jjmb

Well, after five and a bit years of living here, the day has dawned when this lazy arsed mother needs to traverse the wonderful world of work

Having spoken to 2 other women who have also recently gained their EAD's and found jobs, just like that (both forms of nursery teaching), I am duly informed that my life will now lighten up and be full of roses. Unfortunately, I dont quite see it like that . Instead I see that my comfortable way of life is about to be up ended for what will be a job at just above the minimum wage, no holidays and no much else.

Where does someone who has basically no worked for the best part of 19 yrs, with degree in the totally useful subject of Fine Art, even begin?

Oh well, better go and look up the wanted ads again.

ImHere

Selling "Voice of the Homeless" on the intersections?

snowbunny

What helpful tact you exhibit.

Do what you love. It still pays more than not working.

ScotsmanInTexas

[QUOTE=jjmb]Where does someone who has basically no worked for the best part of 19 yrs, with degree in the totally useful subject of Fine Art, even begin?[QUOTE]

Where indeed? Probably anywhere doing almost anything from what I've seen of the US recruitment process. The American recruiters seem less caught up in particular trade & professional (streams) as we Brits are. OK I'm not saying that someone with say a degree in domestic science is suddenly a computer scientist and should apply to NASA? Or that a brain surgeon can suddenly get the job of a head chef at the Houstonian? (Horrible thought actually). I wouldn't be eating his cauliflower and cheese special.

Anyway what I am saying is that recruiters seem much less anal here. How often have you read ads that say BS/BA (Bull Sh1t, Bad Ass) or Associates? Have you noticed that more often than not they never state what the degree should be in? This is probably due to the more 'Liberal Arts' attitude to getting a degree in the USA. A friend who is an educator told me that in some of their Science degrees they'd be lucky if they covered the specific content of an HNC or 1st year in the UK, this is because there is a much larger portion of the degree given up to Liberal Arts, eg. Majoring in such and such, and all that nonsense. He even ranked an HND at least equivalent (in specific trade knowledge imparted) but in his opinion greater than a US degree!

I'm not saying this is a bad thing, since it's probably actually very good because it probably makes more social units with a wider educational base. I won't even start comparing the level of a British degree to an American one. Naturally British degrees are much more to the point and specialised, you want Computers, you got Computers etc... etc...

So anyway to cut a long story short (too late) your degree will likely be treated on it's level and not what it is in! All you can do is read the adverts and do exactly as I am doing right now - 'think outside the box' - not what I am or do but what else I can do? In the UK I never had this outlook, because recruiters would look at my CV and say stuff like but your a computer guy why do you want to sell cars/make burgers/mop out the elephants/be a ringmaster/tell jokes for a living?

ImHere

Whereas over here they say "Oh you're a computer guy are you? So sorry...Why dont you go sell cars/toss burgers/become a realtor for a living."

ImHere

Only if you can get someone to pay you for doing it.

ScotsmanInTexas

Well exactly!

Reminds me of the Irish guy (and this might sound like a gag but it really isn't. This is true.) Who was so angry at his choice of career and lack of success in Computer Science that he went back and shot his School Careers Advisor! Well I don't know but if I'd been in the jury on that case - he'd have been walking free.... NOT GUILTY!!!!!

Hmmm... Makes you think though, how School Careers people who know absolutely nothing about the jobs they are telling you about, or the actual state of that industry they are recommending, or in fact anything outside of their own bookish little bolt-hole hidden away from the real world, can really justify their positions and the crappy advice they give???? I wonder how I become one?

Pulaski

If you total up all the careers advice I ever received, at school and university, I haven't received as much as five minutes of vaguely useful advice in my whole life.

This is particularly amusing if you consider that four years after graduating (graduating from university, before anyone asks ) I landed a job that didn't exist, and could not have been predicted, at that time I graduated. Not only that, but the knowledge and experience I gained led me directly to the job I now have, and which I wouldn't have otherwise been offered.

I have also started my own business, the success of which has nothing to do with anything I ever studied at school, which my degree only has incidental relevance to, and has no connection what so ever to my "day job".

America is, IMHO, truely a land of opportunity. If you think you can succeed there are a myriad opportunities to prove it, and no one thinks the worse of you if you fail - dust your self off and try again.

ScotsmanInTexas

I like your thinking Pulaski. I strongly believe there are opportunities for me here I'd never have found back home or had the courage to go and do. What's more is I'm more up for the challenge.

For too long in Britain I had the feeling (same as everyone else I know) I'm in a job be thankful, don't rock the boat etc... Even though I hated my job, the crappy pay, poor working conditions, office politics, hours and general benefits (if any) were rubbish. Well tell you what I'm glad to be out of that life!

I've already changed career once in my life (completely down to lack of opportunity) and I wouldn't be surprised if I change at least once more.

Have even considered doing something for myself. I have some great ideas, everywhere I look, I see new possibilities that others have missed for one reason or another or plain just couldn't see it for themselves.

