Today I applied to the local grocery store..

[JEREMA4eva 39]

I had a few interviews for foot-in-the-door positions that complimented my degree, experience or passions that haven't returned follow up communications, and lots of recruiters saying I'm not the right fit, just feeling a bit down. Had one company come right out and ask about the gap on my resume (June 2019-now) before scheduling an interview, and I explained I was waiting for my work permit and am good to work in the US,, emphasizing I am here for good/on a marriage basis. I fear this is the first thing EVERY hiring manager sees, then my lack of instate/country references, my out of country work experience/education..I think it has put me at a disadvantage in positions I'm qualified for..especially with all the recent news of work permit visas being denied, I think the layman hiring manager will put conditional residents quietly aside. Now I'm applying for positions I'm overqualified for, and in these times a little concerned about (I'd be joining the front-lines of essential workers in a tourist town).

 

Maybe I am looking for excuses why I haven't found a job, but maybe all of us relatively unskilled conditional residents are feeling their non-citizen status harder than usual. I can't apply for many jobs even because they are federal..or require a full drivers license (I got my learners a day before the DMV closed!) It's tough!! I am hoping for the best..and that this is just an extremely hard time for a new immigrant entering the work force. I am trying to be thankful at least some places are hiring lots, but I am also a bit humiliated and sad I can't find a job I will enjoy more/be proud of, after a bachelors degree and 5 rewarding years moving up in a small industry that's shut down for the year. I'm thinking 20-30 hours in a stocking job is about all I can handle for now, after being depressed for so long I miss my friends/fam a lot after my first year in America, and had hoped to dive into a new community, have my old friends come stay with me, make new ones, find a decent job, and hobby groups, but it's been hard. Much love to all of you out there going through these motions!

Edited May 20, 2020 by JEREMA4eva

[TBoneTX 45,284]

2 minutes ago, JEREMA4eva said:

I am also a bit humiliated and sad I can't find a job I will enjoy more/be proud of

Any job is a good job.

 

The more overqualified you are, the more you'll stand out in comparison with others, and the faster you'll advance through the ranks.  During this time, opportunities that you hadn't thought of might present themselves.  Keep the faith.

[JEREMA4eva 39]

3 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Any job is a good job.

 

The more overqualified you are, the more you'll stand out in comparison with others, and the faster you'll advance through the ranks.  During this time, opportunities that you hadn't thought of might present themselves.  Keep the faith.

Thank you for the reminder, I really hope to make the most of it, and hopefully a less stressful work environment than I'm used to will be good for my head.

[TBoneTX 45,284]

Just now, JEREMA4eva said:

less stressful work environment

This can be worth even more than money or job title.  Good attitude!

[yuna628 9,676]

Hi OP,

 

My husband even with his big degree and experience working abroad for an American company still did not entirely help him. It was almost over a year. The EAD wasn't helpful to him because employers wanted to see a green card. He applied everywhere. Big companies and small. Companies in his field and those well out of it. Eventually he became so dejected he started applying anywhere - stock jobs, one of the big three package delivery companies, mall retail, even had an offer at a pizza place. One day after his green card arrived, I saw an offer doing something completely new and part time at a state college, so I suggested he try it. He didn't want to take me up on it at first but we sat down and really carefully went over his resume and we gave it a shot. Four months went by, and he had resigned himself to hopelessness. All the sudden the interviews started pouring in and by the time we had reached six months, that college came calling and wanted him big time (apologizing for how long it had taken them to say yes). Since then he went from part to full, and in a couple years is now department manager. The one thing he learned that his employers were interested in - American experience with a company they recognized. Which is an important thing here. Getting your foot in the door and showing you have working experience stateside is helpful, even if it is something completely out of your initial skillset. His clear over qualification made him stand out among peers and be able to transition quickly to new positions.

 

Tailoring your resume to each application and tweaking wording can also be valuable. What is the degree and the skillset and how does that apply to the job market in your current area? For example, we live in a tiny town. Not a lot of tech here unless you commute, but the kind of stuff he's trained to do is more in line with federal jobs he's not eligible for or big tech companies that are too far away. Finally, understand the job market is an absolute mess right now. With the exception of certain sectors no one is hiring... we're bleeding jobs, and what's empty may have someone to come back to it.

[JEREMA4eva 39]

16 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

 

Wow Yuna what a ride, thank you for sharing that it was very inspiring! Patience has never been my strong suit, but when it pays off it sure is worth it (eg: LDR, K1 visa haha!). I would love to have a similar ending as your successful husband, it seems patience, local experience, and timing are the missing ingredients I need to finish the recipe

Edited May 20, 2020 by JEREMA4eva

[ineedadisplayname 497]

I don't know if it helps or not, but most of the regular hiring managers who didn't deal with H1B or other type of temporary visas have no clue about immigration, EAD, etc. As far as I saw a regular American doesn't really know about the immigration process or such. I didn't know about it before was dropped into one either... I would not be able to tell you how to immigrate to Romania for example.

 

When I was looking for job I put the gap in my resume and wrote that I was immigrating to the US and needed to wait for work authorization so didn't leave anything to their imagination.

Also mentioned in the introduction part of my resume that I don't require company sponsorship for work permit. Try to stay away from immigration related abbreviations in your resume.

 

Don't know how long is your resume, but you should cut it down to one page, tops one and a half pages. Every place you worked, you should mention your day to day responsibilities, achievements etc. The rule is to have top five-six points for your most recent job, and cut it down sequentially  for the rest.  Nobody cares what did you do 10 years ago unless it shows a skill/fit for the job you are applying to.

