Finding work in US is so different and difficult! with uni degree!

[Athena13 10]

Hi guys, my K1 and conditional GC journey has been relatively quick and easy, and yesterday I got my California driver's license.

I posted in my regional area about finding work in USA, as an occupational therapist (OT) from Sydney Australia (with a few years experience). It's a long story, i had to do a master OT degree here in order to work. Luckily i got accepted into an online degree by SJSU, will start in Aug this year, for 2 years.

so in these 2 years i wanted to work, some related field (such as aba therapist) or something i'd really enjoy (like animal related). It has to be part time and local. and i suppose i have to accept the low $10/hour wage.

I live in the edge of Bay area, northern CA. and i looked in local newspaper, and on Monster.com and Indeed.com (they say it's good for temp and or part time jobs), and a bit on Care.com. here are some problems

1. Uploading/submitting my OT resume is pointless, i suppose. If i'm applying for a cashier/admin kind of non-professional job. Someone advised me to shorten/simplify my OT part and write more about my skills. I do have some carer and receptionist job experience.
2. There is no space to put non-USA education and work history! On monster and indeed, my profile, in the drop down lists, I can't put my Australian background! and there is no blank for that kind of info. Why do they do that?!!?!?!?! Sure it states in my resume, but i think many employers or their computer systems will probably ignore that. Very frustrating....
3. Online and in newspaper there is no contact info besides the email. WHY WHY WHY? in Sydney there is always a person's name, phone number and/or email them to find out more info about the position before applying. Here in USA, it just says' send resume to xxx@xxxx or this physical address. Is it OK to email to find out more? I thought they ONLY wanted to see resumes in the email.
4. The only thing you can click to proceed is 'Apply'. Some won't even have an email, it just ask you to apply online, and again, on their website (eg Petco) there is no space to put non-US education and work history. and many of them will want you to apply for an account on their website (great, another set of username and passwords to remember).
5. No way to follow through, and they don't tell you if you are not successful. Yes, applied through the 'apply' option, there is no contact detail, when i google the company, it doesn't even have a contact. If there is a number, i call and it will get to some computer system with no 'career' option. jeez....
6. Ask the salary? It's not listed in the ad. Since I can't even contact someone before I apply or got called to go into an interview, it's not relevant now but will be useful to know definitely. As for my OT job in Sydney, salary is set, i don't need to ask. Here for the non-professional jobs, is it ok to ask about salary in the first meeting/phone call?

so any tips guys? some suggested to apply locally, face to face, in small businesses, so i can have a chat and hand in my resume. The big companies like Petco or Target don't really want to hire people like me.

thank you all for reading )

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

1. You should update your resume to US standards. One of the standards is that it is a resume, not a CV, and that means that you tailor your resume for the job being sought. You need to highlight your relevant experience for the job you want. Most people have many different versions of their resumes.

2. Not sure what you mean here.

3. People are busy and have any applicants and probably don't want to field a million phone calls about it. You find out more by applying.

4. Why not drop off a resume to the store you want to work in?

5. Yes, applying online (especially through some sort of "system") is faceless and not usually successful. I would "pound the pavement" and hand your resumes to hiring managers. If you are looking at retail, go to the store and ask "are you hiring?" and be ready to hand over your resume.

6. The salary is not usually listed. You ask about it ONCE you get the job offer, not at the interview. It is definitely not okay to ask about the salary in the initial call, or even at the interview. The company usually mentions it sometime, so you don't waste your time, but you do not ask, until a job offer is made.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Harpa Timsah

[Ni & Pa 1]

I completely agree with you Athena, I live in East Bay area and have been here for 6 months but finding a job is I guess harder than getting the Visa.

I am an Auditor/Accountant and have Masters, CA and CPA from Australia but it seems all those degrees do not count. I have been trolling all the career sites day and night, have been applying left, right and centre with no luck.

And as you mentioned all those points, they are really frustrating. Comparatively, the Australian website for jobs (www.seek.com.au) was so user friendly and you could directly contact the person in-charge for follow-ups etc.

I guess its going to be another mission to get a relevant job.

Till then....All the Best....

[perfect 39]

I live in Southern California and whilst those websites are helpful to some extent, most jobs here are found through recruiters, so perhaps see if you can register with some recommended recruiters (pick them carefully because some are no more than sales people!) Even if you can't immediately get a permanent job in the field you prefer, you should be able to get a temporary ot temp-to hire position which will at least give you some US experience and references. When I moved here I decided I would temp for 6 months to try out the marketplace and see where I felt my skills and personality were best suited, being that the US workplace is very different than at home in Britain! I fele that was time well spent and my first permanent job I ended up being in for 5 years (Laid off in downturn of economy) and this, my second job, I am in my third year.

Also, I never made in British CV completely into an American resume and it was said many times while I interviewed that was what made it stand out from the literally thousands of others and didn't simply get passed over. When they have hundreds or thoiusands of applications for the same job somethign needs to stand out for your application to be "hot". In my case I was told many times that not having a "standard resume" was the reason I got interviewed. (I made 585 applications, got 58 interviews and was offered 5 jobs over hte course of 9 months).

