new marriage under a lot of strain. I agree with many others who have said in other threads that not enough is done to warn the people on their way here that after the headaches and paperwork that the real work begins.

I love my wife very much and she loves me too. Thank goodness that although her salary is not the greatest that her work is stable and without it we would be very much in the doo doo. But it is so frustrating to have all this to offer a prospective employer and all I currently see in my future is somewhat less than my technical ability.

Can any of you offer some suggestions as to what I should and should not include in my resume'? or how I can present myself better ?

Sorry if I appear to be ranting, in a way I guess I am. But frustration, disappointment & disillusionment are tough things to fight.

Any constructive input would be greatly appreciated.

G

[HeatDeath 430]

List your previous employers in your resume before your education/diplomas/certifications. That will emphasize your experience. Include 2-3 line descriptions of what you did in some detail.

Include a skills section at the bottom of your resume where you list every buzzword/technology noun that you have ever had even the slightest experience with, so the HR resume scanners will see a combination of buzzwords they like and flag your resume for actual human inspection.

Register at monster.com and careerbuilder.com and apply for every last position they email you for which you feel even slightly qualified.

Be aware that it will probably take several months to get any decent interviews. I got my EAD in mid-November, and I only just last week finally got hired [A good software engineering job. I start Monday. Yay!] You need to be patient, and give the process time.

Also, pray your brains out to the deity you think most likely to exist and be capable of manipulating otherwise-outside-your-control circumstances in your life. If you pray to the right one, it makes a HUGE difference! [i have my opinion about which one is the right one. Your mileage may vary.]

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

• Apply/send resume to an IT Temp agency
  
• Check yellow pages for agencies locations in your area.
  
• Invest in having your resume done professionally.
  
• Build your resume base on skills, rather than education.
  
• Try sending your resume to small start-up companies
  
• Make salary a priority over benefits.
  

• While you are searching, do volunteer work so you can network
  
• Network...Network...Network
  
• Assit non-profit companies in setting up their network..such as your local church/private schools/public schools
  
• Volunteer to teach classes in IT at local library/YMCA etc
  

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The US has an over supply of people that are in the IT field. Most of them are not college educated and a lot are not US citizens. At the same time any non government company with enough budget will out source their work off to Asia. For stuff that can't be sent off shore companies like CSC are popular for network services. But the IT market it really tough here.

[NotworkSte 19]

Gary - I feel your pain, believe me.

Some tips. I am assuming you redrafted your old CV to a more US style resume? If so here are some other things to consider:

- as mentioned above, list companies near the top

- since you are applying for tech positions, get the keywords down there - for example if you list Cisco routing, I would specifically put OSPF, EIGRP ect. For LANS, rather than just saying LAN admin, list VLANs, PVST+, devices and IOS type. Recruiters here do keyword searches on IT resumes.

- hate to say it, but part of a keyword search includes certfications. And with loads of people applyong for each position, not having a CCNA for a network job, or an MCP for a SysAdmin job can get you dumped without a review. Make sure you list your certification and date achieved. This is not the same as saying you have it, but shows you did have it, and it will fall under a keyword search maybe long enough for a second glance. And if you have any spare time/cash, pick up the CCNA exam cram and go do it.

- make sure your resume is relevant to each position applied, takes time I know, hated redoing my resume multiple times a day.

- lastly, pay attention to working. They don't necessarily want to know just what you did, but they want to know how it made a difference.

Example, I migrated my old company to MPLS. Now, over in the UK, MPLS migration on a 25 node network looks good. Over here I have to write, "saved over $xK pa, increased aggregate bandwidth by x% and reduced network downtime by x% to 99.9% uptime". It is these statements that mark you out as different from the other candidates. Each line you write ask yourself, does this help differentiate me from the competition?

- They love networking here. Get on linked in, get your old colleagues added. I've interviewed with loads of people here, some successful, some not, in almost all cases it was unreal how connected I was, almost always somehow to the company I was interviewing at.

[Gary_UK 17]

Guys. These are all fantastic suggestions. Thank you so much.

I think I'm going to start with a professional resume overhaul and see where that leads. The local library where I live has a sizeable pc and IT division. I think once I am over my headcold I will pop in and see if I could offer my services. The Children's school also have a sizeable IT division and I hear that they are under some financial strain. So I will see if my services a few hours a week might be of some use to them.

