Dream of living and working in the USA? Apply today! You can find positions throughout the United States, popular places to seek employment include Florida, New York and California.
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USA Facts
• Capital City: Washington D.C.
• Currency: US Dollar, USD
• Language: English
• Time Zone: -5 GMT to GMT -8
• Dialling Code: +1
Jobs in the USA
Moving to the United States is a big decision to make. There are many more obstacles and pitfalls in pursuing a life in the States than in a European country. Gaining a Visa and finding work are major difficulties if you don’t know where to look. Like many other countries unemployment in the US is at a high level and jobs for migrants are viciously fought over.
Currently the unemployment rate in the U.S stands at 8.2%. This makes getting a job as a immigrant a lot harder as under US law a business can only hire a migrant if the job cannot be done by a US citizen. You may be looked at more favourably if you have your own business. Generally the only chances you will have of being considered for a job is if you are highly skilled e.g. have a degree, and have at least 12 years experience. There is a good chance that a US employer will not have heard of your qualification so it might be worth gaining an American equivalent. A good strategy is to look at the possibility of doing an internship or finding out if your current employer has offices in the US. If they do then you could ask for a transfer stateside and then be sponsored by your employer.
Visas
The first thing you need to know about finding work in the US is that it is very difficult. A plethora of legal issues and strict immigration laws stand between you and your new life in the land of the free.
The first thing you need, before looking for work is a US visa. These come in 3 categories.
Non-immigrant: There is no option to convert it into a permanent resident status. You must leave the US when the reason for your stay no longer exists. The majority of these visas require you to have a home or property outside of the United States.
Immigrant: You are a permanent resident of the United States (Green card). You may under a set of conditions be eligible to apply for full US citizenship.
Dual-intent: A special form of non-immigrant status which is compatible with making an application for a green card. There is no requirement town a residence or property outside the United States.
Best Places to Find Work
The United States is full of fantastic cities, so many in fact that it would take forever to list all of them. Instead we have chosen four of the most popular and well-known American cities.
New York City
The city that never sleeps is the largest city in the United States and the centre of the New York Metropolitan area, one of the most populated regions in the world. The ‘Big Apple’ is a major world capital for global business and finance.
New York began its existence under the name of New Amsterdam and was initially founded by the Dutch. In 1664 the British seized control of the region and renamed the city after the British commander the Duke of York. The city was the first home of the leaders of the newly formed United States after the revolutionary war and the nation’s first president George Washington was sworn into office at the old city hall.
The port of New York is one of the finest in the world and is the biggest port on the Eastern seaboard. The City is home to the United Nations and the world famous landmarks of the Empire State building and Statue of Liberty.
New York is also the centre of advertising, fashion, publishing, and radio broadcasting in the United States. The population of the city is estimated at over 8 million people spread over an area of just 305 square miles. New Yorkers are a proud people; often regarded as rude by outsiders they are in fact quite friendly. They are also resilient as the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 attests.
Las Vegas
The dazzling neon lights of Vegas shine out like a beacon in the desolate Mojave Desert, an oasis of fun, thrills and gambling in an otherwise harsh environment. Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada and one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Famous for its ‘strip’ and gambling the city is internationally renowned for its casino-hotels, shopping, fine dining and entertainment. The city is located in the middle of the Mojave Desert and to many outsiders’ it is a miracle that it can exist at all. The city was initially founded in the 1800’s by Spanish explorers who gave the area its name and used the site as a watering hole for travellers heading to California. Mormon explorers founded a settlement in 1855 but abandoned it in 1857. The U.S Army then claimed the area until the town began to grow in 1905 with the arrival of the railways.
The Las Vegas that we know today basically began after World War II, when the idea of large hotels along the brand new “strip” was developed. Las Vegas is the “marriage capital” of America; there are 50 wedding chapels in the city. Tourism and the convention industry are the city’s major sources of income. In addition, manufacturing, government, warehousing, and trucking are major sources of employment. Many high-technology companies are also located in Las Vegas.
Los Angeles
The city of angels and the home of Hollywood, L.A is the second most populated city in the United States with 3.792,621 people in resident and is the biggest city in the state of California. The city was originally founded in 1781 by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve and became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican war of independence. The city and state of California became a part of the United States in 1848 following the end of the Mexican-American War.
Since then L.A has become the third richest and fifth influential city in the world. It is also a leading centre for world business, trade, culture, entertainment and of course movie making. Thanks to Hollywood the city is also nicknamed ‘the Entertainment capital of the world’. Los Angeles County is the nation’s largest manufacturing centre, and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are second only to New York as the largest customs district in the United States. Major employers in the Los Angeles Five-County area are in the business and management sector.
Growth in the key wholesale industries—apparel and textiles, furniture, jewellery, and toys—and the boom in industrial trade were the trend for the region in the 1990s. Other important sectors are health services and international trade and investment. After some lean years, the aerospace industry is making a modest comeback as a result of increased federal defence spending.
San Francisco
Famous for the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island the city has featured in many movies over the years. The beautiful landscape of the city has seen San Francisco become one of the most visited cities in the world attracting more than 17million tourists every year. A Franciscan father who was sailing with Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño named the bay San Francisco on Nov. 7, 1595. In 1776, the Spaniards established a presidio, or military post, and a Franciscan mission on the end of the beautiful peninsula. In the following year, a little town was founded around the mission. It was called Yerba Buena, Spanish for “Good Herb,” because mint grew in abundance there. In 1846, during the Mexican War, Yerba Buena was taken over by the United States. It was renamed San Francisco in 1847 and became incorporated as a city in 1850.
