I am really curious and want to ask everyone. I am going to marry my fiance who is USC. I got my BA in the US, but I have never had a career. I am interested in retail business and become a sales associate in cosmetic and beauty industries. I wonder how you guys find jobs and go through job hunting. I know this is kind of stupid to ask, but obviously I am not a native speaker, and might face really difficulities to find a job in the US. I want to work once I get a permission. I would like to know everyone's experience

You might face some difficulites in the retail or sales associate field despite having a degree if your English is not too good. There are lots of English classes in the US you can take that might brush up on your English speaking skills. Job hunting can be done via the local newspaper, or preparing a resume and handing it out at places you'd like to work. Not having any previous work experience when you get here, you might have to start in a "trainee" position. This will allow your employer to see your skills and abilities and then maybe better match them to the kind of position that you're looking for. It might be that you start somewhere and move up in the company. Some people with specific job skills or education may choose to sign on with an employment agency. If you're not getting responses to places you'd like to work, you could always join a temp agency, and work at various places to learn more about what employers in your field are looking for.

Good luck in whatever endeavour you choose!

Carla

Claudeth went to the mall and put in applications. The pay isn't very good, at least in the beginning

If you're concerned about the language barrier, I'd recommend taking some English classes while you're waiting for permission to work. That way, when you start applying for jobs you'll be more comfortable with your communication skills.

I'm also pretty worried about finding a job, but I'm also prepared to work my way up the ladder if necessary. Having not had a career in something other than retail, my expectations are fairly low!

It depends on what type of work you're looking for. Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, hotjobs.com are very popular sites people use to look for work. Employment agencies and newspapers are also a good way to start. You can also have your resume ready with references and go apply in person.

Diana

Well, I used to work on campus during my senior year. I worked at starbucks. And I got a degree in speech communicaiton, so I am not very worried about my speaking so much. But, I am not a native speaker, so of course compared to native speakers, I am not as fluent as they are. Ummmmmm
I hope that I can get something to do because I hate to be at home. Yeah, while I am waiting for a permission to work, I will take some classes at community collge like a computer class and business class. Hopefully that will help. I know retail jobs at shopping mall won't be great at the beginning, but any kinds of sales jobs are up to how much you sell. Thank you everyone.

As far as my wife, the immigrant's experiences & the state where we live are concerned, she did not have problems finding a job. If you're not so choosy and you don't have high expectations, there are lots of jobs to apply to. My wife received her GC in August and she started to send out (5 resume's) 2nd week of Sept.. She found these jobs through those popular career websites, as others mentioned here. By mid-month of Sept., she got the job. She was ready to take any decent job any time of the day BUT she wanted to try it out first to find a job with is tangent to her profession back home. With a positive attitude also, you can land the job your heart desires. My wife is a scientist now. And her being Asian, a Filipina (you would expect for big companies to ignore her resume and other credentials to prefer other "more credible "candidates), she got the job. You should prepare yourself too for those interview questions and know how to rebut illegal questions if you encounter any. My wife got all stressed up during the interview process but she stuck it out and went for the impossible, as other people we know thought.

Imagine my parents' & friends' (USCs) surprise when they learned she got the job! Don't limit yourself when it comes to opportunities. But make realistic expectations/goals too so you won't get disappointed when things don't turn out well on your first attempt on the seemingly elusive job.


Good luck to you.

Thank you so much for your reply. Well, my B.A. is about speech communication, so of course, I LOVE to speak in English. And right now, I am doing sales in Japan which is so much fun. My fiance said don't care about my degree, just get a job and get enough experience, so I am more likly to have a management position because I already have B.A. Any kinds of retail jobs require experiences usually 3-5 years plus B.A. to get a management position. So, I will try to even get a part time job. Thank you. I won't limit myself and also I will try anything even though it might not the best job ever, but who cares? We all need to live. So I cannot complain. The thing is that my fiance and I are not planning to have a child. We prefer to work and earn, so I can have enough time to work.

Your plans sound very exciting, and you sound determined enough to achieve them. Professional development (those classes you mentioned) is always a good sign for potential employers -- IF the skills you are acquiring are aplicable in the area, and seems to me the courses you are considering do apply. You will be great!!!!
Good luck, L.