Dear All

Just when I thought I had gotten past the toughest bit of my career, I fall in love with an American and decide to move to Los Angeles.

I am a British reporter with 18 months news agency experience with no clue as to how to get past an American editor. In the States it seems one does not deal with the editor (generally the guy who knows what he is talking about), but instead we come across HR departments.

Such departments tend to advertise positions and scrutinise applications based on qualifications. If one does not have a media related degree they will not be considered, regardless of a portfolio stuffed full of exclusives.

In the UK we work trial periods and if we can cut it, we get the job. When I suggest such a proposal in the US they react as if I should be institutionalised.

I did two years of my politics degree then dropped out to take professional journalism qualifications. Because of this I cannot even take a step backwards and apply for an internship. They are only available to graduates.

All advertised posts require at least two years' experience. I have applied to around 40 such positions regardless, and have not received a single reply.

Another problem I face is that my previous position is simply not recognised in the States. I worked for a news agency, writing for the national press and broadcast. Not only do they not have news agencies, they do not recognise a 'national press', let alone realise the standards required by such publications and the lengths one has to go to to be able to write for them. They have no real equilvallent.

A long message, I know! I do apologise. Whatever your opinion, feedback would be appreciated. Common sense advice wil do, journlistic knowhow would be invaluable.

Thank you S x

Have you planned out how you're going to be able to enter, live and work in the US legally?

You refer to a relationship with an American so you may be aware of a K-1 (but that's more appropriate for the Marriage Based forum on British Expats).

If you're planning to live and work in the US independent of the relationship with the Americn, you probably have a tough job ahead of you.

18 months experience in an industry is not significant unless you've been exceptional in your field, won awards, or have highly specialized skills that are hard to find.

Having no response to job applications is not unusual these days, neither in the US or the UK.

Networking is a significant way to do things in the US so it might be worth your while to read about and join the US professional body (if one exists) for your field. Maybe there's websites out there that have forums like this for your industry.

For those working in the US media, familiarity and competence in American English usage is essential and you are probably at a disdvantage here. This may be an additional reason why you've had no response to your applications. Unless you completed applications wholly in American English and I don't just mean the spelling (I've discovered there are also grammar and punctuation differences too), you probably raised a red flat in your applications.

Thanks very much for the reply.

Indeed American English is different, as are style and content. Even American and British reporters ideas of what makes a news story are incredibly different.

Networking I imagine would not do any harm, regardless of industry, however whatever relationships one may be able to build probably would not compensate for the the issues we have both mentioned. How could I ever expect to beat American rivals when I don't know my Wisconsin from my Wyoming? Even if I was ever offered a job, how would I fare?

I have thought about this problem quite a bit since my last posting and I do think that that it may not be a problem with a solution, but perhaps a fact that I have to acccept.

So, I have a couple of options as I see it: to sell my soul to the PR demon; or to ask my fiance whether he would be prepared to spend a year in the UK whilst I build enough experience to work as a correspondent for a British news organisation (for which I already have a provisional offer, should I get that vital furher year under my belt).

Let's see what he says...

Sorry, I would be entering on a fiancee visa then applying for adjustment of status once we get married.