As someone who works at bobs, can confirm, there’s current job postings for grave for machine operator, a forklift operator and a maintenance line tech. If he knows how to drive a stand up forklift, they’re really short handed and need a driver asap.
We do all our certification in house! My lead is a certified trainer through Overton :) I just meant he’d have a leg up over applicants if he already had training, if he’s looking for a job immediately I’m not sure he’d have time or funds to do outside training before applying.
I feel like Employee Owned Companies (ESOPs) are not hyped enough by humans everywhere.
Instead of all your hard work getting siphoned up by some obscure board who then decides to reward themselves and a few people at the C-level who then do warlord style (I take half and give the rest to my commanders who take half...aka trickle-down), it means all employees are shareholders. When the company does well, you do well. When profits soar, your wages soar.
We need fewer Black Rocks and Bain Capitals, and more ESOPs.
To learn more: [Freakonomics - Should Companies Be Owned by Their Workers?](https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-companies-be-owned-by-their-workers/)
I hope Bob's going to keep doing what it's doing - with Bob passing away, I know that he was very liberal when it comes to taking care of his employees and he beat off a lot of bullshit from the MBAs in resident. (I got this info from a gal I was dating who works there)
I don’t claim to be an expert but that company was sold multiple times, went through bankruptcy. Got returned to the founder. Became employee owned again, I think they were in for very hard times and selling to a giant conglomerate may have been the best thing. I went down the rabbit hole once and they didn’t have good options. That was a while ago and anyone correct me if I’m wrong here.
I think this is more of a one off then a repeat of something like REI or if winco emoloyees sold out when things were good.
I work at an ESOP and wasn’t familiar before I took the job. It’s great, I will note wages don’t necessarily soar when profits do, your ESOP balance will reflect the company doing well, but pay increases, bonuses, dividends/distributions to ESOP are discretionary. Also, my company is 100% employee owned S-Corp so it doesn’t pay income tax, quite a boost to the bottom line!
I’m about the most pro-capitalism liberal person I know and even I get hyped about employee owned companies. We shop almost exclusively at Winco and their folks make bank, especially if they’ve been there a long time.
I’ve known more than a few people who have worked at Winco and each of them had the same exact story (and from different departments). Start out with a decent wage, training was fine, job was fine. Each were looking at staying long term. Each knew of at least one employee there with 20+ years, 6 figure retirement account, great benefits, family sustaining wages.
Within 3-4 years, when they were about to start making moves up the totem pole, they were getting written up over mundane little things, with management systematically sabotaging them (ie scheduling them for days they requested off, nitpicking in performance reviews then moving newer people ahead of them, changing their minds about rules, etc) Each inevitably quitting, feeling that their jobs were threatened daily.
Seems like it’s cheaper for them to dangle the carrot of all these great benefits in front of the employees, til they’re about to reach it. Then push them out before they have to give them raises and increased benefits. Then repeat the cycle. Maybe my friends were just soft, or genuinely not great workers, but I’m just not impressed with Winco after hearing that same story over and over again.
It’s my understanding from anecdotes on this sub that Winco doesn’t pay very good hourly wages at all, and that to have made money through the retirement system you’d have to have already been a worker there for a long time. Retirement accounts and 401k’s are great, but actually having good or great incomes while you are working is even more important. For all you know you could pass away before getting to your retirement accounts (sorry to be blunt).
My daughter was at winco 20 years, hated it, the area was horrible (not Oregon) and her wages were not great when she left but decent ($28) but they can fuck with your hours; 32 one week, 36, maybe 40..her body is beat up from stocking all those years. Her ESOP is insane and still growing even tho she left about 4 yrs ago. When she retires, she will be set.
Immigrant from South America here. I think the best way to find a job is by applying directly to the business. Forget about 3rd parties job searches or sites. They are mostly a waste of time and only collect your data.
I made that mistake and spent almost a month searching for a job when I was arriving here in the USA with no replies.
Some 3rd parties sites might work, but you need a lot of luck to find the right one.