Just a though as that has been my experience in the California job market.

[Athena13 10]

1. You should update your resume to US standards. One of the standards is that it is a resume, not a CV, and that means that you tailor your resume for the job being sought. You need to highlight your relevant experience for the job you want. Most people have many different versions of their resumes. ooh so a CV is different to a resume? i'm working on a new resume here.

2. Not sure what you mean here. please see the picture.

3. People are busy and have any applicants and probably don't want to field a million phone calls about it. You find out more by applying. but if i don't find out more, how do I know if I can do it or not, or tailor my CV and cover letter around it?

I completely agree with you Athena, I live in East Bay area and have been here for 6 months but finding a job is I guess harder than getting the Visa.

I am an Auditor/Accountant and have Masters, CA and CPA from Australia but it seems all those degrees do not count. I have been trolling all the career sites day and night, have been applying left, right and centre with no luck.

And as you mentioned all those points, they are really frustrating. Comparatively, the Australian website for jobs (www.seek.com.au) was so user friendly and you could directly contact the person in-charge for follow-ups etc.

I guess its going to be another mission to get a relevant job.

Till then....All the Best....

yes, thank you, *shake hands*

[Athena13 10]

I live in Southern California and whilst those websites are helpful to some extent, most jobs here are found through recruiters, so perhaps see if you can register with some recommended recruiters (pick them carefully because some are no more than sales people!) Even if you can't immediately get a permanent job in the field you prefer, you should be able to get a temporary ot temp-to hire position which will at least give you some US experience and references. When I moved here I decided I would temp for 6 months to try out the marketplace and see where I felt my skills and personality were best suited, being that the US workplace is very different than at home in Britain! I fele that was time well spent and my first permanent job I ended up being in for 5 years (Laid off in downturn of economy) and this, my second job, I am in my third year.

Also, I never made in British CV completely into an American resume and it was said many times while I interviewed that was what made it stand out from the literally thousands of others and didn't simply get passed over. When they have hundreds or thoiusands of applications for the same job somethign needs to stand out for your application to be "hot". In my case I was told many times that not having a "standard resume" was the reason I got interviewed. (I made 585 applications, got 58 interviews and was offered 5 jobs over hte course of 9 months).

Just a though as that has been my experience in the California job market.

Thank you perfect! yes im thinking about going through a recruiter but not sure which one. and i tried to make my resume more 'special', e.g. the layout etc. I was told my resume looked clear and easy to read by an senior OT back in my uni days. i will try harder now.

another thing is i worked many temp professional jobs in the past, in Australia and UK. it's a pain to put ALL of those in the online form (name, location, job title, start date, finish date, duties). i wonder if i can just combine them and give a rough sum of time (after all, it is the same job, at different hospitals, from 2005-2011). and the other hard thing is the reference, i only have 1 written professional reference, it's impossible to get non-written ones now. and maybe 1 reference for my receptionist job (via phone, not email).

how do you deal with references?

[X Factor 1,112]

Networking is more effective than online applications. Google how to network for a job and you will get some good ideas.

[X Factor 1,112]

Thank you perfect! yes im thinking about going through a recruiter but not sure which one. and i tried to make my resume more 'special', e.g. the layout etc. I was told my resume looked clear and easy to read by an senior OT back in my uni days. i will try harder now.

another thing is i worked many temp professional jobs in the past, in Australia and UK. it's a pain to put ALL of those in the online form (name, location, job title, start date, finish date, duties). i wonder if i can just combine them and give a rough sum of time (after all, it is the same job, at different hospitals, from 2005-2011). and the other hard thing is the reference, i only have 1 written professional reference, it's impossible to get non-written ones now. and maybe 1 reference for my receptionist job (via phone, not email).

how do you deal with references?

Tell them that references are available upon request and provide email of former overseas employers who agree to this. It cuts down on the time zone differences

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Yes, it is tough to know if you can do a job without asking questions, but you should get used to the "keywords" that a job posting uses to figure out if it is up your alley. If it lists job requirements that you don't understand, then it's probably not for you.

Regarding references, a paper reference is not a thing we generally use in the US. You give names of people (only if asked). Here is a thread with a recent debate about it http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/414371-finding-work-as-a-foreigner%3B-references/

I have never heard of snagajob, so I am not sure if that is a good place to look. I think the more normal places are better like monster, and craigslist if you can learn to spot and avoid the scams. An employer is just going to go to a central place and list the job once, not spend time putting out ads on lots of websites (these ads might be from recruiters, another thing to talk about to avoid scammy ones...)

Resumes and CVs are different. http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/curriculumvitae/f/cvresume.htm

I personally think the resume should stand out from the content, not the format. Certainly it should look polished and professional and easy to read, but not too "different." I had a resume with the font Papyrus as the letterhead, and I was told it was too "out there." Everyone's experiences are different, though.

