Posted on August 27, 2009
What are they and why do you need them?
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa to employ temporary foreign workers in the United States in specialty occupations. The United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) define a “specialty occupation” as an occupation that requires both a theoretical and practical application of specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the area of specialization. Engineers, scientists, teachers, accountants and marketing analyst are examples of occupations under the H1-B Visa. An employer must sponsor the foreign worker in order to legally work in the United States. Under the tenure of the H-1B visa, if the foreign worker quits or is dismissed from the sponsoring employer, they have the option to find another employer, change their status to ‘non-immigrant’ or leave the US.
Why are they such a hot topic right now?
H1-B visas have always been in high demand by U.S. employers to bring skilled workers into their businesses. Per fiscal year, the visa quotas or “caps” are set to a maximum of 65,000 for foreign workers with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree not earned in the U.S. and 20,000 for foreign workers with a master’s degree or higher earned in the U.S. Last year, both the 65,000 H1-B quota for the Bachelor’s degree holders and the 20,000 H1-B quota for master’s degree holders were exhausted within a few days.
However, because of the current economic climate, the demand for H1-B visas has decreased thereby increasing the chance of selection for the remaining applicants.
What can you do right now if you need or want one?
So it’s sorted. You know what an H1-B visa is, why they are in such demand and why it’s the perfect time to get one. It’s kind of like social media right now. You are at the ‘sign me up now’ process. Petitions opened for H1-B visas opened on April 1, 2009 for the 2010 fiscal year. As of August 14th, roughly 45,000 of cap-subject petitions and 20,000 petitions for the advanced degree cap have been filed. The USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject and advanced degree petitions until the H1-B visas have reached their statutory limits. Start gathering the necessary information, documents and other items to prepare and file the petition. Increase your chances of an H1-B visa by petitioning now. Need ‘how do I’ advice to start your petition, visit http://www.uscis.gov/.
Added bonus!
If you work at higher education institutions, nonprofit affiliated entities, nonprofit research organizations or governmental research organizations, petitions for new H1-B visas as exempt.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on August 25, 2009
Illustration: Greg Bakes
From the birthplace of golf to music icons to aristocracy to mogul entrepreneurs to picturesque countrysides to a rich history of politicians – what more could you ask from such a humble sized yet powerful country. The United Kingdom offers its people and its guests a plethora of cultural, historic and iconic resources. Ranked within the top 5 superpowers by the United Nations, the UK is a dominant force in the global community with its resilient economy despite the worldwide financial situation and its trend setting population. Below are some highlights of life in the UK that will help to give you a more well rounded picture when choosing whether to live, work or study in this fascinating country.
Language:
English is the main language.
Britspeak: Though English is the primary language, the expressions are quite different. Here are some helpful phrases to get you started.
- Ace: Used to describe something good. ”Shearer’s goal was ace!”
- Fire: Means central heating. ‘Turn the fire on it’s freezing in here!’
- Knackered: Same as tired. You could also use the word ‘shattered’ for tired.
- Y’alright?: It’s a shortened form of ‘Are you alright?’
Climate:
The weather tends be fairly temperate with a 1 to 3 ration of overcast days. It is often joked that ‘when to Englishmen meet, they first talk of the weather.’
Currency:
The official currency is the British Pound Sterling (GBP), and is decimal based like the dollar; there are 100 pence in a pound. The coins are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2. The notes start at £5, £10, £20, and £50 pounds.
The slang for a pound is a Quid.
Cost of living:
There’s no getting around it – England isn’t cheap. Public transportation, food, restaurants and hotel rooms all tend towards the expensive end.
Some added bonuses however: there are a ton of free museums in London, tipping at restaurants is minimal (10%) and tipping at bars is not required. Because the UK is full of travelers, finding creative ways to use your money wisely is fairly easy.
Banking information:
International banks that offer great rates for international transactions: Citibank; HSBC.
Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards are widely accepted in throughout the UK.
Finding a place to exchange your money (cash or travellers cheques) into pounds is never a problem in major cities. Some post offices offer this service as well and the exchange rates are fair (and usually commission free).
Multinational Companies:
Bank of Scotland
Virgin Group
Ministry of Sound
Sony UK
Reuters Group
Unilever
Major cities:
London: Famous for The Tower of London and Westminster Abbey
Liverpool: Famous for the inventing and pioneering mass modes of transportation like ferries and the Beatles (of course!)
Manchester: Famous for Oasis and John Dalton, a brilliant chemist who pioneered the Atomic Theory
Edinburgh: Famous for the Fringe Festival
Modes of public transportation:
Public transportation is by far the easiest a temporary expatriate. The UK has a reliable system of trains & buses. When in London, take the London Underground or Tube, a subway system which covers most of London and connections can be made via several London rail stations.
