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Finding a job as an engineer before moving

A

AeroEngineer

New Member
Hi there! I am from Turkey and got selected on DV2018, my case number is 2018EU00022XXX. Looking at the historical visa bulletin numbers I believe my visa interview is going to be in next spring, hopefully (fingers crossed!!) Although I have plenty of time, I can't help myself thinking about making plans regarding living in the USA, if I get permanent residency.

So my biggest concern is landing a job in the US after becoming an LPR. It has always boggled my mind how people sell their house, car, quit their job and move to the United States without a job offer. In my opinion, it is a huge risk. But I also believe that you have a greater chance to land a job while you are there.

So my question is, how likely is it to get a job offer for an engineer while overseas if you have a green card?

I know finding a job depends on many factors (level of education, experience, networking etc.). To be specific, my case can be summarized as follows:

- Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering (4 years)
- 7 years of experience in the Aerospace Industry as an Aerospace Engineer

I do not know anybody in the Aerospace Industry in the US. So I guess my only option is to apply for jobs online using job boards? Or would it be better to contact recruiters/headhunters?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.
 
Short answer: tough. Recruiters naturally prefer people who are in the country and can attend interviews. And they are usually spoilt for choice locally, so they see little merit in pursuing a candidate who isn't in the country when they can interview an equally qualified person face to face tomorrow. Unless you have a specific, niche and in demand skill set, it will be a challenge.

But it's been done. @guestgulkan was able to secure a role before he got to the US but, as I understand it, it took quite some time. I don't think he's an engineer, though.

I quit my job, sold everything and moved to the US without a job. Some of the greatest achievements we, as humans, experience, happen when we take risks. Not when we play it safe, too scared to step out of our comfort zone. I found a job within weeks, was promoted within months and, now, am receiving nearly the same salary as I did in Australia. The risk was worth it.
 
I know one or two people who have secured a job before they move but it's rare.

Anyway, you don't have a green card until you have landed in the US to activate your immigrant visa so what you should do perhaps is make sure you have arranged meetings with both recruiters and companies for the same trip. (Many people find US recruiters/headhunters are not overly helpful by the way but it's certainly an avenue to be explored. Try find out if any specialize in your field.) It's no guarantee you'll get something in what will presumably be a short space of time of course and you should allow for the possibility that you'll have to take the same great leap into the unknown that many of us did. One would assume of course that you would have researched where the best location etc for your type of skills is likely to be.
 
AeroEngineer said:
Hi there! I am from Turkey and got selected on DV2018, my case number is 2018EU00022XXX. Looking at the historical visa bulletin numbers I believe my visa interview is going to be in next spring, hopefully (fingers crossed!!) Although I have plenty of time, I can't help myself thinking about making plans regarding living in the USA, if I get permanent residency.

So my biggest concern is landing a job in the US after becoming an LPR. It has always boggled my mind how people sell their house, car, quit their job and move to the United States without a job offer. In my opinion, it is a huge risk. But I also believe that you have a greater chance to land a job while you are there.

So my question is, how likely is it to get a job offer for an engineer while overseas if you have a green card?

I know finding a job depends on many factors (level of education, experience, networking etc.). To be specific, my case can be summarized as follows:

- Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering (4 years)
- 7 years of experience in the Aerospace Industry as an Aerospace Engineer

I do not know anybody in the Aerospace Industry in the US. So I guess my only option is to apply for jobs online using job boards? Or would it be better to contact recruiters/headhunters?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Start checking up on Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems.. Some probably require security clearances..
 
Guriix said:
Start checking up on Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems.. Some probably require security clearances..
Click to expand...

That's a good point - a number of the jobs are likely to be in sensitive /defense-related areas that may require citizenship. Still, I can't imagine it would be too difficult for someone with a degree and experience in that field to find a job.
 
Sm1smom said:
Majority of the openings within those organizations require US citizenship - I know this for a fact since we've done similar searches for my son.
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Yes, unfortunately some of the positions require US citizenship. However, for some of them the requirement is being a "US Person", in which case, I am guessing I would be qualified?

Sm1smom, did your son end up finding a job in one of those aerospace companies?
 
