pathways to success for immigrant professionals:...

Pathways to Success for Immigrant Professionals:

Business/Finance

March 9, 2011

Agenda

World Education Services (WES) Paul Feltman

Upwardly Global Sherazade Langlade

Department of Labor Sinae Christy

Human Resources Perspective Greg Chartier

Personal Experience as an Immigrant Entrepreneur Pedro Coelho

Questions and Answers

Information Tables in Lobby

A national organization of community colleges and other organizations that are committed to supporting immigrant education through their innovative programs and services. CCCIE is housed in the Gateway Center at Westchester Community College CCCIE’s mission is to raise awareness of the important role community colleges play in delivering educational opportunities to immigrants, and to promote and expand the range and quality of programs for immigrant students among community colleges around the country.

Current Initiatives include: Supporting Highly Educated/Highly Skilled Immigrants as they seek to reenter their careers in the United States

Pathways to Success For Business and Finance

Barriers to Success

– More than 1.4 million college-educated immigrants

in the U.S. are unemployed or working in unskilled

jobs. This represents 1 out of every 5 highly

educated immigrants.

5 © 2009 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

About World Education Services

• WES’s mission is to foster the integration of individuals educated outside the U.S. into academic and professional settings

• WES is a non-profit organization (NGO) since 1974. Has served 750,000 individuals from all countries

– Primary Service: Providing evaluation reports so that legitimate academic credentials earned abroad are understood and fully recognized

– Immigrant Resources: Providing clear advice and offer links to the best available online resources and community programs - www.wes.org/info

– Community Engagement: Providing training and resources to community organizations, developing partnerships, circulating a monthly newsletter highlighting community initiatives


Sample Credential Evaluation


Choosing a Credential Evaluation Service

• Your international education, once evaluated, can be

recognized and accepted by academic institutions, licensing

boards and employers

– YOU DON’T HAVE TO START OVER

• Each institution/agency/employer sets its own rules regarding

recognition and acceptance of foreign education

– NO SINGLE STANDARD APPLIES

When choosing an evaluation service….

– Know your goal (School, Employment, Licensing

– What instructions does the recipient provide

– If given a choice of services, consult www.naces.org

to identify a reliable evaluation service

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© 2009 World Education Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing a Service


Evaluations for Education

Some universities perform their own evaluations and will not accept an evaluation from an external service like WES

Many universities will accept and/or require a WES

evaluation

Once a university receives an evaluation, the institution will

ultimately decide your eligibility for an academic

program

Universities set a clear limit to the amount of transfer credit

they will accept

University Admissions


Evaluations for Licensing

Credential Evaluation Certification from

professional association

Supplemental courses and/or

English language requirements

Work experience/internship

Examinations Fingerprints, fees,

citizenship, etc


Licensing is state regulated with separate boards for each

profession. Licensing requirements can include:

For more information on licensing in New York state visit: The Office of Professions at www.op.nysed.gov OR

Careers for New Americans at www.CareersForNewAmericans.org

Evaluations for Employment

• “Market” your education!

• Highlight the U.S. equivalency on your resume

• Employers may ask for a credential evaluation

and have a preferred service

• Employers may not be familiar with credential

evaluation, so it is important that represent your

evaluation to potential employers


Thank You

For more information and resources,

visit our website www.wes.org/info

Please feel free to contact WES at

[email protected]


© 2007, All Rights Reserved, Upwardly Global

How to Use your Foreign Degree in

The U.S.

Workshop for Immigrant Professionals

© 2007, All Rights Reserved, Upwardly Global

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Upwardly Global (www.upglo.org)

• Non-profit organization founded in 2000 with offices in NY,

SF and Chicago

• Helps skilled immigrants, who meet our eligibility

requirements, rebuild their careers in the U.S.

1. Job Search Program

Free 7-week or 4 full days workshop

Expectation to commit to a high level of communication with Upwardly

Global staff

2. Employer Network Program

Connections to employers in your field

Success Stories

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Before: Babysitter After: Immigration Lawyer

Before: Cab driver After: Design Engineer, Con Edison

Before: Unemployed After: Professional Recruiter JPMC

Before: Security Guard After: Accountant, AJWS

Before: Unemployed After: PR Director, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Before: Cook After: Evaluater, WES

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Working with UpGlo to Re-Start your Career

Minimum qualifications

– Full, permanent work authorization

– Minimum of a BA degree from outside the US

– Arrived in US within the past 5 years

– Have at least 2 years of experience in field

– Highly motivated in your job search

– Able to commit to the program

Apply online! www.upwardlyglobal.org

http://www.upwardlyglobal.org/

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Today’s Agenda

Traits of U.S. Job Search

New tool: Careers for New Americans

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From experience, here’s what we know…The job

search is DIFFERENT in the U.S.:

Fast and Competitive

Networking

Focus on self promotion

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1. Fast Paced & Competitive


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Job Search Tool Box: Resumes

Employers will only spend 20 seconds

reviewing your resume! Your resume must

quickly show:

• What you are looking for

• What value you bring

• What you are capable of

UPGLO ACTION ITEM: Update your resume in

the American style

“After I updated my resume, it

was much more clear what kind of

job I wanted. My resume is now

results oriented and easier to

read, and really highlights my best

accomplishments. After I

updated it, I started getting

calls and interviews!”

