Summer job in the States

[sequoia]

Hi gents,

I always been thinking about traveling to United States, and recently I found out, that students are able to get J-1 visas to legally work up to 4 months and travel around the States for 1 month in the summer. Since I'm student from small country next to the Baltic sea, I decided to take this chance. The thing is.. I have to find a job somewhere. The program itself+tickets costs quite a lot of money, so I will have to earn the same amount of money+for food, housing etc. Any suggestions about what kind of job I could get and in what states/cities I should look for?
There are some companies in Alaska that hire students to work as seafood processors, it's a hard work, but you get a lot working hours (1hour/7.15$). Would it be a good choice to work there?
Also I heard about "road repair" companies in Alaska mountains (repairing roads, railways, removing rocks that blocks traffic etc) but I wasn't able to find how such companies could call? The workers live in a portable wagons/trailers(I dont know how they call exactly). I tried to search for road maintenance companies, found just a few of them.. It would be great to find a job in civil engineering area, cause I'm studying it.
Anyway, is it hard to find a job for the next summer in the States? What job I should look for, if I want to earn as much money as possible in a short period of time (lots of working hours are the most important)?? Job offers are welcome too!

Thanks for your help!

 

[LarryAndro]

I have a brother that lives in Alaska, and is pretty savvy about Alaska job opportunities. Email me at [email protected] if interested.

 

[mretzloff]

Are you just looking to work at a minimum wage job or are you trying to get an internship?

Not to rain on your parade, but as a college student who works part time at a job that pays minimum wage ($7.25 per hour), I cannot see how you could possibly earn enough money to pay for housing, food, and your flight back working at a job that only pays minimum wage (most of my co-workers can barely scrap enough together for food). It will also be very difficult finding a place that will hire you if they know you will only be working there for four months. Training someone costs money, so most businesses are unwilling to invest that time and money into someone who will be leaving so shortly. Many people are looking for jobs and many businesses are not hiring. Those who are, will not give you nearly enough hours to earn that back.

I hope that does not sound harsh or anything, but that is the reality of the matter. Good luck in your search.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Look into oceanfront amusement parks / boardwalks on both coasts (Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Atlantic City, Jersey Shore, etc.) For some reason they tend to hire a LOT of Eastern European kids for the summer season. I'm sure you end up living 7 to a room on minimum wage and pay some management company an outrageous fee to set it up, but the kids I talk too all seem to enjoy the experience.

 

[Confilo]

Look into oceanfront amusement parks / boardwalks on both coasts (Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Atlantic City, Jersey Shore, etc.) For some reason they tend to hire a LOT of Eastern European kids for the summer season. I'm sure you end up living 7 to a room on minimum wage and pay some management company an outrageous fee to set it up, but the kids I talk too all seem to enjoy the experience.

To that add Cape Cod Massachusetts. They hire foreign students to work in Restaurants, Inns, Bed & Breakfasts and the hospitality industries. In the summer is a nice place to be

 

[Maineac]

I believe most tourist areas in the US hire many foreign students in the summer.

I used to live in a coastal tourist town in Maine and every summer we would have an influx of students particularly from Eastern Europe.

A few years back we visited many of the parks in the western US and I remember meeting Polish students everywhere particularly in Yellowstone.

I remember hearing them complaining about being in the west when they hoped to go to New York. They had no idea how lucky they were to be in such a fantastic place.

There has got to be government agencies that co-ordinates this because it is done on such a massive scale.

Good luck!

 

[binowatch]

I believe most tourist areas in the US hire many foreign students in the summer.

I used to live in a coastal tourist town in Maine and every summer we would have an influx of students particularly from Eastern Europe.

A few years back we visited many of the parks in the western US and I remember meeting Polish students everywhere particularly in Yellowstone.

I remember hearing them complaining about being in the west when they hoped to go to New York. They had no idea how lucky they were to be in such a fantastic place.

There has got to be government agencies that co-ordinates this because it is done on such a massive scale.

Good luck!

The US National Park Service is filled with Foreign kids in the summer-and in some of the most beautiful parts of the country. Definitely worth a try.

 

[craig87c]

My girlfriend worked for an organization called Camp America- they'd fly Eastern European and Russian kids into here, let them be camp counsellors for a couple of months, then let them travel for a month. Everyone flies home together I think.

 

[chris456]

Hotels in the northeast often hire employees for seasonal help in the summer.

 

[Thebigspendur]

As an ex Immigration worker I'll tell you J-1 Visas are program specific. You can't come here and look for work-that's illegal. If you get a J-1 visa that allows employment the job will be part of it. If it doesn't include work you can't seek it on your own.

 

[sequoia]

Yeah I know, so that's why I am looking for a job now. If I don't find it, I will not get J-1 visa. And thank you all for the suggestions.

Maybe someone knows how the companies, that works in Alaska mountains, somewhere near Alaska-Canada border (repairing roads, bridges, removing rocks etc.) could call??

And what about New Orleans? What is the situation in this city?

 

[Thebigspendur]

Yeah I know, so that's why I am looking for a job now. If I don't find it, I will not get J-1 visa. And thank you all for the suggestions.

Maybe someone knows how the companies, that works in Alaska mountains, somewhere near Alaska-Canada border (repairing roads, bridges, removing rocks etc.) could call??

And what about New Orleans? What is the situation in this city?

No, you don't understand. You can't look for a job. You need to contact the U.S Consulate and get a list of approved programs which are the vehicle to get the J-1 Visa. The employment part is incidental to the reason you come here. Most outfits in the U.S are not in the J-1 program. Even if you found someone in the U.S who would be willing to hire you they cannot get you a J-1 Visa and such employment would get them a hefty fine and you deported. Getting into the program is similar to being admitted to a University. You must apply and have the specific qualifications they are looking for and most J programs are at least a year duration. Not all, but most. The shorter ones are usually highly technical type positions.

 

[FreezerBurns]

Cedar Point - the amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio

I worked there 3 summers in a row right along side with non-US citizens (summer workers) from Slovakia, Poland, Columbia, England, Ireland, Venezuela, Czech Republic, Scotland, France, Mexico, Finland, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Bulgaria, Russia, Dominican Republic, Romania, Canada... and those were just the folks that I knew personally - working and/or living with them.

 

[BladeRunner001]

No, you don't understand. You can't look for a job. You need to contact the U.S Consulate and get a list of approved programs which are the vehicle to get the J-1 Visa. The employment part is incidental to the reason you come here. Most outfits in the U.S are not in the J-1 program. Even if you found someone in the U.S who would be willing to hire you they cannot get you a J-1 Visa and such employment would get them a hefty fine and you deported. Getting into the program is similar to being admitted to a University. You must apply and have the specific qualifications they are looking for and most J programs are at least a year duration. Not all, but most. The shorter ones are usually highly technical type positions.

+1...this is exactly my understanding. Where I work, we get and sponsor J-1 type Visas, but for very highly technical positions. It is a huge investment on our part and a lot of paperwork.

However, I know that students come to work over the summer at National parks in the US...However, I do not know what kinds of mechanisms support that arrangement

 

[Thebigspendur]

A foreign student admitted with an F visa can apply for part time work during the school year and full time during the summer and it's routinely granted.

 

[sequoia]

I will be participating in the Work and travel USA program and I will be eligible to get J-1 visa. It's a program for a full time students, who can legally work for up to 4 months.