no job ... sigh

[GJen 9]

HEy everyone

I came to the us on a K1 visa and I have been allowed to work for several months and I have been applying everywhere and not luck at all :/ im starting to get kind of frustrated! I havent even had my first interview .. they just dont call and going to the Stores doesnt work.. I went over my resume again and I dunno sometimes I feel like past jobs being outside the USA.. and all those SPanish names (of the company ive worked for) dont help much.. plus I have no work reference in the USA or anything at all here and I dont know what to do! I feel sad, angry and bored!.. I feel bad everytime my wife comes back home from home and I have no news.. .. any advice on my resume or anything I could do... I honestly started this thread with no question to ask in my mind.. Im just writing all this out of frustration and trying to vent a bit! .. thanks for reading

[Inky 1,111]

Call them call them call them. Don't wait for them to call you because they wont, they are waiting for you to call them. To prove you want the job and you are interested in it.

it took me 1.5 years to find a job and my resume has english stuff on it!

[GJen 9]

AAAAAAH OK NOW IM FEELING EVEN WORSE..... I AM SO STRESSED OUT FILLING APPLICATIONS! WHATS WITH THE 17 PAGES OF QUESTIONS FROM UNICRU??? OMG THEY ARE SO RIDICULOUS! STUPID STUPID STUPID!.... YOU HAVE BIG WORRIES? YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KEEP THEIR FEELINGS TO THEMSELVES? YOU LIKE TO TALK A LOT WITH FRIENDS?

I MEAN COME ON! I HAVE BEEN ON THE COMPUTER FEELING ONE APPLICATION FOR ALMOST 2 HOURS!!! AND THE QUESTIONS WONT STOP.... i seriously miss MY OLD fashioned way of getting a job in VENEZUELA just go in the office and leave your resume or have a normal interview.. this is insane and stupid im sorry.... this kind of things just makes me more upset and frustrated I feel like throwing my laptop out the window... Im sorry for my dumb post but I needed to let it all out!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

What's unicru? lol... If you don't like the hour-long applications, don't fill that one out There are plenty of places without a lengthy application - I hate those too!

Make sure your resume conforms to US standards, and doesn't have your age or marital status or anything like that on it (that's not the norm here and people often just throw those ones out because it looks like the person can't make a resume).

Also, you might want to put somewhere on the resume in small letters "authorized to work in the US for any employer."

Make sure you are applying to jobs that are appropriate for your level of education and work experience. Some people apply to jobs they are overqualified for because they think since they are new immigrants their past work experience doesn't count.

Don't give up! You just need one to say yes. You can do it!

[Mononoke28 135]

The one piece of advice I have is to remember that HR employees get a ton of applications each day for whatever job they've posted. What they'll do is find the applications and resumes with words that match up what they wrote as the requirements for the position. So even if you more than qualify for the job, if your application/resume does not have the "key" words that they're looking for, it'll get tossed, guaranteed. They just don't have the time to read each one as it comes because they simply don't have the time. So try to polish your resume according to the requirements of the job you may be applying to. This means that you may have a separate resume for each position you find.

Also keep in mind that if you apply for a job that is lower than your level of education/career experience, they will most likely not call you for an interview. They'll think you're overqualified and can't afford to hire you. So if you want an entrance job like that, you will have to again, polish your resume and "dumb it down".

One last thing, remember that looking for a job is also a full time job. If you fill out an application once a week or even just once a day, your chances of getting hired are pretty slim. When I was laid off from a previous job a few years ago, I spent at least 6-8 hours straight every day looking for work, fixing my resume, working on cover letters, etc. I treated it like a full time job because I couldn't afford not to work.

Good luck!

Diana

Edited August 29, 2011 by Mononoke28

[Nica_In_Love 98]

It's ok to vent, but don't throw your computer out the window. LOL.

