What do your husbands do for work when they arrive to USA?

[Tota 2]

So after going through the process of being legal here & able to work etc etc..

Where would your husband start applying if they have no experience here?

Just curious what everyones husbands started to do for work at first..

Edited May 9, 2013 by Tota

[Darnell 8,478]

seek a job in the same sector as he was working in Egypt.

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

It's a nice thought to try and get back in the same job field you were in at home but it's probably unrealistic for many people. It depends what the immigrant did in his/her home country, the job market where he or she lives here, and what his/her credentials are. But even someone with a bachelors or masters degree from university back home may not be able to get a job requiring higher education in the beginning. One should expect to work a couple of cruddy jobs before scoring a better one. This is the story for many, many, if not most, US immigrants.

Lucky for my fiance he got his higher education here so he may be better off (or may not be - no one knows the future). But I would think that for a new immigrant any first job is a good job. Unless it's a night shift job. That should be avoided at all costs to save one's sanity.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Sarah and Adnan

[RFQ 110]

We're hoping to break him into the teaching field- if nothing else, as a substitute teacher. Or...he really loves Subway said he worked there as a "sandwich artist" as a college boy stateside. We'll see insha'Allah!

Edited May 10, 2013 by RFQ

[kristen_maroc 126]

Realistically, I think a lot of recent immigrants start out in service/retail or blue-collar stuff.

The "successful" transitions to higher-paying jobs that I have seen include:

- Small business owners

(Saving money, buying a franchise, a restaurant, convenience store, etc., working your @ss off to manage/run it)

- People who have gotten some kind of degree + internship/work experience State-side.

(I know several people who have gotten a BA/ master's degree over here and then got relatively good jobs)

- Community college/certifications for higher-paying blue collar stuff.

(eg- lab techs, nursing aids, etc.)

The transition for most people to go into a high-paying job right off the bat in the same sector seems to have a lot of barriers. Everything seems to require specified education these days. You want to be a teacher? At least where I live, lateral-entry is a joke: you have to go back and get certified.... you get the picture. Want to be a translator/interpreter? Go to school for it. Want to be a mechanic? Get certified...

For people who don't have the time/money/flexibility to pay for school/training/certifications, it can involve working multiple low-paying jobs until you get a break.

My husband is going back to school for a BA (hopefully in computer science!). In the meantime, he's working at a Mediterranean deli. He hates it, but they've at least promoted him to supevisor (with manager duties but without the title)...

[New Beginnings 32]

My husband started out working in the produce department at a grocery store. It was a very low stress job that allowed him to communicate with people and gain some confidence. He went back to school as well right away and has moved into the industry he's studying.

[Amber & Ahmed 133]

My husband did a mobile mechanic business for a couple months until he was hired at his job in the same field of work (financial) he did in Egypt.

I agree with Sarah somewhat. It does depend on what they did in Egypt. What education they have. How well they speak and understand english is a huge factor too.

My best advice is to seek work in the field he is used to. Search for jobs via the internet, newspaper, word of mouth, walk in, employment agencies. Make sure to have all school records translated.

Best wishes, Amber

[Cathi 5,755]

My husband has been here since October, he works at the Walmart Distribution Center loading trucks. He has a bachelors in computer engineering, but no one will touch him without at least some experience here in the US. He has applied for literally thousands of jobs in his field, and only scored one interview with Amazon.com in their IT dept. There were hundreds of applicants, he had 4 interviews and made it to the final 3 people and didn't get hired. Walmart actually pays very well, but it's a totally crappy job. He continues to apply in his field and hopefully something will come his way soon. He is very happy to be working, and last week he bought himself a brand new car, so he is a happy camper.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

What does your husband do in Egypt Tota?

Thinking back I think he came to the States when the economy wasn't good and applicants to a job were something like 400 to 1. So we started small with house sitting, pet sitting, baby sitting jobs from friends to build references and get by. Networking through the local Islamic center ultimately led to translating and interpreter jobs for dh. It pays really well to be able to do Arabic to English fluently and they need them for the court system, the school districts and the medical facilities.

[CasandraYounes 0]

My husband started out in retail at an airport...step up from what he was doing in Morocco. Helps to connect with other MENA men as that is how he got the job. Then he did fast food. He has mainly pursued jobs he is used to. I finally pushed him to go to school to pursue a trade. After a year and a half, he has finished and now is working in his trade.

[Tota 2]

What does your husband do in Egypt Tota?

Thinking back I think he came to the States when the economy wasn't good and applicants to a job were something like 400 to 1. So we started small with house sitting, pet sitting, baby sitting jobs from friends to build references and get by. Networking through the local Islamic center ultimately led to translating and interpreter jobs for dh. It pays really well to be able to do Arabic to English fluently and they need them for the court system, the school districts and the medical facilities.