My eyes have been opened to a number of ideas I had not even considered before,

Again thank you very much.

This advice to me as been priceless.

[TracyTN 237]

I will also toss this one in there - put a statement at the top of your resume which indicates you are fully able to work in the US legally. (I believe the one we used was 'Employment authorized in the US' and once he got his green card, we added 'Legal permanent resident - fully authorized to work in the US'.) Sometimes I think employers have seen hubby's references from the UK and tossed it thinking he was only here temporarily. Though fixing that hasn't changed much for us - you may have a different experience.

Edited to add - I'm not sure about the 'flipping burgers' thing as professional suicide. Employers will either see it as someone willing to do anything just to be gainfully employed or not. Not much you can do about that really. Though even those jobs didn't get back with hubby either (talk about depressing!). I'm sure they figured someone of his age would quit that job as fast as he could so they went with a teenager instead.

Edited April 12, 2010 by TracyTN

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

IMO one of the most difficult things for a British citizen to overcome when searching for work in the US is getting past the cultural differences of hiring.

Here you pound the pavement and go back repeatedly to places you would really like to work. Over there, you send your CV and patiently wait.

Here you apply and never hear a word. Sometimes you interview and never hear a word. Over there you always get a letter thanking you for your interest.

Once you can learn to be more aggressive AND get past the lack of courtesy, you are half way home.

I would agree with Tracy that taking on a different career in order to put bread on the table is not professional suicide. My own spouse has done this and found the perspective of employers to be positive. I hate to stereotype, but it may have something to do with the American impression of "immigrant work ethic" and a drive to "make it in America". An employer can be intrigued by someone who is doing whatever is necessary to get established. If that's what it takes to float your resume to the top, then it can't be a bad thing.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Edited to add - I'm not sure about the 'flipping burgers' thing as professional suicide. Employers will either see it as someone willing to do anything just to be gainfully employed or not. Not much you can do about that really. Though even those jobs didn't get back with hubby either (talk about depressing!). I'm sure they figured someone of his age would quit that job as fast as he could so they went with a teenager instead.

"Those" sorts of jobs have a high turnover anyway. I doubt age enters into the hiring decision.

I do think adults who have a work history of "menial" jobs are more likely to be hired for another "menial" job because they are already familiar with the work culture. Persons "stepping backward" in the employment food chain can suffer horribly in a different environment and be too difficult to assimilate.

[TracyTN 237]

Maybe not, but I don't think it helps either.

Your second paragraph is exactly why I never felt an urge to really push hubby into such a job.

*edited for typo*

Edited April 13, 2010 by TracyTN

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Maybe not, but I don't think it helps either.

Your second paragraph is exactly why I never felt an urge to really push hubby into such a job.

*edited for typo*

There are jobs which are below a persons former career path, and then there are others. I don't think anyone should choose a job they would truly feel uncomfortable in. They won't do a good job and they will be unhappy.

You can step backwards from what you've been doing without ending up at Burger King. Sometimes you just have to look in more out of the way places. Someone with IT experience could, for example, look for a data entry position. Especially with a company who has their own internal IT department into which they might some day advance.

And then again, you just might love it at Burger King. I think a lot of this is attitude. I know one immigrant who worked in management in Great Britain. Here in the US she's a WalMart cashier. She has learned to love her job and jokes about how they keep her on (in her small town) for the tourist value her accent brings.

[TracyTN 237]

There are jobs which are below a persons former career path, and then there are others. I don't think anyone should choose a job they would truly feel uncomfortable in. They won't do a good job and they will be unhappy.

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Gary, also put your volunteer work down as a job with skills. Do not hestiate to list your volunteer work as a skill asses job. Example, planning the spring fair for your childs school can be listed as skills such as project management. supervising, finance, and planning.

[Darnell 8,478]

IMO, most 'rapidly filled IT slots' are filled because of personal networking choices, not because of the resume.

Have a read? (my fingers are too tired to repeat myself)

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/239607-tough-new-start-in-the-us/page__p__3678703entry3678703

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/238103-joint-sponsor-bailing-out/page__view__findpost__p__3646403

[HeatDeath 430]

I scored major points at an interview for talking about being a frequent poster here, helping people going through the same complex process I did. There are lots of things you can consider volunteering if you spin it right