I don't know about OT, and I assume you have done your research, but are you sure your degrees are invalid? I would thought you just have to take an exam to be a licensed therapist in the US (of course in consort with your degree).

I would skip online fill-in forms and look for places in person, or emails that take your resume as an attachment.

[perfect 39]

Athena13:

I always just used to put a vague a cover sentence stating "Relocated to Orange County in [month/year] and undertook various assignments with employment agencies from X date to Y date - references available upon request". I was never questioned about it and always explained that was my choice when I moved here so I could see where I would be best suited to work here. I did have a couple of agencies that actually checked overseas references but most of the time they don't bother. Remind them about the time difference too because I found most of them never thought about that!

Where are you in Cali? I would say if you're looking for a higher end position (above $15ph) avoid the agencies like AppleOne, OfficeTeam - they are more like salespeople (I worked in the corporate office of a large recruiting company when I first moved here and I was shocked at how much up-selling and profit margin was actually involved - I left very jaded by my experience!) and use agencies such as Ultimate Staffing, Vaco Staffing, Abbott Staffing, Ajilon Staffing. They tend to deal with some of the bigger companies.

If you're using websites Indeed.com is one of the best because it pulls positions from most of the other websites and it's also one of the most up to date. (most of the job sites are actually a waste of time.

Put yourself a professional profile on Linked-in - that's also a great resource for networking and for jobs.

Hope you find something soon.

Edited March 14, 2013 by perfect

[GandK 168]

A lots of good advices given here already but here is my experience and what I learned during my job hunting process.

A little background:

I graduated April 2012 from Technical University of Denmark (A school that 99% of the US has never heard of and a lot of people can't even find Denmark on the map...) I have ZERO industrial experience except some internship and research experience here and there.

I moved to the US on K-1 visa August last year, got my Greencard in November, started job hunting seriously after new year. I just accepted a job offer as electrical engineer with PG&E two weeks ago.

Although it only took me two months to find a professional job, it has been a rich learning experience and frustrating at the same time (Also becI have been in the immigration limbo since April).

I just took a look at the early versions of my resume and cover letter and I just shook my head. THEY WERE SO BAD, obviously it has got a lot better with revisions.

Here are the lessons I learned

1. Put an effort in your resume

Includes professional format, be concise and informative, ask people to look at it and give you feedback. Revise and revise.

2. Think about the job you are applying for and TAILOR your resume to it

In the beginning, I just had one "cookie-cutter" resume. I just sent it out "Fire and Forget" no wonder I never heard back.

3 .Know the buzzwords for your professional

Put these buzzwords in your resume. a lot of companies use computer systems to screen for these buzzwords.

4. Use local address to apply for the job

Most companies don't like out of state or out of city address. Period. Use friend's address, heck I even googled a random address and used it in my resume

5. Clearly state in your resume that you are legally authorized to work for any employer in the US on a continuous and permanent basic

6. Practice telephone interview

My first phone interview was a disaster as I never had one before and I was so busy "hunting" for jobs that I wasn't prepared at all of what to do when I actually get an interview.

7. Get to know yourself! Know your strengths and weaknesses and sell it to the company

It's funny but you have to practice this. It's not just knowing who you are, how you work, you also have to be able to verbally express yourself and your qualifications in a concise and professional manner.

I remember I didn't include language proficiency in my resume because I didn't think that was important for an engineer. Then someone told me when I was struggling to find a job "You are an engineer who speaks five languages, if you can't find a job I'd be damned."

Then I realized as a new grad with no experience to show off. Those languages are probably my greatest strength and assets. I started to believe in it and "sell it" to companies.

8. Large corporate values diversity more than small company

In my experience, large companies tend to appreciate my international background and global awareness more than small local companies who rather hire a local.

9. Salary discussion don't come in until an offer has been extended. if they ask and you must answer, then state a range. do your research so you know what the salary range is for the position

10. Finally, don't rely on job websites like indeed/linkedIn etc

Thousands of people have probably seen the same job ads and hundreds of people probably applied for that position. I had much better luck doing research on companies in my industry and I found a lot of positions that are not even listed any where else.

Good luck hunting!

[Bayareaguy 156]

Make a LinkedIn profile if you haven't done so. Try to network through it as well.

[GandK 168]

I also found MeetUp groups to be a very interesting way of meeting new people and networking. There are a lot of group such as SF professional networking etc.

[G0ds1ay3r 30]

By networking and creating a linkedin profile I was able to receive multiple job offers in a relativity short space of time (2 weeks) all in the state with a largest unemployment rate.

Networking is awesome, trust me; you will find a job.

[Athena13 10]

Thanks everyone for the good advices

i'm very grateful

1. Yes i already have a Linked account, but it's mainly for OT job and i can't do any at the moment
2. yes I've done my research, i'm missing course syllabi from my university, otherwise i might be able to just do the certification exam without doing the master degree
3. I will google 'networking'. i don't know about meetups
4. and thank you 'perfect' for all the agency names
5. Very good knowledge about CV and resume, i'm writing a new one now.