How easy/hard is it to get a job for an educated non-native English speaker?

[monyfer 27]

I would like to hear the experiences of any well-educated but non-native English speakers on how difficult or easy it was to find a job in the US with a green card.

My fiance is planning to come to the US with me once we get all the paperwork filed. He is very well educated - he has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from one of the top universities in Mexico. He has around three years of sales experience with the Latin American subsidiary of a well known US-based company. He is very intelligent and friendly and charming. However, he is concerned about his English. Although I consider his English to be fluent (we frequently talk in English and watch movies/TV shows in English) and he understands everything he hears in English 95% of the time and he can speak fluidly on any topic is English, he is afraid his English isn't cut out for business. If he had to write a report in English, it would have grammatical errors that a native speaker would not make. He is afraid this will negatively affect him in the business world. He also lacks some of the finer and business vocabulary and since he primarily perfected his English through talking with native Speakers, he uses a lot of slang.

How can I help him feel more confident? What are the chances he will be able to get a professional job here in the states?

Thank you.

[Inky 1,111]

He could get into an ESL program when he got to the states if hes really worryed about it. It would boost his english skills and his confidence, also help him make some friends too who are in the same situation as him. ESL is usually free or really low price classes.

[SabrinaFrance 8]

I would like to hear the experiences of any well-educated but non-native English speakers on how difficult or easy it was to find a job in the US with a green card.

My fiance is planning to come to the US with me once we get all the paperwork filed. He is very well educated - he has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from one of the top universities in Mexico. He has around three years of sales experience with the Latin American subsidiary of a well known US-based company. He is very intelligent and friendly and charming. However, he is concerned about his English. Although I consider his English to be fluent (we frequently talk in English and watch movies/TV shows in English) and he understands everything he hears in English 95% of the time and he can speak fluidly on any topic is English, he is afraid his English isn't cut out for business. If he had to write a report in English, it would have grammatical errors that a native speaker would not make. He is afraid this will negatively affect him in the business world. He also lacks some of the finer and business vocabulary and since he primarily perfected his English through talking with native Speakers, he uses a lot of slang.

How can I help him feel more confident? What are the chances he will be able to get a professional job here in the states?

Thank you.

If his English is already really good but not professional, from personal experience I would not recommend ESL classes, I found that even the highest levels are not high enough if you want to learn business/professional vocabulary.

The best way would probably be for him to read a lot in English, maybe take a couple English or History classes at your local community college, there is a lot of writing involved and it helps a lot.

I had the same fears as your fiancé, and I was surprised to see that actually a lot of people here are not native English speakers. They have very thick accents, they make grammatical mistakes, but they are good employees, they have an open mindset that a lot of American people lack, big companies are eager to hire them for these reasons. Also, if he has experience with a well known American company it will look good on his resume.

[monyfer 27]

If his English is already really good but not professional, from personal experience I would not recommend ESL classes, I found that even the highest levels are not high enough if you want to learn business/professional vocabulary.

The best way would probably be for him to read a lot in English, maybe take a couple English or History classes at your local community college, there is a lot of writing involved and it helps a lot.

I had the same fears as your fiancé, and I was surprised to see that actually a lot of people here are not native English speakers. They have very thick accents, they make grammatical mistakes, but they are good employees, they have an open mindset that a lot of American people lack, big companies are eager to hire them for these reasons. Also, if he has experience with a well known American company it will look good on his resume.

Thank you for your reply, SabrinaFrance! I shared it with my fiance and I think it made him feel better. I think the idea of taking some English or History classes at the local community college is a great idea. I think one of the local universities even offers a Business English course for professional non-native speakers. You're right - I think that ESL classes would be far too basic for him. I am so glad to hear you didn't have a significant problem finding work due to not being a native speaker and/or having an accent. I thought the same thing. In my job, I work with a lot of individuals from different backgrounds. I know companies in the US today love "diversity", plus I told my fiance that his Spanish language skills will make him a hot commodity.

[SabrinaFrance 8]

Yes being fluent in both English and Spanish is a big plus here! I am sure he will be fine finding a job. Once all his paperwork is sorted out, tell him not to hesitate contacting temp/recruiting agencies, they are usually pretty good at finding jobs for 'people like us' And they dont only offer temp employment, they also have a lot of temp-to-hire jobs.

[silvermug 16]

What was the medium of instruction when he was in school? Was it English? If it was, then he should not be worried. Plus, he has professional experience, too. I would think that the medium of communication where he works is English, since it is US company.

Many people come to the US with the knowledge of the language but the accent will be there, at first. My classmates in school as well as myself have accent. And even until now, after five years, I still have it. As long as he understands English (written and spoken) and he can convey what he means, he should be fine

[Anh map 2,098]

Are you talking about employment before he adjusts status or afterwards?

[monyfer 27]

Are you talking about employment before he adjusts status or afterwards?

I was referring to once he obtains his EAD and can legally work, which I understand comes about two months after initial filing for the AOS.

What was the medium of instruction when he was in school? Was it English? If it was, then he should not be worried. Plus, he has professional experience, too. I would think that the medium of communication where he works is English, since it is US company.

Many people come to the US with the knowledge of the language but the accent will be there, at first. My classmates in school as well as myself have accent. And even until now, after five years, I still have it. As long as he understands English (written and spoken) and he can convey what he means, he should be fine

The language he was taught in in school was Spanish. He speaks Spanish at work...just because it is a US based company, the work at the Latin American subsidiary completely is in Spanish. However, FI grew up in a very touristy town in Mexico and was constantly surrounded by English speakres, spent years working in a restaurant there talking to English speaking tourists....so...he has that.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

My husband was also very worried about his English but he ended up getting a great job in his field! He too has an accent and can't follow group conversations very well yet. Remember, once your fiance gets here, you will have a few months probably before you marry, then a few months until he gets his EAD (and then a week or more to update/get his SSN) so there is some time that he can acclimate to the language. Once he is around English all the time his comprehension will increase exponentially, as will his confidence.

[ria_s 0]

Bilingual speakers are always a much needed commodity. He just needs to spruce up his English or just make him comfortable with speaking it. I am a well-educated non-native English speaker and I have managed to be able to land a good-paying job despite of it. Of course my accent sometimes still does creep up on me but it's never a big deal.

[Tupuna 0]

I think it really depends. In a good economy, of course it is easier.

That being said, I (as a native English speaker) have worked with people who spoke a really low level of English, and really high levels of English. It varies.

I think it's probably harder than you think, though, especially now. I know at least I fell into the trap thinking "Sure, it's no problem!" for non-native speakers to find work. But it is harder.

The best advice I can give is: focus on a niche that will appreciate and NEED his bi-lingual ability, rather than those that see it as a threat or problem. The good thing is, he speaks Spanish which is in big demand here (as compared to something like Icelandic.)