It can be frustrated, yes. I think a lot of us have been in that same situation. When I got my first job, I had sent at least 20 applications a week. I got 3 interviews at 3 different places, and got hired at the last. Like the above posters have said, go over your resume and try to clean it up a bit. Make it as concise as you can. Don't make it too long and just make sure to have relevant information. Don't give up, keep looking. Check out craigslist; even though there are tons of scam postings, a lot of them are also legit. That's how I found my previous job.

[monyfer 27]

Do you mind me asking what your college degree is in (assuming you have one) and what prior work experience you have? Also, I suggest networking. Not sure if you are in a big city or not, but most cities have networking group for latinos..great way to meet other well connected Hispanics who can help you get a job where they need people w/language skills.

Edited August 30, 2011 by monyfer

[J y Mariana 0]

i seriously miss MY OLD fashioned way of getting a job in VENEZUELA

I hear a lot of people from Venezuela get frustrated with this when they come here. Last time I was there a few people mentioned that. When my wife finally gets here (shes from Caracas), Im worried that shes going to miss her old way of finding work there too, it seems a lot less structured =P.

I definitely second calling/contacting them to follow up. I went like 6 months waiting for a job when I lived in California, and as soon as I decided to start calling and following up, I got the first job I did that with. I called and asked when I could come in for an interview, which maybe was too aggressive, but with so many applicants for jobs you have to do something.

Good luck!

[Mrs O. 29]

I got a job today, dont lose hope. keep applying!

[amir2011 0]

Congratulation Mrs O for getting job.

At this term,we want to know which web site yu apply for job,and what type of resume we should use in such jobs?

[Mrs O. 29]

Congratulation Mrs O for getting job.

At this term,we want to know which web site yu apply for job,and what type of resume we should use in such jobs?

I work in IT. I have a little bit of experience so I redid my resume to highlight my experience and specific strong skills. I applied mostly on monster.com, indeed.com and dice.com. I just made sure I kept careful track of applications to avoid duplication either by me or recruitment agencies. I applied aggressively, sending about 40 applications every week. I got 4 interviews, was not succesful at the 1st three and 4th time lucky.

Edited September 20, 2011 by Mrs O.

[Mhayonaise 14]

I work in IT. I have a little bit of experience so I redid my resume to highlight my experience and specific strong skills. I applied mostly on monster.com, indeed.com and dice.com. I just made sure I kept careful track of applications to avoid duplication either by me or recruitment agencies. I applied aggressively, sending about 40 applications every week. I got 4 interviews, was not succesful at the 1st three and 4th time lucky.

Congratulations MRs. O and thanks for the tip, these sure will help me soon

[hangover 0]

Congrats Mrs. O on your JOB... i am also in IT field am just worried about hunting for the job... give us some tips please...

[Bryan and Isabel 29]

Remember, that when starting to look for a job, you need to start somewhere low, and work yourway up with time and experience. I know alot of people when they first arrive here want a job similar to what they had in their countries or better but can't find one. don't get frustrated, even americans can be unemployed for a very long time, I am a hiring manager where I work, and i recieve applications all day long, granted for my type of job you need a college degree , its very difficult to chose amongst great candidates sometimes. Its a very competitive market even now with this recession, just make yourself stick out from everyone else, remember your not the only person wanting that job, but you need to show that you not only want it, but you deserve it.

Good Luck!

[Girl from Celebes 588]

HEy everyone

I came to the us on a K1 visa and I have been allowed to work for several months and I have been applying everywhere and not luck at all :/ im starting to get kind of frustrated! I havent even had my first interview .. they just dont call and going to the Stores doesnt work.. I went over my resume again and I dunno sometimes I feel like past jobs being outside the USA.. and all those SPanish names (of the company ive worked for) dont help much.. plus I have no work reference in the USA or anything at all here and I dont know what to do! I feel sad, angry and bored!.. I feel bad everytime my wife comes back home from home and I have no news.. .. any advice on my resume or anything I could do... I honestly started this thread with no question to ask in my mind.. Im just writing all this out of frustration and trying to vent a bit! .. thanks for reading

Why not try working from home? Maybe you have some specialty that you use for work before? or working online? Many possibilities.