MENA men and the great job hunt

[Ouadghiri 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..

why ?

Because it's not exactly haram to work with pork, just to eat it. I think this is a good issue to bring up since many men may have this issue. I asked my husband what he would have done and he said he would not work "with" pork either. Well if someone is going to work at a restaurant they'll be looking for an eternity for a place that doesn't have pork in it. And if it doesn't have pork it'll probably have alcohol.

BTW welcome to VJ. I'm so excited that so many new people not from MENA come in to our little section of the world. And in a first post too!

Of course it's not. I heard there was some airport that had issues with some taxi drivers refusing rides to inebriated people, people carrying alcohol, or people with guide dogs for this same reason . This guy's especially funny. Violating US tax law by working under the table is less haram than serving pork you're not eating? Hilarious!

[doodlebug 3]

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..

why ?

Because it's not exactly haram to work with pork, just to eat it. I think this is a good issue to bring up since many men may have this issue. I asked my husband what he would have done and he said he would not work "with" pork either. Well if someone is going to work at a restaurant they'll be looking for an eternity for a place that doesn't have pork in it. And if it doesn't have pork it'll probably have alcohol.

BTW welcome to VJ. I'm so excited that so many new people not from MENA come in to our little section of the world. And in a first post too!

Of course it's not. I heard there was some airport that had issues with some taxi drivers refusing rides to inebriated people, people carrying alcohol, or people with guide dogs for this same reason . This guy's especially funny. Violating US tax law by working under the table is less haram than serving pork you're not eating? Hilarious!

What's hilarious is that you joined a visa forum at 2:52pm today and immediately posted to this thread. Funny...I would think you would have had a question or two first for the people in your specific area regarding visa-related issues.

And as far as not being haram I said not exactly but to be honest it depends on the madhab that you go by. Some feel that it is indeed haram to aid others in doing haram, even if they are non-muslims.

[Ouadghiri 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..

why ?

Because it's not exactly haram to work with pork, just to eat it. I think this is a good issue to bring up since many men may have this issue. I asked my husband what he would have done and he said he would not work "with" pork either. Well if someone is going to work at a restaurant they'll be looking for an eternity for a place that doesn't have pork in it. And if it doesn't have pork it'll probably have alcohol.

BTW welcome to VJ. I'm so excited that so many new people not from MENA come in to our little section of the world. And in a first post too!

Of course it's not. I heard there was some airport that had issues with some taxi drivers refusing rides to inebriated people, people carrying alcohol, or people with guide dogs for this same reason . This guy's especially funny. Violating US tax law by working under the table is less haram than serving pork you're not eating? Hilarious!

What's hilarious is that you joined a visa forum at 2:52pm today and immediately posted to this thread. Funny...I would think you would have had a question or two first for the people in your specific area regarding visa-related issues.

And as far as not being haram I said not exactly but to be honest it depends on the madhab that you go by. Some feel that it is indeed haram to aid others in doing haram, even if they are non-muslims.

But is there any debate among madhabs about violating US tax law by working under the table, illegally?

[doodlebug 3]

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..

why ?

Because it's not exactly haram to work with pork, just to eat it. I think this is a good issue to bring up since many men may have this issue. I asked my husband what he would have done and he said he would not work "with" pork either. Well if someone is going to work at a restaurant they'll be looking for an eternity for a place that doesn't have pork in it. And if it doesn't have pork it'll probably have alcohol.

BTW welcome to VJ. I'm so excited that so many new people not from MENA come in to our little section of the world. And in a first post too!

Of course it's not. I heard there was some airport that had issues with some taxi drivers refusing rides to inebriated people, people carrying alcohol, or people with guide dogs for this same reason . This guy's especially funny. Violating US tax law by working under the table is less haram than serving pork you're not eating? Hilarious!

What's hilarious is that you joined a visa forum at 2:52pm today and immediately posted to this thread. Funny...I would think you would have had a question or two first for the people in your specific area regarding visa-related issues.

And as far as not being haram I said not exactly but to be honest it depends on the madhab that you go by. Some feel that it is indeed haram to aid others in doing haram, even if they are non-muslims.

But is there any debate among madhabs about violating US tax law by working under the table, illegally?

