Finding a job in The United States of America
Immigrating to the United States of America
A simple guide to help you get there and set yourself up on arrival
RESUME
TIPS
Keep your resume simple and to-the-point. You will be competing against literally hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants so employers do not have time to read through pages of unnecessary information. Aim for a resume of 1 page in length, or 2 if you have been working in your field for over 5 years. Briefly list your employment history, education and other relevant experience and then expand upon all of this during your interview. There are plenty of free resume templates online for you to use if you're worried about your layout and content.
Keep your resume simple and to-the-point. You will be competing against literally hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants so employers do not have time to read through pages of unnecessary information. Aim for a resume of 1 page in length, or 2 if you have been working in your field for over 5 years. Briefly list your employment history, education and other relevant experience and then expand upon all of this during your interview. There are plenty of free resume templates online for you to use if you're worried about your layout and content.
WHERE SHOULD I LOOK FOR WORK?
Going online is the easiest way to find jobs in America. Monster, Careerbuilder and Craigslist are where the bulk of the jobs are advertised and these sites are updated frequently throughout the day. What we recommend is to apply for as many as possible, whilst also posting your resume online at all of these sites and letting employers contact you as soon as they receive new positions.
Depending on your industry, you may be more successful if you search for a job through a recruitment agency. A lot of the job calls I received were via recruitment agencies who had either:
l Found my resume online at one of the above
mentioned job sites, or
l Received it from me via their company's website, and thought I would be suited to a role they had
a vacancy for.
Remember: Don't get discouraged, you will get there eventually!
For more great advice read our pages on work visas, education visas, finding accommodation and the visa waiver program.
Finding work in the United States at the moment is no easy task. The recession has increased unemployment levels to those unseen in
twenty five years and it's a good idea to keep this in mind when searching for your first job…
Your best bet is to apply for as many positions as you can. Even if you feel like you may be inexperienced for a role, who's to say the recruiter will not have another position you may be perfect for! That said, aiming low and applying for positions below your level will increase your chances of receiving a job offer. As a guideline to land our first job in the states we were applying for twenty to fifty jobs per day.
Another good tip in a harsh job climate is to accept almost any American job offer you receive. Hey, it is not be the dream job you were hoping for you, but can use that position to pay the bills while you search more thoroughly for the perfect role. Having that local position on your resume will also make you more attractive to the job market. Another thing to keep in mind is that hunting for a job could easily take months and that will quickly eat away at those hard earned savings.
Your best bet is to apply for as many positions as you can. Even if you feel like you may be inexperienced for a role, who's to say the recruiter will not have another position you may be perfect for! That said, aiming low and applying for positions below your level will increase your chances of receiving a job offer. As a guideline to land our first job in the states we were applying for twenty to fifty jobs per day.
Another good tip in a harsh job climate is to accept almost any American job offer you receive. Hey, it is not be the dream job you were hoping for you, but can use that position to pay the bills while you search more thoroughly for the perfect role. Having that local position on your resume will also make you more attractive to the job market. Another thing to keep in mind is that hunting for a job could easily take months and that will quickly eat away at those hard earned savings.
Although applying for a position from your home
country is definitely an option, generally you will find it easier to land a job once inside the states. This is because a person
already in the states is guaranteed to be making the move, and is also available for a face to face interview (a common request).
You can stay in the States for up to 90 days under the visa waiver program, meaning that you are essentially a tourist. It is completely
legal to apply for jobs and attend interviews during this time, but you may not work in the US until you have a legitimate visa. After
you have received an offer of employment you can begin the visa proceedings.
