3.5 Years and still no steady work??

[NJ93 6]

I agree with last post. Go to a temp agency.. Most companies these days want temps, because they save on medical, sick days etc,. If he works out, most companies will hire full time, but it may take a year. My current job, I started as a temp, now I've been there 18 years. Also I know we only hire temps at first.

[mrsartis 10]

My husband came to the US in late 2009 and got his GC early 2010, but he has not been able to find any steady work. We're in central Connecticut. He's applied for plenty of low level positions in local retail stores, fast food, and hotels, but there have been almost no call backs, except Target calling to set up an interview and then saying it was a mistake, a local snow plowing place saying he got the job and then never hearing from them again, and finally our local amusment park, where he was able to work seasonally for the last four summers before finally quitting because they were trying to screw him over. Why is next to NOTHING biting??. He has his secondary school certificate, and also has completed post-secondary education in the form of "Journeyman Management Assistent's Certificate of Competance in Wholesale and Foreign Trade". He speaks fluent English. We even tried community college for a bit, and now having trouble getting financial aide for that...

I don't understand what's going on, is CT's job market that poor??

Same here in Palmdale, CA I have worked at Starbucks and a Shipping Clerk, but I was as an Accountant in my country ( has the evaluation certificate) can't even get called for a receptionist or front desk kind of job, tons of rejection letters. it is just soo bad, maybe I am doing something wrong? I have no Idea.

[dukeandduchess 141]

It's really important to apply for positions in retail or any customer service in person. I used to manage a shoe store and I wouldn't even look at someone's resume unless they bothered to apply in person. Also following up with a phone call or e-mail is very important.

It's just the nature of the beast, sorry to say.

[JessJoe 9]

I agree with last post. Go to a temp agency.. Most companies these days want temps, because they save on medical, sick days etc,. If he works out, most companies will hire full time, but it may take a year. My current job, I started as a temp, now I've been there 18 years. Also I know we only hire temps at first.

Did he consider to move to other place way too different than CT? Perhaps if he moves to Midwest, mostly Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, there are well paid jobs starting 10.00 per hour as temporary with great posibilities to be hired as permament with higher salaries and good benefits since there is lack of people here actually; please don't think in moving to bigger cities like KC or St Louis where the unemployment is high, but in the small country towns where are food and manufacturing factories of great names (Energizer, Triumph, Kawasaki, Ford, among others), and the economy in those states are really well balanced...not expensive...not cheap....

Previously I was living in Florida looking for a future there since my father and siblings live there but I ended in the Midwest and have 5 years in a well stable company...

[Girl from Celebes 588]

I knew one of my girlfriends who married an American. She had postgraduate degree in our country. But, the degree wasn't accepted in US.

She decided go to one of colleges in US and now she's working as financial analyst and earned decent money. I graduated from law school and working as a journalist in my country but I have no doubt that my degree would useless after I move there. So I made decide doing something online in future.

So, here is, instead having hope one day someone will hire him, why he's not trying to create job for himself. His mother tongue is German, why not try doing German language course, perhaps online or put an ads on craiglist. I know many people love to learn foreign languages. I am one of them, . After all, good luck!

[Joaozinho 15]

I've had a similar experience living in Algeria for the last year, but as it's not so cosmopolitan, it's understandable. But I definitely know that feeling.

What I've done though and what I'd recommend is to build a network. Germany is a powerhouse in the global market, meaning they have companies and people looking for German connections all the time. The University of Connecticut has a professor that might be able to help your husband somehow. It appears that there are more than 100 German companies operating in Connecticut alone. I know for a fact that foreign companies love to get some natives in their office as it facilitates many things. I'd attempt to contact the professor in the following link and/or obtain a list of the companies in Connecticut and then start contacting and/or visiting some of them. These efforts can't hurt, but only help. When all else fails in a foreign country, look to some fellow countrymen or women for assistance. Such people would understand his resume, studies and skills better and he'd be able to speak a little more freely. Anyhow, try this and I wish you luck!

http://www.languages.uconn.edu/programs/german/outreach/companies.php

P.S. The temp agency idea is also very good!

[Boiler 45,717]

Forget the Qualification, does not seem to have been that useful in Germany, not going to be of any use in the US.

he is looking for High School entry level jobs effectively, big gaps in his employment history never help.