When gold was discovered in California in 1848, the city’s population jumped to 10,000, and it experienced turbulent years until order was established by Vigilance Committees, first in 1851, and again in 1856. Then followed a period of more orderly growth, and the foundations of the great commerce and industry of today were laid.
In 1906, San Francisco experienced the nation’s most destructive earthquake, which, together with the fire that followed, practically destroyed the city. The city was quickly rebuilt and grew rapidly as a leading transportation, industrial, and cultural centre. In the 19th century, the American explorer and soldier John C. Frémont, known as The Pathfinder, named the entrance to the bay the Golden Gate, and the famous bright orange Golden Gate Bridge was dedicated in May 1937.
Top Tips for Finding Work
Here are some tips to help you find a job in the USA
To be in with the best chance of finding work, you should already be in the country. Many recruiters won’t take you seriously if you aren’t.
Apply for internships in the US; by doing this you will gain much needed experience in the US jobs market.
Be prepared to wait. The US job market is extremely competitive and it may take time to find work. Use your time to learn about the country and make connections.
Make sure you have savings. This cannot be stressed enough. There’s a good chance that you will be spending several weeks, if not months looking for work and you will need funds to survive off of.
Research your chosen destination. You will save a lot of time and money if you learn as much as you can about the place you wish to call home. Find out what the job market is like, cheap places to live etc…
There are lots of places and ways to look for jobs in the USA and many can be contacted before you arrive. To get you started, we have gathered some of the more effective resources.
Online
The internet has changed the way the world works and the jobs market is no different. Now you can search for jobs from thousands of miles away on websites likes ours with online applications becoming the most popular method when it comes to looking for work. Many online recruitment websites allow you to make customised searches and enable you to upload your CV to enable companies to find you and your skills.
Head-hunters and Recruitment Agencies
Private recruiting agencies play a big role in the US labour market and are especially useful when looking for highly skilled jobs and senior positions. Approximately 70% of top level executives are hired via head-hunters. Some agencies request a fee from job applicants – however, these can be rather dubious firms that offer very little value for money. Before paying any fee to an employment agency, make sure you understand exactly what you get for your cash and whether the agency is licensed by a state or local government.
Networking
Networking remains the Number One method of finding a job. Our advice is to take advantage of every possible contact that you have, from friends, colleagues, classmates or even your landlord. Even the most casual acquaintances can sometimes point you towards a potential job lead. Persistence and confidence are vital ingredients to a successful job search.
Working in the United States FAQ
Money
The US dollar is the official currency of the United States of America as well as a handful of South American countries. As the currency of the world’s sole superpower it is one of the most powerful and well known currencies in the world being recognised as the currency most used for international transactions, being exchanged mostly for British Pounds or Euros. It is also one of the globes preferred reserve currencies.
Although foreign currencies can be changed into US dollars at currency exchange kiosks at airports, banks and border crossings (among other places) transferring your funds at the right time and getting the best exchange rate possible can save you money and really help your global transition. If you’re emigrating it’s really recommended that you seek advice from a trusted currency broker.
Pay and Conditions
Compared to working conditions in the UK and other European industrialized nations the US comes off as slightly worse. Americans tend to work longer hours for lesser rates of pay and have less holidays. US workers have lower taxes to pay and the cost of living in many states is a lot lower than that found in most European countries. In 2001 a minimum wage was introduced in America at a rate of $5.15 per hour, however many states offer slightly higher rates. The standard work week is 40hours depending on your job.
Banking
If you’re emigrating to the USA or just going for a really long holiday then you will almost certainly need to open up a bank account in the country. There are loads of banks to choose from and competition is rife amongst them. This means that a customer can get some pretty good deals and services such as investment and insurance services as well as property purchasing advice.
As well as the big international banks such as HSBC et al, there are a number of huge American banks that have their headquarters based in cities right across the country.
US banks opening hours are generally from 9am to 6pm in the week and 9am to 12pm on Saturdays. The majority of banks have cash machines or ATMs that allow you to withdraw cash, get bank statements and transfer money 24 hours a day.
Credit History
In America your financial history is crucial. A good credit history is when you pay your bills on time and are able to buy goods and services with the understanding that you will be able to pay it back later. A bad one is if you spend beyond your means and get into debt. A bad report makes it a lot harder to borrow money needed for a mortgage and other costly endeavours.
The US is home to three main credit reporting agencies. These agencies gather and sell information about consumer’s credit histories. They collect information about consumers’ payment habits from credit grantors, stores the information on a database, then sells the information to other credit grantors in the form of a credit report. When you apply to rent (or buy) a house or to get a loan, the owner or the bank will order your credit report and analyze the information. What is contained in your credit report can greatly impact their decision.
The Credit Report
A consumer credit report contains four types of information: information, credit data, public record information and enquiries. Opening a bank account in the United States is a straightforward process as all you need is to shown an official document such as a passport or drivers license and make a deposit of cash. If you want to put money aside, you can set up a savings account to get a better rate of interest. A savings account cannot substitute a checking account. If you need services such as direct debits, bill pay and a check book, bear in mind that these services are generally not available with savings accounts. Check with your bank what the best interest rate they can offer you are.