Thoughts on start applying to jobs before EAD

[Amadia 711]

2 minutes ago, Mrijex said:

I see you are all mostly advising to be cautious and not expect too much. I appreciate that. If anybody has actually gone through the process in this way I'd still love to hear how and I'll try and update this post maybe if I have more experience with it too.

I HAVE gone thru the process.....so it seems a bit insulting that you think members who are posting and trying to help have not gone thru what you are thinking about or similar. 😕

 

After my embassy interview in Trinidad and while waiting for the visa to be pasted into my passport, I sent out many applications thru various job boards online. Every recruiter/HR personnel who contacted me asked me two things: 

1. When will you be arriving in the USA?

2. Do you have work authorization?

 

I had a definite answer to both but without work authorization document IN HAND, the companies could not legally make me a job offer.

 

It is unfortunate if you think our answers are no help to you.

[Amadia 711]

2 minutes ago, Nat&Amy said:

After I got my GC last month, though, I started a new round of applications and one of those applications resulted in an interview tomorrow.

Good luck on your interview!!!!! 

[saladboye 166]

As someone who did hiring at a previous company.

 

Be honest about it, mention on your resume / header upfront that you are waiting for EAD. We have have offered jobs to people who were waiting for visa etc Tough this was in IT/technology where worker shortage is there.

 

The way I see it is the worst thing is they discard it as soon as they learn about your EAD, best case they give consideration.

 

From a hiring guy perspective, it tells me you are on top of things, you are setting the expectations straight and are planning ahead.

 

No matter what the role, thats a big plus for anyone.

 

As someone else said, start networking, add people on linked in, find a job you like? find who posted and add them on LinkedIn and message them. They may not be able to offer you but you will be on their radar and thats way more valueable.
As you search more, you will show up on Employee seekers search result as well. The more visibility you have, better your odds.

 

Its like a sale/advertisement thing, the more I see something the more I'm inclined to check it out.

 

The more you show up on hiring managers search, the better your chances.

 

If you are serious about it, I would recommend Linkedin Premium, its a bit expensive but it offer nice insights that you can leverage.

Edited April 24, 2019 by saladboye

[Mrijex 21]

1 hour ago, Nat&Amy said:

I have been applying for jobs since I received my AOS interview notice and I had to answer NO in many of my applications. Never heard back from any potential employers.

  

After I got my GC last month, though, I started a new round of applications and one

of those applications resulted in an interview tomorrow.

Congratulations! And good luck tomorrow Im sorry to hear the ventures without having the GC didn't have the desired effect... That's why I came out here to ask this question, to see if anybody had already succeeded this way.

1 hour ago, Nat&Amy said:

The sooner you start the better, as long as you are always honest in your answers and are prepared to miss out on those opportunities that are not willing to wait for you.

This is what I am thinking as well. We'll see how it goes!

 

 

[Mrijex 21]

1 hour ago, Amadia said:

I HAVE gone thru the process.....so it seems a bit insulting that you think members who are posting and trying to help have not gone thru what you are thinking about or similar. 😕

I was not trying to be insulting, apologies if it came off that way. You had simply not explained your experiences with this specific situation before which is what I specifically asked for so I assumed that because it wasn't volunteered you hadn't gone about it this way. 

1 hour ago, Amadia said:

I had a definite answer to both but without work authorization document IN HAND, the companies could not legally make me a job offer.

Sorry to hear it didn't work out yet for you. I guess it's good that you have spoken to recruiters and HR departments now tho so they'll know your name for the future.

 

1 hour ago, Amadia said:

It is unfortunate if you think our answers are no help to you.

I do not think this.

[Mrijex 21]

1 hour ago, saladboye said:

As someone else said, start networking, add people on linked in, find a job you like? find who posted and add them on LinkedIn and message them. They may not be able to offer you but you will be on their radar and thats way more valueable.
As you search more, you will show up on Employee seekers search result as well. The more visibility you have, better your odds.

Thank you! That's really good advice. I appreciate it.

 

1 hour ago, saladboye said:

Be honest about it, mention on your resume / header upfront that you are waiting for EAD. We have have offered jobs to people who were waiting for visa etc Tough this was in IT/technology where worker shortage is there.

 

The way I see it is the worst thing is they discard it as soon as they learn about your EAD, best case they give consideration.

Good ideas, thank you!

[Amadia 711]

27 minutes ago, Mrijex said:

Sorry to hear it didn't work out yet for you.

This was back in 2016.....I am now gainfully employed full time  

[Ash.1101 1,755]

Just be careful, last I saw EAD was taking a VERY long time. You don't want to throw apps in and then a job actually want you and then find out it could be at least 6 months before they have you.

Burning bridges before you even have a chance to cross them is a bad idea.