[Ozz777 23]

Harpa Timsah, Yes exactly, it just doesn't exisit here because German has certifications for everything, even Cashiers! I'm not sure what he's been applying for actually, I think just what ever he can get at this point. CT is problematic because all we have really is chain stores and insurance companies. The main street in the city we live is is just chain store after chain store, and fast food places. We have 8 Dunkin' Donuts in town, and they're building a new one! A wal-mart grocery store just opened up and no bites there, no bites at home depot or lowe's even though he has hardware experiance.

We went over his resume together and it's good. It looks like a normal resume and I even had my mom go over it just to make sure. I couldn't think of a better way to write he degree that would explain what it is without under representing it. I even added "certified by the chamber of industry and commerce" to it. And I added a subsection that explained the major coursework. Also he applied at banks too since he was going to community college for Finance.

There are plenty of warehouses and industrial parks in central Connecticut, and lots of them hire warehouse staff though agencies such as manpower, etc. If I were him, I'd start out by locating all of the nearby industrial parks in the area and just drive around going from warehouse to warehouse, asking if they are hiring.

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

Sorry to hear this OP, hopefully something works out soon but he needs to change his tactics.

[aamirpearl 47]

My husband came to the US in late 2009 and got his GC early 2010, but he has not been able to find any steady work. We're in central Connecticut. He's applied for plenty of low level positions in local retail stores, fast food, and hotels, but there have been almost no call backs, except Target calling to set up an interview and then saying it was a mistake, a local snow plowing place saying he got the job and then never hearing from them again, and finally our local amusment park, where he was able to work seasonally for the last four summers before finally quitting because they were trying to screw him over. Why is next to NOTHING biting??. He has his secondary school certificate, and also has completed post-secondary education in the form of "Journeyman Management Assistent's Certificate of Competance in Wholesale and Foreign Trade". He speaks fluent English. We even tried community college for a bit, and now having trouble getting financial aide for that...

I don't understand what's going on, is CT's job market that poor??

I think it is time for you and your hubby to find work eslewhere, 3.5 years is a long time to be able to find steady work.. good luck on your hubby's job search and never give up..

[florida4life 29]

http://hartford.craigslist.org/

[Pamala Bull 4]

looking into temp agencies is a good idea. Here in Jackson Michigan my husband has done it and scored his last couple of years of employment. They pay might be low to start with but its usually full time 40 hrs a week. Then you get hired in within 90 days or a year depends on the company.

Give it a go! :)good luck

[Sam and Fen 41]

It is! CT was a big manufacturing and tobacco farming state back in the day, but everything has moved out of state/country, so there's not much left except this endless crumbling post-industrial suburbia. Our three largest cities, Bridgeport, New Haven, and the capitol, Hartford, tend to show up in "Most Dangerous City in America" lists. If I had the money I'd be out of here so fast, I'd like to move to WA or something. It's so depressing.

But anyway, Thanks for the tips, I'll have him check out those links!

I have lived in CT for over 20 years now. CT has a lot of high end jobs, Hartford is home to the Insurance Industry, Stamford has a lot of Financial sector jobs, GE capital is spread out over Fairfield county, Danbury has a few GE units and also a big German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim and also Duracell.

Most CT school districts are consistently ranked amongst the best in the Nation.

Bridgeport, New Haven yes God help you if you live anywhere there.

Finding a job in CT is really dependent on where exactly you live. I have lived in Danbury for almost 20 years and when my wife first came over she spoke very little English but was able to find a factory job across the state line in NY. We have since moved to the Hartford area and if she went out looking for a job here she ain't going to find one.

[BirdyGirl85 23]

looking into temp agencies is a good idea. Here in Jackson Michigan my husband has done it and scored his last couple of years of employment. They pay might be low to start with but its usually full time 40 hrs a week. Then you get hired in within 90 days or a year depends on the company.

Give it a go! :)good luck

This.

My husband was applying for jobs here in Medford, Oregon, which is not a very big city. He was applying for many different jobs for almost 6 months with no calls. But after that he finally got hired through a temp agency. The pay was low to start but he did get hired for full time. And that was fine with him, he was really willing to take any job at that point since he wasn't getting any phone calls for other jobs he applied for. I think it's hard when you have no U.S. work experience.

[Weevil 1]

looking into temp agencies is a good idea. Here in Jackson Michigan my husband has done it and scored his last couple of years of employment. They pay might be low to start with but its usually full time 40 hrs a week. Then you get hired in within 90 days or a year depends on the company.

Give it a go! :)good luck

Thanks. Yes we'll have to start looking at temp agencies. A friend of ours got several job offerings through them so it might work. I know where I work has only been hiring temps lately.