The Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Job in the USA
Six years ago, I set a challenge for myself to gain professional experience in the United States for one or several years. (The Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Job in the USA)
After some research, I realized that I could not work in the USA without a work visa. I needed a job to get this work visa. Thus, I needed to be sponsored for the working visa.
The first task for anyone looking to enter the U.S. is finding a job. Then, you need to find a sponsor for your Visa. Once that’s done, you’re good to go, and you can go to America.
This guide will tell you about how to find a job in the United States that will provide visa sponsorship tailored to your situation, profile, citizenship wishes and expectations.
So, let us see how you can get a job in the USA!
Know How to get a job in the USA?
Does it easy to get a job in America? You may face some difficulties:
As many people are looking for employment in the United States, the rules have become more strict about who can enter and why.
Following my own experience, I have observed hundreds of my followers who face four significant difficulties:
Difficulty 1
The company wants to hire you, but they tell you they can’t hire you before you get the Visa…
Difficulty 2
You find your dream job. The employer tells you they cannot or will not provide any sponsorship for that job.
Difficulty 3
You are not able to connect with the employers! You can’t even get their answer.
Difficulty 4
Last but not least, you have a lot of interviews, but even if you don’t make your visa request known, you may still not receive an answer from your interviewer.
Getting a job in America is not that easy, is it?
You will get nothing in any of those four cases above! Indeed, 90% of failures to get a job in the USA as a foreigner come from a single mistake. And if you’ve had the difficulties above, you may be making this mistake: applying without targeting.
Before even considering building your American resume and applying for jobs in the United States, you need to target the right open jobs and companies.
But targeting jobs in your area is not enough! You need to understand that up to 5-7% of companies in the U.S. can sponsor you for a work visa. It may be even less, depending on your position, profile, and the job opportunities you get from it.
So, dive into what you want and then what you will get based on your situation, profile and expectations. This is the basis of your American project.
Based on this, you can prepare your application, target the right companies and contact them effectively.
But before proceeding, I want to tell you something…
What you want in your job may not be what you get
I am sure you might not want to read what I have to say next. It can hurt or challenge your expectations.
Landing in the United States with a work visa doesn’t mean you’ll get rich or live in the States for life.
We are about to see the true reality of the U.S. market as it is today. You may not like it; unfortunately, if your profile and expectations do not match this market, it will not happen. Sorry to disappoint you.
Maybe it will be easy, and perhaps it will be impossible. It all depends on what you want and what you expect. Just be prepared to adjust your expectations.
If you don’t want to accept reality and adjust your expectations, you only have your own decisions to rely on. The choice is ultimately yours. You must remember that this is your life.
My choice was to live in the United States, and now I live an extraordinary life there. It’s not because I’m lucky; I reviewed my expectations and accepted the reality. That’s it.
If you’re not ready for such a big step, it’s time to think you might have misunderstood the American dream seriously. And the United States may not be there for you. The choice is yours!
The way things are, you need to fit the mould, or you’re out.
As unfortunate as this is, you need to understand it before proceeding. I don’t want to waste your time. So, if you can continue reading this post, I think you know the implications of this process.
Now, let me explain how to get a job in the USA!
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What do I want?
First, you’ll need to define your career plan:
- What do you want to do?!
- What kind of job do I want to get?
Some of you have a clear goal, while others do not.
If you know what job you want in America that is awesome! You already know what to search for & you know exactly what type of job you wish to apply for.
Your career plan is clear to you, and you can skip the rest of this section and move on to “what do I get”.
If you don’t have any plans yet, please don’t tell me you’re ready to do anything to stay in the U.S. This is not a career plan! I’ve heard this too much for my taste.
I know your goal is to live in the USA and experience it. But first, you need a career plan!
I was in the same situation while looking for a job in the USA. At first, I was open to everything, not just jobs in my field. I applied for the jobs in sales, marketing etc. and found that I was not going anywhere.
You need to focus on the things you love to do and the skills you have. Where do you see yourself working? And what skills do you have? Which ones do you need to reinforce?
How to get a job in the USA with a career change
If you’re tired of what you’re doing now, a career change plan may be helpful. But you need to figure out the journey you want to achieve your ultimate goal.
Switch to a position that requires your skill or learning something new; This will help you continue your journey until you reach your ultimate goal.
Take into account your goals and motivations for your future and professional path. They should be obtained based on your expertise and abilities.
You may need to focus on setting academic and work-related goals to use your knowledge and abilities.
Although volunteering takes time, commitment can be a great option when you want to master skills that you may not have been able to use in your workplace.
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What will I get?
Now that you know what you want to do, you should check if it fits the U.S. market, especially for foreigners. Remember, you don’t have a work visa yet, so you can’t apply everywhere!!
