The San Francisco Bay Area economy leads the nation income. In general Bay Area salaries tend to run out at least 8% above national averages. The local population is well educated and culturally varied, providing a highly skilled labor pool and sophisticated consumer market.
The American workplace may seem much less hierarchical than the workplace in Ireland. You may get to call your boss by his or her first name. Socializing on the job is casual, and will include all levels of the hierarchy. Don't let this fool you. Your boss is still your boss, and although relations may seem informal, this informality or friendliness is an American form of politeness only.
Watch and listen to your boss and co-workers to learn how formal or informal to be. Treat your boss with respect by being punctual and cooperative, not by oral speech or flattery. Make sure to help co-workers if they request it and don't be afraid to request help if you need it. Your employer may ask you to take on tasks not in your job description in order to get a job done. The goal is getting the job done and members of a work group, including the boss, may be very flexible about what work they do in order to achieve that goal.
Being punctual is always important. This usually means showing up a little early, especially at interviews and meetings. Employees who consistently arrive at the office five minutes late may be seen as late comers who don't take their work seriously.
Usual office hours are between 8:00am/9:00am - 5:00/6:00pm. Lunch is normally taken at 12:00pm. Many people will eat a quick sandwich at their desk if there is a lot of work to do.
Many companies will pay "time and a half" for extra hours worked. As a new employee, avoid ejecting a request that you put in extra hours if the project you are working on demands it.
Look at how others dress to have an idea of what is appropriate. Usually you need not be dressed more formally than your boss. Being "neat" is taken very seriously.Misunderstandings sometimes arise, as the non-verbal language of the workplace is unknown to some Americans. Some hints: Use a firm handshake when you meet a man or woman. Americans smile and laugh a lot to show social politeness and to show that they are happy to be in present company. Americans often mistake Europeans to be aloof or "snobbish". Be careful not to cut people off in the middle of sentences. Show that you are listening with eye contact and head gestures.
America is the land of opportunity, and this can certainly be said of San Francisco in terms of job offerings to new immigrants. Many Irish find themselves working in areas as diverse as stock investment in the financial arenas in San Francisco to construction and other professional laboring skills, each being as lucrative as the other. Employment is a buyers market for the Irish. Typically, Irish are perceived as well educated and eager. Of course, our long historical links with the U.S. society only serve to enhance our prospects in employment (that coupled with the Irish accent!)
There are two main routes to getting a job in San Francisco depending on the type of work being sought. The city is alive with employment agencies. Companies pay a large amount of commission or finders fee to these agencies so immediately it means that an agency wants to place you somewhere. Usually, an agency will want a copy of your resume. This is followed by an interview in which you discuss the type of employment sought. Agencies and companies need to see references and they will check them out. Wherever possible do try and give and least one U.S. reference. They will check out references in Ireland though. The next step is the agency testing. The agency will test your level of proficiency in typing, spelling, basic arithmetic and those computer software packages you have listed on your resume. If you are rusty on the computer skills, some agencies allow you to do a computer tutorial on their premises and then take the tests. Now, they try to set you up with prospective employers and send you out to interview.
In regards to construction, there is a huge Irish network of laborers. The best way to get a job is to meet with these people. Go to the Irish pubs, join Irish societies like the Gaelic Clubs, call the IIPC. where they can refer you.
Another large area of employment is nannying. This can pay anything between $8 and $12 an hour. Some agencies that coordinate this type of job are Aupaircare at 1800 428-7247, Be in our care Nanny Agency At (510) 933-2273 or Mothers-In-Deed at (415) 461-775 . However, the most popular source of nannying jobs can be found in Parents Place, which is in The Jewish Community Center, at the corner of California & Presidio. The best procedure is to call in and place an ad on their notice board. Usually, the board is inundated with ads, but this is no cause for alarm because it seems that there are as many parents as there are ads. Usually, a parent will interview between 10 and 20 applicants. They are looking for a perfect fit for their child. They are very prepared for the interview and you should be too. Invariably, they ask whether the applicant has CPR training. Parents are very thorough on checking up on references.
A lot of the time, an employer's first source of contact with a prospective employee is through a resume. These are very different from curriculum vitae.
A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, accomplishments, experiences, and education designed to capture a prospective employer's interest. The purpose of a resume is to secure an interview. It is the primary tool of your job search and may take several drafts to prepare effectively.
A résumé must contain a certain amount of essential information. This information may vary from person to person depending on experience and qualifications. Categories that could be included are:
Few people will elect to use all these categories. When determining what information to include, consider what is relevant to the position for which you are applying. This selection is what will make your résumé unique.
You will also find on most Office 97 Word for Windows packages, a resume template that will walk you through all the required steps in a resume.
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