Dee can answer to that since this is her situation, not mine.

[mybackpages 0]

I do really agree with the ESL classes and my husband is from Jordan and his only friend is a Morrocan that he met in his class. He laughs cus he says most of the time they have to speak english cus the arabic language is different.

That brings me to another question. Where on earth can I find a free (or nearly) ESL class for the hubster? Ive tried the yellow pages, google, the library, etc. Everything pointed to the school district (who wont return my calls or emails) or one of the universities (who charge an arm and a leg for tuition). Id prefer to find a classroom environment, because he's not much of a self-starter for learning via the net. Any pointers (especially if you're in my neck of the woods)?

What about continuing education classes at your local community college?

[sereia 0]

my fiance likes his ESL class. he thinks its too easy as he speaks much better than the rest of the people in his class. unfortunately he's the only one from MENA. i really hoped he'd meet someone to make friends with. but it was free.... anyone looking for an ESL should check their local community college. if they offer ESL for zero units then you don't have to pay. usually in the course book it offers it for 4 units (or whatever your college gives it) then right underneath it says 0 units for the exact same class/time. you just pick the free one! lol i wanted to get him into a reading and also a writing class but they were both full by the time we could enroll him. there is a local adult education class he will take soon that starts next week. i think the key to getting a better job is definitely fully knowing english (reading and writing!)

[doodlebug 3]

my fiance likes his ESL class. he thinks its too easy as he speaks much better than the rest of the people in his class. unfortunately he's the only one from MENA. i really hoped he'd meet someone to make friends with. but it was free.... anyone looking for an ESL should check their local community college. if they offer ESL for zero units then you don't have to pay. usually in the course book it offers it for 4 units (or whatever your college gives it) then right underneath it says 0 units for the exact same class/time. you just pick the free one! lol i wanted to get him into a reading and also a writing class but they were both full by the time we could enroll him. there is a local adult education class he will take soon that starts next week. i think the key to getting a better job is definitely fully knowing english (reading and writing!)

In our area they test you before enrolling you in an esl class to see what level you are at. Looks like maybe they didn't test him properly?

[mybackpages 0]

Regarding the job hunting- it is a different system than Morocco for sure. I spent a lot of time having conversations with Idir. What they will ask, what he should ask, who he should ask for, etc...

The application is confusing for him. After a few he did the get the hang of them, then he had a job interview and the application was 10 pages.

One thing any of us looking for a job should remember is that they wont necessaily call back. I encouraged Idir to call them back to check on the application. His following up led to more real interviews. Once he went back to one place to talk personally with the manager- he had just left the application before and didnt want to just call her- turns out she was French and had been to Morocco and conducted the entire interview and tour of the place in French.

This did a lot for his confidence to look at other places. (she did offer a job, but first he had to talk to the manager over the area where he would work) While waiting for that he got a job offer which he accepted.

[Alhamdulillah 0]

It seems we're never going to get the opportunity to experience job-seeking if the USCIS doesn't get its act together. :sigh: They're making us get another medical exam because they lost the one he had done for his visa

Anywho! He brought a letter of recommendation from his old employer along with several certificates he's earned in his field with hopes of finding employment in that same line of work... IF he gets his GC....

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I told Waleed a good job for him would be translator at a hospital. His English is proficient and he is a Doctor after all so he understands the medical surroundings and terminology. He gets to manage his own schedule and clients. It's a good introduction to the American Medical system. He can make good money. And while he's studying for the USMLE here he can manage to make contacts at the various hospitals and doctors sites where he is used to translate.

It's funny Idaho has a large immigration population as if it is the capitol.

[yassmine2878 1]

I do really agree with the ESL classes and my husband is from Jordan and his only friend is a Morrocan that he met in his class. He laughs cus he says most of the time they have to speak english cus the arabic language is different.

That brings me to another question. Where on earth can I find a free (or nearly) ESL class for the hubster? Ive tried the yellow pages, google, the library, etc. Everything pointed to the school district (who wont return my calls or emails) or one of the universities (who charge an arm and a leg for tuition). Id prefer to find a classroom environment, because he's not much of a self-starter for learning via the net. Any pointers (especially if you're in my neck of the woods)?

