What type of job did you get?

[Marlita 0]

Hey All,

I am wanting to find out what type of jobs most people started out doing once they moved to the States? Specifically for those immigrants who did not have much education beyond high school graduation. People who were docs or lawyers or something in their home country obviously had a degree.

I am wondering what are some of the more entry-level jobs that someone moving here could seek into getting.....this includes fast food, retail, etc. My husband will be moving here and we wanted to get an idea of jobs that he could look into being that he has a high school diploma but little to no college education.

Thanks!

[Laveau 67]

My guy applied to Nordsrtom and got the job. First try! He's now dept. supervisor at a great hotel. My guy is amazing.

[raymaga 25]

My first job in the U.S. was as a Proctor. My second job was in Domestic Violence for a city government. My current job is an Optical Technician.

I had no experience at any of these kinds of jobs in Canada, but applied anyways, and got them.

[Marlita 0]

Wow raymaga, thats real cool...I dont even know what a proctor is.

Nordstrom...thats a good one too. I forgot about department stores. I think nordies pays commission too. There's a Macys by me too.

Ok guys keep the list coming!! What other jobs are good to try?

[stardusted 0]

When I moved to St. Louis for a year it was on a J1 visa, specifically to work at a treatment center for children with special needs. It was the field I had been working in previously, so had a job waiting. That job didn't work out too well for me, unfortunately, and I ended up being a nanny for the rest of my time. I *loved* it. If you enjoy working with kids and can get health insurance from your spouse or other means, being a nanny can pay quite well and can work with almost any schedule.

[Mononoke28 134]

Even though my husband has a very good education in computer science he doesn't speak English and is now a stocker at Babies R Us. He likes it for now and hopes to get a better job as his English improves.

My parents also had to start from the ground up, my father was a dishwasher, porter, warehouse porter and a mechanic and my mom worked as a sewing machine operator and housekeeper in Vegas.

Diana

[Marlita 0]

So I was thinking that my husband could look for work in hotels, cause he worked the front desk in a Jamaica hotel. He also worked customer service with a US based Airline so maybe he can try to transfer that when he gets here. He doesn't seem to like the customer service phone lines. He says Americans are very rude an push and yell alot when things dont go their way...haha...i think he's right.

My sisters fiance works for a contractor as an electrician and said that contractors hire general labor workers to work on job sites and they dont need a special liscence or skill per se. He said that my husband can start as a general worker and then get on the job training for a pecific field...painting, drywall, electrical, mechanical...and then year or so later try to get licensed for his skill.

Someone mentioned being an extra for tv and movies...if you live in LA.

Working security at a store.

So those are some ideas...for entry level work.

[000 0]

So I was thinking that my husband could look for work in hotels, cause he worked the front desk in a Jamaica hotel. He also worked customer service with a US based Airline so maybe he can try to transfer that when he gets here. He doesn't seem to like the customer service phone lines. He says Americans are very rude an push and yell alot when things dont go their way...haha...i think he's right.

My sisters fiance works for a contractor as an electrician and said that contractors hire general labor workers to work on job sites and they dont need a special liscence or skill per se. He said that my husband can start as a general worker and then get on the job training for a pecific field...painting, drywall, electrical, mechanical...and then year or so later try to get licensed for his skill.

Someone mentioned being an extra for tv and movies...if you live in LA.

Working security at a store.

So those are some ideas...for entry level work.

My boss is Jaimacan, he is the controller of our hotel, has been in the hotel business for years , started out working on one of the resorts in Jamaica and has been doing it ever since, never had any problems from the way he tells it, he has been here for years and still doesnt have citizenship and doesnt seem to care to get it either, I think your husband will do just fine in the hotel business starting out if thats what he wants to do.

[*JG* 2]

Andre tried the hotel work. While he interviewed and 2nd interviewed, it just didn't pan out. He graduated prefect in his class, has no college, and worked 8 years as a bartender in 3 different hotels.