AeroEngineer said:
Yes, unfortunately some of the positions require US citizenship. However, for some of them the requirement is being a "US Person", in which case, I am guessing I would be qualified?

Sm1smom, did your son end up finding a job in one of those aerospace companies?
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My son is currently a college student and was/is only interested in organizations such as NASA, Boeing, SpaceX, etc - his desired area of expertise require US citizenship which he currently doesn't have, so we had to do a change of plan. He's heading off to Germany this summer and by next summer he will already have his US citizenship which will hopefully be able to get him into one of them.

In fairness our search showed Boeing is open to hiring a LPR for some positions. And there's quite a decent number of aerospace engineering firms who do not require US citizenship. You just have to spend some time and do your own digging. And I don't think you can get companies in that industry to take you serious if you're not currently on US soil.
 
It's just worth a reminder in case others are reading about citizen only hiring policies that every US company is required not to discriminate based on immigration status, except (as is often the case in the aerospace industry) there is an exception because of federal contracts and related security. That exception should bot be applied in a blanket way.
 
Britsimon said:
It's just worth a reminder in case others are reading about citizen only hiring policies that every US company is required not to discriminate based on immigration status, except (as is often the case in the aerospace industry) there is an exception because of federal contracts and related security. That exception should bot be applied in a blanket way.
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Only industries linked to Defense&Security, am I correct?
 
saabe said:
Only industries linked to Defense&Security, am I correct?
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EmilyW said:
Any industry that holds government contracts potentially has the same requirements.
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I've seen a couple of jobs in the Federal Reserve system that also require citizens, but most of them require either citizens or green card holders.

However for the vast majority of jobs out there this isn't an issue.
 
SusieQQQ said:
I've seen a couple of jobs in the Federal Reserve system that also require citizens, but most of them require either citizens or green card holders.

However for the vast majority of jobs out there this isn't an issue.
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Yes - exactly. That's the point. Most employers cannot discriminate against immigrants, and it is important people know that. I know Americans who cannot believe that is true, so there is a possibility that discrimination will happen - and the immigrant should know their rights.
 
@AeroEngineer since u from turkey i guess ur degree issued by YOK like mine
In case u didnt take FE exam u have to as a minimum required to be able to work in US as engineer
U wont worry about ur degree to get equivalent after that
Also unfortunate they don't consider the international experience... they prefer the local ones
 
leawe said:
@AeroEngineer
Also unfortunate they don't consider the international experience... they prefer the local ones
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I get highly irritated when I see blanket statements like this. Plenty of companies recognize international experience. Yes some of them prefer experience at companies they know of etc but it's just rubbish to say "they don't consider" experience outside the US.
 
SusieQQQ said:
I get highly irritated when I see blanket statements like this. Plenty of companies recognize international experience. Yes some of them prefer experience at companies they know of etc but it's just rubbish to say "they don't consider" experience outside the US.
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i really hope that also .. im already applying for myself
i met some immigrant engineers when i was there and they told me that... also in another forums and some immigrant videos about life and work there same comments
sorry if my words took as official requirements for work..... but this the comments i got from experienced people living there
 
leawe said:
i really hope that also .. im already applying for myself
i met some immigrant engineers when i was there and they told me that... also in another forums and some immigrant videos about life and work there same comments
sorry if my words took as official requirements for work..... but this the comments i got from experienced people living there
Click to expand...

Yeah well my husband is an immigrant engineer and his work experience did not count for nothing. The Bay Area is full of engineers from around the world as an example and many of them are in senior positions ...they didn't get those because no one looks at their international experience. Maybe you're looking in the wrong place. Places where there isn't a lot of work for engineers you will obviously find it a lot harder. Places where there is a shortage of engineers will happily take anyone they can find.
 
....and funnily enough someone in another thread just posted about being offered a job in Texas (transfer by his company) as an engineer.
 
My case instead:

Master Degree in Electrical Engeenering
10+ years esperience in software engineering.

I'm planning to make some job interviews with Skype starting in the next months.

What do you think? Is there a hope that I find a company that help me also with relocation? After all, I have all the USA cities at disposal. I don't know if I would have the courage to land in USA alone without a job, at my age, with a not-so-perfect English (but probably I would do it)
 
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