The UK also serves as a major international hub of airline carriers and inexpensive flights to countries in Europe. Among the most popular and inexpensive are Ryan Air and Easy Jet.
Good websites for apartments, activities:
Meetup UK:
Gumtree: Similar to Craigslist in the US
Reading resources:
Lonely Planet England by David Else
Passport United Kingdom: Your Pocket Guide to British Business, Customs & Etiquette by Timothy Harper
Fun facts:
Average number of cups of tea drunk per day: 3
Total number of televisions: 30,500,000
Average number of days when it rains: 1 in 3
Fish n’ Chips with vinegar in rolled up newspaper: arguably the treasured national dish
Health & Safety
Health: There are no mandatory immunizations for visiting England or the rest of the UK. Travel insurance, however, is always highly recommended. Travel insurance is always highly recommended. Regardless of your nationality, everyone receives free emergency treatment at accident and emergency (A&E) departments of state-run NHS hospitals. Simply have a minor ailment? Visit the chemist or pharmacy who can advise on minor ailments like a sore throat or an ear ache.
Safety: When traveling by tube, tram or train service, choose a carriage that has other people. Avoid deserted suburban tube stations at night; a bus or taxi can be a safer choice.
Shops, banks & offices
Most shops and post offices are open 9am to 5pm, Monday – Friday (possibly 5.30pm or 6pm in cities). Saturday, shops open 9am to 5pm, and banks (main branches only) open 9.30am to 1pm. Post offices may open all or half-day Saturday. Sunday shopping hours are around 10am to 4pm or 11am to 5pm, but banks and post offices are closed.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on August 18, 2009
Gaining international work experience is an automatic resume booster and adds to your overall life experience. Picking the right country for your international internship is the first step when planning your work experience. This careful process requires foresight for the type of experience that you want to have as well as a diligence for researching the best opportunity.
With that in mind, here are 5 quick and dirty tips to pick the best country for you international internship:
1. Figure out what type of work experience you want.
Most international companies have satellite offices in various countries. Identify what company is best suited to build your work experience and find out which countries offer you the best internship opportunities for your field of study.
2. Identify what type of climate is best for you.
Choosing the right climate for your personality is essential for making your internship a happy one. Because you will be working in the country for an extended amount of time, it is imperative that you determine the climate that you feel most comfortable with. Figure out if you want to work in a temperate, warm, or cold climate and what season is best for you (i.e. Summer, Winter, Spring).
3. Determine which language you want to learn or improve.
Part of the benefit of doing an international internship is the ability to learn or improve your language skills of your host country. When choosing which country for your international internship, use language proficiency as a factor to decide where to go. Remember that as the world becomes flatter, the more languages you know, the more appealing you are to employers.
4. Talk to your family, friends, professors or search on forums.
While it is true that no two experiences living abroad will be the same, use the suggestions of these key people as a reference point for picking the country to work in. You may find that their networks are still prevalent in that country. An added bonus is that it will make the transition to work there much easier.
5. Use country guides to explore the cultural attributes of various countries.
Culture exceeds pretty costumes and nice music. Each country has their own sets of values and traditions for the working world, social etiquette, the perception of time, etc. While being punctual in Germany is extremely important to their way of life, in Colombia the concept of time is much more lenient and speculative. Understand what are the different cultural values and if it fits within your scope of comfort.
By understanding what you want to achieve through your international internship and how your personality fits into the culture of the host country, you will guarantee yourself a successful lifetime experience. Take the time to explore all your options and who knows, maybe the door to a lifelong international career is right around the corner.
For more information about international internships, please visit http://www.globalcareerservices.com/
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on August 14, 2009
Stuck in a creative rut and need some inspiration? New research suggests that living abroad may be the best way to spark your creativity. There is an abundance of anecdotal evidence which suggests that writers, painters and singers use this method to fuel their creative process. Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein and Ernest Hemingway produced some of their most notable contributions to society outside of their homelands. Can today’s modern day international student or expatriate yield similar creative results? The answer according to the “Cultural Borders and Mental Barriers: The Relationship Between Living Abroad and Creativity” is empirically proven – yes.
Using a sample of MBA and undergraduate American business students and foreign students studying in America, William W. Maddux of INSEAD and Adam D. Galinsky of Northwestern University, proved that those who have lived abroad for an extended period had a higher propensity to be more creative than those who had not. “Gaining experience in foreign cultures has long been a classic prescription for artists interested in stimulating their imaginations or honing their crafts. But does living abroad actually make people more creative?” asked lead author William Maddux, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD, a business school with campuses in France and Singapore. “It’s a long-standing question that we feel we’ve been able to begin answering through this research.” (US News, “To be more creative, Try living abroad”)
A series of 5 experiments tested the students’ creative thought process by challenging their creative spatial reasoning, negotiation tactics and use of cultural adaptation as a means of idea-generation. Directly following each experiment, the students were questioned about their nationality and the amount of time, if any, that they had spent living abroad. The researchers then combined this data with their performance in each experiment.
