The Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Job in the USA

Every year, thousands of foreigners from around the world take advantage of their ability to live and work in the United States by getting jobs in the country that fits their skills and career goals best.

If you’re interested in doing the same, it can be an incredibly rewarding process - but only if you do it correctly In this guide on how to get your job in the USA, you’ll learn how to make your resume stand out, how to go about finding the right employer for you, and how to avoid common mistakes that are easy to make when working with agencies or recruiters.

Meanwhile, have you ever considered living and working in the United States? It’s not just something reserved for Americans! Plenty of foreign nationals choose to live in the US because of its many benefits such as a booming economy, abundant job opportunities, and a high standard of living. If you are thinking about moving to the USA, here’s your guide on how to get your job in the USA and make the move happen.

Finding a job in the US isn't so easy-peasy, is it?

In any of those four cases above, you are going to get nowhere! Actually, 90% of failures in getting a job in the USA as a foreigner come from one mistake. And if you encountered the difficulties above, you might be making this mistake: applying without targeting.

Even before thinking about building your American resume and applying to jobs opening in the USA, you have to target the right open jobs and companies for you.

But targeting jobs in your field is not enough! You need to understand that up to 5% of companies in the US may sponsor you for a work visa. It may be even fewer, depending on your situation, profile, as well as the job opportunities you can get with it.

So, first, let's dive into what you want, and then what you will get depending on your situation, profile, and expectations. This is the foundation of your American project.

Based on this, you will then be able to build your application, target the right companies, and approach them effectively.

But before going any further, I want to tell you something there are many basic things would need to get as a foreigner who wishes to travel and work in the United States

Learn English

English is the lingua franca of the US workplace, so if you’re a non-native English speaker (or even if you are and want to be more fluent), it’s important that you dedicate time to improving your spoken and written English.

Taking language classes is always a good way to start, but if that doesn’t fit into your schedule or budget, there are some great resources online. Check out Rocket Languages for many different interactive lessons on how to speak English like a native.

Get a College Degree

For most jobs, employers prefer that candidates have at least a bachelor’s degree. To get one, you’ll need to start at the right school and major in the right field. Get started on the right foot with these five tips for getting your degree and starting your career in the United States.

Once you’ve chosen the right college, it’s time to choose the right program of study. Choosing a major is an important step because it can dictate what sort of job opportunities will be available when you graduate.
For example, if you want to work as an electrical engineer after graduation, applying to colleges with strong programs in that area can give you access to companies that are looking for new talent or who recruit graduates from those schools regularly.
Take Internships

Internships are a great way to get your foot in the door at companies you may have always dreamed of working for. If you’re seeking employment, make sure you take internships; they’re a great way to gain experience and skills that will give your résumé an edge over others competing for the same job. So, if you want a job in the United States, it’s important that you keep an eye out for internship opportunities

Narrow Down Your Career Path

Before you can get a job at an American company, you need to know what job it is that you want. It sounds simple enough, but too many people lose sight of their career goals as they’re caught up in the day-to-day hiring process and become too focused on how much money they’ll make or whether they think they’ll be happy doing the work.

Before you apply for a job, you need to narrow down your career path. This is an incredibly important step because it will allow you to understand what jobs are available.

By taking time before applying for a job, you’ll be better prepared and have a much better chance of securing the position of your dreams. You’ll also avoid the situation where employers look at your resume and can’t figure out where you want to go with your career.
What You Want Might Not Be What You'll Get

You might not want to read what I have to say next. It might offend or challenge your expectations.
Landing in the USA with a work visa does not mean you will get rich or stay in the States for life.

What we are going to see is the reality of the US market as it is today. You might not like it, and unfortunately, if your profile and expectations don't match this market, it's not going to happen. Sorry to disappoint you.

Maybe it will be easy, and maybe it will be impossible. It all depends on what you want and expect. Just be prepared to adjust your expectations.

If you don't want to accept the reality and adjust your expectations, you have only your own decisions to fall back on. The choice is ultimately yours. You must remember that it's your life. My choice was to live in the USA, and I now live an amazing life there. It's not because I'm lucky; it's because I reviewed my expectations and accepted the reality. That's it.

If you are not ready for such a big step, it's time to seriously think that you may misunderstand exactly what the American Dream is. And the United States might not be for you, after all. The choice is yours!

The way things are, you need to fit the mold, or you are out.
As unfortunate as this fact is, you need to understand it before going any further. I don't want to waste your time. So, if you continue reading this post, I assume that you understand the implications of this process.

