MENA men and the great job hunt

[yassmine2878 1]

Im sure more than a few of you have been through 'The Great Job Hunt' since your main-squeeze got here, and I need advice. I cannot get my husband to understand that you dont have to 'know someone' to get a job around here. He is convinced that he has to have a friend help him get a job. He's also limited his search to Arab-owned/run convenience stores. This is becoming a very fruitless search and Im afraid he'll never get a job! Help! What did your men do when they went job hunting? Any advice? Tips?

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

what kind of job is he seeking/best skilled at? imo limiting his job search to specific stores isn't going to work.

when nessa was job hunting, she posted resumes on several websites and all that resulted in was spam in her mailbox, along with what i thought were dubious job offers. if he's looking for something in regards to a convenience store i'd think that just about every one of them is hiring, but i also think that is setting the bar a bit low.

[Jenn! 918]

When Wadi was first looking for jobs, I would go through Craigslist, and find every job that he was qualified for, give him the name of the place and directions to get there via the subway. He would just go and fill out applications during the day. What we found is that if they do not hire you on the spot, or set up a specific time to come in, then they're not interested. At first it was very frustrating because when he was told that he would be called, I think he actually took them at their word and was disappointed when he didn't hear anything back.

I'm sure he missed out on some opportunities because his English was not so great when he first arrived, but he was able to find some places to hire him. It just took a lot of patience and perseverance.

[doodlebug 3]

Well I tend to agree with him to a point. It does help to know someone!!! I haven't had the opportunity to go through this yet obviously but networking is key. If I were you I'd hit people up at the mosque or look for Arab American clubs, etc. Sometimes it is hard to get to know people if you're shy but it is the only way to start a good network system up.

I have two prospects for my husband for when he gets here. Both are due to people that I know. They are both sales jobs and although he is not a sure-win to be hired he will definitely at least get the interview when the time comes. The jobs are always availabe since they're sales jobs.

At least if you can get someone to get his foot in the door then he can do the rest, you know? It is hard work to start up a network but in the end, trust me, it pays off. Luckily in the healthcare field, everybody knows everybody so it wasn't too too hard for me. I go to conventions biannually and although at this stage of the game I know tons of people, sometimes there are newbies that come into the picture and they have friends that I haven't met which are more opportunities.

Good luck and I"d love to hear of otehr's experiences as well!

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

jenn does raise a very good point about transportation. i went thru that nutroll with nessa, about how driving 60 miles round trip for $12 an hour is less cost effective than $10 an hour and driving a round trip of 20 miles (gas, depreciation, and vehicle maintenance being the difference). especially now since gas is hovering around $3 a gallon again and we're getting into fall weather here with snow probably just a few months off. so transportation to and from the job location is a strong consideration.

knowing someone is a big help, yes, but luck has something to do with it but even moreso applying in lots of locations.

[ya falaha! 0]

I don't know where you live but if there's an Arab community without a large number of Moroccans tell him to stay away from Arab owned places. We have a huge Arab community here but hardly any Egyptians. Other Arabs do not want to "help a brother out". I know this sounds bad but Moh has said how much he dislikes the Arabs here. Not only do they not want to hire Arabs not from their home countries but they're down right rude about it.

Oh and another problem is most positions he's qualified for require several years experience which he doesn't have. Plus we have the language issue. He speaks English very well IMO but others here tend to not understand him unless he repeats himself several times.

Other than that I have no advice since my husband is in the same boat as yours. Good luck to your husband.

I'm looking forward to others' responses.

[yassmine2878 1]

Wow! Im tickled pink to see this many replies so quickly, and I REALLY appreicate it! Its driving me bananas, this rut we're stuck in. We live in Fort Worth, so there's not a big an Arab population as say, North Dallas. Mind you, he's made a few Arab friends since arriving here, but so far, no Moroccans. I just dont know how to get him to expand his search. I know part of the problem is all the trouble we've had getting him an SSN when he arrived. Without an SSN, no one was willing to hire him, even in the first 90 days. It's just snowballed from there. Short of actually running around and filling out apps for him, Im at a loss for getting him to cover more or different territory.

[Jenn! 918]

I agree about some of the Arab-run establishments. Wadi found that although they were quick to hire him (making it seem like they were "helping a brother out"), they had very poor practices when it came to employee treatment. They would not pay on time, try to cut deals so that he would have to work under the table, basically just some shady stuff. I think the mentality was, "I was nice enough to give you this job, so who are you to complain. Take what I give you."

[lion_lioness 0]

My husband was successful using Craigslist. I think the most importantly thing is push them to apply to a certain number of jobs each day. Let them know hardly anyone will call with a follow-up (so they are not disappointed). My husband found his job a month after actively searching on CL.

Good luck!

[AichaKandisha 0]

Finding a job is frustrating even when you are from here; sadly enough. It's even more frustrating when you're not from here.

When my husband first got here he was bound and determined to find a job. I helped him get a resume together and helped him find all of the websites to apply online. He then applied at nearly every store in the area that had a 'Help Wanted' sign in the window. He took the first job offered to him which was McDonald's. Yes McDonald's. He hated it after the first day but he stayed for a while anyway. He was happy to just have a job. I was proud of him for getting one.

