finding a job not easy

[pkfops]

I am a tax accountant and work for a major corporation and we both are trying to find someplace that might want to help with obtaining a position for my lao po, but her english is not easily understood to other people who don't know her like i do. But i am taking her to go for an interview as a flight attendant, which might be good experience for her. If nothing happens she is the type that won't give up and maybe ESL classes can help too, we will see.

 

Singapore Air has the best.

[NYTIMES]

Will try them thanks!

[ameriken]

Back again, here is the deal lao po is looking for a job now that she has green card, but her english is not 100%. We are both working on looking in newspapers and especially thought it would be easy since we live near Flushing Queens she would find a job, but there is nothing in the newspapers. We tried neighborhood stores and they are not hiring now. Any suggestions would be appreciated,.....thanks. She also has a opportunity to go for interview as Flight attendant for Continental, but i am worried that her english will prevent her from this opportunity.

 

She really wants to work, rather than sit home everyday

 

thanks

Wow.......Flushing? We went back in 2006 to visit my parents in Rego Park. I grew up in Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill. I took my wife around and I wanted to see how Flushing changed since I left 25 years ago......man what a change! I felt like I was right back in China.......Flushing is more of a Chinatown than Chinatown is!!

 

Anyhow, check with the community colleges, public schools, and churches to see about ESL. It will really boost her English and confidence. Meanwhile, check out some Chinese restaurants, she might get lucky and get a job at one of them. If there is a Chinese social organization of some type, it would be good for your wife to get to know some of the other people........she may meet someone who has some job leads both in and outside the Chinese community.

 

Wishin' you's guys a lotta luck!

Edited February 18, 2008 by ameriken (see edit history)

[Shenzhen K-1]

NYTimes I am not sure if it has been done but........

 

How about a poll about how long before your Mrs. got a job if she wanted to really get one??

 

I would be real curious of the answers. My feng has taught school and is now in real estate and would like to do that here? Yes I know, not a good time for it. I have found many ESL classes here, many Chinese restaurants and maybe could take the train into the city?

[ameriken]

A suggestion.....before my wife was comfortable with english, she checked the local Chinese newspapers and found a job watching another Chinese couples kids. It was something to do and she got paid for it.

[Guest Mike and Lily]

I am a tax accountant and work for a major corporation and we both are trying to find someplace that might want to help with obtaining a position for my lao po, but her english is not easily understood to other people who don't know her like i do. But i am taking her to go for an interview as a flight attendant, which might be good experience for her. If nothing happens she is the type that won't give up and maybe ESL classes can help too, we will see.

 

I don't know the criteria the airlines use when hiring, but they might not consider a 43 year old, much less one with limited english skills as their first choice. Maybe a chinese restaurant might be a short term fix while she takes classes and refines her English skills. If your community has many Chinese in it, becoming a Real Estate agent might be an idea. Many in the Chinese community like using an agent that speaks their language. She won't need a college education but her English needs to be good enough to pass the test though.

[john90]

Will try them thanks!

 

 

NYTimes, Have you tried the Workforce center in Queens?

NYC Workforce They are a city agency. They have offer job search and job training programs and I think they offer free ESL classes as well.

 

 

They offer also offer free computer training classes as well.

 

Your wife needs to register and she can use the computer lab when she needs to.

 

 

My wife signed up there and she was allowed to enroll in a month long customer service training program with a traning provider in Manhatan.

 

My wife works as a translator now (part time). Depdening how good your wife's English is, she may be able to get a job as translator with some companies in Manhattan.

Edited February 18, 2008 by john90 (see edit history)

[shaffej7070]

Lacking English skills, coupled with a stagnating economy, especially an area that thrives on tourism like Daytona Beach, is a challenging and daunting task. Our wives may be limited to housekeeping and restaurant work until English skills improve. I have read posts from other members stating their wives acquired better English skills in the workplace compared to ESL classes where slang and conversational English is not emphasized.

 

Lao Po, however, acquired employment at a Chinese/Japanese restaurant owned by a Taiwan couple who wanted to give her a chance. It is the most successful Asian restaurant in Daytona Beach and has been thriving since 1989. She attempted serving, but her lack of English and the varied menu offered an insurmountable challenge, which shattered her confidence and left her in tears every night.

