Hello,

Last year, I posted about my wife passing her job interviews. It is her first job, and she's still working in the same company for almost 8 months now. She has had issues with her boss and 2 other co-workers in her deparment only but she deals great with the rest. There is nothing wrong with her but the unprofessionalism her co-workers show her (she's even smarter than her boss). It became our everyday topic whenever we get home from work. My wife would rant about her mean co-workers and I would vent my own "issues" at work. I have no problems with that.

Anyway, I told her that if she isn't happy with the job anymore, she may resign anytime. I want her to be happy. She's trying to work things out but she said she feels she has to let go of the job soon.

My question is, how long did you stay at your first job in the US? And what made you quit/leave?

We wish to hear your experiences.

Thank you.

My longest job was for 4 years, shortest one was 1.5 years before I moved. Immigrant or not, I am trying to find something better (pay, opportunity, working condition/co worker & boss). So far, when I go to interview, I do not receive comment about the length of stay with companies.

I have been working at this job for almost 2 years now (7 months as temp, 1 year permanent). With the job market not very good, I might be staying here for a while. I send out resume when I see good opportunity.

I agree, immigrant or not, any person who wants to change jobs for whatever reason has the right to do so. Now days, it's very common to see resumes showing a short employment history at each place due to the economy and all the lay offs we've had.

Diana

Agreed.

So can somebody remove the "To the immigrants" part of my topic title then?

Maybe we'd get more responses by that.

I am an immigrant.

I stayed at my first US job a grand total of three months. I hated it so much that I would be sick to my stomach every morning before going to work.

My next job, I stayed for 9 months. I left because I was filling in for someone on leave. I probably would have stayed at that one if they had found another position for me to fill.

My most recent job I had for 9 months as well. I resigned due to health reasons, the fact that I was going to be out of the country for a while, and because my boss was horrible.

I have yet to find work in the career field that I had before I moved to the US, and I probably won't find anything close to that if we stay where we are at. That makes me sad.

I still have my first job - 3 years and counting (knock on wood!)

The company I am working for is my first job in the US. I have now been with them for 1 year 6 months. I am very very happy. I am doing the exact same thing as I was in Canada. The best part is I am getting paid way more and the stress is a lot lower. I am really enjoying my career again.

I am still at my first job, lol. I started as a temp in Feb 2006, just a few days after I got my CPR card. Got hired full-time 6 months later. Still loving it.

I still am at my first job. I am now an accountant, controller and HR manager. I need another raise lol!!

Wow! We didn't realize there are that many who stick to their first jobs and still doing great.

That's comforting to know.

I wonder about the others who weren't so successful..

My wife can totally relate to that.


Have you considered relocating for more opportunities? My wife and I wish you well.

3 years is one helluvajob for a first US job! Congratulations.

My longest first job here I had was about 11 months. I had big issues with another co-worker, who I had to work with every day and the company I worked for, you just felt like going to them, but in the end, the hard working people, like myself at this job, got laid off, no notice, no nothing and the person I had issues with and many other people in the company had issues with this person as well, well they have kept their job and will never be fired. I was the same with my husband, I would come home and rant and rave about this person everyday.

My husband was at his first US job for.....um....five weeks.

He was clerking in a convenience store. We really needed the money. He hadn't been here long and I really think it was just 'too much America' too soon. He wasn't comfortable with the currency. He had too many shortages in his cash drawer and they let him go. Still though he said he was glad he took the job because he met a lot of nice people.

His second job (more in his line of work) he kept about 10 months. The place was really a hell-hole and he was able to get out of it to take his present position.

He's been at this job a year next month. He really likes it. They are building a new facility and we are hoping they will be able to add a department they have talked about for a while and which they said they would place him in whenever it came to pass. That position would be most like what he did in the UK (technical support).

I don't think anyone should be ashamed to take whatever job is necessary to get them into the workforce. It must be hard to have had a fulfilling career in your home country and then accept 'menial' employment or something far below your skill level. But acclimation to life in America isn't going to happen by sitting at home. I feel for the immigrants looking for work and I do think it's a different situation than a native born person looking for a job.

My husband stayed at his first job for four months. His bosses were dishonest, his co-workers illegal immigrants that would do anything to get ahead, and my husband worked up to 60 hours a week and was paid sh!t. I wanted him to stay for the experience, but he wanted out. But once I understood more about what he was going through and why he hated it, I supported him, by then he said he'd stay, until it got to be too much to bear.
In the end that job was worth it because he learned a lot and he then had experience working in the U.S.

