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skysooner · 11-18-2003, 02:48 PM

There are many, many people here from other countries that work here and for whom English is not a native language. I don't really see it as an issue.

I'll try to address as many of your points as I can. Yes, most jobs indicate that you are an "at-will employee" and yes, this means they can fire you whenever they want. However we have to deal with reality here. It is always much more expensive to fire an employee and get a new one than to keep the one you already have (and who is hopefully trained). Most companies are not going to go out and fire you on the spot unless you really mess up. Even then, they are going to be careful because you can still take them to court if you are fired for a bad reason. Most will try and document a pattern of behavior and give you plenty of notice before you would be terminated.

People here are used to people who didn't speak English much or at all when they came here. I think that you should probably go for a job where you are going to be talking to people face-to-face more as it is much less frustrating to talk to someone who doesn't speak the language as well in person rather than on the phone where it is easy to be rude to someone who isn't keeping up with the pace of your conversation.

Sir and maam don't have to be used in abundance. The only time I use it is when I'm answering yes or no (I will say yes, sir/maam or no sir/maam). I don't use it in any other part of the conversation. It comes across as too formal. Americans are generally people who like to pretend they are closer than they are to people they have just met. That means the formality in the conversation goes away almost immediately.

As for pay, it all depends on the job. My mother is looking for work where they advertised the pay as $28,000-$45,000. She has 15 years experience, so she expected the upper end of that range. Before the interview even started, they told her it was $28,000 non-negotiable and she got up and walked out. What I would say is the lower paying jobs generally are going to be more upfront about what they pay earlier in the interview. If you are going for the high-paying jobs, most people wait till the end part of the interview to discuss the pay. Look at it this way, the important thing is the job and your fit in it (at least this is the way the employer is going to look at it). If you ask about pay too quickly, they think that is all you are there for, and you won't get hired anyway.

As for discrimination, this is always a risk. However most Americans value efficiency, productivity, and friendliness in an employee versus cultural differences. If you do your job and are a good employee, you are an employer's best case scenario.

11-18-2003, 02:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
skysooner Registered User Location: Oklahoma	There are many, many people here from other countries that work here and for whom English is not a native language. I don't really see it as an issue. I'll try to address as many of your points as I can. Yes, most jobs indicate that you are an "at-will employee" and yes, this means they can fire you whenever they want. However we have to deal with reality here. It is always much more expensive to fire an employee and get a new one than to keep the one you already have (and who is hopefully trained). Most companies are not going to go out and fire you on the spot unless you really mess up. Even then, they are going to be careful because you can still take them to court if you are fired for a bad reason. Most will try and document a pattern of behavior and give you plenty of notice before you would be terminated. People here are used to people who didn't speak English much or at all when they came here. I think that you should probably go for a job where you are going to be talking to people face-to-face more as it is much less frustrating to talk to someone who doesn't speak the language as well in person rather than on the phone where it is easy to be rude to someone who isn't keeping up with the pace of your conversation. Sir and maam don't have to be used in abundance. The only time I use it is when I'm answering yes or no (I will say yes, sir/maam or no sir/maam). I don't use it in any other part of the conversation. It comes across as too formal. Americans are generally people who like to pretend they are closer than they are to people they have just met. That means the formality in the conversation goes away almost immediately. As for pay, it all depends on the job. My mother is looking for work where they advertised the pay as $28,000-$45,000. She has 15 years experience, so she expected the upper end of that range. Before the interview even started, they told her it was $28,000 non-negotiable and she got up and walked out. What I would say is the lower paying jobs generally are going to be more upfront about what they pay earlier in the interview. If you are going for the high-paying jobs, most people wait till the end part of the interview to discuss the pay. Look at it this way, the important thing is the job and your fit in it (at least this is the way the employer is going to look at it). If you ask about pay too quickly, they think that is all you are there for, and you won't get hired anyway. As for discrimination, this is always a risk. However most Americans value efficiency, productivity, and friendliness in an employee versus cultural differences. If you do your job and are a good employee, you are an employer's best case scenario.