Degrees are useless things anyway, even when employed in the field it supposedly prepares you for - you are unlikely to ever use more than 5-10% of any knowledge gained. I've forgotten most of the useless rubbish, could probably have got by on less than 6 months of learning out of 4 years! As regards trade skills in the Computing Industry I learned them on courses and in work AFTER University!

ImHere

Funnily enough thats what a lot of Americans seem to say too. Except they often say it about both their jobs.

ScotsmanInTexas

Maybe a lot of Americans do, but in comparison to working in Britain, I don't feel as trapped in a rotten excuse for a career as I was in the UK with very little chance of any change. Generally you accept your lot over there or you don't work at all, and figures like 300-400 people chasing the same job are quite common. No there are certainly more opportunities for change here. Within Houston I see signs all over the place saying 'We are Hiring' when did you ever see anything like that in Britain anywhere?

I've worked all over the Computing industry in the UK and frankly it's rubbish and a complete mess. The people at the top don't have the qualifications or experience to be in their jobs, but they've been there it seems for ever. Seems the more you bullshit and the less capable you are the further you will go up the ladder. You think I'm exaggerating? After 15 years in a very bad industry I can say all of this without any doubt or reservation. Engineers and Techies like me typically can't get anything better than a short term contract, so have little or no job security. Agencies and employers (some of them household names) knowing they can get away with this really take liberties.

I believe the USA is a land of opportunity. I've met other people just like me in my trade and doing pretty well here. So slowly but surely building a network of friends and acquaintances, I'm almost surprised how many people have said to me send me your resume and I'll show it to someone. I'm yet to try this approach (been waiting until I have all my legal docs together but have started applying for jobs.) Right now though I know of 2 people who have told me to get a resume to them - one lady for instance who I met through my wife used to be the Owner/Director of her own company before flogging it to someone bigger - so all in all these are valuable contacts who really might know something or someone who can be of use. I never experienced anything like that in the UK ever!

It's early days but I am very optimistic and the signs look great!

Elvira

This may be true, but what about age discrimination?

And how, after 19 years of being out of the workforce, does one convince an employer that one is ready to cmmit to a full-time job?

I imagine it's not easy, but this is what the OP may face in her quest for employment.

To the OP: good luck! (I'm in a similar boat, though I've been 'away from my desk' for only 4 years)

ScotsmanInTexas

Age discrimination is everywhere, even in my trade, employers and agents are looking for 21 year olds who actually know nothing useful. There is this 'whiz kid mentality' which is really ridiculous and frankly I never met a whiz kid who was a whiz at anything. Trust me I used to be one! If you are over 30 you are too old in the Computing industry to be recruited - at least according to the mindset of British recruiters. Which is frankly ridiculous - because you are 30 in that industry before you actually know anything useful! Proves my point exactly about the state of British Industry. I believe there are more opportunities here for people in the USA, regardless of their ages or backgrounds, and returning housewives to the workplace are always looked on more favourably (when compared to other groups) in both the UK and the USA. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but in comparison (bearing in mind I have lived in the UK until fairly recently) it is a lot harder over there and what you get you are thankful for and you are more or less stuck in. So all I can say is don't let it get you down, try and be optimistic about things and I hope your jobsearches go well!

ladylisa

I'm not sure I entirely agree. Ive always lived in the south of England so getting jobs has never been difficult for me or anyone I know. My husband is in IT and has done very well. How I see it is that in England people generally stay in their field out out of a sense of the comfort zone. Plus most people I know work to live. So they take their money go home at 5.00pm and make sure they take there 25 days holiday a year.

In the US the working day infringes more into peoples lives because the hours are longer and vacation time pitifull. So whilst I agree that people here do tend to push themselves more career wise it also stands to reason that they do this because work takes over your life more. On meeting anyone here one of the first questions you will be asked is what do you do for a living. Also there is more networking here so people will give work to people they know. On the other hand there is also more bullshitting too, so if someone asks to see your resume it doesnt necessarily mean anything can or will happen.

ScotsmanInTexas

Well not sure how long you've been out of the UK, but I'd very much doubt your husband would find the IT industry quite how he remembers it. Short term contracts are all you'll get anywhere right now (it's been like that since the end of the 90's) and it's also very ageist. My last two employers were both US companies within the UK and all I could get was temp contracts! My opposite number in the US working in the very same job (with Unisys) was getting twice my wages and in my opinion living a social class above me. I think that finally made up my mind to move over here with my long-term partner. Wages are rubbish in the UK, the cost of living is too high and property in the South East is almost impossible (save winning the lottery) for a working chap like myself.

I think it depends totally on the person for a career orientated person the opportunities here are very good. The mindset of some British workers who need I point out are officially the laziest in Europe might not be up for the same challenges as anyone career minded. What you might refer to as 'comfort zone' is in reality fear of being unemployed for the rest of us. That is very much the reality of working in the UK. I don't put much faith in anyone asking for my resume no, but I am certainly interested when a professional person with real life contacts wants to see it and offers to pass it on to someone else. I have no problem with that situation and it won't do any harm, I certainly never experienced anything like that in Britain.