So because of this, we have provided all you may be needing and guide to knowing what you and how to go about achieving your dreams

Knowing What you want.

This is the first thing that should always come to your mind whenever you have a plan to travel abroad. 

If you’re thinking about moving to the United States, take some time before your trip to research and think about what city you want to live in.

But most importantly what kind of job do you want to do in the place, you wish to travel to 

If you know what job you want in the US, that's awesome! You already know what to search for, and you know exactly what type of job opening you want to apply to. Your career plan is clear for you, and you can skip the rest of this section and go on to "the next steps."

If you don't have a plan yet, please don't tell me you are ready to do anything to be in the US. That is NOT a career plan! I have heard that too much for my taste. I know your goal is to be in the USA and get experience from it. But first, you need a CAREER PLAN!

I was in the same situation when I was looking for a job in the USA. At first, I was open to everything and not only jobs in my field. I applied for jobs in sales, marketing, etc., and I discovered that I was going nowhere.

You need to focus on what you love to do and the skills you have. Where do you see yourself working? What skills do you have? Which ones do you need to reinforce?

What industries do you want to work for?

Do you have a spouse or partner who will be living with you? If so, does that person have a job lined up?

Are there any schools you’d like your children or grandchildren to attend? What kind of community would you like to live in urban, suburban, or rural? Knowing the answers to these questions can help make the transition easier when you arrive.

You can also use resources such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor to learn more about the companies where you might want to work, as well as the communities where they are located.

These sites can also give you an idea of how much people earn at different companies in different cities.

What you Might get 

Now that you know what you want to do, you should check if it fits the US market, especially for foreigners. Remember, you don't have a work visa yet, so you cannot apply everywhere!!

To know if your profile and expectations fit the U.S. market, you need to find out what visas for which you may be eligible, and then find the companies that have a job opening in your field that can sponsor you for this kind of visa!

The fact is, at this point, it's vital for you to know what type of visa for which you are eligible. Why? Because the target company and the approach with the company will be completely different depending on your ideal visa, your situation and profile, and the career plan you've just defined.

What is My Ideal future Visa?

Work visas are incredibly complex. Your ideal takes into account a lot of your situation and profile (age, citizenship, marital status, length of stay, area of activity, industry, years of experience, skills, English level, etc.).

Your ideal visa depends on:

Citizenship: Your home country may or may not be in treaty with the USA. If it is, you may get a very specific type of visa.
Graduation: If you have more than five years of experience OR an upper-secondary diploma, it might be easier to get a visa.
Career: It depends on the company you are currently working for. Some companies may want to transfer you to the US.
Skills: It also depends on your area of expertise and your industry! Depending on these, you could get a specific visa.
Duration: How much time do you want to stay in the US? Some visas are for several months; others are permanent.
To make the process faster and to be sure about which visa fits the criteria above, just take this Visa Simulator test!
I worked for several months to build and polish this visa algorithm. So, let's have a try!

Be as specific as you can, and don't lie in your answer! If you do, it will give you the wrong result. Be as fair as possible! If you're honest, it will deliver the right visa for you. 

If the quiz returns a visa to you, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You're on the right path! But before claiming victory, be aware that it may not necessarily be easy. You might even have to make some concessions. But let's talk about that later in this article.

What if the quiz returns no potential visa?

Unfortunately, that means that it's quite impossible for you to have an experience in the USA given your current situation and expectation. It means that what you want and what you can offer don't fit the US requirements.

As I told you earlier, if you want it to work, you will need to adjust your career path or expectations according to reality. If this is the case, I invite you to contact me directly. Then, I can have a look at your profile and situation. At a glance, I will be able to give you a status regarding what effort you need to make and what expectations you should change to fit the requirement.

If you still have no potential visa because you don't want to change your expectation, as I told you, it's a dead-end for you. I cannot help you anymore, and it's useless for you to continue reading this post because further information will no longer be valuable. So, don't waste your time. I encourage you to seek resources elsewhere if you should find no luck here.

Cool beans! Once you know your potential future visa, it's time to discover open jobs that are right FOR YOU! But before that, check that your diploma is recognized in the USA

Find Jobs That Help You Get There

The first step is finding the right job. The best place to look for jobs that help you get there is the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics website, which lists the top 20 jobs with a high growth rate of 6 percent or more over the next decade. Many of these positions require an advanced degree and they’re found in diverse fields such as information technology, healthcare, business, and engineering.

Apply for a Job in the USA.

This is the strategy you know the best and the one you use the most. However, it can be a huge waste of time if you don't use it well.

