How to look for a job in the U.S.

Finding work

How to look for a job in the U.S.

There are lots of places to look for jobs in America and many can be contacted before you arrive. To get you started, we have gathered some of the more effective resources.

Newspapers & Magazines: Job offers are posted in the classified sections of daily newspapers (often in Sunday issues), in weekly newspapers, monthly magazines (such as city magazines) and specialized trade magazines and journals. If you search for a highly qualified or academic job at a national level, you should look for the Saturday editions of national daily newspapers such as the New York Times (www.nytimes.com) or the Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com). If you are looking for a more standard job try the local papers, which often carry work advertisements.

Internet: In recent years the internet has become one of the most important tools for job searches in the US, and online applications are now the preferred means of applying for work, especially among young people and graduates. Most online recruitment websites allow customized searches where you can specify the sector and even the region where you wish to work. You can also place your CV on numerous websites so that companies looking for specific skills can contact you.

The list of job portals seems endless but some of the most important ones include www.careerbuilder.com,www.careers.org, www.hotjobs.com, 

www.jobcenter.com, www.jobweb.com and www.jobtrak.com, an organization that tracks job listings for university graduates. In recent years the expensive company listings on these portals have had to compete with free classified portals such as Craigs List (www.craigslist.org), where you can find a growing number of jobs.

State employment service centers: There are some 2,000 local Employment Service Centers spread across the US. These centers are operated by the US Employment Service and provide extensive databases of job offers, free counseling, training and other types of support. Unfortunately many of the job offers at these centers are for unskilled or semi-skilled workers. Companies looking for executive positions usually prefer to place their own job advertisement or will hire a private job agent. You can find the address of the nearest employment service center in the Yellow Pages.

Private recruiting agencies and headhunters: Private job agencies play an important role in the American labor market, especially for highly qualified jobs and senior positions (according to estimates, some 70 per cent of top level executives are hired through headhunters). Most employment agencies specialize in certain job profiles or industry sectors and are paid for by the employer, often with a variable compensation in case of employment. 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. In general, we do not recommend you to pay for any services as good recruitment agencies will usually be paid by the employer.

Employment agencies: Some agencies make their money by contracting or hiring workers and ‘renting’ them out to employers, mostly on a temporary basis. The employment agency usually takes around 10 to 20 percent of your salary as a margin. We do not recommend that you pay any upfront fees in this situation.

Career fairs: A good way to get an overview of the American job market is to visit a career fair. These fairs usually host a range of employers and often concentrate on a specific sector. For some fairs you have to apply in advance by sending in your CV. Employers will then study the CVs and decide who they want to see. Besides getting general information on employment in different companies, it is often possible to set up interviews in advance. There are also quite a few career fairs on university campuses, but first check if you have to be a student to attend.

Speculative applications: If you are interested in working for a specific company then you can send a speculative application. This is quite common in the United States of America and worth trying. The personnel departments file these applications, and if a position becomes available they check these applications before advertising the position or contacting agencies.

Personal Applications: In some cases (especially for less qualified jobs), you might just go to a potential employer and try to introduce yourself personally. This approach usually leads to one of the following scenarios: (a) you get kicked straight out of the door or (b) your hands-on approach is seen as having initiative and your details are filed for future job openings.

Chambers of Commerce: You can also contact the international chamber of commerce of your home country in the U.S. Chambers of commerce often get requests from companies trying to fill a position with someone from their country, and some of them also have a database of current vacancies. Many chambers of commerce also have a list of companies from your home country with business links in America. Since these offices often need expatriates in the U.S., it can be worthwhile sending them a speculative application.

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.