Much like not buying a plane ticket until you have your visa in hand, I wouldn't do any interviews or go for any job you actually want before having at least the EAD approval notification.

I only say no because I wouldn't find it worth losing out on a job that I would really like because I decided to apply for it 6 months before I got my EAD.

Edited April 24, 2019 by Ash.1101

[Amadia 711]

3 minutes ago, Ash.1101 said:

Much like not buying a plane ticket until you have your visa in hand

^^^^ THIS is the classic analogy for the situation!  

[Chocobo 196]

I love the suggestion of starting to network while you're waiting.  Also, reaching out to some recruiters/headhunters in the area you want to work may be worthwhile, too.  They get paid only if you get hired, so it is in their best interest to let you know if you're marketable or not.  They won't waste their time w/you otherwise.  

 

Now is a really good time to do a lot of research, too - expected salaries in the market, benefits being offered, really polishing up your resume, etc.  Even if you can't apply yet for the job, you can keep yourself busy with making sure you're 100% ready to click "submit" the second you get the EAD.    

[Sarah&Facundo 576]

My husband tried when he knew he was closer to getting receiving his EAD, but it posed a problem. Since most applications are initially online (and even if you email the company, they direct you to an online application anyway), it is very hard to complete them. All of the questions about having legal authorization to work were drop-down  "yes/no" questions. There isn't a space to explain. It would not let him go past there and I imagine this question lead to an auto-rejection even if he was able to submit. As someone mentioned above, try networking for now. My husband had a job within a week of getting his EAD in hand. 

[Marieke H 2,314]

It's probably a bit too early to apply for jobs, but it will keep you busy, so why not?

I started looking at my options when my EAD had been pending for 4 months, saw the perfect job a month later, applied, got the job, and my employer was willing to wait for 6 weeks until I finally had my EAD.

On the online application form there was a question if I was authorized to work. Of course I answered no, but I was invited for an interview anyway. Maybe I got lucky and someone at HR wasn't paying attention... I explained my status during my interview, and they decided that they were willing to wait.

I tried to expedite, the Senator's office got involved, I called USCIS every other day, etc. I'm still not sure if any of all that really worked, but at least it felt good to be proactive. 

[Loren Y 2,732]

I depends on the job you are planning on getting. My wife has done a couple " Working" interviews where you have to demonstrate your proficiency and knowledge for the position. You get no compensation for the so called " working interview" but she did so well she has 2 verbal offers pending. They literally said the day you get your EAD in hand, you start the next day. So it could be beneficial, even if just applying to a few jobs you really don't care about to get some interview experience. I know if I had to interview tomorrow I would bomb it so bad they would never hire me( I've just not actually interviewed in over 20 years, so I have no idea how to do it now a days), but the benefit is I have a very strong network in my field where I could call on a favor and have a job without an interview more than likely.

[carmel34 3,531]

If your goal is a job in college or university admissions or recruiting areas, I can say based on my 30-year career in higher ed that it is very unlikely that you will get an interview without work authorization in hand.  That said, there's no harm in trying, especially since it will help you to get to know the job market in your geographic area, who is likely to hire in the kinds of positions that you are interested in, work on improving, re-writing and polishing your resume, your cover letter, knowing how to best position your background, experience, and education to be attractive and qualified based on the posted job qualifications.  I would suggest that you use these next six months while waiting for EAD to work on your resume and cover letter, network as much as you can, become familiar with jobs, qualifications, and educational background required.  You might even find that getting an advanced degree while you wait, at least starting on a master's degree for example, would increase your chances of getting a job when you get your EAD.  There are lots of online educational options nowadays, some very affordable and with no restrictions on working at your own pace, so you could do coursework for many hours a day and accelerate your completion of a grad degree, online course, certificate, etc.  You could also send a professional letter or email to key hiring managers at colleges and universities that you are targeting and state your situation, and could you meet for an informal chat or coffee about jobs that are typically available in your area of interest, in other words start to make a good impression and do research at the same time.  All they can say is no, so it doesn't hurt to ask.  If you ask professionally, it could help later on when you are a real applicant after EAD is received.  Also, look for job fairs in your region sponsored by the colleges and universities, go to some of these and meet people, make connections, ask questions, practice your "elevator pitch"--explaining why they should hire you in two minutes or less.  There is so much you can do in these next six months to prepare, and know all kinds of little things like dress codes, job expectations, pay ranges, educational requirements.  You might also find through all of this ways you can volunteer and make even more connections and favorable impressions.  Good luck!

Edited April 24, 2019 by carmel34

[dxec 31]

3 hours ago, Amadia said:

^^^^ THIS is the classic analogy for the situation!  

So what did you end up doing? Is there anything you would do different?

 

I see you live in the same city as myself how are you liking living here?