Gillymonkey

Hey, My masters was in Education (I used to be a teacher many moons ago). My most recent post in the UK was as the Team Manager for a Telecoms Project Management team for one of the UK's biggest telecoms firms. I got that because I have an extensive management background but over here for an equivalent telecoms role you seem to be expected to be an engineer which I am not.

GeoffM

My wife is allowed to work but cannot due to sheer incompetence at the board of nursing in the Philippines (I forget their name). She applied a year ago for a renewed license in her married name (didn't bother changing it before) but as the California BoN want an up to date license from the Philippines, she can't even sit her NCLEX until her license arrives, let alone apply for an RN job. This week will be exactly a year since she applied - and the latest news is they cannot find her application (somehow they managed to cash the fee, of course). Their excuse up to now has been "a new computer system".

On a more positive note, have a look around for some jobs fairs. There's at least one a month somewhere in LA and you do actually get to meet humans face to face using your cutesy accent rather than an anonymous resume in the (e)mail.

SanDiegogirl

I suspect that your Masters in Education is not really helpful or of great advantage to your job search here; it not being particularly relevant to the US?

The fact that you are on a J visa and relatively young (late twenties) is also probably hindering you in the current economy with so many older, middle managers out of work.

You can only keep plugging away.

Gillymonkey

Yup, all things I have considered myself. All I can do is keep trying

scrubbedexpat097

Volunteering may be an answer. You gain "US" experience and you also make more contacts with people in the working sector.

Just an idea to help your situation

scrubbedexpat099

MsElui

Id echo the revamp your resume comment. i found the one i ended up using here (after staying at home for 3 years as a trailing spouse) was very different to the one i would have used back home. My husband called in some favors with his HR recruiters and they looked mine over and gave me comments to think about.

When i eventually got a call about one of the perm jobs id applied for- it was because id used the word ITIL on my resume and that rang this persons bell. They invited me in, loved my attitude (despite not having any of the tech requirements of the job) and hired me. So do put all your managemebt and other training down as you never know what will do it for the hirer. And id add - the job was at the huge local bank (think 9000+ people in one building) ten minutes down the road from me - so i had applied for any job on their website even vaguely suitable - and was rejected from a huge chunk of them before the one rang me up. so you never know when your lucky break will come.

davidtheprof

you said "My masters was in Education (I used to be a teacher many moons ago). My most recent post in the UK was as the Team Manager for a Telecoms Project Management team for one of the UK's biggest telecoms firms"

Most places will consider you way over-qualified for mundane office or sales jobs. And the British background will only hurt, if they suspect there is a visa issue. (and I cannot recall the rules for trailing spouses on J1/2 visas). Entry level jobs are certainly not going to bother to sponsor you for any other kind of visa. Companies get hundreds of resumes for every job, and spend 5-8 seconds scanning them.

I would not say that UK credentials don't count - but you have to spin them correctly.

The job market is very specialized here, and firms are looking for people with particular expertise and experience. My advice would be to shoot higher - I'm sure you can craft your resume to fit a management position, but you cannot be modest here, and you have to tailor the CV a bit for each application, and package a story about who you are and what you can do.

Despite the recession, almost all my students (in a business school, undergrads and grads) are getting jobs. Companies always want competent, reliable people with some initiative and basic skills. Networking and selling yourself is the tough part.

best of luck!

N1cky

It took me 5 months and 100s of applications to get a job, it really is sole destroying. I still have no idea how I got this job, I know what my boss looks for when employing people, degree from a known uni..., and I have no idea why they chose to invite me in for an interview, I'm not the usual kind of person they would employ. When I went for my interview I immediately clicked with the HR manager, and we have become good friends. I've just completed my 4th year working for them, and they even let me work from home now we live 300 miles away, so it turned out well.

The only advise I would give is make you make it absolutely clear you already have permission to work and a visa.

Good luck, hopefully something will come along soon.

Gillymonkey

HI All,

I've already had my resume gone over by several different Americans so hopefully it is as Americanised as can be. I've got a few different copies of on the go where it is ramped up or dumbed down depending on the job. I don't seem to be having a problem getting a retail job but that is not what I want for the long term.

I also make sure to state on all cover letters that I have a visa etc and am free to work for any US employer. Hopefully something will turn up soon! I think this week I am going to spend more time on the phone rather than emailing.

jackattack

I'd make sure that you state clearly on your resume that you have a valid work visa for employment in the US, not just put it on your cover letter. When I was sifting through applications, I only looked at a cover letter after the resume had piqued my interest (and probably not before I had actually flagged the resume for the recruiter to contact them.)
Make it very clear that the visa hurdle is not something that the employer will have to deal with. Not all cover letters get read.

Gillymonkey

Good tip, I hadn't thought of that!

Bob

It's up top and centre, below my name and contact details on mine

GeoffM

I was shot down last time I suggested this. When I recruited in the UK I just assumed that somebody was eligible to work in the UK so didn't need telling such. But when anybody mentioned it early on in their CV or cover letter that they DID have employment authorisation then - wrongly or not - my opinion would be immediately lowered. This is because I hadn't been hooked yet by the CV. So, for me at least, they should have put that fact right at the end, after they'd sold me on their experience and character.

To a large degree I suspect it depends on the job and the companies you've worked for in the past. Lack of American experience is not always a problem - and my feeling is that putting a banner at the top of your resume saying "lookie here, johnny foreigner is trying to get a job!" is a negative. Hook 'em, then slip in the authorisation bit!

Sally Redux

How would you hide the foreign education and work experience?