In one study, the students were presented with the Duncker candle problem. Based on a picture of various objects (a candle, a pack of matches and a box of thumb tacks) on a table next to a cardboard wall, they had to determine how to properly attach the lit candle to the wall without any wax dripping on the table or the wall. In order to see the solution of using the box of thumb tacks as a candleholder, the students needed to be able to assign an atypical function to certain objects. Their research showed that 60% of students who lived abroad solved the problem, whereas only 42% of those who had not lived abroad were able to solve the problem. They also found that having this creative hindsight was directly linked to their time spent living abroad rather than simply traveling abroad.
What does this mean for you? Living abroad forces you to see a problem in many different ways because everything is new to you. Where getting from point A to point B at home is as simple as getting into your car and driving somewhere familiar, when you are in a new country it requires a more creative thought process to get you to point B. What mode of transportation do you need? How much money will it require? What language skills do you need to use? How should you dress? You are constantly forced to think outside of the box in order to perform everyday tasks. So the next time you creativity mojo is down, take an internship abroad or go backpacking throughout Southeast Asia.
For more information about living abroad or international internships, go to http://www.goinglobal.com/.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on August 11, 2009
Internships are an essential segway into the working world. By doing an internship, you are able to see what elements of your career you feel especially passionate about before committing yourself to a full time job. What better way to add career experience to your belt than by doing an international internship in a foreign country? Not only do you reap the benefits of working in your topic of study, but you also experience living in a new country. The best part is, the world is your playground for international internships. So why exactly do an internship abroad rather than one in your home country? Here are 10 reasons tobuy an international ticket to a new career opportunity.
10 Reasons for doing an international internship
1. International internships stand out on your resume.
When you start applying for jobs, you won’t be the only one in your class interested in working at Google. Doing an international internship distinguishes you automatically from your classmates. Not only do you have work experience, you also have a deeper cultural understanding of business in your host country.
2. International internships do not have a limit on the amount of your time.
Unlike when you study abroad, international internship can be arranged during any point of the year for the duration that is best suited to your schedule. This makes it possible for you to gain international experience even if you have other responsibilities, financial obligations or specific degree schedules that limit the time and resources you can devote to world travel.
3. Immerse yourself in a new country, culture and language.
As an international intern, you will be immersed in your host country on a much deeper level than even a study-abroad program can provide. Being in a work setting in a foreign country provides you with insight into their cultural business practices. You may also benefit from refining your language skills or learning a new language that will make you more marketable when you return home.
4. Gain transferable skills for your resume and future job hunt.
Employers want to hire people that are able to utilize the lessons from previous work experiences and apply them to their current job. As in an international intern, you will be faced with challenges everyday pertaining to communication barriers, creative problem-solving and understanding various points of view from a cultural perspective. By facing these challenges abroad, you will be able to fine tune your transferable skills and sell any employer on your benefits.
5. Receive academic credit.
Many times you can utilize your internship work experience for class credit. Before you leave to your international internship, check with your advisor to see if you are eligible for credit.
6. Meet new people from other countries and expand your global network.
In a book called, “Never Eat Alone”, the author Keith Ferrazzi drills the concept that “your network is your networth”. It is important that as you build your career, regardless of whether it is an international career, you build a circle of mentors, contacts and friends. You never know when you may be able to help them or they may be able to help you.
7. Improve your language skills and maybe even learn a new language.
The languages that you speak are a benefit to you and your future employer. Use your international internship as a vehicle to improve your proficiency. Remember, the world is becoming flatter by the day. Communication is key in your career and knowing various languages makes you more marketable.
8. Jump start your full time job search.
Employers like to hire from within. Through an international internship with a particular company or organization, you will familiarize yourself with their business practices and processes. Often times, employers will hire those people who know their business firsthand.
9. Develop a global perspective and understanding.
You will gain a much broader view of what is happening in the world around you. This will help you to look at new challenges in a different light and solve problems from a different perspective.
10. It’s an experience that you will never forget!
This is the most important part. The people you meet; the foods you eat; the pictures you take; the lessons that you learn; all add to your experience of living and working in a new country.
Here are a variety of international internship opportunities available based on your level of interest.
* Undergraduate Internships
* Graduate Internships
* Post Graduate Internships
* Study Abroad Internships
* Volunteer Internship Programs
* Direct Internships with International Organizations
* Internship Programs and Exchanges
For more information about international internships, go to http://www.goinglobal.com/.
Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
