German needed in New YorkI' m both Spanish and British, have been living in Hamburg, Germany for almost 9 years and am flying to New York for two weeks in September. I would like to hand out some resumes to firms that need German-speaking foreign language secretaries and maybe there is someone here who could tell where I could go during my vacation. I sent some per email, but haven' t got any replies yet. Once I' m there, which are the steps I should take? Where should I go and which documents should I take? I welcome every single hints, as I want to gather practical experience in form of internships or real work. Thanks a lot! You cannot job hunt while you are in the US on a visitor visa. That is grounds for deportation and can severely impact your ability to return to the US. There are few (if any) employers who take resumes in person anymore. Your best bet is to look for a company online, search places such as Monster using the words "secretary" and "german". Then, once you find an employer, apply and see if they' re willing and able to sponsor you for a work visa. Your first stop before leaving Germany is to go to the American Consulate and explain to them that while you are in New York on whatever date to whatever date, you would like to visit some of the companies you have contacted for employment. They will tell you that you either cannot do this on your present visa, if you will need to apply for a secondary visa, if you will need to apply for a completely different type of visa or if you can obtain a written exemption to the "visitor's only" status you hold with your curent visa. Next log on to all the different job boards; Monster, careerbuilders.com, hotjobs.com, craigslist.com, find out the websites for the different New York newspapers to peruse their employment sections. Check out the New York state employment board. Nothing is guaranteed that you will be able to meet with anybody, but you may be able to leave an updated hard copy resume with the receptionist or even leave a voice mail from the front desk phone. Leave your name and number of the place you are staying at with the dates you will be there as well as your email and phone number in Germany. If you are going to be staying with friends or family, mention that they can be used for messages after you leave. July and August are very popular vacation months for a lot of executives and if you are allowed to visit with them in September, they may be in the middle of playin catchup. OH MY! I didn't know that even holding a visitor's visa, I wasn't allowed to look for a sponsor!!!! I thought that the only thing I wasn't allowed to do, was to earn money on US ground..... and I bet contacting the Consulate or Embassy now is too late because I'm flying in four weeks time... Hey, many thanks for your postings because I didn't have any clue at all that I would break the law by doing so... Hmm, I really need a Plan-B... ;-) Contact them anyway. They may be able to provide you with information as to what you can do.
Yes, you're right... It's a pity that I started taking the wrong steps... :-( But I'll ring tomorrow and ask. Thanks a lot! | |
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