Looking for work in the United States of America
Working abroad sounds like an adventure to many people. However, it requires thorough preparation, starting with a successful application. Expertise in Labour Mobility (www.labourmobility.com) has prepared a set of country guides describing the main routes to employment in 31 countries. This is a brief abstract of the Looking for work in United States America guide, highlighting the main focus points. For more detailed information, you should consult the full guide on United States of America.
Work permits in the USA
To work in the USA, you require a visa.
All visas have to be applied for at the American embassy in your home
country.
Details can be obtained from the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the US
Department of State.
If you are working and living in the USA and do not have a visa, you are
considered an "illegal alien"!
The application procedure in the USA
The Internet is the main source for vacancies and information concerning
job applications.
The US application process is very commercial and you have to sell
yourself.
The USA is a large country. Common practice in one region can be very
different elsewhere, so be sure to find out about local formalities and customs.
Writing a resume in the United States of America
In the US the term resume is used instead of CV.
The key focus of your resume should be to persuade the employer to invite
you for an interview. Therefore your resume is a marketing tool, which should be
adapted to the market in which you intend to use it.
It is advisable to write a short profile of yourself, using short and
punchy sentences filled with action verbs and power words.
Resumes are often scanned by employers, so avoid using a bold or italic
font.
Start with clearly mentioning the objective and/or goal of your career.
The application letter in the USA
The application letter should be typed in a short and professional style.
Start with "Dear Mr./Ms X," if you know the addressee"s name, and
end your letter with "Yours sincerely".
Start with "Dear Sir/Madam," if you do not know the name of the
addressee and end with "Yours faithfully".
It is not unusual to mention in your letter what salary you are
expecting.
Mention your telephone number in the last paragraph of your letter.
Do's & Don'ts in the
USA
Do
Use power word and action verbs in you letter and resume. Be prepared for psychological tests during the application process. Look interested - ask questions. Provide examples to illustrate your achievements. Ask if you don"t understand the question. Send a short letter after the interview, to thank the interviewer.
Don't
Sit until invited to do so. - Go over the top - stay calm and stick to the facts.
Put anything besides the truth in your resume, even if there is an ocean in between, your future employer will find out the truth eventually. Criticize former employers. Smoke in offices in the US.
Management culture in the United
States
The organizational culture within American companies is strongly result
orientated.
Companies are focused on direct results and short-term gains.
Employees are motivated by their employers and there is little direct
criticism in either direction.
An agenda is usually distributed before a meeting.
The goal of most negotiations is to "close the deal". The long-term
relationship is unimportant at that time.
Americans are on a first-name basis with each other from the beginning.
For more
information on employment in the USA, order the Looking
for work in United States of America guide - one of 28 Expertise in Labour
Mobility Looking for work in guides
- at www.labourmobility.com.
It's all you need to make that first successful step abroad!
"Work in USA" Links related
Green
Card Lottery - the US Green Card Lottery website is now accepting
registrations again for those wishing to take the gamble and get
a Green Card for the US. Your next step should be to buy "Looking
for work in the USA".
Intjobs.org is a website that lists and categorizes vacancies in different UN agencies and International Organisations by country, organisation and type
AIPT Programs. Work in USA as part of your AIPT experience USA or your practical
training program! To learn more about how to propel your career
forward, visit our programs page and look into one of our work based
programs.