After that first job, my husband jumped from job to job until he found the one he has now - which he's been at for almost 3 months. It was worth it all I'd say. This is the highest paying job and he has a really nice boss. In addition, his English has really improved and we work basically the same hours.

That is what exactly I am thinking for my wife. Too much america and too much academia too soon..

We wish your husband well.

Thank you.. Exactly. It is totally a different picture for the immigrants and I feel for them, all the hardships and the adjustments are overwhelming. I admire you and all the spouses of immigrants. Your support and love help keep them sane from all these challenges.

My wife extends her thanks to you for sharing your experience. She's been in the same situation with a particular co-worker, and it kills me to see her unhappy because of that. She's trying to hold off from quitting for as long as she could, (at least for a year).

To lay you off without notice is outrageous, even if it is an at-will company! We couldn't imagine how you knew about the lay-off, and just didn't report to work? I don't really know how it works with lay-offs, I am fortunate enough not to experience that in my company for 11 years of my stay here. Anyway, they should, at least, have the courtesy to inform you. Well, at least you don't have to deal with that co-worker anymore. Best of luck to your next job. Hardworking people like you deserve all the best things in the world.

One thing I've learned about working in the US is that if you want to get ahead and get paid more you'll have to move around. I've been out of college for nearly 10 years now and it was the only way I was able to progress and get a higher salary. Long story short, companies these days are use to the moving around. I'm not saying after 1 month or so. On average, I've moved around after 1.5 years. My current position is the longest...going on 2.5 years. Bottom line...do what makes you happy...learn all you can from your current employer...take those experiences and transfer it. Companies want to see how well you can contribute to their bottom line. Good luck.

We are staying put where we are due to the fact we're financially stable here and Tulsa is pretty lively right now as far as opportunities for my husband's career are concerned. I am fortunate in that I don't have to work if I choose not to, but I have to admit that it's a bit discouraging in that my degree and training are kind of going to waste. I loved my career, and darn, it, I was good at it! Oh well.

I have a book I am working on and some ideas for a work-at-home kind of thing that I hope to have going by the end of the year, so all is not lost.

Depending on your line of work, having at least 1 or 2 recent jobs that you've stayed at for at least 2 years might be important.

Good luck

Saludos,
Caro

I agree with this. P has said that once he gets EAD, he will take whatever job he can get until he gets a job in his field (software engineering). In a perfect world, he'd get a job right away at Google or Microsoft or one of the up and coming Seattle tech places...but how well we know this isn't a perfect world

Truthfully, I could support us with no problems for several months, it will just make our lives easier for him to work, but I do understand the pressures on him as a new immigrant. I know he's coming from Europed with an advanced degree, but that doesn't make it any easier for him to leave his country and his friends and family and life and job and....to come here. I don't know what I'd feel in his situation.

As for me, my first job our of grad school I only kept for a year. I moved out of state, but I wouldn't have kept it anyway. It was too little pay for too much work and that's saying a lot, because that pretty much describes teaching I have been in my current job for 7 years. I'm not always thrilled to be there, but in many ways I'm blessed and my son gets a first rate college prep education for free. The tuition benefit alone is worth it.

I wish your wife luck!!

Wanting to earn more money can be a great reason to quit your job. Someone told me that since he can't get a raise at his current job he'll just quit and find a job that pays more...why waste time waiting to get paid more when you can just get a new job where you'll make more than the raise you're asking for? Good point.

I have been at my first US job now for two years. I started March 27/06.

I've been at my first job in the US for almost 1.5 years and there are many days where I can't wait to get out of this job and back into what I do, but as we know the economy is circling the drain and for now this job appears to be half way stable. Although they are laying people off, closing positions that never got filled and getting quite tight with cash! In a way I'm thinking off jumping ship before it sinks! It's a hard decision to make... jump or maybe sink?

One thing that does annoy me is the people at the top appear to be quite stable for now or they move them to an open vacancy and officially lay them off from their other job. It annoys me when us at the bottom of the food chain get questioned when making basic purchases for office supplies and those higher up spend a few 100 on a new chair or a new laptop or a nice new desk then never actually be in the office to sit at it...

So true and very well said..

One year and counting

A word of warning. My company was hiring a software engineer recently. When looking at resumes, a history of short jobs was a huge red flag for us. And we would consider two years to be a "short job". It was not necessarily a deal breaker, but we would want a good explanation.

Obviously, for a store clerk changing employers every six months might be perfectly acceptable...