To find out if your profile and expectations in the U.S. are suitable for the market, you need to find out which Visa you might be eligible for, and then find companies that have job opportunities in your area that can sponsor you for this kind of Visa!
At this point, you need to know what type of Visa you are eligible for. Why? Because the Target Company and approach to the company will be completely different depending on your ideal Visa, your position and profile, and the career plan you have just defined.
What is my ideal prospective Visa?
Work visas are incredibly complicated. Your ideal considers your status and profile (age, citizenship, marital status, length of stay, field of activity, industry, years of experience, skills, English level, etc.).
Your ideal Visa depends on
Citizenship: Your home country may or may not be in a treaty with the United States. If so, you may be getting a particular type of Visa.
Undergraduate: If you have more than five years of experience or a higher secondary diploma, getting a visa may be more accessible.
Career: It depends on the company you are currently working for. Some companies may want to relocate you to the U.S.
Skills: It also depends on your area of expertise and your industry! Based on these, you can get a specific visa.
Duration: How long do you want to stay in the U.S.? Some visas are for several months; Others are permanent.
To speed up the process and be sure which Visa fits the above criteria, just take this Visa Simulator Test!
I worked for several months to build and polish this visa algorithm. So, let’s have a try!
Be as specific as possible, and don’t lie in your answer! If you do this, it will give you the wrong results. Be as fair as possible! If you are honest, this will provide the correct Visa.
If the quiz returns you the Visa, congratulations!!!! You are on the right track! But before claiming victory, know that it is not necessarily easy. You may also have to make some concessions. But let’s talk about it later in this article.
What if the quiz doesn’t return any possible visas?
Unfortunately, this means you can’t gain experience in the USA, given your current situation and expectations. This means that what you want and can offer is not in line with U.S. requirements.
As I told you earlier, if you want this to work, you must adjust your career path or expectations to reality. If so, I invite you to contact me directly. Then, I can take a look at your profile and status.
At a glance, I will be able to tell you the position about what you need to try and what expectations you should change as per the requirement.
If you still don’t have a potential visa because you don’t want to change your expectation, as I told you, it’s a dead end for you. I cannot help you anymore, and it is useless for you to continue reading this post because further information will no longer be valuable.
So, don’t waste your time. I encourage you to look for resources elsewhere, if you must, with no luck here.
Is reasonable! Once you know your potential future visa, it’s time to search for the proper open jobs! But before that, check whether your diploma is recognized in the USA or not.
Is my diploma accredited in the USA?
Depending on the field you are looking for, you may need a degree, diploma, or certificate. Sometimes, a certification from your home country may be sufficient; Sometimes, that doesn’t happen. It depends on your area.
For some professions, such as health care – doctor, nurse, specialist, etc. – you will need an equivalent degree.
If you are a nurse, you must pass an equivalent examination. It is not enough to be comparable if you are a physician, general practitioner or specialist. You must have a valid license for the state where you wish to practice.
To work in a pharmacy in the United States, you also need diploma equivalency. If you are a lawyer, you must apply for a license to practice with the State Bar (U.S.). To become a real estate agent, you also need support in the state where you want to practice.
Therefore, if you come across any of the above cases, you should start searching for your diploma equivalent before looking for a sponsoring employer.
In all other trades, unless I’m mistaken, the good news is that there is no equality requirement for your degree! But you can check here for more accuracy.
In our situation, we didn’t need equivalence, and the same is true for Marketing, Communications, Sales, I.T., H.R., Finance, Hotel/Catering, etc.
When preparing your visa application and diploma, an official translation into English will be required. But for now, you don’t have to worry about it.
So, now comes the juicy part of your job search!
Where can I find open jobs?
Remember that 95% of companies in the United States won’t offer you Visa sponsorship because, as we’ve seen before, they are pretty satisfied with local hiring.
So, even if you find a great open job in your field that perfectly matches your profile, it won’t work 95% of the time!
Try whatever you want, but the company won’t sponsor you for a visa! This is usually because they can easily find someone like you locally, or you are not eligible for a ticket they can support.
Think about it. Why would they bother messing with visa paperwork and pure strangers from an unknown place when they are available at local rentals without the complexity of paperwork?
So, first of all, don’t waste your time applying for every job you can find on the internet, even if they all seem like the perfect match for your skills!!!
I had the same problem with Max while looking for a job in the USA. He was interviewed at an American company in Denver. But when it came to the visa subject, the company refused: no visa sponsorship, that’s all.
So, why not just target the 5% of companies accustomed to hiring foreign individuals who will fulfill your eligible visa request?
Do the math. This will save you 95% of the time!
If you were wondering how to get a job in the United States of America, now you have started to have a sure idea of how to do it. You only need to target sponsor companies:
It can sponsor or hire you with the kind of Visa you are eligible for:
- With open jobs in your area
- It matches 80% or more with your motivation and skills
Does it make sense to you?
