Once you have your American resume, you can dive into your job search to live in the US.
There are 3 strategies for finding a job in the United States:
- applying for job openings (by applying online),
- sending unsolicited applications (to extend your search),
- or through an internal referral – with or without an open job (by using your network or getting an internal referral without a network).
In this article, we will discuss the third strategy: activating your network. Whether you already have a good network established in the United States, I will share some tricks for activating your network to obtain the job of your dreams.
If you have never had any work experience in the U.S., you might think you have no contact in this new country. Before making hasty conclusions, please read this article to the end, apply my tips, and build your chart. Only at the end will you be able to conclude whether or not you have a network in the USA. Share your experience in the comments and tell us if you’ve found contacts in the U.S.!
Networking: does this strategy work in the United States?
When we know that many open jobs (80%, according to the Wall Street Journal) are never published, we can conclude that networking is vital in the U.S. Believe me—I’ve lived there for almost five years. I confirm that networking is essential here.
Americans will always prefer a person who has been recommended, even internally! For example, when Max was not available to do a project at his job, his American colleagues, instead of referring to their hierarchical manager (who is not necessarily present in the company’s structure), asked Max if he knew anyone inside the company to replace him.
It’s the same with recruitment. The hiring manager (the person who needs a specific skill set on his team) will always start by searching his contacts before connecting with human resources. We are beginning to understand how things work in our dear host country. 🙂
Making a good first impression: an essential strategy in the U.S.
Now you understand that activating your network can greatly increase your chances of landing your desired job.
Many of my followers were interviewed and found their jobs through their networks. Max also landed his first job interview in Denver, USA, because his former boss recommended him.
Use your current contacts.
Activate your network; start by using the contacts you already have. Please think of the many people you know; it could be family, former and current classmates, teachers, managers, colleagues, clients, suppliers, partners, and even the people you met at events, on the street, etc. Everyone you know potentially has something to offer.
You will certainly find individuals involved in your field of activity among them, and possibly even some in the United States.
Where to find your current contacts?
Your current contacts can be found in your personal and professional mailbox and your phone, as well as on social network platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
Your first mission is to list the platforms that allow you to import your contacts to your phone or computer and group them in one place.
Be careful with social media platforms, especially LinkedIn! When I say “your network,” I mean the people you know. On LinkedIn (or other social media platforms), you may be in contact with people you’ve never spoken to. I know from experience that using the network strategy with those people doesn’t work.
However, certain of your “ghost” LinkedIn contacts may be helpful for you, not with the strategy I’m currently teaching you but with the others: applying for job openings, sending spontaneous applications, or getting an internal referral with no network. In these cases, your approach will be completely different. We will cover this in another post.
If you have few contacts
The best strategy is to group your contacts in an Excel sheet. Indicate the person’s first and last name, company, size, title of position, location, language with which you can communicate with them, affinity with them (if you are close or if you don’t know this person well), and platform/channel on which you are in contact with them.
It should look like this:
If you have plenty of contacts
In this case, I advise you to use FullContact. This application allows you to group all your contacts easily and quickly by connecting the different accounts on which you have an address book (LinkedIn, Gmail, etc.). You can even submit your address book in CSV (data that you can export from your different tools).
You will know the platform/channel on which you contact each person. The tool will also automatically enhance your contacts from the internet with more info regarding their job titles, locations, companies, the size of their companies, their websites if any, and links to their social media profiles.
Then, you will have to use tags to tag the language you can use to communicate, your affinity, etc.
Again, whether you use FullContact or an Excel sheet, take into account only your real contacts: the people you’ve exchanged with at least once, either physically, on the phone, or by email.
Once you have completed this step, all you have to do is enjoy this new playground …
Which contacts can help you?
To activate your network, you must define the categories of the people who can help you in your job search.
The Human Resources and Recruiters (HR)
The first category that can help you in your job search is Human Resources Specialists or Recruiters. Find all the people in your real contacts who are HR or recruiters, based in the U.S. or not.
If you use Excel, then add “HR” (Human Resources) in the “HM / LH / HR” column. If you use FullContact, add the “HR” tag to your relevant contacts.
The Hiring Manager (HM)
The second category of people who can help you land your dream job is the Hiring Manager, who needs you in the business.
