Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Hi All,

I'm new here as you can see, I've accepted a job in Boston starting sometime next year and my husband and I will be moving out there from our current location in Wales :D

My husband will be on a J2 visa so I've been told will be able to apply for permission to work. He currently works in administration and has done for the past 4 years, he has also worked in a retail capacity (once running his own shop). I just wondered a) if anyone has had a similar experience to this and how easy was it to find jobs and b) if anyone has any opinions on the current job situation in Boston.

My new boss was a little wary about the job situation so of course this had made me a little uneasy. We're going to be there for 3 years so I really hope he finds something otherwise he will be REALLY bored! ha

Thanks in advance

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Stores taken on people now for Christmas, but looking to next year who knows?

His problem will be that it is a sucky market and whilst I guess it is not that important from a retail perspective, his qualifications etc might not be so helpful in a competitive admin market.

Best to go for anything and everything.

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Remember to factor in that it is going to take him up to 90 days to get his EAD in hand to be able to start work also.

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Science and tech are pretty buoyant in Boston, everything else is same old same old, kind of meh.

Are you in Boston proper, or that just loosely being used as a catch all and you're in Cambridge or one of the burbs way out like Newton? How far would you be willing to commute?

Jobs, find them like anywhere else, craigslist, monster, yahoo jobs, career builder, linkedin and generally just networking.

Retail that's not management, so minimum wage, you'll be fighting for like anyone else, but you're downside is not having any US qualifications or experiences so you'll probably get spat out of any online applications, for most things, so apply in person, for anything none minimum wage, network and try to bypass HR for find the hiring manager type person.

Your other problem and it really shouldn't be, but the reality is, you don't have a greencard and people don't understand that you are allowed to work with a EAD, but people also don't like that they can expire. It shouldn't be a prejudice but that's just the way it is and you don't want to make it any easier for them to just go "sod it" and hire one of the other couple hundred people who applied for the same position and are equally as qualified.

If he knows anything about tech and science, the UK consulate in Cambridge were looking for a office admin person who could arrange meetings with companies from both sides of the pond etc as a trade person, but the deadline might have passed, it was around the end of the month anyway.

Either way, good luck and welcome to BE and Boston when you move :)

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Thanks for your replies.

Everything is still in the planning stages, not sure where we'll be living but I'll be based at MIT in Cambridge. It's likely that it will be another 6 months or so before we move. He doesn't have any science admin experience but I will keep in mind UK consulate once we've moved, plus UK companies based in MA would be useful too.

You've confirmed what I was thinking, he's been out of work a couple of times so he's used to sending out hundreds of applications and rejection etc. Hopefully he will find something eventually, but he will probably have to do a LOT of legwork!

Apart from the the fact that we aren't US citizens (and that may be a sticking point for him) it sounds like the situation is very similar to over here at the moment. If we weren't moving to the US then we'd be moving somewhere else in the UK so he'd have to find a job anyway.

Thanks again, no doubt I'll be back asking questions about MA next!

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Sorry, the British Consulate is only able to employ persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or A visa holders.

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

If you're at MIT, the UK consulate is two minutes away, actually both are two mins away from the MIT/Kendal Sq T-stop, just MIT to the left and the consulate across the street to the right. And they're both a 5 min walk a couple blocks away from the CBC, great little pub :)

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

They employ people who are work authorised, so EAD would fit the bill. They just aren't able to sponsor someone for a visa.

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

The current open position for Business Development Associate at the Boston Consulate states:

"Under US State Department requirements, the Embassy may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or A visa holders*. If you hold a visa other than an A visa you are not currently eligible to work at the Embassy".

There are exceptions to the rule detailed at: http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/about-u...workingfor-us/ but from what the OP has told us about her husband and his experience he is unlikely to qualify.

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Hi CDF - Its a while since your last post - how did you get? Any good news?

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

The economy in MA is better than many US states and there are lots of job resources. I'd try the local universities; all have job info on their websites and there are plenty of vacancies. Start with MIT, Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern. and look on Monster.com.

Out of interest what are you doing at MIT?

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Ask away, but the bottom line is that MA, and Boston/Cambridge in general, is a great place to live. Lots of theater, cinema, arts, concerts, sports, restaurants, bars and night life. Also lots of history and interesting places to visit. And if you get home sick it's an easy flight back. There's lots of access to UK stuff on the radio and TV, BBC America and Premier League football on Fox Soccer channel. I read the Guardian online every day as well as the Boston Globe and listen to Radio4. I don't know your political/cultural outlook, but most British people feel comfortable with the socially liberal and not overtly religious atmosphere in MA.

Re: Jobs in the Boston area - for hubby!
 

Ahem - this thread is nearly a year old and the OP hasn't been on the forum for six months.

:)