 

Keep up! It is not easy to find a job in the current situation and for me it was very different experience compared to job hunting in Romania/Europe. Don't know your filed, but in mine 99% of the places I applied was through a recruiter/headhunter. Most of the companies doesn't deal directly with headhunting in the US.

 

 

[JEREMA4eva 39]

2 minutes ago, ineedadisplayname said:

 

 

 

Thank you for the advice, I read another thread about how the recruiters here use ATS (applicant tracking systems) for resumes and we should all be using that as a basis. I think I will try that, as my resume is already pretty lean and mean. I often put "Authorized to work in the US" or "Work permit received in Jan 2020, fully authorized to work in the US." it's tricky walking the line between disclosing immigration status vs explaining gap!

 

My husband warned me that finding a job in the US is harder than Canada, like you said for Romania..and so far he is right. There is a lot of very skilled competitors here for marketing design and even the more enjoyable retail positions in California, and hiring takes longer!

[ineedadisplayname 497]

3 minutes ago, JEREMA4eva said:

Thank you for the advice, I read another thread about how the recruiters here use ATS (applicant tracking systems) for resumes and we should all be using that as a basis. I think I will try that, as my resume is already pretty lean and mean. I often put "Authorized to work in the US" or "Work permit received in Jan 2020, fully authorized to work in the US." it's tricky walking the line between disclosing immigration status vs explaining gap!

 

My husband warned me that finding a job in the US is harder than Canada, like you said for Romania..and so far he is right. There is a lot of very skilled competitors here for marketing design and even the more enjoyable retail positions in California, and hiring takes longer!

I gave up on not disclosing immigration status, because in my case that was the first question and they wanted to see the real card even before getting an interview. This was the recruiter. I assume if they submit a bunch of bad candidates the companies will stop accepting resumes from him/her...

Yeah the law says that they are not allowed to ask, but in reality it is not working. Sure I could report them, but I don't think it would make any difference in my case.

 

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

Have you considered entry level graduate positions? 

 

Many large, international type company’s offer these type of positions, yes the pay check might be smaller, but that’s usually only temporary and it will give you a chance to not only pick up the “American” way of doing things, but gives you a chance to prove yourself too which inturn will hopefully see you in front of green graduates for any potential promotions..

 

i know im definately considering them, I’be held upper management positions for over 10 years.. the way I see it, it’s always good to get your hands dirty after being stuck in an office for ages.. helps you keep connected with what really goes on in the world.

 

with reference to the gap... you don’t need to say was waiting for work authority, you could say homemaker? Studying? Travelling lol... your not exactly lying, you did travel, and hopefully maintained house while at home 🤷‍♀️ Just saying

 

keep positive, don’t get disheartened, you’ll find the right position for you when the time is right 🤗

Edited May 21, 2020 by Duke & Marie

[Sarah&Facundo 595]

My husband, who received his green card in 2019, has been doing this. He has been working at a retail store and taking classes at the local community college. He became friendly with the head of the ESL department who gave him a job as an assistant to the director. So now he has American experience and several great references including professors who have gotten to know him. From working at a retail store, he gained confidence with speaking English to strangers and this has helped him tremendously! Good luck!

[Deagle 508]

I feel you. 

 

I was in the same exact situation. Moved to the US after working in office job for 10 years. I couldn't find a job in the same field. No local work history nor references. I accepted the situation and decided to do what it takes to make a living. I started peeling potatoes and carrots for $9 an hour at a local restaurant. Then did newspaper delivery, then a warehouse job. I went to work everyday with the attitude that I will do whatever it takes to make a living and that a person must start somewhere, and nothing will be easy. I was really determined on that. I got promoted in the warehouse, a year and half later I was able to get a better job in the same new field. A year after that I was promoted to supervisor, then assistant manager. I was then offered a job as regional coordinator and operations supervisor. I am making a bit over $70K with 3 weeks paid vacation and good benefits. I would have not been able to be where I am now if I was not lifting boxes at warehouses. Really, this made me start from the bottom and helped me understand the business really well since it was all new to me.

 

My advise for you, is to not give up. Hard work will pay off eventually. You can do it, I believe that you can.

 

Good luck.

[Hilde 381]

This is your chance. Only you can make this work. There will be challenges and often you´ll think things arent´t fair. Keep your head up high and remember that you will likely have to work twice as hard - but you can do it! If you went through USCIS and NVC successfully, you will get through it! We´re cheering for you!

[Orangesapples 1,954]

During normal times, temp jobs might be the way to go. A temp receptionist for example is less stressful than working at an grocery store. Have you tried temp agencies? Temp work has a lot of insecurity but it gives you experience on your resume. If you have a degree, getting a white job collar simple temp job would be better than working at a grocery store. 

[Henry357 70]

Your resume makes it clear you just moved to the area so I don’t think the employment gap is the problem.  (Anyways you can’t control it anyways unless you claim to be doing freelance) Your main issue is lack of brand name experience I am guessing; this is much bigger deal in the states compared with Canada as a lot of people have F500 experience here.  Also I wouldn’t talk about Visa’s unless asked as your employer will just get confused. 
 

I would stick to your area of expertise and upgrade your education with some applied online coursework or professional Ed at a local college.  Employers love to see that you are dedicated to your area of expertises and took the opportunity to skill up in your downtime.   

When I was looking for a job outside of my network, I would hit up people on LinkedIn to request informational interviews.  Find someone with some connection(there are lots of Canadians in your area) or ping an agent. Don’t be afraid to get aggressive.  Ask them what steps you can take to get to where they are.  Often there a skills in very high demand that will set you apart from the pack. 
 

Also there is an easy way to not look over qualified for a job.  Dumb down your experience.  
 

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Henry357