Ask yourself: What is the profile of my future manager? Who is the person who needs explicitly me on his team? What is this person’s job title?
This will usually vary depending on the size of the business. In a large company, look for the department director or the team manager. In a small company, it will likely be the CEO or a C-level person.
The Little Helper (LH)
The third category of interest is the Little Helper. This is the person who will work with you- the one who will have the same position as you and be at the same hierarchical level. It’s your future colleague.
The Little Helper is very important. Even if they don’t have a say in your recruitment, they can recommend you to their manager.
Action!
Your third mission to activate your network is to define the job titles of these last 2 types of people, Little Helper and Hiring Manager. Remember, this can change depending on whether they work for a large or small company. Write down all the job titles in English and your language if they differ.
Once you have them together in one place, find all the people in your real contacts who have those job titles. If you use Excel, then add “HM” (Hiring Manager) or “LH” (Little Helper) in the column “HM / LH / HR.” If you use FullContact, add the “HM” or “LH” tag to your relevant contacts.
If you have not identified any LH, HR, or HM in your contacts, skip to this article’s “What to do with other contacts” section.
Refine your search with contact-based and company-based.
Search among your HR, HM, and LH contacts:
- People based in the USA (Contact Based)
- OR people’s companies with a U.S.-based structure (Company Based).
And add it to your Excel spreadsheet, or tag it in the FullContact app.
It should look like this in your table:
Prioritize which people you contact first based on these categories.
If you haven’t identified “Contact-based” or “Company-based” people among your LH, HR, or HM contacts, skip to the “What to do with other contacts” section of this article.
How do I get in touch?
Contact them once you have identified the people who can help you with your project!
The stronger your connection with your contact, the easier it is for you to contact them.
The goal is to start by contacting HR, HM, and LH people who are contact-based and company-based. Choose those with whom you have the most affinity, and send them a message using the following tips:
- Give them some news.
- Ask them what’s new.
- Introduce your project–your plan to work in the United States.
- Ask them if they have any opportunities for you in the USA.
- If not, ask them if they know people based in the USA who can help you.
Follow your intuition! If you feel it’s better to catch up on each other’s news before asking about opportunities, you can write the first message with that intention. Once your contact responds, go ahead with your request! It depends on how long you’ve been in touch (or out of touch!) with your contacts and how close you are to them.
What do I do with the other contacts?
Even if your direct contact is not someone who can help you, they can potentially know someone who can.
This was the case for many of my members, including Max.
Even though he didn’t have any HR, HM, or LH based in the USA or who worked in a company based in the USA, his former boss (where he did his internship) recommended him to a partner he had in the USA. Max then landed his first job interview with a company based in Denver.
So this time, you will try to reach your contacts’ second-level contacts. But before you do, be sure to think it through.
Is your current company also based in the United States?
In time, you will naturally delete some contacts from your list simply because you do not want to share your project with them.
But if you feel like doing so and get along with your current employer, share your project with him or her. If you have good relationships with your line and human resources managers, they can listen and support you as needed and be strategic allies. You can bring the subject up during your annual interview or request an appointment if your expatriation project is more urgent.
It would be even more effective if your company had already gained a foothold in the USA. In this case, you can even attempt a transfer request.
If not, your employer may have contacts in the United States with partners, customers, or suppliers with whom they work or have worked. They can also be very helpful to you.
One of my former clients found his job in the US hotel industry thanks to his boss, who recommended him to one of his partners in the United States.
Connect with your contacts.
Again, connecting with one of your contacts is easier if they are close to you or happy with your work. But you can also fall on a Booster in your contacts–someone who, even if you do not know them very well, will be ready to help you.
The message template will essentially be the same:
- Give them some news.
- Ask them what’s new.
- Introduce your project.
- Ask them if they know anyone who could help you.
Max used this strategy to get his first interview in the USA. 🙂
Again, 1 or 2 messages–it’s up to you.
It’s just as simple if your contacts are on LinkedIn because you can see their contacts and find an HR, HM, or LH who could help you. But before asking your contact for an introduction to this person, ask them if they know this contact personally! If not, it’s a dead end, and you should stick to the original plan. 😉
Enable second-level contacts
In return, your interviewer can either give you their contact information, or they can introduce you to their contact (the latter is the best solution of the two).
