Finding work in the USA (easy vs tough?)

[kc456 0]

Good info and experiences on finding jobs in the US as a recent immigrant:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums2/index.php?showtopic=66064

Post more or ask questions here on the new thread!

[KevandKiki2 0]

er...tough ....but I think things will get better with the rez overhaul..

Best,

Kev

[kc456 0]

Just don't count on the resume alone... I feel that a good resume is only 10% in the whole job hunting process. It only gets one as far as the call back. Even to get that, one need to know what they want, be applying for the "right" jobs. Luck is important too.

[KevandKiki2 0]

Agreed...studies have shown that even getting to an interview..20 per cent is ability..80 percent chemistry...I believe it..Also know that a rez is just one more marketing tool..nothing more nothing less...

Best,

Kev

[kc456 0]

Example on importance of having a network: we are currently hiring and two people we will interview first are (1) a friend of a former co-worker I know socially and (2) a person I used to work with. If these don't pan out, only then we will look at resumes from the web.

[britbird 4]

Very true...you've got to sell yourself with more than a resume. I'm a great believer in cover letters and interviews. Resume's tend to be pretty cold.

To answer the question though, my experience of finding work here has been that it's very easy. Getting promoted is pretty simple also.

[Cdnwmn 0]

Think age discrimination also plays a part in getting hired although that is illegal not to hire based on age?

My resume and interviewing skills in Canada always got me a job there; not the same here. I have a friend who has been an administrative assistant for many years. She still is. She has also been part of hiring people for the company. One day she asked me to forward my resume to her and she would go over it. She then responded saying there was absolutely nothing wrong with it and it would make her interested in having me in for an interview. Unfortunately she's in Canada. I've always gone in with a positive attitude when I've had interviews. What floored me was going in for an interview and extending my hand first upon being introduced to a three member interviewing panel, while they just sat there. I think I shocked them...lol.

Heck I was told one Christmas season that they couldn't offer me a position and this was to stock shelves that they had been hiring for yet the same positions were being advertised over the next several weeks after that.

[luv2teach77 41]

Before I landed my job I met with a couple of recruiters who gave me some interesting (if slightly sobering) info on job hunting in the US.

I was merrily firing off my resume to countless jobs being advertised on various internet based job boards. Subsequently i was getting quite disheartened by the lack of feedback from these applications. if I was lucky i'd get a "thanks but no thanks" letter but more often than not I would never hear another thing. I wasn't getting annoyed that I wasn't landing the jobs but had no way of improving my resume or my approach without feedback from those companies.

After speaking to one recruiter in particular, he said that a recent study showed that something like 75% of jobs advertised on the internet are not actually filled by online applicants. More often than not positions are filled through networking and that is where most immigrants run into trouble. Arriving in a new country you don't have a pre-established network of friends and family who can put you in touch with employers looking to fill positions. One way around this is to try a website called Linkedin.com. It works on the principal of 3 degrees of seperation and has the potential to put you in a position where you can contact a HUGE number of possible people via a friend of a friend.

For me, I feel that getting in touch with a couple of reliable and well established recruiters, specializing in the industry I wanted to work in, was a valuable exercise. The job I've been in since late January was secured after I cold called a recruiter who was advertising a job I actually didn't think I could do. I'd seen the organization he worked for associated with a lot of I.T related jobs but hadn't found one that I felt I could apply for directly. I got hold of his contact details from another advert, emailed him my cover letter and a copy of my resume and within a few days we had arranged a face to face meeting for him to get a better understanding of my background and what I was looking for in a new job. I'm convinced that without his firms contacts, I'd probably still be looking. Using a recruiter, especially one who meets with you prior to putting you forward for any jobs, gives you the ability to emphasise your strengths and weaknesses to someone who can hopefully play them up (or down) when pitching you as a possible candidate.

