Amandine, who is now working in the USA, got two job offers from 2 different companies with visa sponsorship offered and accepted the one in Miami in communication marketing by enrolling in USponsorMe+ and in the coaching with me.
Here is the interview:
Discover how Amandine achieved an amazing job in Miami in communication!
**The video is in French; activate the subtitles in English directly in the video!!**
Transcription
Sarah: Hi Amandine! So we are shooting this video today because you took the coaching with me at the beginning of the year. And you managed to get your job in the United States, more particularly a job in Miami.
And you even managed to get two job offers from two different companies, that’s amazing! With each time, a visa with the offer! I have a few questions… So, can you tell us a little about yourself? Where did you do your job search, how did you do it, and what was your experience?
Amandine’s profile
Amandine: Ok no problem! I’m 26 years old, and I studied communication. I did my Bachelor’s in France.
I also earned my master’s degree in communication in Spain because I have traveled for a long time. I’ve already lived in several European countries, and I have been living in Canada for a year now.
I discovered your blog in 2015. So, I was already following you and even taking coaching, and that interested me.
So I read your articles, and I started to find out a little about the subject.
But when I was in France, I was looking for jobs all over the place. I was looking for companies that might need someone in marketing communications in Miami or Los Angeles.
Do you see yourself working in the USA, maybe a job in Miami in communication marketing as Amandine? Let’s discover first which VISA you need here!
I applied for jobs spontaneously. And, it usually fell off because I did not get an answer or because people were interested. But, in reality, it was necessary to get the paperwork.
Then, I had no idea what the steps were. When? How? How much? So, that’s why I started to follow a little more seriously what you were doing.
Likewise, I also spoke with French people who had gone first through Canada and then went to the United States because you are closer. You know a little better than the North American market; sometimes it’s the same time zone.
So I thought, well, maybe it will allow me to put one foot more efficiently, even perhaps than Canada. An American company could hire me, and after that, they could transfer me. So, it’s a bit from this perspective that I arrived in Canada. I told myself that this was going to be temporary; it took ten months.
I’m leaving; I’m super happy!
Initially, I wanted to take your coaching, but I said okay, I already have Sarah’s tools: the resume review, the cover letter. I thought I’d try to get along like that, and I started using LinkedIn only in September 2017.
And, in reality… It was a disaster! There were a lot of job offers, and every time I applied, I was called on that day to interview immediately on the spot; when it was not possible.
I thought the recruiters did not look at my resume at all. Because it was mentioned that I was in Montreal.
That’s in September, October, with no success. People were calling me, and then they said to me, “When you are in Miami call us”.
But hey, I cannot be in Miami if you do not complete the visa process!
So, I told myself I should take a step above because what I do does not work. And then the timing was perfect because you started a new coaching group and I said, well, now it is ideal, and then it’s true; that is the way of working, the organization, the discipline. That’s what helped me find a job in communication marketing in Miami!
Because, in fact, you cannot find it if you do not know what you’re doing. seriously, for months, I was totally improvising. And inevitably, you get discouraged, and then you end up saying to yourself, well, I’ll drop it, it’s too complicated. And it’s true, it’s difficult, but it works better if you do it with discipline.
I told myself, well, it’s like everything: you take a sports coach when you want to work out, or you take a dietician if you’re going to lose weight. So I said to myself, well:
I’m going to take coaching with Sarah because she already did it, she knows what she is doing, and she has already helped people.
So, sometimes, it’s stupid if you see that what you do doesn’t work well. You have to do it with someone who knows what they are doing, and I did well!
The biggest benefit of coaching
Sarah: And that’s why … what did you get from my coaching? What did you say to yourself, “How did I improve myself”?
Amandine: I think the most significant benefit you get from coaching is the way you learn to approach people.
Communicating with them, because I think it’s something that we learn very poorly in France, as we do things in a very formal way, very framed. When we want a job, we send an email or call saying this is my application, I would like this job or what opportunities do you have available?
And it’s true that in North America, it’s not the way you go about it, so I know that I feel like I was doing things entirely upside down. That there is a way of contacting people, there is a way to say things, there is a way to approach them the second time around, and that, I think it’s the biggest … the biggest thing that I learned.