If they give you their contact information, ask if they could introduce you. If they refuse, ask if you can refer to their name when contacting the contact.
The risk of this strategy and how to avoid it
Even if this strategy is much better than the first one (aka “postulate and wait” strategy) that you had in mind (don’t deny it), it has its risks.
As a reminder, you cannot get a job in the United States unless you have a structure (your company or an organization) that sponsors you for a work visa. The visa and the job go hand in hand! However, you are not eligible for all types of visas in the U.S., and not all companies are eligible to sponsor or take someone under a work visa.
As with Max during his first interview, the company may say it cannot sponsor you for a work visa.
Something VERY important to do before even getting in touch with the company
Before you even get in touch, you have to do some research!
For what visa(s) are you qualified?
Tell us more about yourself, and we will tell you your visa options and jobs you can pretend.
Then, check if your contact’s company has sponsored one or more of its employees in the past, the last time they did so, for what visa, and if this visa matches the one calculated for you.
Check if the company has already sponsored someone for a visa
To do this, you must have a USponsorMe account to access the full list of corporate sponsors here. Then, in the top search bar, type the company concerned’s name.
Then click on the company and on “More info about the company.” This will give you all the information you need. You will also see the visas for which this company has already sponsored one or more of its employees.
If the company and the visa are present
Good news! This means the company is familiar with the process and has already sponsored one or more employees for your visa. The company already has a lawyer (you can see this on the company page on USponsorMe) to handle the immigration process.
You are on the right track. 🙂
If the business or the visa is not present
If you cannot find your company on the list, or if the visa for which you are eligible is not on the list of visas for which the company can potentially sponsor someone, don’t mess up! Act very quickly!
The company does not usually sponsor its employees for a work visa. The big risk is that because of a lack of knowledge surrounding the process, the hiring manager very often gets scared and declines your application by telling you, “We do not sponsor visa applicants.”
Or he will tell you he will inquire about visas and get back to you once he has more information. If he tells you that, know that it’s already too late!
Because I know the music by heart … Your interviewer is a human, like you and me. What will happen:
- Your interviewer will contact a lambda immigration lawyer. Keep in mind there are about 185 existing visas! Even a good immigration lawyer is not an expert on all visas–it’s impossible! Usually, an immigration lawyer will be an expert on up to 10 kinds of visas. So, what’s the chance you end up with a good lawyer who’s an expert on the visa for which you are eligible? 1 in 20. Ouch.
- OR worse, your interviewer doesn’t, so they will do some research online and automatically fall upon the most popular type of visa: H-1B or H-2B. He will read everywhere that this visa is almost impossible to get (which is true in general, though there are exceptions, depending on what visa the Visa Simulator calculates for you). Voila…
The result? He will return to you with the most beautiful phrase of all time: “We do not sponsor visa applicants.” 🙁
That’s exactly what happened to Maxime and what happens every day to candidates who don’t find me and this post before their first exchange with their company.
So, even before having your first exchange with the company, you need to be as informed as possible about the strengths of the visa for which you are eligible.
Because if you want to make it work, you must educate the company on the type of visa, how you will get it, who will take care of the procedure and paperwork, how long it will take, etc. You aim to reassure the company by completely lifting the fog on this visa.
Once you have passed the Visa Simulator, you will know which type of visa you are eligible for and receive all the information you need to get it!
Be careful!!! The visa the Visa Simulator calculates for you may not fit your target company. So please check the information you receive once you know your visa. If the company doesn’t fit or you have any questions, contact us (you will need to create a USponsorMe account). We work in partnership with several immigration lawyers and can point you to the right organization or lawyer, depending on your situation.
In summary
To sum up, you have to follow four steps:
- Gather all your contacts in one place and enrich your data.
- Define the HR, HM, and LH and those in contact with the United States among your contacts.
- Contact these HR, HM, and LH.
- Connect with your contacts’ contacts to reach HR, HM, and LH in the USA.
- Do your research on the company and your visa.
Remember that reciprocity is the key to networking success. The day your helpful contact needs a favor in return, do it!
Once you have reviewed your contacts and your second-level contacts, you can easily expand your field of action. We’ll see this in the second part of this lesson (coming soon).
