Employment & Careers in the US

Work Authorization (EAD)

Before you start working or looking for employment, you must have active authorization. For refugees and immigrants, this generally takes the form of an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Make sure you understand your legal status boundaries and work tightly with your local resettlement officer or a legal aid organization to file Form I-765 as early as allowed.

Adapting Your South African CV to a US Resume

The layout and informational guidelines for professional resumes in the US differ significantly from South African expectations:

• No Personal Information: Unlike SA CVs, never include your birth date, age, gender, marital status, nationality, or profile photo. Inclusion of these details may cause employers to discard your application to avoid anti-discrimination compliance concerns.
• Length: Restrict your resume to exactly one page (or two pages if you have over ten years of deep specialized experience).
• Structure: Center your details around concise achievements using clear action verbs. Rather than writing "Responsible for managing a cash register," write "Managed cash operations of up to $10,000 daily with zero errors."

Job Search Portals & Assistance

These official portals and organizations offer valuable career-building support:

• Upwardly Global

  A non-profit organization helping work-authorized refugees and immigrants rebuild professional careers in the United States.

• Indeed Job Search

  The largest digital-first job board in the US, widely used across multiple sectors.