wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

So i have been in the US for 6 weeks now, with my greencard in my hand and a ir1 visa in my pocket.... and its hard being here!

I thought it would be pretty easy, get visa, move to US, get job, get apartment be happy. But my job fell through and i cant find any work. I know its only been 6 weeks (and we are living with the wifes gran for now) but my UK experience means sh*t to these people. I mean i have travelled the world managing my previous company's divisions, and was based in london, but people here dont really care and just want you to sell insurance for them!

I have worked (PT&FT) since i was 13 years old, and i have been unemployed for 8 weeks now. i am just not used to this...
people here are nice but i can tell that their sincerety is completely fake...
i have always lived within 5 miles of my entire family and now im 4000 miles from them..
Plus, living expenses are way higher than i thought they were... for example, i bought lettuce yesterday from food lion, it cost $2.00! the same lettuce is £0.30 in the uk (i guess its not a high demand item here)

Plus mobiles are way more expensive than i realised, internet is more pricey than the UK and everyone wants to sell you something!

So, i have had my rant now and just needed to get my frustrations out there... i have massive respect for all of you that came here and have made a go of it, i hope i get to that position soon..... any advice to keep me sane is welcomed! i check BE whenever i can, but im stealing my neighbours internet and its a bit dicey!!!!;)

and if anyone wants to send me a Wah-mbulance, feel free!

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

hey good luck out there....haha i laughed at all your comments and nope, it's not as cheap here as the uk folk back home think.

let's hope your new job will come along pdq :)

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Wait until you start paying for healthcare or property taxes. :ohmy: Seriously I think most people find a huge culture shock once they come to live here. You'll probably get used to it. Same with getting a job as you're finding out...just takes some getting used to that's all.

Hope you find a job soon. :thumbsup:

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Persistence pays off finding a job, search through some old threads here, there's plenty of people who've been through the same thing. You need to adapt to the US way of doing things, i.e. follow-ups etc..

Chin up lad!

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Welcome to the USA. I think most people go through something similar. I was unemployed for almost 4 months and even then it was a crappy shop job. It took almost a year to get a career job. As to the living expenses, it's something I always harp on about when I hear people saying how much cheaper the cost of living is here because realistically its the same or more than the UK all things considered. It will get better but it may get worse before it does.

The best advice for work is network. Find local organizations that are based around your work experience. Go to their meetings, get your name out there and make some contacts. The saying "it's not what you know it's who you know" is 100% true here, especially when dealing with management and business related jobs. Even just going to church, joining a club or talking to your neighbors can lead to some useful contacts.

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Sorry to hear you're having a tough time. I can't really help, but many who have moved here have had similar experiences, so at least you know it's not *you* ;)

As far as finding a job is concerned, networking is often vital. Can you get to meet people in your field, eg via the local Chamber of Commerce, or at conferences etc? Do any of your colleagues back in the UK have contacts with US companies?

Anyway, try not to let this get you down - and good luck! :)

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Wish you the very best of luck, sorry to read this post though.

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

try www.craigslist.org there are job vacancies on there..

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Best of luck to you I am sure a job will come along soon.

Like the comment about people being fake-ITA!

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Just want to thank everyone for your kind works.... oh woe is i!:)

To keep myself busy i have been volunteering at a couple of local businesses, a neighbours insurance company and a photography studio... i have made some great connections with them (city judge, vp's of banks and council members) but ultimately i think this is too much of a small town and its gonna be difficult to work here. Nashville is an hour away and i have applied for at least 10 jobs there, but no one ever even sends you confirmation of applying for the job let alone invites for interviews.....

and as for health insurance... geeze, we are living without it for now but in the words of George Takai (sulu) HOLY GEEZE! what a racket!

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Best of luck. It can be very hard to adapt.

Cost of living varies hugely from town to town, state to state. I find mostly we're better off financially here than UK, but only if I don't include health insurance & if we bake our own bread LOL. Oh, & we are starting to grow our own veggies.... other than that...... errrr it's cheaper for us.

Oh and yeah, things like cell phones - believe it or not, they are getting cheaper. A few years ago when I moved here, wow, I couldn't believe how expensive they were! No free minutes or texting, all high rates etc. They are getting more competitive so moving in the right direction. Same with utilities.

As for jobs, what kind of job are you seeking? Small towns can be hard. Actually not just for people looking for work, but also trying to find employees (we've been trying to hire for months). With walmarts & big corporations, small businesses go under, manufacturers go under because they have no businesses to supply to & can't supply to walmart unless they run a chinese sweat shop, skilled labour goes elsewhere, businesses won't move where there is no skilled labour etc etc viscious circle. Whew, vent over! sorry! So my point was.... small towns, no jobs.
Any temp agencies near you?

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

not really, i have emailed my resume to a few in Nashville but i have heard nothing from them. I have come with a real open mind as to what i will do, but my background is in attraction management, operations and business development... so i can turn my hand to most things..........

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

Have you tried sites like monster.com?

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

I feel for you, I really do. I went stir crazy when I was waiting for my work permit. I'd been used to working & had a good career so it was hard! I ended up working from home just for something to do - ebaying actually - and from that, ended up setting up a company. My husband quit his job & we now run our own manufacturing company. Funny how things turn out but I really believe, keep your options & mind open & you often find opportunities where you least expect them!

Re: wow,the move is harder than i thought
 

The first few months are daunting just getting used to being here never mind trying to find work too. I hope that something turns up soon, good luck.