What are the dos and don'ts of finding a job in the USA?

Hello everyone,

Where is the best place to start when looking for a job in the USA? Is it better to job-hunt by directly contacting the company of your interest, or should job-seekers rely on a recruitment agency, for example?

Are there any unique aspects that job-seekers should consider when preparing their CV/résumé and cover letter? Should a photo be included?

Do you have any tips on interview conduct in the USA? Are there any particulars, such as greetings or behavioural customs?

In you opinion, is knowledge of the local language or a regional language necessary to successfully apply for a job? What level of the language should job-seekers have mastered?

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Priscilla

Language
It depends on the job. Programmers and such live in their worlds but anything customer related needs not only basic language skills biput industry specific vocabulary.

Resume
The web is full of good and bad examples. Keep it factual and be prepared to answer questions.

Hi Priscilla,

You had a few questions.  Getting a "Job" in the US sometimes can be tough.  If you don't have experience, then you might want to get your feet wet with chain stores, ie, McDonald's, Taco Bell, etc.  Once you've had at least a year's experience, you can then apply for another job that has a higher pay. 

If you have a college degree, then the best thing to do is find a job placement company, ie, Express Services, etc.  They will look at your resume and find suitable match to fit your qualifications.  Your resume has to be eye catching, making someone want to read more.  They will only spend a few seconds looking at your resume, so make it look interesting and good enough to have them spend time reading your qualification. 

The other questions other people can help you with. 

Have a great day.

andrew

Someone wrote it: "Looking for good professional job is a full time job."

As most mentioned, there are many examples of how to structure a resume. In principle though, make sure to only include past experience that somehow relates to the position you're applying to.
US job applications usually omit the photo, which can be beneficial because no one can decide they're not giving you the job because they somehow don't like your face, but it also makes any application less personal. So there are pros and cons to it.

Generally, I find the initial job application for professional jobs very anonymous, and while I get the motivation behind it, I have found this to be frustrating at times.

Once you do get in though, be prepared to answer some questions. It's always a good idea to read up on the company you're applying to (what have they done in the past, what's their philosophy etc.).

And language skills are always a plus, but also as already mentioned - it depends on the job you're applying to. Any job that puts you in close, daily contact with people will require sufficient knowledge of the English language so you can articulate yourself well.

The biggest "do" in the job-hunting phase is to network. If you don't have an existing network in place to reach out to, find people through linked or twitter who are doing the jobs you want to be doing and email them asking for advice. This puts you on their map and gives you the window to see and mirror how professionals in your field talk, and understand what they're looking for and what you need.

In the U.S. language fluency requirements for anything other than English can be subjective. As a journalist, I often find myself wishing I knew Spanish. That would definitely have been an asset. But since I am bilingual, I have already been in situations where speaking Hindi helped me out in dire situations.

To look for openings, I visited websites of the companies I was aiming at, the network I had established, Facebook has some active and helpful groups for journalism job leads and then I looked into indeed sometimes. If you're studied at an American university, then you should also have access to a jobs directory there.

Hope this helped!

Hello, yes im seeking a job in the US like caregiver, can anyone help me? Im too much interesting working in the US but i dont know where can apply,,,i promis i want to know what are the dos and dont's they  needed,,,thank you,,,,

Don't Blow Your Job Search.
Do Boost Your Job Search with LinkedIn.
Do Use a Job Search Engine.
Do Write a Customized Cover Letter.
Do Dress Appropriately for an Interview.
Don't Make These Interview Mistakes.
Do Send a Thank You-Note.
Do Be Careful Job Searching from Work.

Create an American-style resume. If you deliver an American-style resume, the employer knows you've done your research on how to get a job in the US.

Use the internet effectively, It is the biggest source of information for job-seekers in America, so you're in luck! You can access the largest job search websites, such as Indeed and Monster, no matter where in the world you currently live.

Do:
- Create an American style resume
- Tailor your resume for each job you want to apply
- Apply to job openings at companies that are used to sponsor for a visa to people like you

Don't:
- Apply everywhere