How long did it take you to get a job in your field?

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

And once you're hired... welcome to the world of trying to understand all the documents they need you to sign!!!! 

What they here call the "privilege to choose" when it comes to health care provider - I call "death by documents" it's just really hard to even know if when push comes to shove, whatever you did choose and payed for, will even cover you.

That's sort of the thing about getting sick. No one knows when and what... so how on earth can you choose an "appropriate" insurance!!!???

Lol oh woooopppsss that's an entirely different topic!!!

[TBoneTX 43,058]

Suss&Camm, you have a high-class problem.

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

1 hour ago, TBoneTX said:

Suss&Camm, you have a high-class problem.

lol I'm aware, I had just been sitting three hours trying to figure out how one plan is better or worse than the other when I wrote that.. My brain was temporarily fried 

[TBoneTX 43,058]

Fried brains...

[Abby&Mario 100]

Good thread. I'll answer on behalf of my husband. 

 

1. How long did it take you? It took 13 long months. Yes, thirteen. He had a TON of interviews during this time, phone and in person. He had an interview scheduled before we even landed! He'd get to the very end of the process because people were generally very impressed, but they just wouldn't bite. We think part of this was because he'd never worked in the country, but a bigger factor was because his only IT experience was during his first job, more than a decade ago. Everyone really liked him, but larger companies especially have certain boxes they need to tick and so they just couldn't take the chance on him. Finally, a recruiter got him a temporary contract position with the potential for a full time job. He did so well that the agency nominated him for an award, and the company bought out his contract before it was up and brought him on full time. 

 

2. What's your profession? He was a telecommunications engineer back in Latin America and hated it. He decided to move over to doing IT in the states. During his unemployment, he studied his ### off and got the CCNP, CCNA and Juniper certifications. He also took English classes at Rice University to improve his accent, something we thought was maybe a factor affecting his job search. (Funnily enough, a lot of his job is answering client phone calls!) 

 

3. Where are you from? He is from Barranquilla, Colombia but had lived in Medellín and Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also traveled to other parts of Latin America sometimes because of his job.

 

4. Where do you live? We live in Houston, TX, my hometown. 

 

The first year back in the U.S. was extremely difficult for us, individually and as a couple. The most difficult year of both of our lives, actually. We both had a tough time adjusting to life in the U.S. (I'd been abroad for five years) and we both had scary health problems on top of that. Money was extremely tight.  I worked myself to the bone trying to get overtime, and I didn't have any paid vacation time or sick days that year. But we got through it. You know what they say-- if you're going through hell, keep going. I'm so glad we kept going. 

 

We are house hunting now. 

[Rayane 0]

I think we got really lucky. My fiancee (now wife) told her company that she would be moving to the US about 6 months before her departure just to give them a heads up. They decided to work on how to transfer her over so she gets to keep her job. She's taking some online courses/working on side projects while waiting for her EAD and will start work once she gets it. I think she secretly wishes she could get a longer break but we're not complaining!

 

2. Profession? Software Engineer

 

3. From? Singapore.

 

4. Where do you live? Irving, TX

[dub42 17]

On 4/18/2017 at 0:57 PM, Abby&Mario said:

. We think part of this was because he'd never worked in the country,

i had this happen to me also. Some companies provide their recruiters with strict guidelines about who they can hire and I have seen this first hand where a Japanese company wanted to hire a person in my locality for a role in Michigan but they requested the candidates brought forward have local experience.

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

26 minutes ago, dub42 said:

i had this happen to me also. Some companies provide their recruiters with strict guidelines about who they can hire and I have seen this first hand where a Japanese company wanted to hire a person in my locality for a role in Michigan but they requested the candidates brought forward have local experience.

Seems to me this could sometimes be warranted, but I'm sure it's also used to circumvent the fact that they aren't allowed to discriminate based on if you carry an EAD or GC or if your a citizen (unless for certain specific roll that require citizenship, some government positions). 

[dub42 17]

7 minutes ago, Suss&Camm said:

Seems to me this could sometimes be warranted, but I'm sure it's also used to circumvent the fact that they aren't allowed to discriminate based on if you carry an EAD or GC or if your a citizen (unless for certain specific roll that require citizenship, some government positions). 

its definitely a circumvention in my mind

[elisar 17]

more than 3 years in USA, still cant get a job in my field, too much tough to find even a normal job for me, may be im not lucky 

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

29 minutes ago, elisar said:

more than 3 years in USA, still cant get a job in my field, too much tough to find even a normal job for me, may be im not lucky 

I'm sorry to hear that!  Can you give some more information. What's your field, background, where do you live, what you did to try and get hired etc.? Maybe others can learn from you and you can get some tips if someone is in your field.

[flying_postman 6]

Update: I arrived in the US (Austin, TX) on the 1st April and received a job offer on the 2nd May and started on the 15th after the background check by the staffing agency. It's a contract to hire position as a level 2 data center tech and there's room to move within the organization but I'm not complaining (any port will do when you're in a storm) since this takes some pressure off my savings and can commit to getting a car etc. So hopefully I'm brought on board permanently after my 3 month contract.

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

1 hour ago, flying_postman said:

Update: I arrived in the US (Austin, TX) on the 1st April and received a job offer on the 2nd May and started on the 15th after the background check by the staffing agency. It's a contract to hire position as a level 2 data center tech and there's room to move within the organization but I'm not complaining (any port will do when you're in a storm) since this takes some pressure off my savings and can commit to getting a car etc. So hopefully I'm brought on board permanently after my 3 month contract.

That's great news! Congratulations first step is the toughest but gets the ball rolling. keep us updated

[bbf3562 27]

I am curious how you guys can get a job in 1 or 2 months after arrive in US? Can that happen to K1 fiance visa after married? I know they can't get job until received SSN and EAD or Green Card however can they contact company for networking ahead of time or do early interview and get offered by wait until spouse get EAD or green card to start working?

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

1 hour ago, bbf3562 said:

I am curious how you guys can get a job in 1 or 2 months after arrive in US? Can that happen to K1 fiance visa after married? I know they can't get job until received SSN and EAD or Green Card however can they contact company for networking ahead of time or do early interview and get offered by wait until spouse get EAD or green card to start working?

@flying_postman was a DV lottery winner, so he arrived with GC upon entry. I was a K1 and was offered a job the week following the issuance of my EAD. I had started researching companies and working on my resume as well as posting resumes on job sites and upgrading LinkedIn for networking purposes since I got here at the end of October 2016. I started applying seriously about one month before the expected arrival of my EAD. I figured that one month is not too long to ask any company if they are willing to wait should I be contacted. I was in contact with the consulting company that hired me (they called and sent offers based on my Indeed resume) for that whole month really. I was also lucky to get my GC only 2 weeks after my EAD which I ended up supplementing to them before the background check was over.

It all depends on many factors, but you definitely get a head start by getting the ball rolling before hand.