My husband works for B-tech. He sells laptops & mobile phones. He went to school & got a BA in Computer Science which im so sure wouldnt be recognized here lol...

Thanks for all your answers. I just always wondered about this.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

My husband works for B-tech. He sells laptops & mobile phones. He went to school & got a BA in Computer Science which im so sure wouldnt be recognized here lol...

Thanks for all your answers. I just always wondered about this.

Fortunately computers are an industry that is universal meaning you can pretty much go anywhere in the world and work in the field without needing a degree recognition as long as you have the knowledge and know what you're doing. It's difficult to fake it if you don't. Plus that's a highly sought after field here in the States. A lot of east Indian's come to the States and work in computers so I bet he could as well. Depending on your location if you have access to larger tech companies I'd start looking there first for jobs for him.

If there is a local University or Community College he could also apply to get into the tech department. Many places need IT people and you could probably get a good idea about jobs availability from a quick look at Monstor.com for IT needs in your area.

As for selling computers and electronics that's also pretty universal because of the knowledge base. He could get a job in sales at any place that specializes in electronics such as Best Buy. All he has to do is dazzle them with his knowledge base on the basics of the models available which isn't difficult to do if you have a degree in it and already work at selling these items.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Dr. A ♥ O

[Mithra 1,185]

^^^^^^Wrong. Computer "technicians" and "engineers" with degrees from Egypt are a dime a dozen. Do you know how many people are in the IT field nowadays? Tons upon tons. Companies are going to hire people with legit U.S. degrees and work experience not people with degrees from unknown universities, colleges, or trade schools from Egypt. Of course it's not "impossible" to get a job in the IT field with a foreign degree but it's not very likely considering the amount of techs and whatnot we have here. Not to mention the lack of U.S. work experience the OP's husband would have coming into the country.

OP your husband could get into the IT field but he'd have to get additional schooling once he gets here. He could probably get a job selling computer equipment at Best Buy or wherever fairly easily depending on where you guys live.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Mithra

[Mithra 1,185]

Fortunately computers are an industry that is universal meaning you can pretty much go anywhere in the world and work in the field without needing a degree recognition as long as you have the knowledge and know what you're doing. It's difficult to fake it if you don't. Plus that's a highly sought after field here in the States. A lot of east Indian's come to the States and work in computers so I bet he could as well. Depending on your location if you have access to larger tech companies I'd start looking there first for jobs for him.

If there is a local University or Community College he could also apply to get into the tech department. Many places need IT people and you could probably get a good idea about jobs availability from a quick look at Monstor.com for IT needs in your area.

As for selling computers and electronics that's also pretty universal because of the knowledge base. He could get a job in sales at any place that specializes in electronics such as Best Buy. All he has to do is dazzle them with his knowledge base on the basics of the models available which isn't difficult to do if you have a degree in it and already work at selling these items.

These "East Indians" you speak of, do you think IT companies just pick up random East Indians off the street and give them IT jobs? So if an East Indian can get a job in IT so can an Egyptian? Yeah, if they have the same amount of experience and education. You most certainly do need experience and degrees most certainly do count. Companies aren't going to hire FOBs with no experience just based on their word that they have computer knowledge. The logic you're using here is flawed. You're giving the OP false hope.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Mithra

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

^^^^^^Wrong. Computer "technicians" and "engineers" with degrees from Egypt are a dime a dozen. Do you know how many people are in the IT field nowadays? Tons upon tons. Companies are going to hire people with legit U.S. degrees and work experience not people with degrees from unknown universities, colleges, or trade schools from Egypt. Of course it's not "impossible" to get a job in the IT field with a foreign degree but it's not very likely considering the amount of techs and whatnot we have here. Not to mention the lack of U.S. work experience the OP's husband would have coming into the country.

OP your husband could get into the IT field but he'd have to get additional schooling once he gets here. He could probably get a job selling computer equipment at Best Buy or wherever fairly easily depending on where you guys live.

Yuuuup. This was definitely the case for my old college buddy, whose husband is Pakistani. He has a B.S. in computer science and the best he could do is score a job as a geek squad guy at Best Buy. This was after being a sales associate for them for nearly a year. Sure he helps little old grandmas out with turning their laptops on and accessing internet explorer but he's pretty grateful he's not working at Subway or McDonalds!

I have a doctor colleague at work, her husband was a pharmacist in Egypt, which he can't do here unless he goes back to school. He couldn't even find a job as a pharmacy assistant so he sells used cars at a crappy lot in New Jersey. He commutes from Brooklyn to New Jersey every day. They get by but he's not a happy camper.

It's important to have realistic expectations.