work in the US

[FLLLA]

hey guys
this is probably nothing new, I am just looking for as many connections and options as possible.
I am looking to close the distance from Germany to the US. I will graduate college in September with a Bachelor's degree. I've spent a lot of time in the US and am fluent in English.
I am not looking to get engaged or married yet.
Do any of you have ideas how to find a job that supports a visa or how to stay there legally longterm?
Thank you so much!!!!

[mllebamako]

Honestly, it's going to be really difficult unless you have a highly specialized skill or something. Maybe look into graduate school programs in the US.

[ThePiedPiper]

Honestly, it's going to be really difficult unless you have a highly specialized skill or something. Maybe look into graduate school programs in the US.

Yes, especially with a Bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degrees, as of late, are becoming the new high school diplomas, as in we're competing with everyone to get jobs at the moment.

[lyonsgirl]

What they said.

And, tbh, if you have a specific state/city/etc you want to live in, it's going to be that much harder to find work. (I'm a US citizen and have been job hunting for the past year+ so my almost husband and I can close the distance before we get married in 4 months. And have had no luck so far with any offers.)

ETA: Unless, of course, you're willing to work a retail/food service job. But even those are starting to become harder to get.

[TooFarAway]

I'm planning to find work in the U.S in the future (so I can be with my baby obviously ;D)
Ugh...tht means I have to get my MBA too..(dammit..just to get my bachelors of commerce is like 5 years..).
That's gonna take so longgggg jskdhsjdjshddhskhsjdjs

[ThePiedPiper]

What they said.

And, tbh, if you have a specific state/city/etc you want to live in, it's going to be that much harder to find work. (I'm a US citizen and have been job hunting for the past year+ so my almost husband and I can close the distance before we get married in 4 months. And have had no luck so far with any offers.)

ETA: Unless, of course, you're willing to work a retail/food service job. But even those are starting to become harder to get.

To add to this, even food jobs are extremely hard to get in my area based on the nationality of the boss (hispanic boss = all hispanic workers whereas white boss usually = white and hispanic workers) and additionally you can be over-qualified for them as much as under-qualified. Stupid food service. Retail might work, but I believe to hire someone from out of the country, they have to prove why no one in the U.S. fit the bill, and there are enough applicants for retail/food service/other minimum wagers that, unfortunately, the OPer probably does not stand a chance at any of those either. It does not help that working in the U.S. requires actually being sponsored and paid for by a company here (software is a big one and about the only one I can think of) and proof that no one in the U.S. who applied is qualified to work that same position.

@OPer: What's your degree in?

[lyonsgirl]

Those are extremely hard to get in my area based on the nationality of the boss (hispanic boss = all hispanic workers whereas white boss usually = white and hispanic workers) and additionally you can be over-qualified for them as much as under-qualified. Stupid food service. Retail might work, but I believe to hire someone from out of the country, they have to prove why no one in the U.S. fit the bill, and there are enough applicants for retail/food service/other minimum wagers that, unfortunately, the OPer probably does not stand a chance at any of those either. It does not help that working in the U.S. requires actually being sponsored and paid for by a company here (software is a big one and about the only one I can think of) and proof that no one in the U.S. who applied is qualified to work that same position.

@OPer: What's your degree in?

Well, yea. But beyond getting the sponsorship and everything, those are easier jobs to find than "professional" jobs (aka need a degree in that field to get hired). Not saying they're easier to get hired on, but they're easier to find.

[conejita_hada]

Yes, especially with a Bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degrees, as of late, are becoming the new high school diplomas, as in we're competing with everyone to get jobs at the moment.

I'll echo this. If you're at all open to graduate programs (even one year programs), the university will fully sponsor your student visa and depending on the career center and services offered by the university, you'll have greater access to networking and job searching tools for during and after the program. My graduate program (Conflict Resolution in Washington, DC) has a lot of international students and I have several international friends who have landed jobs after graduating which secured their ability to stay in the US. It's not a guarantee but it's an option.

[Dziubka]

I'll echo this. If you're at all open to graduate programs (even one year programs), the university will fully sponsor your student visa and depending on the career center and services offered by the university, you'll have greater access to networking and job searching tools for during and after the program. My graduate program (Conflict Resolution in Washington, DC) has a lot of international students and I have several international friends who have landed jobs after graduating which secured their ability to stay in the US. It's not a guarantee but it's an option.

Plus you can be close distance for a while and then decide to get married, if there's no other way for you to stay in the country.

[lucybelle]

You're more likely to get a lottery visa than a work visa.

[newyorkrunner5]

Oh my! Can I ever relate to this! I am Canada, American SO we are getting married soon. I am American educated and am working on my masters now in linguistics. Visa fees are crazy. My SO's family is wonderful, but don't have a ton of money. My family doesn't either (but more than my SO's) and on top of that they are still supporting me a little (my funding only goes so far). Anyways the few thousand and counting we have forked over have all come from me and my family. I am in a situation where he cant afford the immigration stuff to Canada, and I will have "a so called useless masters". I wanted to go on and get either a speech therapy degree or forensic science degree, and I still do but now its a necessity. Both professions are considered "needed" in the U.S, and therefore I could get jobs because I would be a trained professional. Although I guess technically I could get hired without going back to school i've been told the odds aren't great. Anyways I was in tears today because of how hard I worked to save and how all that's gone and I have so many fees comming up. Its so stressful. My SO will be with me in a few months....so hopefully he'll find something then can help out a little, now hes doing an unpaid internship so I can't really expect much from him....I know he'd do it if he could...

Anyways if you ever want to vent about U.S and jobs....Private message me, I promise I'll understand....

[chizatlauren]

To OPer,

I think it's better if you have a post-graduate degree in a specialized field if you really want to get a job in the US. I also have a Bachelor's degree, it's a liberal arts degree in Mass Communication so I'm enrolling myself in a Master of Information Technology degree this coming fall (in my country) to prepare myself when I live with my SO in the US after two to three years. It's the only way that I can do to keep myself busy while still in an LDR and for me to be able to get a job in the US at the same time. The problem for me is that, my SO and I have to get married first before we ever close the distance because it's almost impossible for a Filipino like me to get a working visa in the US.

So yeah, I guess you should study again. I know it sucks. But you can do it!

[FLLLA]

Wow!!!! Thank you guys for all your input. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I will go through them later today and might come back with questions! Thank you!!!!

[digitalfever]

I don’t think you’ll be able to get a work visa as “specialized” is the equivalent to saying “If you have to ask….then you won’t get one.” STEM is a good place to start looking. Again, these take years of training, dedication and mula.