Work in America

United States is an expectant destination for most of the world’s immigrants. But contrary to what one might think and despite being one of the richest countries in the world, the United States has a high level of poverty. There are many people looking for work to earn a base salary. Finding a job in America is very difficult, especially if you are foreign.

Work in the United States

United States goes through difficult economic conditions, the situation is complicated for immigrants that are seeking for work in America. In the case of immigrants the main problem they face is the difficulties they have to go through in order to get a visa. Normally when an immigrant comes to America he/she remains unemployed for at least 5 months. This condition carries some disadvantages in certain companies or industries. The situation may improve if you look for work as a language teacher, actually finding a job in the U.S. is not so easy.

Get a job in the United States

If you can get a job, you will strive hard because you will be evaluated by your productivity. The employment stability is in the past, most companies view their employees as expendable resources and many employees view the companies in the same way too. Unlike European businesses, the American companies don´t pay a severance payment, hiring and firing is the way Americans work.

Ways to find work in the United States

The question is how to find work in America. There are many ways to find work.

• Internet: Currently the internet is a great tool to find work in the United States. In certain websites you can do custom searches, you can enter your resume or curriculum vitae to a database.
• Newspapers and Magazines: you can usually find jobs in newspapers in the Classifieds USAsection, magazines and in other publications such as classified ads. If you’re looking for specialized work you will find it in the New York Times or in the Washington Post.
• Public Employment Centers: There are many public employment centers throughout the United States that offer databases with job offers. There you can find free advice and training.
• Networking: Networking is definitely the most effective method to find work. The contacts of friends, colleagues and classmates are very valuable and can be very useful.
• Personal request: You can also take the initiative to visit the companies, especially if it is unskilled work, most probably they will tell you they do not need anyone else or they will consider your resume for other calls.

Tips on how to make a work request

Let’s start with the curriculum, present it with a good format, investigate the standard American format which can be very different from your country, and usually recommend putting the experience at top. Prepare your request with all necessary (request letter, copies of qualifications, curriculum vitae, recommendations and other documents) and send them in good condition.

The letter of introduction is important to make a really good first impression. It is a tool to know your intentions, work experience and education, in a very brief and clear way. The American curriculum should include information such as personal data, education, languages, other skills, work history, hobbies and references. Be sure to be short and put the most important information at the beginning of the document. For the interview, punctuality is very important. You should wear a conservative suit, in the case of men, a dark suit and tie and ladies a suit or dress. Look for information from the company beforehand and answer questions in a frank and open way. Finally you should always maintain courtesy.

There are also agreements between the United States and other countries where students can travel on your vacation to the United States as a cultural exchange and to improve your English: Students can work in skiing resorts and many other workplaces.