Resume post-immigration

[Michael+Tracie 0]

Hi everyone, been awhile since I posted to the Canadian forum, but I've been lurking.

K1 is done, we're married (YAY!), AP is approved, EAD is approved, and the GC was just sent to California for expedited processing. Everything is going amazingly well (less one RFE, but that too ended up okay).

Now I find myself trying to update my resume and begin the job hunt in the US and I'm drawing blanks on what to actually say.

Previous to even meeting Tracie, I was in the process of shutting down a retail business that I ran for over 14 years. The plan was to take a year off, and then re-enter the workforce. Near the end of that year, I met Tracie and we fell in love. Although I tried to find employment during the next year and a bit, nothing ever materialized (such was the job situation where I lived). Originally we thought she would move to Canada, but with my inability to act as a sponsor and her with a long-term and stable job, it went the other way around.

Once we decided that I would move down to the US instead, finding a job sort of fell to second place in priority. So, with one year off since the close of my business that was mainly voluntary, one year plus of unsuccessful job hunting, and just under a year of immigration and EAD processing, I find myself with a three year gap in my job history.

I've been doing other things during this time that look okay on a resume, but I'm wondering if I should put something in the resume that helps explain the long gap.

I've read a couple of other posts on VJ concerning this and they all seem to answer the "am I able to work in the US" question, but add nothing about the length of the whole immigration process and how that effects job hunting in general.

Are there any Canadians out there in a similar situation, and if so...what did you decide to put into your resume. How much is too much? Should I just leave everything out and save it for a potential future interview, if required...or would you be proactive and add something in now?

Thanks for any insight you can offer!

Michael.

[RollingOn 0]

Great!!

Remember, a resume is only a device to make the employer want to talk to you. You are legal to work, that is all that matters. The immigration is none of the employers business. Honest. Keep your family life and personal life to yourself.

Get the resume together and I would make it a functional style to focus on your abilities, skills and knowledge. Not chronological. A time-line is not important in this case.

Show what you can bring to the company. You can dicuss personal life after you have the job and are comfortable.

Have success!!

Rick

[Flames9_RN 358]

On my resume I added a line at the end that stated i was legally able to work in the USA. Does 1 have to do that, no, BUT with all my work experience in Canada an employer may wonder if one is able to work in the USA legally. This let them know I could work legally,AND that they didn't have to do any extra paperwork to get me a "work" visa.