Question:

I have been posting my resume for months at Internet job boards. I live overseas but want to move to the U.S. I have yet to receive a response from any employer. What are the common mistakes made by foreigners like me?

First Answer:

1. Are my skills scarce in the current US job market? Easy if you are a computer engineer or have exotic skills; hard if you are in human resources or marketing.
2. Can I afford to pay relocation costs myself as an inducement to an employer to offer me a job?
• Check with your alma mater to see if international companies are recruiting there.
• Consider working for a global organization in your home country with the goal of being assigned to work in the US after you have proved your worth
3. Do I have family in the US who can sponsor my relocation?
4. Do I need to pass tests to be licensed in order to practice my profession in the US, i.e. a medical doctor?
• Get a friend working in the US to recommend you to his or her employer. Personal connections still count.
• If you are strong in mathematics or science and have any teaching experience, apply to the New York City Board of Education; they have been recruiting internationally to fill elementary and especially secondary school teacher jobs in these fields.
5. Is my country of origin one that is constantly over its annual quota for immigration to the US, or one where lots of slots go unfilled?
• Look at Canadian firms, where immigration policies are more welcoming. Some of these questions only you can answer about yourself; some you can research on the Internet or in a large library with access to Hoover's Guides and Dun & Bradstreet Guide; some you can ask people you know who have already immigrated successfully or worked on an temporary visa and have returned to your country:
  Some tips:
  US firms are going to hire locally if possible, pay relocation costs within the US if necessary, and look overseas only if they can't find a qualified candidate within the country and the work is in a field where the U.S. government has historically permitted foreigners to work. They want to avoid paying the costs for relocation and the hassle and expense of obtaining a work permit, which can involve proving to the immigration service that they have advertised for and cannot find a qualified candidate and that they are paying the going rate to a foreign candidate.
6. What other countries am I interested in living in whose immigration policies may be more welcoming than the US?
• When you have identified desirable employers in your field who hire international candidates, check out their company web sites for job postings.
7. Who are the industry leaders in my field? Which companies in my industry hire the most foreign nationals? Reading the business press will help here.
8. Whom do I know in my field who has been hired by a US firm? (so you can ask them how they did it)

Without knowing what you've done besides post your résumé on job boards, I'd say the biggest mistake is not doing the research to realistically assessing your chances of being hired by an American firm, and then build a job search marketing plan that is devised to fit American firms' hiring needs and procedures for recruiting foreign workers.

-- Carol Anderson, Career Development and Placement Office, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City.

Second Answer:

The Internet is a good place to find out about jobs, but job hunting be it overseas or at home, is best done through personal contacts.seeking a job in another country is even more challenging than finding one locally. The Internet is easy and accessible, but it's impersonal, and many more people are posting resumes. Add to that the fact that you're far away and might not be available to interview quickly "in person," and you've made your search more challenging.

In my E-book YOU ARE THE PRODUCT-How To Sell Yourself to Employers, I stress that personal presentation is essential to stand out over the competition and win the job. Make sure that whatever you send in the mail or post online is PERFECT--no typos, no bad grammar. Be sure to use western style. Get help with your resume and cover letter if you are unsure how you look to others on paper, especially overseas.

That being said, look through your contacts close to home, including professors you might have had, or previous employers, and ask them if they know people in the States you might contact for information and leads. Remember that when you write to someone in a company overseas, targeting the right place, division, and person to direct your resume could also make a critical difference. Finding the right person who for whom you can solve problems, and who can hire you, is key in any search, and especially yours.

Don't give up hope. Keep realistic expectations. Make sure you let prospective employers know why you want to move overseas, and when you will be available to move. Also suggest (if possible) that a preliminary interview be set up by teleconference or video conferencing.

It may seem like a lifetime to you, but put in enough time and effort to see the results. Try to be flexible on the type of jobs you're applying for or you might miss some really good opportunities. The "overseas job" you are seeking might actually be closer to home that you think. Large corporations of nearly every kind, banks & investment companies, non-profits, the Government, or even the United Nations, might have positions that provide an opportunity for travel and perhaps, eventual relocation to the country of your choice. Don't forget to give this route to your goal a try, too!

-- Alison Blackman Dunham, life & career expert, columnist, personal public relations consultant, half of THE ADVICE SISTERS®, and the author of the ASK ALISON career advice column.

Third Answer:

Your first mistake is believing that posting your resume on the Internet job boards is enough. The U.S. has been experiencing a declining job market since late 2000. the so-called "job seeker's market" is over, at least for the moment. You have to take an aggressive approach to your job search instead of a passive one.

1. Networking remains the #1 tool in locating positions, so focus your attention on cultivating a network of contacts.
2. Make sure your resume is top-notch, because you have a great deal of competition in the market right now.
3. Create a list of companies you'd like to pursue, then pursue them -- aggressively!
4. If you're not doing this already, use the Internet to uncover position announcements, conduct research on the companies you're interested in, and make connections with the recruiting segment.

The act of posting your resume on Internet job boards is a good start, but you must incorporate a multi-faceted approach to your search in order to achieve the results you're seeking.

-- Rene' Hart, Resumes for Success!;

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