Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:50 pm Post subject: EMPLOYMENT IN USA / USA EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
EMPLOYMENT IN USA
The easiest way to find work in the USA is to work for a large international company that can re-locate you to America while retaining you as an employee. This is the simplest way to secure a work visa before entering the USA. There are several websites such as www.monster.com that allow you to place your resume online. There are also numerous agencies, career fairs, newspaper advertisements and personal networking groups to facilitate this process. You must be aware of whether your work visa allows general employment or strictly work on the basis of having a high level skill.
Unemployment rate
This varies a great deal depending on a few factors:
1. the state you are in
2. the type of work you do
3. whether you are located in an urban or rural area
4. how the rate is calculated - sometimes the government only counts people who have no job at all as unemployed, but other times "underemployed" counts as well. Underemployed means not earning enough to support oneself or one's family
Importance of language skills
The importance of English fluency in obtaining high wage jobs in America cannot be overemphasized. However, even if you are already fluent in English, additional languages are advantageous for certain types of jobs. If your English language skills are weak, then either you must have a very high level of skill in some other area that will make you highly desirable (such as a doctoral degree in mathematics and willingness to teach in American universities or $1million in investment capital and the ability to run a business that hires English speakers!) or else you must make improving your English a very high priority. A useful website for those looking to learn English as a second language (ESL) is www.applyesl.com.
Wages, taxation and benefits
There is a legal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. Most employers offer full time employees insurance after a predetermined time period. A much smaller number of companies offer even part time employees insurance benefits. The standard work week in the USA for full time employees is 40 hours per week. 'Straight' part time workers typically put in 20 hours, although many very young employees may put in fewer hours than that. Insurance benefits in most cases will not be available to those working fewer than 20 hours each week.
Employment law
It is illegal for you to be asked to work for more than 4 hours at a time without a 15 minute release from your responsibilities. It is illegal for you to be asked to work for more than 40 hours per week without being paid extra for every hour above 40 hours. The only exceptions to this are in salaried positions. Salaries may force you to work overtime without additional compensation at times, but they also cover you during instances of fewer hours than 40 in a given week. Salaried positions normally have better benefits and signify longer term relationships. If you have a boss who threatens to fire you unless you work an additional ten hours in the week, you are legally entitled to complain and to refuse to do this without losing your job. It is an unreasonable request.
Work behaviour and customs
Workplace customs differ between professions and employers. Speaking English is probably the most important workplace custom to follow. If you are not fluent then you need to start improving your English language skills immediately. There are ESL classes for working adults in most American cities. You can also:
1. hire a private tutor
2. go out and listen to people speaking English or watch television in English
3. get 'study' courses out of the local library
In short, do everything you can to improve your English language ability as rapidly as possible!
In most professional positions there are strong expectations of restraint. Subjects closely related to gender, sexuality, or racial differences are typically silenced. Men and women are expected to limit expression of their sexuality either with body language or verbally so as to not make each other or other colleagues uncomfortable, and to maintain a professional atmosphere. Attire is normally only slightly formal. Some positions in many organisations still demand more formal wear, but there has been a trend in American culture away from this.
As far as socialising with one's colleagues is concerned each workplace may have its own set of groundrules. In some jobs top management will hope and expect that you like your work, perform well and make genuine friendships with your co-workers. In other positions, you will be expected to be cordial but never intimate with colleagues. In yet other cases you will be expected to be competitive but must cooperate enough to achieve certain goals.
Register
Log in
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