The biggest mistake you can do is to apply for all job openings you see, and everywhere. However, I remind you that you are a foreigner, and you need a visa! And only 1 in 16 companies in the United States hire and sponsor their employees for a visa. Additionally, sponsor companies cannot technically sponsor for all kinds of visas. And on the other hand, you cannot be sponsored for all existing types of visas.

It's like looking for a needle in a haystack!
Applying to open jobs posted on general job boards means that you are in competition with others, especially with locals, who already have work authorization.

Even for Americans, it's hard to get a job by applying online. Every year, more than 100 million people are looking for a job in the USA. Only 20% of jobs are posted online, and 75% of candidates apply online, exactly like you do! It means that for each job ad, the company will receive an average of 250 applications. That's why the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) exists! During your application submission, you will often be asked: "do you need a visa sponsorship now or in the future?" and/or: "do you have a work authorization?". If you genuinely answer, you will be blocked by the ATS automatically. It will begin to feel like you applied for nothing!

So really, what is your chance here?
You can actually avoid that mistake, and a job application can be a great strategy if you do it correctly.

Let's take the example of Max.

Max found his job in New York City by applying online directly to the company website. But before doing it, he saw this job ad on the website "Pôle Emploi International," the French international job center website.

This means that the company was looking for a French guy to transfer to its subsidiary in New York City. In that case, Max was not in competition with locals. Therefore, it didn't ask him if he needed work authorization. Secondly, this company was a sponsor, and they were able to sponsor him with the correct visa for which he was eligible. And finally, this job matched more than 80% of his profile. So, guess what? He got the job.

I know you won't find many job ads on job center websites for international positions. I didn't find something for myself. But, you have another website that contains open jobs with guaranteed visa sponsorship according to the visa for which you are eligible and your citizenship, if applicable. This website, as you know it, is called USponsor Me. 

We now display job openings with guaranteed visa sponsorship. But be careful! Again, the job should match the visa for which you are qualified! Please run the Visa Simulator before going ahead.

On USponsor Me, you have 2 kinds of job openings:

Job ads from companies that are used to sponsor the visa. However, you are competing with local candidates.
Job ads from companies that are specifically looking for a foreigner to fill a position that can offer you visa sponsorship. It means you are not in competition with local candidates.
Does it make sense?

To switch and see those two kinds of job ads, use the toggle "Visa Guaranteed" in the search fields. If the toggle is on, it means you see the jobs, especially for foreigners with Visa Sponsorship Guaranteed. If it's off, you will see all jobs, even the job openings for which you're in competition with local candidates.

Your job search strategy will be different depending on whether you find a job ad with guaranteed visa sponsorship or not.
For jobs that don't require you to compete with locals, go ahead and apply! For jobs that do require you to compete with locals, stay away from applying online to medium-sized or large companies. This will be a waste of time. In that case, I strongly recommend you to use the Direct Approach strategy, which we will see later in this article. Small companies don't use any ATS. So, you can still have your chance with them by applying online, but you also need to contact the recruiter directly by email or by LinkedIn, letting them know your extra motivation and why you are the right person for the position

Warning! If you get a positive response before even your first exchange with this person, make sure you get your visa pitch ready. You should correctly react once you speak about it with the company. Don't let your chance fly away!

Before you apply, scope out the company and its need, and see what you can learn! 
Avoid all those mistakes you make when you apply. It's VERY important!

Also, you know that you need to adjust your resume and cover letter for each job you apply to. I speak about it here.

If you really want the job, but you feel it's hard for you to identify transferable skills and match those to the organization and the role, the "let's apply and see" won't work for you, even if you are not in competition with locals. In that case, I strongly recommend you also directly contact the recruiter of the company to express your motivation for the job. Or, even better, use the direct approach strategy we will talk about a little bit later.

If you don't find any open jobs with Visa Guaranteed, don't panic! You have three other job search strategies you can use. 

I will detail the second one, which is a spontaneous application, and the way you can use it efficiently.

Final Thought

When you are passionate about something, make sure your writing shows it. Your passion for your topic is what will connect with your audience and keep them coming back for more. So let it show. If you aren’t passionate about what you are writing about then chances are you will struggle to hold attention over time.

Writing professionally doesn’t mean you have to be boring or take away all of your personality, but do be careful not to get too loosey-goosey. As mentioned above, if you can find a way to use humor that fits with your brand that would be great! But just don’t force it. Use humor when appropriate but also don’t forget that professional writers should be able to write without using humor as well.