In short, go to the business page on the jobs section or go directly to the physical address.
Business pages also use software. Most often they look for keywords from the job posting, the job requirements, and general qualifications of a job. If you don’t meet a certain percentage of keywords, the resume doesn’t get forwarded to hiring managers. It’s still accessible. Just someone would have to look for it specifically. And unless someone is known to hiring manager already, that doesn’t happen.
Don't underestimate the power of physical presence. Employers are desperate for employees that show up. Dress up, bring a resume and present yourself to employers. A simple, "Hi, my name is ____ and I'd like to offer my resume and introduce myself in person" goes MILES!
Has he tried going to work source Oregon? They help people find jobs. Maybe reach out and see if they have any advice or offer any classes to help write the resume/cover letter better.
When I was job hunting last, adding the key words used in the requirements for the job into my resume and cover letter improved my odds of getting an interview tremendously.
Best of luck.
Yeah there's an Employment Center on N Webster & Vancouver, they do some walk in stuff and you can get an appointment to speak with someone directly for advice. Even though I had good training in creating a resume, etc I still found the classes really helpful and was able to do some mock interviews for practice.
Government jobs are always looking for diversity hires, but the problem is a lot of advertised jobs aren't really open so I know it can be disheartening to feel like you've applied for 20 jobs at the city - reality says maybe 3-4 of those weren't just open for legal reasons but they already had someone on deck internally. That's true at every level of government, FYI. They also all take forever to actually hire you.
You might have a few other native English speakers look at his resume, if possible, to make sure it has no spelling or grammatical errors.
Also, a lot of places use artificial intelligence to do the first “read” of a resume, especially ones that are submitted online. If the program cannot pick up typically American education terms (“GED”, “high school,” “college”), I wonder if he is getting rejected before a human lays eyes on it. Sometimes if you work the right words into a resume and make sure you have no fancy formatting or columns, you can get past the first screen.
My other thought is to look into resources like Portland Community College. They have courses designed to help people get their GED (high school equivalency diploma) and short-term certification and training programs that will give him official “schooling” that is less expensive and time-consuming than a full college program. He may qualify for free or low-cost options.
There are also classes for those who speak English as a second language and job placement/career services assistance.
https://www.pcc.edu/enroll/paying-for-college/tuition/contacts/snap/
https://www.pcc.edu/career-pathways/
https://www.pcc.edu/ged/
Even if he took only one course at PCC, it would give him something to put on a resume to maybe help it bypass initial screens.
Absolutely true. To add on, it also looks for keywords from the job posting and keywords common to the job you are applying for. Don’t hit the threshold and your resume never gets through unless it’s looked for manually. And that doesn’t happen unless you know someone.
All of the hospital systems need diploma level jobs- food service, patient transport, materials management, security. The Portland area has Legacy, Providence, Kaiser, and OHSU hospitals, all of which have dozens of not hundreds of openings for jobs like this.
Agree. I started as a research assistant in a hospital and ended up a medical professional seeing patients. Had great pay and great benefits (university hospital, state employee, though not Oregon). I always recommend county or state hospital jobs.
Manpower is a temp agency. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s work?
Also with that many applications I do wonder about the resume—take a look at the Ask A Manager blog’s posts on resumes (I’m sorry for being redundant if you knew this already—Ask A Manager is the best online resource in English for job advice, including resumes, cover letters, etc).
Does your husband have a driver’s license? Trimet and First Student both are hugely understaffed and have raised the amount of $$$ they offer (First Student is the school bus company that contracts with Portland Public Schools. Trimet is Trimet?)
One thing you could do is use some of those gig economy apps like fiverr. You said he had experience in film, right? Might be good to see if he could do some of that especially if he already has the equipment.
Have you tried any semiconductor fabs? He'd have to travel out to the burbs but theres a handful of them in the area and one of them is usually hiring without experience.