My attitude when looking for a job here was to basically chase every possible lead in the hope that one of them would bear fruit. I lost count of the number of jobs that I actually applied for but I learnt pretty early on that you can't afford to hold out on a decision from one because a better one might be right around the corner. Persistency is key and the more people you can get your details looked at by, the better your chances of getting offered something.

Apologies if this is rambling... hope its been of use to someone.

Mark

[UmmSqueakster 54]

When I graduated from college, I had a job all lined up. I thought I was all set for the next few years, but unfortunatly, it fell through. I had absolutely no other prospects and no idea what I wanted to do with my life jobwise. After moping around at my parent's house for a few days, my dad gave me the book What Color is your Parachute?. It had a ton of useful and helpful job hunting hints that I didn't even think of. It gets updated each year, and was very helpful vis a vi using the internet.

[Jasman0717 9]

Claudeth went to three interviews and was hired by the third one and the first two have since called her back. Now she thinks she is God's gift to the working class

[kc456 0]

I wanted to add to the discussion on recruiters -- something to be aware of. They are good for certain situations, like IT projects, but I also wanted to mention that a lot of companies shy away from using them, because recruiters often charge the companies 20--30% of your *annual* salary.

- Large companies prefer to deal direct since they are known enough to attract qualified candidates

- Small companies do not have the money

Also, our company (startup) advertizes on craig's list, because it's a lot cheaper than, say, Monster. You may want to check a craig's list for your area.

[ktun 0]

I'm currently waiting for my EAD to be approved, so cant work yet, but have been looking through the local papers and employer websites etc for when I can. I'm in the process of creating an American Resume. All my qualifications, degree etc are English. What have other people done with explaining foreign qualifications? Do you attach a separate letter explaining what they mean and what that would be equivalent to in the U.S.?

Generally, I think people here are correct about networking. I've been telling everyone I know that I'll be looking for a job soon. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who works in the same field here that I did back home. I'm not expecting the job hunt to be easy at all because of this. Where we live here the big employers tend to be banks, insurance companies etc, areas that I have no experience in. My husband tells me though, if you can get in with a large company, they'll often train you, pay for any college courses that you require etc. I think that you have to be willing to adapt and take a chance at whatever comes along. It is disheartening though when you cant do what you're qualified to do. Kinda feel like those years were somewhat wasted.

Good luck to everyone job hunting

Kate

[Ephesia 0]

Generally tough. I do have two agencies looking helping me look for work. And friends of friends who are headhunters are also sending feelers out on my behalf. I had a one-day job yesterday helping a company call their vendors for confirmation info (my very first job in America). I am also aware that with zero work history here, I most likely have to start with temporary work and build it from there, which is totally fine with me.

[kc456 0]

To the point on how long job search via web postings take:

I applied for a position mid-December. And only last Friday I got an email from a recruiter asking me how much I was making at my last job (which I thought was really none of their business).

Here's what I emailed back:

Hello Larry:

Thanks for getting back to me. I evaluate each job opportunity individually, based on the fit and attractiveness -- not just solely on compensation. Therefore, I'm pretty flexible. If you have a specific salary range this position fits in in your company, perhaps you can tell me what it is?

Thank you,

XXX XXXXX

On 2/9/06, Larry Sweeney wrote:

Hi XXX,

I am the recruiter responsible for NVIDIA's XXXX opportunity.

Thank you for your interest in this position.

We would like to move to the next step, which would be scheduling an interview with some of our team. Before we can do that, can you share your compensation when you left company X?

I look forward to your reply.

Best regards,

Larry

[cyph0r 0]

I had it pretty easy. Knowing nobody in the school system, I decided to do day care first. I sent out resumes and within one week had 3 interviews and was offered the job with 2. I took the higher paying one of course. Then I found my current job which works more with special needs children (my line) and I got the job within a week of sending my resume in. Now that I know some people, I am trying again to gte into the school system as a paraprofessional (while working on my degree so I can actually teach). I was a little put off bythe fact that you have to know someone to get a better job. But hey, now thatI know how it works, I can try to make it work to my advantage.