How to find a promising job in the USA: a successful example of an immigrant from Russia

The American history of Dmitry Danilin, an immigrant from Russia, is similar to the fate of many of our compatriots. Arriving in the United States at the age of 23, he decided at his own peril and risk to stay in the country: without connections, local education and clear prospects. After just two years, the young man acquired not only a permanent status, but also a favorite job in the company. Home Alliance, steady income, further education and career prospects, and even free time to surf.

Photos from the personal archive of Dmitry

First steps

Dmitry's first job was home delivery.

“At the initial stage it even suited me, but soon I realized that there was no opportunity for professional growth in this area. I got paid by the hour and just delivered groceries. There was practically no free time either: I worked every day. In fact, I didn't have a personal life, ”he recalls.

At that time, Dmitry was in the process of obtaining political asylum in the United States, which caused some bureaucratic confusion in employment. As a result, the account under which the young man worked was blocked by mistake. This unexpected difficulty became an additional incentive to change jobs.

“At that time, I rented an apartment with other residents. One of them worked for Home Alliance. I asked him if there was an opportunity to get a job there, ”says Dmitry.

From assistant to master

Home Alliance Is a company that provides almost all types of repair, installation and finishing works. This includes repairing household appliances, installing, cleaning and repairing air conditioning and heating systems, cleaning air systems, and repairing plumbing and electrical equipment. The company provides these services in more than 30 cities in America, including San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles, where Dmitry lives.

“I first got a job as an assistant air conditioner installer, and then became a full-fledged foreman in the air system cleaning department,” says the immigrant.

As Dmitry notes, the advantage of organizing work in the Home Alliance lies in on-the-job training. From the very beginning, novice craftsmen have the opportunity to go out on calls together with professionals as their assistants. Thus, the "apprentices" not only master all the necessary skills in practice, but can also earn money by performing part of the work under the guidance of experienced mentors. This is exactly what happened with Dmitry.

“There are no clear terms for training, it depends on the specific department, the complexity of the work and the initial skills of the person. For me, for example, the "internship" period lasted about one and a half to two months, until I felt completely ready. Now, to do certain jobs, I myself sometimes need helpers. I share with them a part of my income, and at the same time explain what and how to do, ”explains Dmitry Danilin.

Photos from the personal archive of Dmitry

Accordingly, the company has a specialization, but it can be constantly expanded.

“Of course, if you know how to clean air conditioners, you will not be sent, relatively speaking, to repair refrigerators. But again, it all depends on your skills. If you already have experience in a variety of jobs, and it matches the quality of the Home Alliance, you can fulfill orders from several departments. There are not so many such universal masters, but they exist, and they are highly appreciated in the company, ”assures Dmitry.

By the way, the company is currently looking for craftsmen specializing in plumbing, electrical, air conditioning (HVAC) and air ducts (Air Duct Cleaning) in Los Angeles and Orange County (Orange County). If you have the skills to repair appliances (Appliance Repair), you can safely offer your services in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Portland.

Work for yourself

Another advantage of the new job, the young man calls a flexible schedule. Being employees of the company, the foremen at the same time work for themselves, determining the preferred workload and the number of orders themselves.

“In my department, the number of orders from clients can range from one to four per day. The orders are distributed by the dispatcher, and they are sent to my personal section on the site, which I enter through a special application on my phone. As a rule, there is no strict time in the order, but certain time frames are given, for example, from 9 to 12 in the morning. In this interval, I myself choose the time of the visit to the client, ”says Dmitry.

At the same time, the young man emphasizes: despite the “centralized” way of distributing orders, each master can influence the amount of work offered.

“You can always talk to managers and say how many orders you would like to receive. If you think that you are not getting enough work, there is always the opportunity to call the dispatcher and ask if there are more orders. If the entire department does not have enough workload, the manager brings this information to the marketing department, and they help resolve this issue. Home Alliance has an amazingly sincere, understanding staff, and you can always agree on the amount of workload. But working a little here is simply unprofitable, because we receive a certain percentage of the proceeds that we bring to the company. For example, I get from 4 to 11 thousand dollars a month - depending on the volume of orders and the desire to earn, ”says Dmitry.

Friends and colleagues

The immigrant notes: the company's employees can in a sense be compared with private entrepreneurs, however, unlike ordinary businessmen, here they use the company's help in organizational, marketing, financial and other issues, which greatly facilitates business. At the same time, despite the fact that each employee is in some sense a freelancer, the level of care and support of employees from the company, according to Dmitry, is very high.

“It is no exaggeration to say that a truly family atmosphere has developed in the Home Alliance. They support you, meet you halfway, and have developed real friendly relations with colleagues. It happens that I come home and find a package under the door. It turns out that this is a gift from colleagues - for a birthday or for some other holiday, or even just after some time spent in the company. Once, for example, I was presented with an Apple watch as the winner of one of the nominations in the monthly competition for the best technician. And once a colleague literally saved me when my car stalled in another city, ”he recalls.

Sometimes the company pays for on-the-job training for employees, which gives young people much-needed opportunities for further professional growth and socialization in a new country.

“For example, now Home Alliance pays for my classes with an English tutor in the field of work, where there is a very specific vocabulary. At the same time, I am learning the skills of repairing household appliances, and upon completion I will be able to fulfill orders from this department as well, ”Dmitry shares his plans.

Now Dmitry has time for his favorite surfing. Photo from the personal archive of the hero

Despite the combination of study and work, the young man had much more free time in the new place than in the previous one.

“Now I have time for my personal life and hobbies. Living in Los Angeles, I enjoy surfing, and sometimes I travel to neighboring cities and national parks. In a word, now I have a profession, earnings, favorite hobbies, in other words, a happy life, ”concludes Dmitry.

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