Emigrating from UKI' m looking for advice on how best to increase my chances of finding a good job when i move to Arizona next year. I have looked online at numerous job websites and many of the jobs that i would apply for over here require a 4 year degree plus experience. I realise that havinga 4 year degree is a big thing in the US with employers but unfortunately i cant change the fact that i dont have one. I left school and got a job and have worked my way to where i am. I am 26 and am currently in a management role, with 2 years experience (3 when i move), in a governement dept working within the supply chain. The main thing i want to know is what can i do in the next year to enhance my employability when i move to the US? Any advice Take some on-line courses in the field that you are interested in. This way, you can state in your resume and interview that you are working toward your degree. That, plus your experience, can make up for not having the actual piece of paper. And, many employers will even reimburse tuition expenses if the courses are in direct correlation to their needs. If you can't afford the tuition charged, try for on-line tuition scholarships. I used to live and work in Arizona (Tucson) and the biggest obstacle that I needed to overcome is the transient factor. Southern Arizona has a high number of transients. People go to Arizona thinking that the weather/climate will be wonderful, get a job and then decide, after the first 100 dgree day in Mid February, that they don't like it and leave. I found that employers were more likely to hire people who had set down and established roots. What I finally did was take the State and County employment tests to be considered for government jobs.
I was in a very similar situation when I immigrated to the couple of years ago. I was unable to find any job on my previous leveldue to the lack of a four year college degree. In the end, I just decided to get my four year degree, and I recommend thisto all other immigrants who have the option of doing this. Is actually a lot less overwhelming than what it sounds. US colleges are also alot easier compared to European Universities. In addition to this, American universities are very flexible and offermany weekend, evening, summer and online classes to cater to people who work. You can also get “life experience” credits bytaking the so called CLEP tests (I am able to graduate a semester early because of these). I myself am moving to tucson but although emigrating i wouldn' t class myself as a transient as i am moving there to be with my fiance and plan to get married. She is a local and has strong family ties to the city so i will be staying there no matter how hot it gets. I' ve been there when its topped 100 and i' ll get by I will take a look at online courses as you suggest. But could you perhaps elaborate on your own experience? How much credit can you get under the CLEP tests and how long will it have taken you to graduate, as i assume you are studying while working? Plus if you don' t mind me asking, how much is it likely to cost? Hey, I suggested on-line courses beefore Orwell. Okay, just kidding. And, by the way, I have no idea how to get the grants for them but I think the prices are relatively competitive to an actual campus. I am glad you know more Tucson than most people who go there. If your fiance' s parents, or other family members ' cuz I don' t know if parents are there, are willing to help you, write or call them to get leads about which companies are best to work at. Who is hiring. Maybe they have friends who work who can be putting in a good word for you. You are way ahead of the game because you know people who may know people. Certainly that is a better position than most. A few things. First, it may take you a full year to find a job in the US once you get moved. Be sure you have the assets to cover yourself during that time. It is very common for your "green card" to get held up in the mail or whatever and not get to you for weeks or months. Secondly, without a 4 year degree, you' re going to have a hard time finding management level positions, in spite of your experience. For most jobs, without a 4 year degree you' ll be screened out before your resume even gets in front of someone who can look at your experience. That does not mean, however, that you shouldn' t apply anyway. If you do slip through to an interview, then you can make a solid case for yourself. In the meantime, I would do as was suggested and get enrolled either in the UK or to a (reputable) online school here. That way you can put something like: Acme University, BA in Communication, anticipated graduation date 2010. That will be a big help. Also, start reading up on American style resumes. You' ll notice that the American style is quite different from the European style. The European style is more "tell me a story". The American style is "time is money, get to the point". Once you get closer to moving, post again and we can review your resume and provide specific job hunting tips. You know what? I totally spaced on the Green Card thing. Let me tell you a little story that may or may not help. At the very least it is interesting how "blanked-up" immigration can act. I worked at a law firm in Tucson where we had an attorney from England. Technically, she was from Nigeria, even though when she moved to the United States it was after her divorce which was in England. Her ex-husband, if I remember correctly, was born and raised in Manchester and one of her kids decided to stay in England with him after the divorce. So she moved to the US with her daughter and her other son. She was already a barrister practicing in England but was refused employment as an attorney in America until after she had completed a few Law Classes and taken the Arizona Bar. Taking the Bar is a requirement for practicing no matter where you live, so that wasn't a problem. Nor were the Law Classes. She got a job as a Clerk for a judge while she took those classes. After passing the Bar with one of the Top 5 Scores of that session, her Judge boss asked my boss to give her a chance. It was, by far, the best thing that could have happened to us. She was terrific. She was friendly. She was beautiful. I swear, we all fell in love with her. My husband even allowed me to set her up on dates with his friends. (And he hates it when I do that) From the time she entered America through the time she was working for the Judge, the Arizona Bar Association sponsered her admittance. (Or whatever you call it) About two years after she started working for us, the AzBA stated that they would not sponser her any longer because immigration laws had changed since the New York terrorist attack and her job, while incredibly important, could be done by an American. (Bullsh!t). The firm filled out the appropriate paperwork and immigration granted her an extension until we could be approved to sponser her. We were almost there. I think it was close to the end of the final month that immigration informed us that because her "true nationality" was Nigerian, our application for sponsership would not be approved. They suggested she study for the Naturalization Test and become a citizen. Okay, big roadblock here because if she did that, her son in England would lose his status as an English National and be shipped back to his mother who, by that time, would have been deported to Nigeria. (This is what I was told, anyway) We joked about getting her "married off so she could stay in the country" but that honestly wouldn't have worked. Plus, it wouldn't have been honest. Anyway, the AzBA found a loophole that stated that if she was currently involved in a pending case that could not be handled effectively or appropriately by another attorney, she could be eligible for another extension. So we stuck her with four cases that were guaranteed "dogs" but would keep her here for a while. After almost another year of screaming and b!tching, the firm finally got approved for sponsership. So, please, no matter how busy you may be, CLEAR UP ANY GREEN CARD HOLES before you leave. Research everything possible and resolve every possible issue before you come here and before immigration can screw you around. Personally, I think that would be a more pressing issue than getting a job. The job should come second. Most company applications will ask you if you might need their sponsership. This is a good thing because it means the company cares about your status. | |
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Career Tips
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