[dropcap]L[/dropcap]aura is from Barcelona, Spain and is 37 years old. She first came to the US with her boyfriend three years ago. When she arrived, she was holding a fellowship that allowed her to work in the communications department at the Advanced Light Source in the Lawrence Berkeley Lab (LBL). After that, she returned to Barcelona for 4 months and decided to come back to Berkeley to do a masters in Project Management. As soon as she finished her masters, her boyfriend and she decided to get married so that she could stay in the US. Her husband is a postdoc at UC Berkeley.
I interviewed Laura about her job search and how she got her first job in America. Here’s her story.
What was your professional background before you came to the U.S. and how did you conduct your job search here in the San Francisco Bay Area?
In Barcelona, I worked for 6 years as an event manager in a research center and I wanted to further my career in the US. It took me more than half a year to find a position. It was harder than I thought it would be. During that time, besides spending lots of hours every day in front of my computer searching for a position and getting ready for interviews, I took advantage of all the opportunities that are offered here in the Bay Area: English classes, workshops and courses at UC Berkeley, the program English in Action, Berkeley Toastmasters, informational interviews, movie clubs, etc.
Where are you working, what does the organization do, and what is your current position? How long have you been there?
One month ago, I started working at OWASP (the Open Web Application Security Project) as a Global Event Manager. The OWASP is a worldwide not-for-profit charitable organization focused on improving the security of software. Its mission is to make software security visible so that individuals and organizations worldwide can make informed decisions about true software security risks. Everyone is free to participate in OWASP and all of its materials are available under a free and open software license.
How did you find this job and how long did it take? How was looking for a job here different from looking for a job in Spain?
I found this position through LinkedIn, but I also used other resources to search for a position. I regularly checked UC Berkeley Jobs, UCSF careers, Glassdoor, Careerbuilder, Monster, etc. I subscribed to some career websites so that every day I would receive e-mails advertising positions for event managers.
The first thing I did was to write a resume in “the American way.” I asked for advice from some Americans to make sure it was all right! Apart from that, I wouldn’t say the process would have been different if I had been in Spain. However, for me, the interviewing process was hard. I felt frustrated after every interview I did because I am not a native English speaker and I can’t express myself as I do in my own language.
What was the most difficult interview question you were asked?
Once I was asked what my communication strategy was in my previous job. To me it is funny how some interviewers use grandiloquent expressions. He just wanted to know how and how often I communicated with my team. Apart from that, the questions are more or less always the same and the more common job interview questions can easily be found on the internet.
Given that you’re from another country and didn’t have American work experience, how were you able to sell yourself to your employer and get hired?
OWASP is a foundation that involves people from all over the world. A couple of months ago they were looking for a Global Event Manager able to organize conferences across the five continents. I don’t know much about selling myself, and actually I don’t like doing it. I know that there are plenty of people out there very well prepared to do what I do, but I also know that I am a very good Event Manager, I have six years experience, and I enjoy doing my job. I think that was enough for them to see me as a good match for the organization.
What is one thing that you wish you had known at the beginning of your job search that you know now?
I wish I would have known that it would be such a long process. Maybe I wouldn’t have gotten so frustrated during those months.
What advice would you give to other spouses who are looking for employment in the U.S.?
What worked for me was not ever losing hope, and being open-minded about other things I could do while looking for a job. There are plenty of good opportunities out there! It is not only about finding a position, but enjoying the learning process!
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