You will find open jobs in your area for companies that are used to sponsor or recruit you under your Visa by clicking here!
Sponsor Me only includes sponsor companies. We spent many months building this search engine! And you will see that by using; you can filter to find everything you need to find your job in the USA!
Depending on your eligible Visa, you may need to filter only companies that sponsor people of your citizenship. If you took the quiz, I sent you an email with your type of Visa, telling you whether you need to filter your citizenship.
So, once you get to the USponsor Me sponsor search engine, you should filter on
- Your potential future visa (+ your citizenship if applicable)
- The job title you are targeting (+ industry if appropriate)
- The location you are targeting (if applicable)
The search engine will return all the best jobs in the right companies for you regarding your Visa, location and what you want to do. And it will only search among sponsor companies! It is the best fit between you and the company’s needs.
What if it doesn’t offer jobs or only a few jobs?
If you don’t get a job, it can depend on several factors
Your Visa. In this case, as I said earlier, you should adjust your expectations and target another visa. Contact me, and we can talk more about this.
The position you are looking for in the U.S. does not exist in It happens!! In that case, you’ll need to research and define which job title is most effective for your profile and expectations.
You may need to add to the app, as it is not entirely adequate yet. But don’t worry, because I can help you with this. I
There are no open jobs in your area. It sounds like your area isn’t in much demand in the United States. In this case, the USA will not be easy for you.
But before resorting to failure, you should go through all the above situations first to ensure that you have prepared yourself well.
If it returns a lot of jobs, let’s dive into it!
Take a look at them, and add to your favorites. Choose only jobs that are 80% suitable for you!
Sponsor Me isn’t complete yet. It is sometimes possible that a sponsoring company may not sponsor for some time or may make exceptions for specific functions.
You know, even a sponsor company must have a minimum percentage of U.S. employees.
Therefore, you may see job offers written as “No sponsorship available”. If so, ignore the job offer, and continue your selection with other jobs.
Carefully! Depending on your Visa, you may not need the company that sponsors you for the Visa, as a third party may also support you!
If you took the quiz, you should have received an email with your visa results, its advantages and disadvantages, and an indication of whether you need to be sponsored by a company.
If you do not need sponsorship from the company, the mention of “no sponsorship” does not apply to you.
Conversely, if it is mentioned that the company does not take your type of Visa, don’t waste your time applying. These jobs just aren’t for you.
We are working hard to weed out all the jobs that are not under the sponsorship and enrich our database with jobs with guaranteed sponsorship.
If it returns a lot of jobs that are not in your field…
If it returns results, but they don’t match what you’re looking for, please email me, and I’ll be happy to help! Sponsor Me isn’t complete yet.
I know it can be difficult to navigate sometimes. We are working hard to release a new version soon to make your job search much more accessible! We have a plan for the end of this year.
If you have subscribed to the newsletter, you will be notified once the new USponsor Me version goes live.
Targeting is a cornerstone of your job search in the United States. However, this is the first step in a long quest! Now you’ll need to focus on your resume and cover letter! Here, you have several American-style templates that you can use.
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Keep in touch with employers!
Now, you need to think about your approach strategy! The art of approaching an employer when you’re looking for work can be tricky. But it’s not now if you know how and when you can move on.
As a reminder, before continuing your search to find a job in the United States, you must:
Have a firm idea about the job you’re looking for
- Know what kind of Visa you are eligible for
- Make sure your diploma is sufficient to practice your job in the USA
- Target only companies that are used to sponsor the type of Visa you qualify for
- Have a strong resume, cover letter, online presence and tons of recommendations
Once you have everything you need to start your job search proactively, here are four strategies you should use:
- Job Application – When You Apply For Online Open Jobs
- Spontaneous Application – When you submit your application to a company that does not have any current open jobs
- Through your network – when you are recommended by someone you know
- Direct Approach – When you approach the right internal people directly without knowing them
So now, let’s dive into these four job search strategies and decide which one you should use. It’s time for you to step out of your shell and contact employers!
Job application
It is the strategy you know best and uses the most. However, it can be a massive waste of time if you don’t use it properly.
The biggest mistake is applying for all the job opportunities you see everywhere. However, let me tell you again that you are a foreigner and need a visa! And only 1 in the 16 companies in the United States employs and sponsors their employees for visas.
Additionally, sponsoring companies cannot technically sponsor all types of visas. And on the other hand, you may not be sponsored for all existing visa types.
It is like finding a small needle in the haystack!
Applying for open jobs posted on general job boards means you compete with others, especially locals, who already have the work authorization.
Even for the Americans, it’s hard to get a job by applying online. More than 105 million people are looking for jobs in the United States annually. Only 20% of the jobs are posted online, and 75% of candidates apply online, just like you do!
The company will receive an average of 250-300 applications for each job advertisement. That’s why ATS (Applicant Tracking System) exists!
During the submission of your application, you will often be asked: “Do you need Visa sponsorship now or in the future?”
and: “Do you have work authorization?”. If you answer, you will be automatically blocked by ATS. It will start to look like you have applied for nothing!
So really, what’s your chance here?
You can avoid that mistake, and applying for a job can be a great strategy if you do it in right way.
Let us take the example of Max.
Max found his job in the New York City by applying directly on the company’s website. But before doing so, he saw this job advertisement on the website of the French International Job Center “Ple Emploi International”.
This means that the particular company was looking for a Frenchman to relocate to its subsidiary in New York City. So, in that case, Max was not in competition with the locals.
Therefore, it did not ask him whether he needed work authorization. Second, this company was a sponsor, and they could sponsor him with the correct Visa he was eligible for. And finally, this job matches more than 80% of their profile. So guess what? He got the job.
You will not find many job advertisements on job center websites for international positions. I didn’t get anything for myself.
But, if applicable, you have another website with open jobs with guaranteed visa sponsorship according to your eligible Visa and citizenship. As you know, this website is called USponsor Me.
We now display the job openings with guaranteed visa sponsorship. But be careful! Again, the job must match the Visa you are eligible for! Please run Visa Simulator before proceeding.
On sponsor Me, you have two types of job openings:
Job advertisements from companies that are used to sponsor visas. However, you are competing with local candidates.
Job ads from companies are specifically looking for a foreigner to fill a position that can provide you with visa sponsorship. This means that you are not in competition with local candidates.
Does it make sense?
To change and view those two job ads, use the “Visa Guaranteed” toggle in the search field. If the toggle is on, you see jobs specifically for foreigners with a visa sponsorship guarantee. If it’s closed, you’ll see all jobs, even job opportunities for which you compete with local candidates.
What else?
Your job search strategy depends on whether you get a job advertisement with guaranteed visa sponsorship.
For jobs that do not require you to compete with the locals, go ahead and apply! For jobs that require you to compete with locals, stay away from using online to medium-sized or large companies.
This would be a waste of time. In that case, I strongly recommend using the direct approach strategy, which we will look at later in this article.
Smaller companies do not use any ATS. So, you can still get your chance with them by applying online. Still, you also need to contact the recruiter directly by email or LinkedIn to let them know your additional motivation and why you’re the right person for the position. Huh!
Warning! If you get a positive response before your first exchange with this person, make sure you have your visa pitch ready. You should respond right after you’ve talked about it with the company. Don’t let your chance fly by!
Before applying, broaden the company’s scope and needs, and see what you can learn!
Avoid all the mistakes that you make while applying. This is very important!
Plus, you know that you need to adjust your resume and cover letter for every job you apply for. I talk about it here.
If you want the job but find it challenging to identify transferable skills and match the organization and role, “let’s apply and see” won’t work for you, even if you’re not competing. Be local people.
In that case, I strongly recommend contacting the company’s recruiter directly to express your motivation for the job/career. Or, even better, use direct approach strategy; we’ll discuss that later.
If you don’t find an open job with a visa guarantee, do not panic! You have 3 other job search strategies you can use.
I will elaborate on the second, an intuitive application, and how you can use it efficiently.
Spontaneous application
Keep in your mind that 80% of open jobs in the United States are never posted on job boards. Along with applying for positions available with a visa guarantee, I suggest you send innovative, spontaneous applications. The advantage is that you seriously have no direct competitors!
I found my job in the New York City through a seamless application but intelligently.
I first sent 1000’s of spontaneous applications to companies in my field, along with a brief cover letter and my resume. It didn’t work at all; I got a response, and it was negative!
Then I found another way. I noticed that every week, I received contact requests from recruiters via LinkedIn and Viadeo (a French professional network similar to LinkedIn). If they wanted to join me, my profile was interesting to them.
Then, I noticed that some contact companies were also based in the United States. So I gave it a try.
I sent them instant messages without a resume or cover letter in the attachment. I replied to one of those messages and got a job in New York City!
What else? This company was a sponsor company used to sponsor the kind of Visa I was eligible for.
To avoid wasting your time, I recommend you just send smart, spontaneous apps, as I have done.
To do this efficiently:
To attract employers, you must have a strong LinkedIn profile (and a profile on your country’s most used professional social media platform).
You must accept connection requests from employers.
Once you’re ready, retrieve all recruiters in your contacts you don’t know, and research their companies on USponsor Me, making sure to record their company name.
If the company is showing on USponsor Me, it is based in the USA and offers you sponsorship. Now you need to filter for the Visa you are eligible for and see if it is still here.
Get visa information on companies in your network.
We hope you like our article on The Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Job in the USA.
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