Is this a bad idea?

[Cathi 5,610]

You can take a job and leave it off your resume if you're worried about it. I don't think it would count against you, but it may confuse Human Resources, who tend to be more by-the-book people. If it goes straight into the hands of the potential employer instead of through HR, I don't think it would matter at all as long as it's explained in your cover letter. This is where networking could come into play. If the gap on your resume gets much longer than, say 4 months, then I'd add it, or something, to it. Make sure in your cover letter to address the fact that you have just recently moved to the United States--any reasonable person would overlook a few months' gap on the resume for someone who has just moved clear across the world.

For me, if I saw that on a cover letter, and saw something like Wal-Mart on the resume, I'd know what was going on and I'd look *more* favorably on the applicant for doing what needs to be done to earn money, avoid debt, etc. But I'd also keep in mind that they may be working elsewhere to pay the bills (or could have a different financial situation that is none of my business) and not hold a short gap against them. Long gaps, to me, need explaining, if not on the resume itself, than in an interview.

If I were in your position, I'd start a profile on LinkedIn, change my location to wherever it is in the US you're going to be living, start researching potential employers now (which you may already be doing). If you get the ball rolling, you may wind up with a conditional offer of employment (large firms can do this), the condition being you are physically present with a green card within X months.

Both of my husband's employers were not worried about the gap in his employment. He was very up front about his circumstances during his interviews and they were very understanding. He didn't put anything on his cover letter explaining that gap, it was pretty self explanatory by looking at his resume that he was new to the US. By the way, my husband's first job in the US was at Walmart and it was a total non-issue, and the same with his now employer.

[Pennycat 880]

Both of my husband's employers were not worried about the gap in his employment. He was very up front about his circumstances during his interviews and they were very understanding. He didn't put anything on his cover letter explaining that gap, it was pretty self explanatory by looking at his resume that he was new to the US. By the way, my husband's first job in the US was at Walmart and it was a total non-issue, and the same with his now employer.

Exactly. In a unique situation where it's obvious what's going on, gaps are to be expected. Explaining circumstances either in a cover letter or interview, whenever, will make folks understand (but in the cover letter, you know they'll see it, whereas you may not get an interview). Me personally, as part of a hiring team, for *any* applicant I want to see a gap of longer than 4 months explained, but still wouldn't count it against the applicant--I'd just want an update. If the update is "still looking" or "took a retail job", I don't care. I just want to know.

And I didn't mean to knock working at Walmart--just an example of a likely job. I for sure don't think that would be an issue, and for me would make me look at the applicant more favorably. HR is different though, depending on the company, so as always, direct networking is always best and no harm in trying to explain your circumstances right off the bat, if you think you'll need to get through HR.

[ZA_35 48]

Thanks everyone for the feedback

[jjbandero 39]

Throwing in my two cents, as a person who had to fill some entry level positions i.e. less than 2 years of overall work experience, we are generally advised by HR that a person with a lot of experience and education are over-qualified for the position and may not be a good long-term prospect for the company as hiring and re-training will be costly. You should keep that in mind when you apply for entry level positions as you may be considered a flight-risk after hiring.

Further, candidates apply for our positions online and the system will automatically eliminate those that do not fit the profile, so there's a possibility that you may not even make it to the human reviewer stage if there's a mismatch between your experience and qualifications and what the posting is for. There are a couple of reasons for this, one is that it makes the filtering process more efficient, the other is to ensure compliance with equal employment opportunity laws. I won't go into details, but a lot of large companies do this, so you need to think about how you might want to set up your resume/application.

I agree with posters who say that it's important to tailor your resume to the US market, and it's a good idea to meet different recruiters from reputable companies to get them to provide you feedback. I generally find that people are focused on how you've analyzed the requirements of a position and what you bring to the table that would make you successful in it. Examples of how you've demonstrated cost savings, productivity gains are highly valuable, the ability to work in a team, but also coach and direct is great for most positions, so I would highlight these on a resume.

Finally, there is also the option of working with a resource company e.g. Resources Global Professionals, Robert Half, that provides contractors to other companies, there are lots of examples of companies liking their contractors so much that they hire them on as employees.

Best of luck

[Cam54 84]

On the contrary, any employment will bode well on your resume. It's not about how much you make, so much as the fact you're not willing to sit on your hands that counts.

Potential employers will look at your qualifications and gaps in your employment. It will become clear that a job outside your craft was a bridge job as you took your new life in America. You will be able to comment on your reasons during the interview.

Don't sit around.

What kind of red flag? For whom? Help us understand...

I agree about taking any job to show a hardworking attitude. When I was a teenager my coworker at a fast food restaurant was a medical doctor from India getting some work experience and cultural experience whilst waiting for his UK license to come through, I thought it was very admirable and sensible to get involved in work ASAP whilst looking for better job to show that your ego wont get in the way of your work and you're willing to put the hours in.