IMMIGRATION NEWSMAN — THE NEWS SOURCE FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS IN THE UNITED STATES

Advice and tips for new immigrants in the United States

How New Immigrants Can Fight Culture Shock in America

Employment Tips:

Answers to Questions Often Asked by Immigration Officials During Citizenship Interviews

« Back to Home Page

» Unusual Stories

» Ask the Experts

» Immigration Columns

» Tell Us Your Story

» Opinion

» Two 'Migrant Mechanics

» World Recipe

» Immigration FAQs

» Immigrant Voices

» Success Stories

» Immigration Facts

» Immigration Features

» The Immigration Web

» H-1B World

» Immigration Forum

» The Naked Reporter's Immigration Blogs

» Lonely Hearts Club

» Contact Us

» Advertise

» About Us

How new immigrants can fight culture shock in America

By Dr. Carmen Guanipa

THE TERM culture shock was introduced for the first time in 1958 to describe the anxiety produced when a person moves to a completely new environment. This term expresses the lack of direction, the feeling of not knowing what to do or how to do things in a new environment, and not knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate. The feeling of culture shock generally sets in after the first few weeks of coming to a new place.

We can describe culture shock as the physical and emotional discomfort one suffers when coming to live in another country or a place different from the place of origin. Often, the way that we lived before is not accepted as or considered as normal in the new place. Everything is different, for example, not speaking the language, not knowing how to use banking machines, not knowing how to use the telephone and so forth.

The symptoms of cultural shock can appear at different times. Although, one can experience real pain from culture shock; it is also an opportunity for redefining one's life objectives. It is a great opportunity for learning and acquiring new perspectives. Culture shock can make one develop a better understanding of oneself and stimulate personal creativity.

Symptoms include:

• sadness, loneliness, melancholy;
• preoccupation with health;
• aches, pains, and allergies;
• insomnia, desire to sleep too much or too little;
• changes in temperament, depression, feeling vulnerable, feeling powerless;
• anger, irritability, resentment, unwillingness to interact with others;
• idealizing the old country;
• loss of identity;
• trying too hard to absorb everything in the new culture or country;
• unable to solve simple problems;
• lack of confidence;
• feelings of inadequacy or insecurity;
• developing stereotypes about the new culture;
• developing obsessions such as over-cleanliness;
• longing for family and feelings of being lost, overlooked, exploited or abused.

Some ways to combat stress produced by culture shock are:

• Develop a hobby;
• don't forget the good things you already have;
• remember, there are always resources that you can use;
• be patient, the act of immigrating is a process of adaptation to new situations. It is
• going to take time;
• learn to be constructive. If you encounter an unfavorable environment, don't put yourself in that position again. Be easy on yourself;
• learn to include a regular form of physical activity in your routine. This will help combat the sadness and loneliness in a constructive manner. Exercise, swim, take an aerobics class, etc.;
• relaxation and meditation are proven to be very positive for people who are passing through periods of stress;
• maintain contact with your ethnic group. This will give you a feeling of belonging and you will reduce your feelings of loneliness and alienation.

How to write a killer résumé

By Weelee De Jesus
ImmigrationNewsman.com

IT MUST be tough working in America if you really hate seeing your boss and yet all you have is an H-1B visa. If the situation calls for you to look for another employer, you should immediately prepare your résumé.

To get a good employer who will sponsor you for a work permit and, hopefully, help you go through the Labor Certification process, you have to plan ahead. It takes energy, planning and an impressive résumé.

Consider it like preparing for a war. In career design, the effort that goes into the preparation of your résumé will play a major role in the outcome of your campaign. But how would you package yourself'? Surely, it's not an easy task. It used to be that there were just a few rules for writing a great résumé. Things were quite simple — you worked here, you worked there. Now, however, many of the jobs for which those rules were made no longer exist.

This column will guide you through the steps of writing a résumé, which can be likened to baking a cake. In most instances, the ingredients are essentially the same. What determines the flavor is the order and quantity in which those ingredients are blended.

We'll help you design a résumé based on the fact that you're a foreign worker or an immigrant. We'll share with you the special touches that need to be added (a pinch of this, a dash of that), depending on your personal tastes and requirements.

OK, with that intro, let's go straight to business.

The marks of a great résumé
There are 5 P's of an explosive résumé: Packaging, Positioning (of information), Punch (or Power of information), Personality and Professionalism.

Everyone needs a résumé. Certainly you do, unless you are Tiger Woods or you are so well known that your reputation is already common knowledge to all potential employers. (But, of course, if you're Tiger Woods, you wouldn't need an employer! You'd be the employer!) If that were the case you probably wouldn't be reading this column in the first place. You need a résumé because you have to package yourself to your potential H-1B sponsor.

Paper stock, font variations and imaginative ideas are part of the packaging process. Most résumés are prepared on white, ivory or gray paper. Never send a duplicate or a Xerox copy. You'd want your résumé to stand out from the crowd but you're better off remaining professional by being on the conservative side.

If you're professional experience requires you to have a four-page résumé, go ahead and start trimming. Your employer will not have time to go through so much paper. You should deliver the information that the hiring manager wants to see. Quite simply, you must determine what kind of information he or she seeks that will spark enough interest to warrant an interview. It’s important to have a résumé that delivers the knockout punch, so to speak.

Countless hiring managers believe that how a person presents himself or herself professionally will determine how professionally one will represent their company. We purchase expensive clothing and make sure we look our very best when going to an interview because we want to make a good, lasting, and professional first impression. The résumé must do the same. You are the product and you are the salesperson. Your résumé is your brochure.