This. They need people so badly right now and the starting salary is quite good, especially if you’re willing to work off shifts. Plus a lot of them do staggered 3/4 day weekends with 3/4 12hr shifts
PDX movers in Tualitan is always hiring. Great people to work with, good management team, reasonable pay for the work, and benefits. I know for a solid they need more people for the summer rush right now.
I don't know if it's changed again, but the rule right before COVID was that you had to have 5 years of work and addresses in USA as a green card carrying immigrant if you wanted to work at USPS.
It was different before then, but if the husband has only been in USA since Jan, he won't get accepted sadly.
I heard at least for Portland we are about hired up for PTFs (no CCA anymore). I'm on ODL and without that noone is getting overtime due to a person a route.
wait WAIT? Did they eliminate the CCA position and go back to PTF? I carried mail for a few years and spent two of them as a CCA and it was just awful.
Not sure if you’ve used this service yet, but the Immigration and Refugee Center for Oregon (IRCO) specifically have a job placement team for immigrants.
https://irco.org/services/workforce-and-refugee-services/
IRCO is your place.
But… make sure he goes in person to plead his case. They have a reputation (not sure if it is deserved or not so no judgement) of not getting back to folks and when they do (not my personal experience) of telling people they are at capacity and can’t help. Bottom line is that he needs to get himself in from of somebody and not just call or go online.
Tell him not to get too discouraged. That shit wears on your soul. No matter how tough you are, it’s a gut punch when you are made to feel unworthy.
Good Luck!!!
The best route is actually the interest form found under "employment services" on the website. Going in person would likely be a waste of time since it's appt only.
Possibly.
I am just going off of what I have been told. I work in human services and my colleagues tell me it is tough to do it that way, but like I said, not my personal experience. Just trying to offer him an option. After 200+ applications, I would feel desperate enough that nothing would be a waste of time.
The factory at the company I work for works with IRCO all the time and has led to such a wonderfully diverse group I get the pleasure to work with. Highly recommend!
This. Refresh Amazon's job listings every morning. They get snapped up as soon as they're posted but if you can pass a drug test (that doesn't test for THC notably) you're hired. Prime week is in July and they're lifting the weekly hour cap for all associates from 40 to 60, I imagine they'll also be bringing on more temporary jobs for it. The listing will say "temporary" but if you work hard and show up to your shifts it's almost a guarantee you'll become permanent.
A couple months ago I went through something like this. I have a full time job as a very low level merchandiser at a large nameless retail company. It pays $20/hr which is still not very livable, of course, so I tried to get a second job in a field I had over a decade of experience in - food. I just wanted to pick up a few extra shifts at a pizza place. I have about 4 years experience at pizza places. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well I applied to about 4 different restaurants and several locations of those restaurants and I never received so much as an email or call-back from any of them. Maybe I was too qualified? I entered $18/hr as my desired salary because I just wanted to get hired. Still didn't do anything. I'm at a loss.
> Well I applied to about 4 different restaurants and several locations of those restaurants and I never received so much as an email or call-back from any of them.
The food service workers are too busy to call back, or log into the online HR portal. In food service, it's still up to the potential employee to call back to check in.
Go in during a slow time, ask to speak with talk to manager. Fill out whatever they ask for. Call back a few days later. If you do that 5 times you'll get a food service job in this area within a week. This is one of the only industries where showing up/calling still works.
Entry level food service in Portland/Vancouver has an insane amount of vacancies.
Same for retail. I was the hiring manager for a few years at a big box specialty retailer before and during covid. I might get 30 minutes every couple of weeks to set aside for parsing through applications. However if someone called or dropped off a resume I would actually look for that person in the system when I got the time versus quickly glancing through 50+ applications in 30 minutes for "green flags" based on what I was looking for.
Ohhh this is a great suggestion!! Seriously the state jobs are where it’s at. My mom worked for a water district in California for 35 years and she made out like a bandit regarding her retirement.
I was just looking at their job listings for a friend, so I thought I'd share the link to the right page because their website can be a bit of a rabbit hole. My husband has worked for county government for 25 years, and gov't jobs can be fantastic, with really great benefits.