What about continuing education classes at your local community college?

Thanks for this tip. My mother also just mentioned this. Ill be doing some digging

I told Waleed a good job for him would be translator at a hospital. His English is proficient and he is a Doctor after all so he understands the medical surroundings and terminology. He gets to manage his own schedule and clients. It's a good introduction to the American Medical system. He can make good money. And while he's studying for the USMLE here he can manage to make contacts at the various hospitals and doctors sites where he is used to translate.

It's funny Idaho has a large immigration population as if it is the capitol.

Im hoping Ahmed can brush up his English enough to get into translation. There are some excellent companies to work for in our area doing translation work, but his English just isnt spiffy enough yet to make it. Hence, one of my reasons for wanting to get him a good ESL class. I also think the class would help him feel alot better about himself, and not so rudderless.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I do really agree with the ESL classes and my husband is from Jordan and his only friend is a Morrocan that he met in his class. He laughs cus he says most of the time they have to speak english cus the arabic language is different.

That brings me to another question. Where on earth can I find a free (or nearly) ESL class for the hubster? Ive tried the yellow pages, google, the library, etc. Everything pointed to the school district (who wont return my calls or emails) or one of the universities (who charge an arm and a leg for tuition). Id prefer to find a classroom environment, because he's not much of a self-starter for learning via the net. Any pointers (especially if you're in my neck of the woods)?

What about continuing education classes at your local community college?

Thanks for this tip. My mother also just mentioned this. Ill be doing some digging

I told Waleed a good job for him would be translator at a hospital. His English is proficient and he is a Doctor after all so he understands the medical surroundings and terminology. He gets to manage his own schedule and clients. It's a good introduction to the American Medical system. He can make good money. And while he's studying for the USMLE here he can manage to make contacts at the various hospitals and doctors sites where he is used to translate.

It's funny Idaho has a large immigration population as if it is the capitol.

Im hoping Ahmed can brush up his English enough to get into translation. There are some excellent companies to work for in our area doing translation work, but his English just isnt spiffy enough yet to make it. Hence, one of my reasons for wanting to get him a good ESL class. I also think the class would help him feel alot better about himself, and not so rudderless.

Yeah! If he makes it into translation he will be so busy and independent he won't have time to stop his head spinning. I know I've seen it and they stay so busy! Plus the best part is they make good money and have a feeling of helping people and are integrating into society here.

[maryandatif 0]

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?

At first, I took Atif to all of the places I knew would hire, as they are always hiring--Burger King, McDonald's,--places like that. We also went to the places that he was qualified to work [seeing as he is a trained stick welder], BUT of course...they would "get back" to us....NOT!

Then I took him to register with a temp agency [at the same time he started at BK]..after about a month, the tempagency called him to go to work. He worked 2 different jobs through them before he was placed at the current company. Current company hired him under 3 months---VERY UNUSUAL for this company. They have people working there throuh the temp agency for over a year w/o hiring them. As of the last week of Auguast, Atif started receiving his benefits .

That's what worked for us. Especially since he isn't one to do call backs to check on his apps...he says "if they like my resume/ appplication, they will call me"...RIGHT. I always had to call back to show interest in the jobs IO was going after--at least the ones in my field.

GOOD LUCK!

Mary K.

[Meriem_DZ 37]

Of those whose SO's are working, Have you noticed if they have brought home any colorful language? Hachemi said "full-sh#t" several times yesterday, and I asked him, "what did you say?" He repeated, "full-sh#t." I said where did you hear that? He said he was joking around with the team leader and he told Hachemi that "your fulla sh#t!" Well he just heard the full-sh#t part, cause I guess the team leader said it so fast.

Meriem

Edited September 5, 2007 by Meriem_setif

[tnh9479 1]

My husband started out working at a local grocery store for the first 90 days he was here (thanks to temp EAD). That experience was enough to help his English, help him acculturate some, give him some US work experience, and to give him some confidence. When he finally was able to work again when he got his EAD, I had him go on such sites as Monster.com and submit resumes to positions that were of interest to him. It did not take him long at all to find a position (maybe two weeks at the most).