 |
 |
| Leaving with or without a job |
 |
|
You can confirm your job before your departure for the United Sates or leave without a definite employment offer and look for a job once you arrive. With a J-1 visa in your passport, you will be able to start working as soon as you find a job.
Only 50% of the participants are allowed to leave without a job.
If you decide to leave without a job, you will have to find one upon your arrival and confirm it to the CIEE office within 20 days following your arrival. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your visa and your program.
Applications for departures without a job will be processed in the order they are received on a first-come first-serve basis.
We strongly encourage you to find your job before leaving. It’s easy and it’s fast: Let us show you how to do it!
|
| Before your start looking for your summer job |
|
|
Each summer, CIEE and WYSE organise a video contest for participants in the Summer Work & Travel program. The winner takes home 2000 dollars. Click here to see the videos in competition this year Video WYSE; It gives you a good idea of life in the USA. Need more opinions or advice?
Join CIEE’s Work & Travel Facebook group here CIEE Facebook.
Former, current and future participants like you share their stories, questions and experiences on the CIEE Facebook page. You will also find useful tips on housing, outings, jobs and much more.
|
| Looking for a job |
|
|
Parenthese does not impose a specific job or employer: We will help you and guide you, but you are also completely free to do your own research, consider different offers, negotiate the details of your job and your salary directly with the American employers and choose the job that best suits you. The possibilities are endless and finding a summer job is easy! Our experience shows us that participants find jobs within 7 to 14 days of active search.
1. Begin by writing your resume (CV) and cover letter using the following example: Example Cover Letter Work & Travel. On your resume, explain your educational background in detail. American employers do not know the European educational system. If your school or university has pages of their website in English, put these links on your resume.
It is essential to mention that you are intending to apply for a J-1 Work and Travel Visa through CIEE and that, as part of this program, CIEE will act as your legal sponsor. Moreover, companies may also be interested to learn that you will be provided with health and travel insurance as part of the CIEE program.
This information should be given to your potential employers during your initial contact with them to avoid any negative response.
2. Click on the Useful links menu here. “CoolWorks”, www.coolworks.com, is one of the best sites for seasonal jobs in the USA. You have an extraordinary choice of jobs (jobs on water, ranch jobs, resort jobs, etc.) and there are literally thousands of job offers available; you can simply apply online or email the employers directly; CoolWorks employers are extremely reactive and are aware of the J-1 Visa program. In addition, most of them provide either free housing or housing at very reasonable prices (between 55 and 300 dollars per month).
In the rare case where you’d be unable to find your dream summer job on CoolWorks, you can answer job offers on other websites and/or send emails directly to companies that interest you. When you are on the website of the US employer, click on the menu option “international Applicants”. All you need to do then is follow the instructions to either send an email or create an online profile.
Don’t forget your other resources around you : your school, friends, internet, personal and professional contacts.
3. Need help to prepare yourself for an eventual webcam or telephone interview? CIEE though of you and created the following video: Interview tips
|
| Salary & your budget |
|
|
Your salary will either be posted on the job offer or negotiated directly with the employer. All employers must pay you the legal minimum wage of the state in which you will be working. (These salaries, not including tips, vary from state to state and range from 2,65 USD to 8 USD per hour)
Seasonal jobs are generally paid an hourly salary rate plus tips that go from 10% to 20% of the total client bill. By accepting a summer job that has the possibility of getting tips, you could double or even triple your earnings.
Do the math : Even if the initial investment (program fees, visa fees and plane ticket) seems high, you will cover it in a short amount of time and make extra money for living, having fun and travelling! For Example :
Glacier National Park (employer listed on the Coolworks website)
Monthly Salary without tips : 7.25$ per hour (40 hours per week) = 1160$
Housing and Board provided by Glacier for 308$ per month.
Total Salary : 852$ per month.
If you add tips to the total, you can double your salary each month.
| Program Fees : |
|
640£ for 5 months (Insurance included) |
| SEVIS Fees : |
22£ |
| Visa Fee : |
80£ (approx) |
| Total Fees : |
742£ |
If you add the cost of the plane ticket to this total, it will take you between 6 and 8 weeks to cover your initial investment.
Each summer, employers listed on the Cool Works website hire students just like you from abroad. If you would like to know more about the kinds of jobs, the salaries, housing or the general atmosphere of working in a National Park, watch the following interview with a Glacier Park Recruiting Coordinator: Spend a summer in Glacier Park
|
| Your employer |
|
|
You get to choose the company you wish to work for. If your employer is a CIEE partner, you will not be allowed to change jobs after your arrival in the US, unless the circumstances are exceptional (layoff, breach of contract on behalf of the employer…); these cases will be examined individually.
Employers wishing to hire J-1 Work & Travel participants must have a Workers Compensation policy in place. This minimal insurance covering you for accidents within your workplace is mandatory. We are not allowed to accept employers that do not carry this insurance except in states where it is not a legal requirement. If your employer is exempt from providing Workers' Compensation by their state's laws, they need to provide proof of that exemption by submitting a copy of the state law showing the exemption.
|
| Extending your program |
|
|
It is not possible to extend your employment period in the US beyond the official date specified on your DS-2019 form.
|
|
|
