How African immigrants in the US can get jobs worth their qualification
America is indeed a land of opportunities; it is the largest economy in the world with a GDP in excess of 15 trillion dollars and a market, well over 300 million people. The country attains this status because of stable political, economic and legal structures. Which means everything in the US happens according to plan.
A society like this is a direct opposite of where most African immigrants come from, and if they can survive in their respective countries, it means no matter the situation right now in their country of adoption, the US, they can do much better.
Although there are reports of employment discrimination against blacks and indeed African immigrants, America makes into its coffers approximately $307,000 from an immigrant with a bachelor’s degree and an estimated $765,000 from immigrants with master’s degree in their lifetime, according to George Bush Presidential center. The publication argued that recent immigrants have a higher possibility of holding college and advanced degree than native-born Americans have.
The George Bush center’s publication points to the value of an African immigrant with regards to their qualification. The lesson from the Bush Center, however, is that every African living in America must follow a simple, yet determined plan to establish the true worth of their credentials so that they will not only continue to enrich America but also get a better return on their investment and efforts for coming to the US.
The following are what can be done to ensure African immigrants get true worth for their qualifications:
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- Update your legal status. As at 2015, Pew Research center says 76% of immigrants are in the country legally, 44% were naturalized U.S. citizens, while a quarter are unauthorized immigrants. Unless you acquire the right immigrant status that allows you to work in your country of adoption, it would be difficult to use your real qualification for employment purposes. Therefore, reasonable efforts should be made to get a work permit to apply for jobs that worth your actual skill.
- Evaluate your qualification. Unless your qualification is recognized in the US, it would be difficult to work with your credentials. One way to do this is to evaluate your academic degree from an accredited body so that American employers can accept your qualification on the US rating. The following institutions assess non-US qualifications: AACRAO-OIES and AICE;
- Acquire US recognized education. College education in developed economies is tailored towards the job market. It is unfortunate that African colleges still graduate students in different qualifications but with limited skills. You need relevant expertise to work in the US.
- Start a business. African immigrants can learn from immigrants from other regions who have become employers of labor in America. With skill-based qualifications, the African immigrants can join the entrepreneur league to provide jobs for their kits and kins in the US like other immigrants are doing.
- Register with non-profit organizations such as Upwardly Global to rebuild your career in the United States and find a qualified job.
Conclusion
While every immigrant in the US scramble for limited jobs, it is certain that the real African spirit would place African immigrants in good stead to make ends meet. There is a saying that true African blood can survive anywhere in the world even under the ocean. This real African spirit has seen many African people survive the worse situation under the African sky, now that you are in your country of adoption; it’s time to ignite the African character of excellence!
Mikhail Adeoye
Mikhail is a content creator, a digital marketer, and an entrepreneur. He studied Political Science at the University of Ilorin Nigeria.
Sources:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/09/14/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/
https://wenr.wes.org/category/skilled-immigrants-workforce-integration
https://www.bushcenter.org/publications/articles/2018/01/immigration-visa.html
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