 

The employer then offered to train her as a Tappan grill chef (you know, the fancy knifework in front of a large group). So every morning, the owner(a tiny woman who drives an enourmous SUV) picks up Lao Po to train a couple hours, and then brings her back home. She also picks her up for the evening shift to work in the kitchen as a helper until her skills improve to work the dining area as a chef.

 

Every night, lao po practices her juggling and twirling the spatula and knife to my delight, until, of course, I become a target of a projectile( to her delight, of course). She's also made the dresser top in the bedroom as her simulated grill and has left some fancy nicks and abrasions on the surface. Apparently the kitchen countertop is too high. Whatever it takes, dear. Whatever it takes.

 

Try to be encouraging if job prospects don't seem promising. Take time off if you need to in order to help her in the search. In the meantime, enroll her in ESL classes, build her confidence to face those challenges. In time, the pieces will fall in place.

[Shenzhen K-1]

Lacking English skills, coupled with a stagnating economy, especially an area that thrives on tourism like Daytona Beach, is a challenging and daunting task. Our wives may be limited to housekeeping and restaurant work until English skills improve. I have read posts from other members stating their wives acquired better English skills in the workplace compared to ESL classes where slang and conversational English is not emphasized.

 

Lao Po, however, acquired employment at a Chinese/Japanese restaurant owned by a Taiwan couple who wanted to give her a chance. It is the most successful Asian restaurant in Daytona Beach and has been thriving since 1989. She attempted serving, but her lack of English and the varied menu offered an insurmountable challenge, which shattered her confidence and left her in tears every night.

 

The employer then offered to train her as a Tappan grill chef (you know, the fancy knifework in front of a large group). So every morning, the owner(a tiny woman who drives an enourmous SUV) picks up Lao Po to train a couple hours, and then brings her back home. She also picks her up for the evening shift to work in the kitchen as a helper until her skills improve to work the dining area as a chef.

 

Every night, lao po practices her juggling and twirling the spatula and knife to my delight, until, of course, I become a target of a projectile( to her delight, of course). She's also made the dresser top in the bedroom as her simulated grill and has left some fancy nicks and abrasions on the surface. Apparently the kitchen countertop is too high. Whatever it takes, dear. Whatever it takes.

 

Try to be encouraging if job prospects don't seem promising. Take time off if you need to in order to help her in the search. In the meantime, enroll her in ESL classes, build her confidence to face those challenges. In time, the pieces will fall in place.

 

Thanks for the story and pain that it takes to get the Mrs. up and running shall we say.

 

In a college town like I live in there are several ESL class choices. So I figure you are right on with English skills first then ease her into the work place. Three grown children take some of her time and other stuff I hope?

 

Does she look down at that type of work or just glad to get out of the house??

 

I did not intend for this to be a mean question, just that some of our ladies had pretty good jobs in China and now go a bit back wards here. A small worry for me , at least as of right now??

 

Mark and feng!

[shaffej7070]

Does she look down at that type of work or just glad to get out of the house??

 

I did not intend for this to be a mean question, just that some of our ladies had pretty good jobs in China and now go a bit back wards here. A small worry for me , at least as of right now??

 

Mark and feng! cool.gif

 

 

She knows that her opportunities are limited, and to implement her skills require a better understanding of English. Her mindset is "Work is work." Whether she looks down upon it, I don't know. She needs to feel productive and contribute. Don't we all? Otherwise we would all tailpspin in the deep bowels of depression.

 

I don't think it's a mean question, Mark. I understand your concerns and I thought about this before she arrived. She had good jobs in China and Japan as a casino dealer, a retail business owner and cosmetologist. On the other hand, I would rather see her mustering a smile while extremely exhausted when arriving at home than seeing her depressed being at home all day with nothng to do.

 

She's raised the issue of us moving to China, but I tell her we need to be realistic. I would lose the means of supporting her and her mother and I could not live with that. It would be different if I was at retirement age with a substantial nestegg with pensions,401K, etc. I would have no problem whatsoever. She just feels it is too difficult here sometimes. I understand because I would feel helpless living in China, and teaching just wouldn't cut it.

 

She is really putting forth the effort despite her difficulties and I commend her for that. It melts my heart when she smiles and says "You my good husband. In the future, everything okay."

 

Don't be too concerned, Mark. As long as you support her in any endeavor, whether it's menial or fulfilling, she'll appreciate it.

[Shenzhen K-1]

Does she look down at that type of work or just glad to get out of the house??

