“Often, businesses can’t find the right people, and as this survey suggests, sometimes they just can’t find people at all,” said Bob Funk, CEO of Express, and a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
“In some ways, this is good news. It suggests that more people are going back to work. But it also reaffirms a troubling trend: the mismatch between the skills people have and the skills employers need.”
You see plenty of stereotypical responses here, with immigrants holding down agricultural labor jobs on the West Coast and housekeeping and construction jobs across much of the South. There are also four states in which the most commonly held immigrant occupation is college professor, and in Delaware it’s software developer.
There are additional careers available through different government agencies and private organizations. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. What’s not okay is to be intimidated into thinking that you don’t deserve the job you have been hired to do. Trust yourself enough to know that you are hired because of your qualifications. It’s not because they took pity on an immigrant.
You’ve accomplished the papers, paid the fees, hired the right lawyers, and answered the questions at the immigration counter. Here’s the thing: how comfortable are you with speaking the language? It’s not about knowing the basics—the hi, hello, how are you, and how much is this? It’s about knowing how to communicate using that language.
The fact that you’ve landed your first job in this new country already feels like a success. Many soon find that first jobs are as heartbreaking in the developed countries as in underdeveloped ones. While getting a job in this new land feels like an accomplishment, surviving it is the real test of character.
Our immigration team is dedicated to working closely with you by taking the time to understand your particular situation to help you achieve the outcome you desire.
It’s not always easy to leave your homeland and seek greener pastures in a new land. Many citizens from underdeveloped and developing nations strive hard to go to Western nations, believing that these are the answer to their dreams. Of course, while many are well-prepared for the challenges of being an immigrant, a lot do not have the capacity and ability to adjust to this new life.
