Working in the States

Sandillica

I'm planning on travelling around South America from November to February, the plan after that is to head to the states as i want to travel for a year. I've heard a bit about internships and practical career training visas that you can get or just a regular visas that you can get. I'm almost finished college and dying to see the world!! Does anyone know if it's easy enough to get work in California on one of those visas i have mentioned?
Anyone worked in the states at all?
Would love to work for about 6months then the aim is to do a green toirtoise tour, and possibly (if theres any money left!) head to canada possibly work there for a month or two and finish off seeing a bit of the country
An epic trip but if i get as far as new york and have to leave out Canada I can always head back another time.

Neamhshuntasach

It is virtually impossible to get work in America in the ways you mentioned. Especially at the moment with their economy in such deline. American's are even struggling to get jobs.

You pay to do the internships and most of them are 60 hour weeks and paid very low if even paid at all. With the USIT internships you have to apply while you are still registered at the college and have to find the job yourself that i'm pretty sure must be related to your college course. That limits down doing unskilled work or finding the easier jobs. And you must have the position secured before entering and approved by your college. A mate of mine done one from USIT and i remember it being a lot of hassle for him.

You could always try a H1B visa. But you'd have to find an employer to sponsor you and they cost a fair bit. They also take months of planning and are pretty hard to get.

I worked in San Diego for over 4 years as i went to college there and i also have a green card. So i didn't have to worry about visas and all that. I know from talking to illegals while over there how hard it is to get work there legally. So good luck with finding an avenue for your plans. Canada may be easier.

spinandscribble

i've a psychology internship in america for the next year and a half and im getting paid a good wage AND funded to do additional training (certs, dips). Thankfully im getting paid as soon as i arrive even before i start work, a family of the company will put me up for a few weeks and i get a large lump sum to find my feet. Thankfully its not a 60 hr working week either (yikes).

its the luck of the draw i guess and i was lucky in that i had the correct experience, grades ect. it was set up by a company in ireland hired by a company in america, who then went around the univesities in the north and south taking applications. those who got through then had to do a video conference with the comany in the states, then more forms ect references and finally as of this week, offers. now the onslaught of medical and drug tests begin.

tbh it wasnt something i did for a holiday ,it was really about the doors it would open for me back home. the hours arnt kind and they want really dertermined ppl with career goals in mind. they want to know why they should pick you and want you have to offer.

If i was you i'd head straight to my career guidence office and see about internships. they do exist but i'd be concerned its alittle late in the year. they'll help you figure out your options.

i've been told countless times by ppl how lucky i am with regard to the wages, training, benefits ect that the company im going with offer. i was also lucky as my psych dept. emailed me about this so it just sort of snowballed. Im aware most internships arnt as generous as mine so be warned: if you do apply for something and after interviews get accepted research everything especially benefits. just my two cents.

i cant speak about the other visas as i have no experience.

Sandillica

Thanks for that - i'm beginning to think Canada may be a better option. But I think I'll try for a H1B Visa to begin with anyway, if all else fails I might just do the south america thing and come home work for a while and head off - was really hoping to be away to a year though. Fingers crossed it will all work out

Neamhshuntasach

spinandscribble wrote: »

i've a psychology internship in america for the next year and a half and im getting paid a good wage AND funded to do additional training (certs, dips). Thankfully im getting paid as soon as i arrive even before i start work, a family of the company will put me up for a few weeks and i get a large lump sum to find my feet. Thankfully its not a 60 hr working week either (yikes).

its the luck of the draw i guess and i was lucky in that i had the correct experience, grades ect. it was set up by a company in ireland hired by a company in america, who then went around the univesities in the north and south taking applications. those who got through then had to do a video conference with the comany in the states, then more forms ect references and finally as of this week, offers. now the onslaught of medical and drug tests begin.

tbh it wasnt something i did for a holiday ,it was really about the doors it would open for me back home. the hours arnt kind and they want really dertermined ppl with career goals in mind. they want to know why they should pick you and want you have to offer.

If i was you i'd head straight to my career guidence office and see about internships. they do exist but i'd be concerned its alittle late in the year. they'll help you figure out your options.

i've been told countless times by ppl how lucky i am with regard to the wages, training, benefits ect that the company im going with offer. i was also lucky as my psych dept. emailed me about this so it just sort of snowballed. Im aware most internships arnt as generous as mine so be warned: if you do apply for something and after interviews get accepted research everything especially benefits. just my two cents.

i cant speak about the other visas as i have no experience.

You seem very lucky indeed. I was going to stay on and live in America but having done countless interviews and applying for internships i decided against it. The country is too career orientated. It's grand for part time work and work just to earn some cash while on J1's or the like. But you'd really want to be an ambitious ladder climber to enjoy the atmosphere of employment in the US. Unfortunately i'm the complete opposite.

One of my friends from New York is a millionaire and his uncle offered me a internship at his company in Manhattan. I was gonna take it until i found out it would be almost 60 hours a week. I was going to be given a house with free rent and a car but the house was in Bronxville which is a bit outside the city. The commute in on the subway would have made my day over 14 hours. They could give me a million an hour and i wouldn't take that crap. So yeah you were well lucky to land the one you got.

Sandillica

To be honest I am quite ambitious and wouldnt care what hours i would have to work as long as i can get a job related to my course and something that pays me enough to survive rent and bills etc. while i'm there - really im just looking to get out of the country and see a bit of the world - but i also wanna work, and somehow dont really see australia as the route for me- everyone seems to go there and id prefer to try something different - that and iv always wanted to try and live in the us for a while.
Guess nows the time to be cheeky - anyone got any contacts on the west coast that could hook me up with a job?

Neamhshuntasach

I could try see for San Diego but i'd have to ask them first. Also not sure how much help they'd actually be because feck all of them work. Jobs seem to be that bad over there at the moment. I think out of the 7 i keep in contact with only 2 work and they are courriering jobs. Another one moved back to St. Louis which is the mid west. He's the only one who is doing well for himself actually. Set up his own online business selling clothes. You aren't a good artist by any chance? One of them who i don't really keep in contact has his own tattoo business but i don't think that's quite what you are looking for.

I'm not into Australia either but i've seen enough of Canada to make me wanna try there at some stage. It's not that bad of a second option.

spinandscribble

can i ask Neamhshuntasach, are there bank holidays in the states?

Neamhshuntasach

Not in the sense that we have them over here. And as far as i remember there are federal holidays that only federal employees get off. Not all private sector workers get the same days off. The ones i remember getting off are Christmas Day, New Years Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Labor Day and then Independence Day. Some places close on the Friday after Thanksgiving. But if you work in retail you'd be working as it's a big shopping day. I also remember some mates getting Martin Luther King day off. And there some other day i remember too. Chavez day or something which was a state holiday. But i was a bouncer then and had to work.