Assalaamu alaikum everyone!!

Insha'Allah everyone is well and closer to the end of their seperation!!
I have a question for anyone that has already arrived in USA....
My husband has been here in USA since June 11...he is haveing a really
hard time finding a job!!!

He is an upper level Executive Assistant, he is told he is "over qualified"
for the positions he has applied for. We even toned down his resume
but it didnt do much good in helping him get a job.

Soooo can anyone tell me if it is normal that it takes a long time for
the new Immigrant to get a job???
We are living in Clearwater Florida...anyone else here in Florida????
My husband is ready to give up and move back to Bangladesh!!

Of course I would go with him but insha'Allah something happens
soon for my husband in getting a job!! He has applied with all the
Employment Agencies in the Tampa Bay area and has sent out ohhhhh
seems like hundreds of resumes for jobs...does any one have any
suggestions for me and my husband???

Please pray for my husband Kabir, that he finds a job soon....

Allah Hafiz
Sis Eva Nadia

Some people are lucky and have family connections that can get the immigrant a job asap. Others have a much harder time, and can go months and months and months (4 months and counting) without anything.

Tell your husband to come back and say hi. I think it's normal to feel dispair at a certain point or points during the process, but don't give up! inshaAllah it will get better.

Its hard out here for EVERYONE not just immigrants. Tell him that he has to keep trying. I would also redo the resume. Are there other fields that he can go into?


This is a General Commit not DIRECTED at anyone.

I have noticed that people that are specialised in a specific field will not look for work in other fields and would not take a regular job somewhere. Is it better to have money coming in or having the high paying specilized job? Can someone please explain this thinking?

Iwish you good luck and happiness

Eva Nadia,

Is your husband willing to take any job or is he only looking for something similar to what he was doing in Bangladesh?

My husband received his EAD on a Monday and had a job offer Tuesday and another offer later that week. He has had other offers as well. However, he did not get any offers (not a one) by sending out resumes alone or filling out online applications.

He got out the map of our city and went to the online yellow pages. He found business parks/industrial parks that I never knew existed. He figured out the bus routes and went out to these places. He knocked on the doors of these businesses (sometimes not even knowing what they were) and asked if he could have an application. If they said they were not hiring, he left a copy of his resume. None of these places had "help wanted" signs, and again - he was often in the dark about what kind of business he was even entering. Right away the calls started.

This is how he has received EVERY offer. It is funny because my mom said initially "Doesn't he know this isn't how it is done here" but this is what has worked. I know someone else who got a decent paying job the same way - by knocking on doors at an industrial park. The jobs seem to be in the $9-12 an hour range, not great but not bad for starting out here. My husband didn't feel hopeful that he would be able to transfer his career in Morocco to a position here, so he was ready to start out this way. Another good thing is many of these types of jobs offer three 12-hour days rather than a full work week which allows time to keep looking for a better job, school and the best - more together time.

My thought on this is that on paper they may not seem different from a dozen other candidates. However, in person they get a chance to see my husband and he gives a good impression. I think it can also be a matter of timing - he showed up when they needed help or that they are impressed with his determination and decide to offer a position they were not 100% set on filling.

I hope this advice can help some, and I will keep you both in my prayers.

Rebecca

My husband did the same thing Rebecca's husband did and when he gets his EAD he will be able to go back to the job.

Wishing you the best.

my husband got here in december and wasn't able to get any jobs until around may(i think)He had owned his own business, has his BS in business management, and also does graphic design... He applied at 50 or more places and was also told he was over-qualified for the work. He had to finally swallow his pride and understand he couldn't find the job in the field he wanted coz it just wasn't going to happen at that time. He is currently working at the local Wal-Mart (at less than 7.00 per hour) coz it's the only place that would take him. He is still putting applications in everywhere and hoping to get called by a better job soon. For now, any money is better than no money for us.
I wish you much luck in this and please don't give up...it will take time but eventually he'll find something...

amal

My husband had a hard time at first finding a job with his temp EAD, but he eventually started working at a very difficult construction type job just so he could feel like he was contributing. Already his boss loves him and wants to send him out of town to another job site making 3 times the money.

It's not what he wanted to do, and it's grueling work, but when he gets his permanent EAD and starts the job search for the job he really wants, he'll have great references from his boss and an established work history in the U.S. It's really difficult to move to another country and get a job right away in your preferred industry. My suggestion is to have him look at all kinds of things, not just in his specialty. If it's a job that requires less skill, tone down the resume to fit the job.

Word-of-mouth is also terrific. I asked anyone and everyone I knew of any job openings. Eventually, my co-worker said her cousin was looking for someone, and that's how Amed found this job. Another co-worker's husband is in retail management and once Amed gets his permanent EAD, he's going to see if he has anything available.

The important thing is to not get discouraged. Something is out there, you just have to keep looking and not give up.

Good luck!

Amal,

I cannot remember - where do you live? I think Wal-Mart here starts higher than that - we are in Maryland, just outside of Baltimore City. It is frustrating how hard it can be to find even a basic job! I do think it is generally easier to find work in cities than rural areas too.

Rebecca