Elvira

You were 'visiting'? So he was not actually a US resident at that point...

Jerseygirl

Thank you...your English seems to be improving too!

dan_alford

Srna, What line of work do you do? Might help with the suggestions as to other locations to try if your heart is not set on Florida.

penguinsix

* If you want to be in Movies, you move to Hollywood, not Minnesota.
* If you want to sing Country Music, you move to Nashville, not New Jersey.
* If you want to be in IT, you move to:

a) Silicon Valley
b) Boston/Cambridge
c) NC Tech Triangle
d) Washington DC / NoVirginia
e) Austin, TX
f.g.h.i.j.k.l.m.n.o.p....

q) Florida

Ok, I'm not trying to bad mouth Florida, but it isn't exactly known as the 'hub' of technology work in the United States. Sure, there are tech jobs scattered about, but if you really want your hubby to find a job in technology, you really should move to where the technology jobs are located.

Start him out looking at these techie / geek job site:

http://www.dice.com/
http://www.theladders.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com (excellent classified ads for tech jobs)
http://www.crunchboard.com/
http://www.potomactechexchange.com/

I'd dare say for every 1 IT job in Florida, there are probably 10+ in Silicon Valley. You simply have to go to where the jobs are, and then be realistic in the type of job he could obtain. Google isn't going to make him Vice President overnight, or maybe even a manager, until he proves himself capable of managing a) techies and b) American techies and c) Americans in general.

And to be honest, what you are describing (his hesitation to look again after his 'success' last time) is kind of 'defeatism' that is a pretty big negative in the tech world which is far more optimistic, even in the face of failure. You should explain to him that in the tech world in the US failure is often a stepping stone to later success. In fact, in many companies, they actually look for people who have worked for companies that went bust or otherwise failed, as it is considering a 'learning experience' in what went wrong.

You're also going to have to explain that Florida isn't like Washington which isn't like Silicon Valley which isn't like Michigan, etc. The US is a very large place and simply because he didn't end up liking one part of it doesn't necessarily mean he's going to hate every part of it...

Good luck.

Jerseygirl

IT jobs are everywhere...I grant you some areas have more than others.

Elvira

But the problem is that hubby would rather stay in the UK...















Sensible chap!

penguinsix

Yea, they are everywhere, but it really sounds like he needs a 'target rich environment' for his job hunt not a place where maybe one or two positions are listed per week in the local paper. Florida is target rich for a lot of things, but compared to the Valley, it doesn't begin to compare...

Srna

It's the husband here.

Why the focus on whether or not I was a US resident? I was in the US for a year. I applied for an EAD while waiting for my green card to be processed. I obtained my green card, we returned to the UK. I am still a legal green card holder and my residence status is not in question.

My wife was asking for help on the best way to return to the US, i.e. to try and pinpoint where I might have better success in getting a job.

I have not set my sights high. As noted previously, I was trying to get a job in my profession. I would describe myself as a project manager. I have been doing that type of work for over ten years, at more than one company, so I do not think another job at that level is beyond my abilities.

Also as noted previously, I am also prepared to take two or three steps down the career ladder just to try and get myself into the market. Any lower would be programming jobs and my skills in that area are from 15 years ago, i.e. not very relevant in today's market.

So, please no more comments about my abilities, status, education level.

Yes, I do not particularly like the States. As my wife tells me, it is most likely because I was not able to get a relevant job (I think it is more than that as the US has never held any appeal for me, but no matter).

However, my wife is a US citizen and wants to return and I will ensure that. It would be nice if I could get a job that is commensurate with my skills and experience (i.e. business analyst to project manager), but if I have to go and sweep the streets then I will do that too (except that my wife won't let me).

fatbrit

Can't decide whether it's the language barrier, hormonal complications, or somebody having a laugh on poet's day. But she's adamant he can work and live here despite the growing evidence they may have to go through the whole thing again.

And unfortunately it comes down to the employment thing she's harping on about. Coz the best way to get a job is to be here and on the ground running. But we're not even sure if this is possible at the moment!

I'm giving up on this thread.

britvic

Yeah I can't blame him really

penguinsix

I think this is the real problem...even if he were to get the job of his dreams in the states.

Jerseygirl

The comments about your abilities were that we did not know what they were...or what level of job you were expecting to secure.

Our focus about your US residency was that you have a GC but appear to have lived in the UK for quite a while...up to 2 yrs.

dan_alford

Hello Mr Srna. As I said, I think the big problem is references and experience. The US has blinkers in all things that happen "Overseas" and this is no exception. My advise would be to try and find a tech recruitment company that you can talk to ( in person) so you can get your skills and knowledge known to them. They can then talk to the IT companies and should have better luck in getting your foot in the door which is half the battle.

penguinsix

Hi Husband,

I think what some people are trying to point out that the Green Card is not a permanent thing and the very fact that you have left the United States has started the clock towards its disintegration. Green cards are 'abandoned' if you move out the US for as little as 6 months, and if you are out of the country (i.e. not setting foot on US soil) for more than a year, there is a very real chance it will be seized by the Immigration officials at the airport when you return.

The whole issue of Green Card abandonment is one that comes up frequently here, which is why I think some people were asking about it.

Anyway--good luck with the search and the upcoming baby. It's nice that you are willing to put up with living in the US for your wife (but I guess that's all part of marriage).

MancMan

www.monster.com

If you cannot find a project manager's job somewhere in the USA through monster I'll eat my hat. I just ran a search and found 349 PM jobs in Florida.