How to work in the US without a degree?

jessip
New Member



Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Posts: 1

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 3:45 pm

 

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I'm a Canuck trying to get a job in the US (Texas to be exact). The problem is that I don't have a degree or barely any post-highschool education. I'm really just looking at fast food or something minimum wage-ish. I'm completely lost.... Please help! This is quite urgent as I'm heading down there very soon....

I am married to an American -- married in Texas. Can I get an SSN right away? I am not sure whether or not I'm going to be staying in the US, therefore am not applying for permanent residence (yet).

Thank you much in advance. I'm so stressed right now.

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cdngirl80
New Member



Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Seattle, WA

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 6:29 pm

 

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So long as you have a visa or Green Card, or even an Employment Authorization Card and a SSN, I'm sure you'll be able to find work. I used to work for Jack in the Box Corporate, and trust me, if you're looking for minimum wage fast food, the jobs are out there!

Hope that helps.

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pkennedy1990
Junior Member



Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 23
Location: London

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:28 am

 

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As long as you don't look or sound like a Mexican, you should be fine. Chances are you won't sound like a Texan either, but I found that most Canadians sound just like most Americans (with the exceptions being the Deep South in the States). You won't sound exactly like one of them but they will never treat you like a foreigner if you don't try to TELL them that. That was my problem for 18 years of my life; I sounded like one of them and in my case, since I'm First Nations they treated me like one of them, more precisely an "Injun-Nigger." (In case you haven't been there yet, yes that's a BAD thing!) Americans aren't as big on trying to pinpoint where exactly you come from after one word out of your mouth, like some countries are. Except of course, in the Northeast and the South.
Most minimum-wage fast food jobs don't check that thoroughly when you sound like an American anyway, just professional jobs that require a degree, as I'm finding out here in England. Over here I can't get the time of day trying to look for a job because on the phone I immediately sound like at least "North American," even though I have an Irish passport which entitles me to work in the UK; I'm getting fed up and just want to SWIM back to where I am not the one who sounds like they're from overseas anymore!
Basically, though, the southern States are really not on the lookout for Canadians as much as they are on the lookout for Mexicans. For example, they're on such Mexican-patrol down there that driving back into San Diego from Tijuana there are 13 lines of cars, backed up all the way to Ensenada on a good day, and I had my car searched and they made me open the glove compartment and pop the trunk, and it was a Toyota Tercel, and this is because I guess I looked at least part-Mexican after all. What I can't get is if I passed for Mexican to the San Ysidro United States Border Patrol, why the hell the rest of that country treated me like "nigger" everywhere I went...but as long as you aren't First Nations those things won't happen to you!

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