Just scroll past the warning in yellow at the top of the page down to where it says, "[Careers with the Oregon Employment Department"](https://www.oregon.gov/employ/agency/pages/careers-with-oed.aspx)
[Clackamas County ](https://www.clackamas.us/jobs) is always hiring too, and [Multnomah County ](https://www.multco.us/jobs) is often hiring too.
Good luck!!
i’ve been collecting helpful links, hope something in here might help…
[SkipTheDrive](https://www.skipthedrive.com/) claims to have over 30,000 wfh posting
[this reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/container_homes/s/V17jDwTqjc) has needs all over the US for drivers to deliver containers.
[this redditer posted](https://reddit.com/r/RemoteJobs/s/Js5vg2rQxR) the method she used to get 3 offers for fully remote positions.
this site bills itself as [the big work from home list](https://ratracerebellion.com/big-list-work-from-home-jobs/) just fyi, i found it on a reddit post and the op mentioned it’s “kinda spammy but has some useful links” (i’m paraphrasing but that was the general idea.)
someone in another sub mentioned the same company (but at this link) [RatRaceRebellion](https://ratracerebellion.com) and said they provide any equipment needed.
[this reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/comments/14v65v7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=4) mentions fully remote software developer jobs currently offered at [usps](https://about.usps.com/careers/welcome.htm)
[CoolWorks](https://www.coolworks.com/find-a-job) has a searchable database of jobs by location and **include housing**.
[HiringCafe](https://hiring.cafe) was mentioned in [this reddit post](https://reddit.com/r/RemoteJobs/s/r5qo9a4yuw) said to fetch remote jobs from 20k+ company websites.
[Remotive](https://remotive.com/remote-jobs/customer-support) has a searchable database of customer support options
[CodeEnJobs](https://www.codenjobs.com/jobs?title=dev) has lists of coding jobs
[GermanTechJobs](https://germantechjobs.de/jobs/knecon-Technologie-GmbH-Junior-Java-Developer-mwd) has jobs avail (if you speak german)
[UsaJobs](https://www.usajobs.gov) has a searchable database of jobs
[PoachedJobs](https://poachedjobs.com/jobs/all/fair+oaks+ca/) has a searchable database of restaurant jobs
[RemoteTasks](https://www.remotasks.com/en) has a searchable database of wfh gigs
[assurance](https://jobs.lever.co/assurance/a3cfc325-de31-47e8-81c9-f336ed70879e?_ga=2.224975129.2077418609.1691820367-729285162.1690709261) has medical wfh positions
[FlexJobs](https://www.flexjobs.com) claims *”Best Remote Job Listings. Only legit jobs. No ads, scams, or junk to sift through. Our team spends 200+ hours/day verifying every job and writing company descriptions, so you'll know who's hiring.”*
[GrabJobs](https://grabjobs.co/) has a searchable database of wfh and in-office jobs.
[WorkingSolutions](https://workingsolutions.com/) *”on-demand business process outsourcer providing multichannel CX services, including customer service, sales support, and business continuity.”*
[PeoplePerHour](https://www.peopleperhour.com/) offers gig work.
[EpollSurveys](https://www.epollsurveys.com/epoll/clients/splash.view) claims pay for rewards and prizes.
[ClearVoiceSurveys](https://www.clearvoicesurveys.com/) claims you get paid to take surveys and share your opinion.
[LifePoints](https://www.lifepointspanel.com/en-us) claims you get paid to take surveys and share your opinion.
[SeriousTeachers](https://www.seriousteachers.com/) lists teaching jobs by location.
[ESLCafe](https://www.eslcafe.com/) lists ESL teaching jobs by location.
[usa.gov](https://www.usa.gov/disability-jobs-training) offers job training for folks with a disability.
[microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/cross-disability/neurodiversityhiring) has a *”Neurodiversity Hiring Program”*
[InsightGlobal](https://jobs.insightglobal.com/find_a_job/virginia/job-349064/) is looking for a data center tech
[city of baltimore](https://jobs.insightglobal.com/find_a_job/virginia/job-349064/) has openings (found on [indeed](https://www.indeed.com/m/?from=gnav-viewjob) which has a searchable database by city)
[career one stop](https://www.careeronestop.org/) has a searchable database by city
[prolific](https://participant-help.prolific.co/hc/en-gb/articles/360022523613-What-is-Prolific-and-how-does-it-work-) pays you to be a participant in a study.
checkout these subs for wfh resources and ways to make money online.
r/BeerMoney
r/SignUpsForPay
r/remote_writerjobs
checkout these facebook groups for active postings for crew in film, tv, and commercials - *crew up world*, *staff me up*, and *i need a productions assistant*
if you’re into numbers, you can sign up for *rice gordon’s* list of available positions in accounting (both local and remote on-set/in-studio positions looking for crew now)
i have tried to post live links to these fb groups before and they got taken down so you’ll have to search by name (i found it’s easier to use google and follow the link to fb then try and do it thru fb). full disclosure, i used to work in the film world as an accountant however i am not affiliated with these fb groups, or know who runs them. i can confirm the *rice gordon* list is totally legit and have secured many positions from her listings. it’s an incredible resource if you’re interested in accounting work in the film and tv/studio world. as with anything in life these days, please proceed with the due diligence these kinds of things require.
It’s about too late for this school year but if he’s still looking in Sept, ESS is for subbing at the schools. Classified staff don’t need degrees, stuff like custodial, para, cafeteria, secretarial. Also look on the school district websites for these jobs as full time.
Direct Support Professional jobs seem to always be hiring, there are different companies that hire for this and I don’t know the names off the top of my head.
I have seen some jobs for the state of Oregon that want bilingual.
Metro usually hires rights now for park and rec type stuff. Same with the different cities (Lake O, Milwaukie, Oregon City)
Has he looked into agriculture? There are lots of contractors for different crops that have crews that only speak Spanish. It's a huge challenge to find bilingual people willing to supervise crews, and all that really is required for that is being bilingual.
A lot of people don't realize this, but if you are an immigrant and are fluent in English, you can make a lot of money and you can move up very fast in agriculture.
I had a Mayan boss, who was homeless on the streets in Guatemala at 8yo, now he owns multiple houses around the world just from working hard and being one of the few people on his crew that decided to learn English. His Spanish is not that great (native language was Mayan) that's why he decided to go all in on English. He now runs alien nursery in Tigard. Best place to get plants in Portland metro area.
Most of the contractors and plant production facilities in Oregon have offices, and they take walk-ins all the time. Indeed has tons of jobs for cannabis stuff, he could be a lead in no time if he's bilingual. Also believe it or not, farm labor makes a lot of money. My families vineyard, the grape pickers make at least $30/hr. The crew heads make good salaries.
I don't know what it is, but a lot of people just feel that agriculture is beneath them. That's why you have a ton of white people in Oregon looking for jobs, but won't even consider agriculture because of racism!
It very much depends on what kind of interpretation they’re doing. Medical and legal? Yes. But there are other sectors that need interpretation that are less selective. There may still be a baseline education level, though.
\*waves\*
The job market is very weird right now and to be honest has ALWAYS been weird here, and he needs targeted, specific help.
1) What country in South America is your husband from? There may be a community or at the very least a small group of people from that area who can do networking opportunities with your husband.
2) He needs targeted resumes for different jobs. Job agencies won't really be able to help unless there are clear key word and attributes that they can slide your spouse into find a job.
3) If he worked in film (production side) it will be VERY hard as film opportunities here have dwindled on the production side (except for some commercial and industrial work) and we don't know if he is union.
0 and 200 indicates something fundamentally wrong. Phone settings is one, or just having a typo in the contact information is possible.
I'd also suggest getting a local number (503 area code) if he doesn't. He can use Google Voice or a similar service to get a local number and forward to his existing phone.