He had to quit after filing for AOS. In the meantime he was applying all over. He has a degree in computers and he applied for a temporary job in data entry. He was asked for an interview and they were impressed with him and they told him to call them as soon as he got his EAD. He called them back after finally getting the EAD and he is now working for them. He started in data entry and in two days they moved him up to working side-by-side with the team leader and manager in the Software Testing and Development department at an Educational Company. They kicked a person out of this office to fit him in it. The team leader and manager are trying to get the company to agree to let him have his own project.

I can't be more proud of him (except he now brings his work home ).

My husband agrees with moody's husband about Arabs here. He stays away from them and said that if he would work for one of them they would pay him as little as they could get by with.

My husband didn't know anyone when he got here and no one helped him get a job. My advice is to keep looking and applying. It is time consuming, frustrating and can be exhausting but eventually it will pay off. Also, don't forget about temporary employment agencies.

Don't give up and don't let your husband give up. He will get a job if he keeps trying!

[Jenn! 918]

Another tip.... He should make sure that it is very clear that he is legally authorized to work in the U.S. when he applies for jobs. Wadi got turned away from places a lot in the beginning, and I suspect that it was because some people immediately dismissed him as looking for work illegally, due to his English skills/accent. After a bit of this, I told him to make sure he tells them (or even better, shows them his EAD or green card) right off the bat.

[caybee 21]

Im sure more than a few of you have been through 'The Great Job Hunt' since your main-squeeze got here, and I need advice. I cannot get my husband to understand that you dont have to 'know someone' to get a job around here. He is convinced that he has to have a friend help him get a job. He's also limited his search to Arab-owned/run convenience stores. This is becoming a very fruitless search and Im afraid he'll never get a job! Help! What did your men do when they went job hunting? Any advice? Tips?

Your husband may need to go through the experience of getting a job through a friend and seeing the result. It's very much trial and error in the beginning because there are many things our men need to experience for themselves before they "get it." It's much less stressful for me when I can look at this time as school for him rather than work, although, of course, we need the income.

My husband did happen to meet some Arabic speakers when he arrived, and he did manage to find employment through them. He discovered that people he meets and who offer him employment under those circumstances do not necessarily have his best interests at heart! This is not to disrespect other immigrants who have been here a bit longer than he has, or to generalize, but his own experience with this has been rather complicated and frustrating.

My husband also found a job at a retail store, a national chain, by applying and going through the interview process that we are familiar with here. The multiple interviews seemed very strange to him for the kind of work it was, and he did have to "put himself out there" in a way that wasn't necessary in the other case, but he did get the job, so he is able to compare the two experiences.

The work authorization he received at the POE has since expired and we are now waiting for his EAD, so the employment question is moot for now. However, he has seen firsthand the value in working for "strangers" who are required to follow the labor laws and treat every employee equally, rather than depending on an employer friend-of-a-friend to do the right thing. Of course, everyone has to follow the law, but some small business owners will get away with what they can, unfortunately, if they think their employees won't protest out of loyalty to a friend or to people from a similar culture, or because they are new to the U.S. system and don't know their rights. We know of one man who arrived on a diversity lottery visa who speaks almost no English and is now "trapped" working 72+ hours a week for minimum wage, no overtime pay, and living in an apartment owned by his employer, no opportunity to study English and very little chance to improve his situation. If he reports the employer, he will lose his job and his home. Again, not to generalize about immigrant employers, but it happened in his case. And I've got some serious questions about the wisdom of granting a lottery visa to someone who doesn't speak English and has no support system already in place here, but that's another topic entirely, especially because I don't understand how the lottery works.

My own view is that a new immigrant is much safer looking for work in a company large enough to have a human resources department and a good reputation for treating their employees fairly. We as the USC spouses also need to watch carefully, especially in the beginning, to make sure no one is trying to take advantage of our spouses. I don't believe an immigrant small business owner is any more likely to try to misuse employees than a USC one is. There are users in every country. But someone who has been through the immigration process themselves and knows what the new immigrant is going through can use that to their advantage if they are that type of person, and we've seen it happen more than once. In our case, I trust the law more than I do new friends and acquaintances when it comes to protecting my husband's interests at work.

Sorry for babbling on. This is just one of those issues we didn't know about until we lived it. Good luck.

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

Another tip.... He should make sure that it is very clear that he is legally authorized to work in the U.S. when he applies for jobs. Wadi got turned away from places a lot in the beginning, and I suspect that it was because some people immediately dismissed him as looking for work illegally, due to his English skills/accent. After a bit of this, I told him to make sure he tells them (or even better, shows them his EAD or green card) right off the bat.

excellent point - given the crackdown on illegals having proof he can produce on the spot that he is eligible to work legally would be a big plus.

[deemabrouk 0]

well it actually helped Mohamed talking to othe egyptians.. to get hired Without papers... for now he works 2 days a week sell/ moving produce at the haymarket in the North end..

and Networking with people in the mosque....

he actually got hired under the table at a pizza place for 54 hours a week.. then later refused the job cause he found out they had pork there

he has his biometric appointment in a few weeks... once he actually has papers and a SSN.... I think he will get a job at a american run business... he actually didnt really want to work with a bunch of arabs anyways..

[onwa 6]

My husband got started with temp agencies. That way you "know someone". Once he got American work experience under his belt. He was able to go on to better jobs with great references. But he pounded the pavement. Applied on line and went to job fairs.