What is professionalism? Well, would you:

• Send your résumé without a cover letter, or would you enclose a personal cover letter addressed specifically to the hiring manager on matching stationery?
• Fold your résumé into thirds and stuff it in a business envelope, or would you send the résumé out in an attractive flat envelope without folding it at all?
• Send the résumé by regular mail, or use overnight or two-day air to make a more powerful entry into the organization of destination?
• Expect the prospective employer to call you after receiving your résumé, or would you make it clear that you will telephone him or her within a week to arrange an interview?

Think about these questions for a moment. If you embrace professionalism, you'll discover that you'll be invited to more and more interviews. Pretty soon, you'll understand that it's not too difiicult to get an employer who would be more than willing to sponsor you for an H1-B visa.

EMPLOYMENT TIPS FOR IMMIGRANTS:

5 questions an immigrant job seeker should ask during an interview

Due to differences in culture, it is understandable that many immigrants, particularly those coming from less privileged nations, find it embarrassing to ask a few questions at a job interview. But it's a smart thing to do. Once you've received your greencard you can clearly choose your employer better than those holding H1-B visas. Asking a few questions will not only help you make your decision if you'd want to take the job, but it also sends the message that you're a thorough, thoughtful individual.

What then are these questions that you may want to ask? Former human resources managers suggest the following:

1. What are your company's plans for future growth? (You will get an idea about the company's equal employment and diversity program.)
2. What qualities are most important to attain success on the job?
3. What are the opportunities for advancement? What's the typical career track?
4. What might I expect to be doing in the next six months or so?
5. Does your company encourage and support continuing education for its employees

Some questions though are better off not asked:

• What does your company do? (Shows you haven't come prepared.)
• Is this a union shop? (It's something you should know, but it's threatening to an employer.)
• How much job security do you offer? (This makes you appear like you care more about what the company can do for you than what you can do for it.)
• Will I have to work much overtime? (A good question, but don't sound like you don't want to put in the extra effort — that's a decision to be made by you privately. You would have a better shot if it will be rephrased into something like: "What kind of job pressure can I expect?")
• What happened to the person who had this job before me? (So as not to put the person on the spot, try asking why this job is available. The reason might be that it's a new position, which is beneficial for you to know.)
• What kind of office politics do you have? (This is better asked as: What qualities make for a successful employee?)

ANSWERS TO CITIZENSHIP QUIZ:

Answers to Questions Often Asked by Immigration Officials During Citizenship Interviews

• 1. Red, White, and Blue.
• 2. 50
• 3. White.
• 4. One for each state in the Union .
• 5. 13
• 6. Red and White.
• 7. They represent the original 13 states.
• 8. 50
• 9. Independence Day.
• 10. July 4th
• 11. England
• 12. England
• 13. George Washington
• 14. George Bush (or whoever is next)
• 15. (Kidding us? We've given you the answer on 14 and you still want answer on this one? use Google to check who! )
• 16. The Electoral College
• 17. Vice-President
• 18. Four years
• 19. The supreme law of the land
• 20. Yes
• 21. An Amendment
• 22. 27
• 23. 3
• 24. Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary
• 25. Congress
• 26. Congress
• 27. The Senate and the House of Representatives
• 33. 435
• 34. 2 years
• 35. The President, vice president, cabinet, and departments under the cabinet members
• 36. The Supreme Court
• 37. To interpret laws
• 38. The Constitution
• 39. The first 10 amendments of the Constitution
• 40. (insert local information)
• 41. (insert local information)
• 42. Speaker of the House of Representative
• 43. Use Google or Yahoo
• 44. Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Rhode Island, and Maryland.
• 45. Patrick Henry
• 46. Germany , Italy , and Japan
• 47. Hawaii and Alaska
• 48. 2
• 49. A civil rights leader
• 50. (insert local information)
• 51. Must be a natural born citizen of the United States ; must be at least 35 years old by the time he/she will serve; must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
• 52. Two (2) from each state
• 53. Appointed by the President
• 54. Nine (9)
• 55. For religious freedom
• 56. Governor
• 57. Mayor
• 58. Thanksgiving
• 59. Thomas Jefferson
• 60. July 4, 1776
• 61. That all men are created equal
• 62. The Star-Spangled Banner
• 63. Francis Scott Key
• 64. The Bill of Rights
• 65. Eighteen (18)
• 66. The President
• 67. The Supreme Court
• 68. Abraham Lincoln
• 69. Freed many slaves
• 70. The Cabinet
• 71. George Washington
• 72. Form N-400, Application to File Petition for Naturalization
• 73. The American-Indians (Native Americans)
• 74. The Mayflower
• 75. Colonies
• 76. 1. The right of freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and requesting change of government; 2. The right to bear arms (the right to have weapons or own a gun, though subject to certain regulations); 3. The government may not quarter, or house, soldiers in the people's homes during peacetime without the people's consent.
• 77. The Congress
• 78. Republican
• 79. Abraham Lincoln
• 80. 1787
• 81. The Bill of Rights
• 82. For countries to discuss and try to resolve world problems, to provide economic aid to many countries.
• 83. In the Capitol in Washington , D.C.
• 84. Everyone (citizens and non-citizens) living in U.S.
• 85. The Preamble
• 86. Vote for the candidate of your choice
• 87. The right to vote
• 88. The place where Congress meets
• 89. The President's official home
• 90. Washington , D.C. ( 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. )
• 91. The White House
• 92. Freedom of: speech, press, religion. peaceable assembly, and requesting change of the government.
• 93. The President
• 94. George Washington
• 95. November
• 96. January
• 97. There is no limit
• 98. There is no limit
• 99. Democratic and Republican
• 100. Fifty (50)

The News Source for Immigrants in America

“Everything about U.S. immigration”