 

I did not intend for this to be a mean question, just that some of our ladies had pretty good jobs in China and now go a bit back wards here. A small worry for me , at least as of right now??

 

Mark and feng! cool.gif

 

 

She knows that her opportunities are limited, and to implement her skills require a better understanding of English. Her mindset is "Work is work." Whether she looks down upon it, I don't know. She needs to feel productive and contribute. Don't we all? Otherwise we would all tailpspin in the deep bowels of depression.

 

I don't think it's a mean question, Mark. I understand your concerns and I thought about this before she arrived. She had good jobs in China and Japan as a casino dealer, a retail business owner and cosmetologist. On the other hand, I would rather see her mustering a smile while extremely exhausted when arriving at home than seeing her depressed being at home all day with nothng to do.

 

She's raised the issue of us moving to China, but I tell her we need to be realistic. I would lose the means of supporting her and her mother and I could not live with that. It would be different if I was at retirement age with a substantial nestegg with pensions,401K, etc. I would have no problem whatsoever. She just feels it is too difficult here sometimes. I understand because I would feel helpless living in China, and teaching just wouldn't cut it.

 

She is really putting forth the effort despite her difficulties and I commend her for that. It melts my heart when she smiles and says "You my good husband. In the future, everything okay."

 

Don't be too concerned, Mark. As long as you support her in any endeavor, whether it's menial or fulfilling, she'll appreciate it.

 

Thanks for the well thought out answers!!

 

My feng has taught elementary school, has a degree in children's psychology, and is director of a large real estate firm. So she has the knowledge and smarts, but she also does know that her English is weak and it will need to improve quite a bit to make life here easier for her.

 

Two colleges in town does make it easier for sure.

 

The part about coming home exhausted and smiling instead of sad and bored, good thought, thanks!

 

Mark!

[Sebastian]

NYTIMES -

 

I almost forgot -

 

I strongly recommend that the VOLUNTEER at a local hospital as a CANDYSTRIPER ! This way, she'll be on a schedule, of sorts (it's not an 8 hour day), have interaction with all kinds of people, and get out of the house a bit.

 

Sure, it doesn't PAY anything, but she'll have a unique experience from doing it.

[eseum]

It took my wife six months to find a job when we lived in Las Vegas. I helped her a lot in looking for one and I kept telling her that her English was better than she thought. She ended up taking a housekeeping job at the Flamingo Hotel (I had told her that I would pay for her to go to school but she said it would take to long). Interestingly the Flamingo had a large contingent of Chinese who spoke very little English. They relied on my wife to interpret for them so that the staff could figure out what they were supposed to do.

 

They told her that they were going to make her a floor supervisor but we left Vegas since I took another job with the governmental agency that I work for. She found another housekeeping job here in Las Cruces after 4 months. She tried to get into some other jobs but they did not want to hire someone who did not speak Spanish. It really gets to my wife when she sees a bilingual requirement on a job advertisement.

[warpedbored]

It's difficult to find a good job even if you have good English skills. When my wife first came here she worked in a couple of Chinese restaurants but the pay was bad and they seem to always want to take advantage of aliens, legal or not. A friend of hers told her about a temp agency that had some light industrial jobs so she checked out Volt Services. She got a job at an Epson plant working graveyard shift. It took her a year and a half to get away from the temp agency and get hired as a permanent Epson employee. It took perseverance on her part and watching how the machines are operated. At first they were skeptical she could operate the machines because they thought her English was too weak. She surprised them with how much she had already learned just by watching.

 

Much as I hate temp agencies they are often one of the few options for legal resident aliens since they are not shy about hiring them. Once the foot is in the door more opportunity will open.

 

here is some info for the NY Volt Temp agency for light industrial.

Name: Volt Services Group

 

Type: Administrative and Light Industrial

 

Address:

477 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10022

 

Phone: (212) 719-7800

 

Fax: (212) 719-7852

 

E-mail: newyork2@volt.com

Edited February 19, 2008 by warpedbored (see edit history)

[NYTIMES]

I have good news, my lao po starts work tomorrow at a big chinese catering hall/restaurant in Flushing Queens:). She wants to work and not wait for the flight attendant interview, since she feels this is a better choice for her now since her english is not so good, Also I got her to start ESL class for free at our local library starting last nite, but she say's that she wants to work and if she has no work during the ESL class she will go.So I thank everyone here for there support during this transition period for our family,: