Solutions to securing a stable job
Facing employment barriers can leave immigrants with unclear pictures of their professional identities. What can someone do to get around these barriers while rebuilding identity, confidence, and hope? Many Africans who were able to get through this barrier attributes it to some factors and steps they took; some of those steps include:
- Finding a group to connect, share experiences and build a support network to motivate and encourage one another.
- Creating an actions plan with deadlines to break down into manageable steps such an overwhelming task. Divide and conquer is the rule.
- Finding a network of local professionals or a professional organization to keep up with the changes in their field.
- Volunteering to gain US experience.
- Making sure you indicate your work status to prevent employers from assuming you are seeking visa sponsorship.
- Including accomplishments, as American employers are results driven.
- Providing details about the size of the companies you worked with in your home country, as well as some eventual partnerships with US companies: American employers are US-centered and don’t know foreign companies very well. Giving them some points of reference will boost your resume.
- Survival jobs should go after your professional work.
- Including scholarships, thesis Projects, honors/awards, volunteer experience, technical skills, affiliations with professional associations.
- You’ll learn new skills.
- You’ll be exposed to a new field. If you want to switch careers, volunteering is a great way to test the waters to see if it’s really for you. You might get confirmation that you want to make the switch, or you might learn that it’s not what you thought it would be.
- If you want to work for a specific nonprofit, then volunteering there is a great way to get a foot in the door. You’ll get to meet inside players, form relationships, and get early leads on upcoming openings. And you’ll also be able to demonstrate that you’re reliable, talented, organized, efficient, skilled, and all the other traits people look for in new hires.
- By volunteering, you’ll become a known quantity to an entirely new pool of people. You’ll now have a whole new group in your network who knows from direct experience with you that you are reliable, competent, and sane. These traits are not to be underestimated on the job market. These people will then be able to vouch for you to others in their own networks.
- Upward Global
- Welcome back initiative (for health workers)
- us
- World Education Services (www.wes.org)
- Refuge transitions (reftrans.org)
- Rebuilding center (www.rebuildingcenter.org)
- https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates
- www.resume-resource.com
- www.jobbankusa.com
Job Search to the US standard
One of the ways to get a job in your career niche in the US is to present yourself in a proper way when given the opportunity to. The American structure has a system already in place that employers look out for when intending to employ a person.
Many immigrant or new comers in the United States who are not properly accustomed to this structure find it difficult to adapt and get a job in his or her career niche. One important aspect of this structure is preparing your resume according to the American standard. Understanding that the culture and the dynamic of the American job market could be very different than the ones of your country of origin is a crucial aspect of restarting a career in the United States.
Dividing the job search into smaller steps with clear goals for each step, makes it easier to land your dream job. For example the goal of resume writing is not to land a job, but to get an interview.
The skilled African job seeker should also demonstrate a lot of creativity in his or her job search to be able to stand out from the crowd. Writing thank you notes after interviews, following up regularly, going door-to-door to apply for jobs, attending job market fairs, registering at local government job agencies, are many ways to think outside of the box and boost significantly a job search
Some practical tips of the resume writing the US standards way include:
Volunteering to gain US experience
Although not common or known to many, volunteering is one way to gain experience in the US and at the same time do some good in your community. It can be a way for you to update your skills, expand your network and possibly get a job. And there are all sorts of nonprofits to choose from either community service groups, political organizations or religious institutions. Here are some of the benefits of volunteering:
And that’s the crucial part, because employers are more likely to employ a known person more than a more qualified stranger.
Networking for your Job Search
Networking is what Americans call the process of building a network of colleagues and contacts (who can often be strangers). Networking involves meeting and getting to know professionals in your field, providing them with resources, and asking them to help you with resources, information and career advice.
Most people find good jobs through their professional and social networks, not through postings on websites or ads in the newspaper. When you know people in your field, they can often let you know about jobs that are available, or jobs that are going to be available. Your network will also introduce you to people who are hiring. When you get an introduction from a colleague, what is considered to be a “referral”, you stand out as a better candidate than someone who does not get a personal introduction. Once you have a job, your network keeps you informed about the latest developments and issues in your field. Your network keeps you learning and growing in your career. In the US, some people even get hired and paid a lot of money just because they have a large network. People like to know people who are ‘well-connected’ because they have a reputation for being able to get things done quickly.
Think of everyone you meet as a potential resource. You never know whom people know. Talk to everyone in your social circles, including friends and family, about your job search. Often you meet professional contacts through social contacts and connections.
Associations Helping Immigrants
Some associations are committed to helping immigrants settle in and do all the needful to grow and work to pursue their dream and some of these associations includes: –
As well as social help groups available in the United States.
Useful Websites for resume Template
Additional Resources for Licensing and Credentialing
Doctors
Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research: www.faimer.org International Medical Education Directory: imed.ecfmg.org/search.asp
United States Medical Examination Licensing: www.usmle.org
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates: www.ecfmg.org
Registered Nurses
Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools: www.cqfns.org
National Council of State Boards of Nursing: www.ncsbn.org
NCLEX-RN Study Materials: https://www.nclex-rn.net/
Engineers
Center for Professional Engineering Education Services: www.cpees.org
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying: www.ncees.org
Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology: www.abet.org
Sources: U.S.News, www.monster.com, World Education Services
Afrikagora Magazine