More precisely, the people I contacted are now some with whom I am still in contact and who now become my friends, and they want to meet me in Miami and exchange regularly. That is the biggest thing.
Because after all the discipline, the organization is not complicated, you put reminders you can prepare Word templates. But if the ways you express yourself with people are too abrupt, it can rub people the wrong way, and that is entirely counterproductive.
So, the best thing I learned is how to approach people. And then the coaching that you made us do with Leandra on the small talk site and conversations on how to be comfortable on the phone, that’s a success!
Indeed, that is good because there is fluidity in the conversation that we cannot acquire alone, so it was the 2 most significant benefits.
Sarah: The different culture clash is violent!
Amandine: That’s … that’s the way it is! This is the way to do it in France: first, we have a conversation a little about the good weather. “What have you eaten today?”
Each time I had an interview in France, you always started talking a little bit about everything, and then after, you talked a bit about the business side.
When I got my interview for the job in Miami, it was: we spoke for 45 minutes about business and then started to talk about what you’ll do here.
And then, after my interlocutors told me, good, where would you like to live? What do you do with your free time?
This is business first, then we see about everything else.
How many interviews got Amandine to find a job in Miami?
Sarah: That’s great, anyway! And, by the way, do you remember how many interviews you had? Did you get formal or informal interviews?
Amandine: Yes. Each time … I had two, one with a company in January. And yes, I had one by phone – quite formal – and another more informal.
The two companies that offered me a job in April, were it was the same. First, we had a super formal interview via Skype that was very structured, and it lasted for 45 minutes to 1 hour every time. But the exchange was quite fluid because each time, I have explained what the job was what I was going to bring, and what were my prospects for evolution.
So that’s something I never had during my interviews in France. In the United States, they ask you a lot, such as where do you see yourself in five years? How do you want to see yourself evolve?
There are the questions I was asked every time, it’s good they can project themselves with you.
So this is the first interview; always super formal via Skype and later on, a more casual one will go a little more in detail. But that’s it, every time, they still want to have a second one on the phone and informal to confirm the feeling that was with you as a person.
Sarah: Yeah, yeah, yeah; every time, 2 in two different companies, and after that, you also had talks with people right now that become friends.
Amandine: Exactly, they are, but at the same time, it’s understandable because when you bring someone from abroad, you have to sponsor a visa at that time, and money needs to be invested. It makes sense to have to do several interviews.
You still have to spend some time because you cannot stay over an hour on the phone to decide. So it is also understandable from their point of view. I do not think I would decide on a whim if I were the employer.
Sarah: So, here they are, still as you say to bring back someone from abroad so, so it’s pretty so critical at the company level.
Amandine: After what’s right is that when people are honest with you… You know where you’ll go! The company that hired me told me precisely: “We are a little suspicious, we are afraid. Because of the girl we had before you, we gave her a J1 one. She came, we trained her, and when she finished the training of four months, she left us because she was offered a post in New York.”
So I know it’s also important to meet and exchange with them because we have desires, we are stressed, it’s making paperwork, it’s money.
But if they also invest in us, and then later we go away, it’s a waste of time for everyone. So it’s true we’re feverish, we’re excited, we quickly want to have an answer. But we must also put ourselves in the shoes of the company.
They also have a lot to lose if, after they hire us, it does not go well.
Sarah: And so they took care of the visa fees?
Amandine: Yes, they took care of the visa fees.
Amandine’s communication job details
Sarah: And so, what is your education level? Have you studied in France?
Amandine: It was not like that; I have a degree in Communication and Project Management. And the master’s that I did in Spain is Communication in the Creative Industries, so it’s all about social network creation. The master’s that I did was mainly to teach us how to be a community manager.
Sarah: Okay, and what you found is, therefore, in communication marketing?
Amandine: Yeah. That’s right, that’s precisely what is exciting about the job I found. It’s what I know how to do… Because I’m going to be writing articles to prepare videos, I’m going to revamp the website, make videos for the LinkedIn page, etc. Mostly, it is also to interact with the specialized press in the field of business. So, a job in Miami in communication marketing!