As you already know, he finally got the job at Jack in the Box in January 2007, 2 months after he was able to work. 3 months later, he was training for shift leader. Today, he is training for assistant manager. The area coach has him pegged for a store manager down the line, so we'll see how that goes. Along the way, he's gained 4 pay raises, his own health & dental insurance, vacation and sick time, some retirement, loads of training and experience. All I asked was that he work his first US job at least a year. It's been more then I ever imagined.

[shadtov 0]

My husband has a college degree but started from scratch here. In the first couple of years he worked as dishwasher, as a cashier at a money wiring place and as security. He's now a barista at starbucks and loves it. He's very social and his favorite job was as a bartender (He bartended to get through college). I told him that a barista is a Seattle bartender. Great benefits even for part-time.

[*JG* 2]

My husband has a college degree but started from scratch here. In the first couple of years he worked as dishwasher, as a cashier at a money wiring place and as security. He's now a barista at starbucks and loves it. He's very social and his favorite job was as a bartender (He bartended to get through college). I told him that a barista is a Seattle bartender. Great benefits even for part-time.

Andre wanted to do that after I told him it seemed kind of like bartending. He just never made it there to apply.

[shadtov 0]

My husband has a college degree but started from scratch here. In the first couple of years he worked as dishwasher, as a cashier at a money wiring place and as security. He's now a barista at starbucks and loves it. He's very social and his favorite job was as a bartender (He bartended to get through college). I told him that a barista is a Seattle bartender. Great benefits even for part-time.

Andre wanted to do that after I told him it seemed kind of like bartending. He just never made it there to apply.

It sounds like a good thing that he didn't since he's on a speedy upward path as it is.

[Marlita 0]

Andre tried the hotel work. While he interviewed and 2nd interviewed, it just didn't pan out. He graduated prefect in his class, has no college, and worked 8 years as a bartender in 3 different hotels.

As you already know, he finally got the job at Jack in the Box in January 2007, 2 months after he was able to work. 3 months later, he was training for shift leader. Today, he is training for assistant manager. The area coach has him pegged for a store manager down the line, so we'll see how that goes. Along the way, he's gained 4 pay raises, his own health & dental insurance, vacation and sick time, some retirement, loads of training and experience. All I asked was that he work his first US job at least a year. It's been more then I ever imagined.

Wow, thats pretty good! I am hoping my husband can get a job doing something that doesnt require him to work weekends. Most entry jobs require the weekends. But since I work 40+ hours during the week our weekends will be the only full time together. He wants to go to school too, so I am thinking he has to find something to work with his school schedule too.

My husband has a college degree but started from scratch here. In the first couple of years he worked as dishwasher, as a cashier at a money wiring place and as security. He's now a barista at starbucks and loves it. He's very social and his favorite job was as a bartender (He bartended to get through college). I told him that a barista is a Seattle bartender. Great benefits even for part-time.

He has a college degree and still had to start off entry? What was his degree in..if I may ask?

[*JG* 2]

Andre tried the hotel work. While he interviewed and 2nd interviewed, it just didn't pan out. He graduated prefect in his class, has no college, and worked 8 years as a bartender in 3 different hotels.

As you already know, he finally got the job at Jack in the Box in January 2007, 2 months after he was able to work. 3 months later, he was training for shift leader. Today, he is training for assistant manager. The area coach has him pegged for a store manager down the line, so we'll see how that goes. Along the way, he's gained 4 pay raises, his own health & dental insurance, vacation and sick time, some retirement, loads of training and experience. All I asked was that he work his first US job at least a year. It's been more then I ever imagined.

Wow, thats pretty good! I am hoping my husband can get a job doing something that doesnt require him to work weekends. Most entry jobs require the weekends. But since I work 40+ hours during the week our weekends will be the only full time together. He wants to go to school too, so I am thinking he has to find something to work with his school schedule too.

It is a problem. Our schedules are sometimes completely different. In the end, though, Marlita, you learn to live with it. You thank God he has a job and you are in the same house every single day, and you definately do not stress about something as inconsequential as working weekends. It's all about quality of time spent together not quantity.

[Jenn! 918]

My husband is a chauffeur.