-Nataliya, Ukraine

American Style Resume

Concise (1 – 2 pages is best)

Results oriented

Well organized and formatted

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Eguonor J. Onofeghara-Omoko Fully US work authorized ∙ No visa sponsorship required

OBJECTIVE To obtain a position as a legal or administrative assistant where I can apply my education and 4+ years professional

experience in law

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Experienced in project planning, management, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation

Excellent verbal and written English communication skills

Team worker with superior interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and ability to work within strict timelines and

under pressure

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Receptionist/Litigation Clerk February 2002 – December 2005

E. A. Pippa & Co., Lagos, Nigeria

A private law firm ranked in top 50 in nation, specializing in civil cases

Provided support to no less that 5 attorneys by keeping record of cases/files, preparing and filing pleadings,

motions, and affidavits with the State High Court

Met one-on-one with clients and drafted age declarations and declarations for change of name

Drafted motion to change venue for attorney transferred to alternate city, resulting in motion granted

Conducted general word processing, scheduled and coordinated attorney-client meetings

Office Intern June 2000 – August 2001

High Court of Justice of Delta State, Ughelli, Nigeria

This is the state high court which is equivalent to the superior high court of California

Worked directly with 20 or more active clients to draft affidavits

Assisted court registrar with filing of pleadings and motions, such as ex parte motion, motion for judgment, and

motion for extension of time

Assisted court registrar with administrative tasks, such as distribution of notice to appear in court, preparation of

court list, and affidavits

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

Sales Person

Shibata Floral Company, San Francisco, CA (Part-time) January 2006 - Present

Administrative work: greet customers, answer questions, arrange flowers, clean

EDUCATION Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Degree October 2001 – December 2005

(Diploma pending last semester of coursework)

Delta State University, Delta State, Nigeria

HONORS AND PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

First nominated Congresswoman for the Legislative Arm of the University of Benin’s Student Government

(September 1999)

Prepared original paper—―State Prosecution of Offences: A Critical Review of the Power of the Attorney-

General‖—that is now a reference guide in the University of Benin’s main library

Selected Moot Court Registrar, Delta State University Students’ Court (June 2002-June 2005)

Announced court cases during court session

Endorsed filed court documents, such as ex-parte motion

TECHNICAL SKILLS: Proficient in MS Word, PPT, Excel and Power Point

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English Speaker; Fluent in local dialect, Urhobo

American Style Resumes are:

• Concise (1 – 2 pages is best)

• Results oriented

• Well organized and formatted

Include a brief explanation of what the company did (if not in the U.S.)

Provide specific quantitative examples of the impact YOU had at the company. It’s OK to brag!

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List your “survival jobs” in a separate category of your resume, after your professional experience

2. Emphasize on Networking & Gaining U.S. Experience

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How do Americans find Jobs?

Slice 1 Slice 2

Slice 3

Networking – 77% !!

Newspaper ads – 15%

Internet Job Boards – 4%

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Networking

Where

• Personal network – school, church, community

• Professional Association events/meetings

• Job Fairs/Conferences

• Classes/Trainings

How

• Informational Interviews or “Meet for coffee”

• Short phone calls

• LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)

UPGLO ACTION ITEM: List 5 people you will talk to or places you will go to start networking in your job search

Gaining U.S. Experience

Volunteering or Internship

– Gain experience in U.S. workplace

– Gain new skills

– Help address gap in resume

– Build your professional network

– Develop references

– May lead to full-time position

Where to look?

– www.idealist.org

– www.volunteermatch.org

– http://nyjobsource.com/nyinterns.html 27

http://www.idealist.org/

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

http://nyjobsource.com/nyinterns.html

3. Focus on Marketing Yourself

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Marketing Yourself – “Elevator Pitch”

Who you are:

Hi, my name is _____________.

What you can do:

I have __ years of experience in/as a

_________(field/profession).

What you are looking for:

I am looking for a position as a _____________where I

can apply my skills in (skill #1), (skill #2), (skill #3). I

would like to work for __________ (type of

organization/company).”

UPGLO ACTION ITEM: Practice Your Pitch

New Resources for Regulated Professions

Careers for New Americans (www.careersfornewamericans.org)

– outline the steps to follow to qualify for a

professional license or credentials

What are covered in the website:

– How the profession is organized in NY

– Eligibility for Licensing

– Tests

– Time and Costs

– Other Careers and Credentials

– Beyond Licensing

– Important Links

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Careers for New Americans

What are covered in the website:

– How the profession is organized in NY

– Eligibility for Licensing

– Tests

– Time and Costs

– Other Careers and Credentials

– Beyond Licensing

– Important Links

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