But they will also teach me the field of finance because it is a company that does finance and asset management, and suddenly, they will show me all that is related to that.
I will also gain skills that I do not have, allowing me to have a few more strings to my bow.
It’s a mix: I’m going to do things I know I’ll be able to improve, and on the other hand, I’m completely new on finances. But that’s also interesting, so when I spent time doing the interviews … I honestly did them on the fly. I thought they would never hire me because I know absolutely nothing. And they said: it’s perfect! We want someone who does not know and who will bring us a new outlook, who will help us popularize this just for people who do not know anything. Well, it’s a gamble. It was a pleasant surprise, but that’s it.
Sarah: Even if you’re not an expert in a field, yeah, there’s something for everyone!
Amandine: They are interested in what you can bring to them. They also liked how I speak French, Spanish, and English, so Miami is perfect!
But there is also precisely the feeling because when we met, they also felt in my character and how I express myself. They told me: “We would not be afraid to trust you with customers if customers are calling or are coming to appointments.” And it is a matter of personalities, “you’re not nervous or embarrassed to pick up the phone”, so it’s sure better.
They called my last employer here, who necessarily gave them a good recommendation, so you also have to prepare for that.
In France, it had never happened to me that we call former employers.
Sarah: Certainly, there is a lot of stuff to think about, which is not done in France at all, and yes, it’s a must here.
Amandine: It was also something that I can recommend, maybe to people like me who will have gone through Canada or the United States: do not leave a job on bad terms if possible!
Because after that, we cannot always choose whom our future employer will call.
So it’s sure that even if a job isn’t going well… you need to leave at least on good terms and to respect your notice and not to leave insulting everyone!
Because a good recommendation can always help you later on.
Amandine’s best advice
Sarah: That’s right. Well, okay, and aside from that recommendation… What would you advise someone seeking a job in the United States?
Amandine: Really patience and resilience. Besides the coaching group we had with you, we realized that we all had profiles of different courses. So, there’s work for everyone.
Indeed, the economy in North America is still much better than France’s. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages on either side. But it is work that you need to do with the nerves.
If you do not have the patience and, if in your head, you do not prepare for the fact that it will take months, it is sure that you will be discouraged and it will be a failure.
Because the research takes several months, and after that, the process takes several more weeks.
In my case, my company gave me the answer on the 29th of April, and on that date, I knew they hired me. After that, I left on June 24th to start on July 2nd.
Because the time everyone does his or her share of paperwork, the organization sponsors do its job.
I had an appointment here at the embassy, and it was very long because all the appointments were fully booked with a single date in June. So, we must prepare mentally for that; it’ll be, it’ll take time, and it will require some investment.
I spent evenings and weekends taking care of it instead of going out. We’re not going to do other things, so I think that before you start thinking about what you want to put in the time and the energy it takes because it’s going to take your time and energy, which is required, and that there will be ups and downs, but after that, the benefits of coaching are also that we have an interlocutor who is there to motivate us. And then it will end up paying off.
We started at the end of December, and then in April, it was all settled!
It has not been so long; it can be done, but you have to work on your patience. Otherwise, you may want to throw in the towel after a month or two.
But the context is what it is with Trump, with the problems of the economy, with the paperwork, etc.
It will not be done quickly. You can do it, but not easily.
So you have to prepare for that (mentally), because otherwise, No!
Sarah: In any case, the result is you are leaving in two days! Are you happy?
Amandine: I will leave for the sunshine. And finally, I recommend Montreal to all those who want to see it. It is a beautiful city. But I’m more excited about spending my time in the sun instead of -30°C here. I’m happy to say that I now have a job in Miami in communication marketing.
Sarah: It’s a choice!
Amandine: Anyway, it was either a job in Miami or California, so I chose mine… then I must also say that in smaller States and cities, it may be less attractive there, and so, less competition.
But usually, big companies hire in the big cities and the two-coasts; you must choose where you want to go to.
Sarah: And finally, Miami was still your first choice?
Amandine: Yeah, yeah!
Sarah: That’s great, thank you, Amandine for today, and I wish you all the best for your new life!
Want to read more USponsor Me Success Stories? Read Lola’s fantastic story about finding her job in robotics in New York City!