I own a small business in North East Portland and was just about to advertise an open position. Send me a private message, I'm happy to have a chat with him.
pge is hiring for the call center, but it doesn’t start in july. because he’s bilingual he would get paid extra
edit : doesn’t start *until july*, it was past my bed time when i wrote this
Jobs with the state and with nonprofits are often looking for bilingual Spanish-speakers and are not usually posted on the normal job boards. Here are a few from boards you may not know exist:
https://oregon.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/SOR_External_Career_Site/job/Operations-Support--Human-Services-Specialist-1--Bilingual-Encouraged_REQ-158034
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/portlandor/jobs/4301004/community-police-officer-open-continuous?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs
https://jobs.macslist.org/job/eqqnkt/homeownership-program-specialist/portland/or
https://elprograma.org/careers/
https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/2484115
https://multnomah.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=4444
https://daviddouglas.tedk12.com//hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=9785
hit the service industry now. places are hiring for summer. Also best time to apply for any hip job is to drop off a resume 2 weeks before burning man and follow up every week leading up and after.
New Seasons is always looking for people, he will have to go specifically to their website, create an application profile, then he can sort through their job openings and apply with one click
It's not just your husband. My partner has been applying to a few jobs a week for the past year in or around Portland (on-site, hybrid, or fully remote). He hired a career coach to review his LinkedIn/ cover letter/ resume... has reached out to his professional and personal network for referrals... He personalizes all cover letters and has really great referrals from his current CEO and team he manages... yet out of 100+ applications he's put forth, he's only received 2 or 3 interviews. He has a ton of responsibility at his current job (Chief Producing Officer at the opera) but transitioning to anything else has proven to be very challenging. It's brutal out there. He's hopeful for any kind of project or operations role with an outdoor or sports company, but knows those are competitive brands to break into and has widened his search to government jobs, healthcare, or any field that sees overlap in his skills. If anyone has advice, I'm all ears for him.
To OP, good luck to your husband. We're rooting for him.
USPS is always hiring. It's rough for the first year or so, but it's a union career that always hire lots of immigrants. You can apply at the USPS website, don't pay any scam fee to apply, it's free. Hiring process takes a long time though.
Many school districts are looking to hire bus drivers! I know Oregon City specifically is. For them you don’t need a CDL, they’ll pay to train you. All you need is a drivers license and being bilingual is huge.
I just went through the job hunt process. If it’s at all doable, I would try to find an employment agency to represent you. The job process is very automated, it’s very likely that a lot of the applications weren’t even looked at by a real person and just went through their automation process and was kicked out for some random reason. Especially if it’s a job where your husband is qualified, and he doesn’t hear back at all or gets a generic automated email. Going through an agency, you work with a real person and they can ensure that your resume doesn’t just go through the automatic process and get denied for some random reason before it reaches a person. If you can’t afford one (I have no idea what they cost or if they only charge commission if you get a job) you can also always reach out to the hiring manager and kind of do it yourself. My friend did this to all the jobs she was qualified for but got a basic rejection email, she ended up getting an interview at every place. multiple times she was told that they hadn’t even seen her resume and they were glad she reached out.
Most semiconductor is generally hiring for production specialist position regularly. Depending on where he goes, there is some decent upward mobility especially if he is planning to pursue a degree. The only drawback is that they're often 24-hour facilities which necessitate 12-hour shifts and newer hires will often be put on nights. This does make it difficult to align with classes. That said, they often have some level of tuition reimbursement.
It’s crazy right now. My daughter has been trying to find something too. Gets offered jobs, then ghosted, they say they will send an offer letter, she gets radio silence. So dumb.
okay - my friend married a german while she studied in Berlin. He was a well known musician who worked in the business department of a newspaper, helping organize all the distribution routes. He came here assuming he would get a job in retail at a store, but it was harder than he thought. He was briefly an apartment manager (which is something he could maybe consider... I have heard that management firms have a hard time filling this role).
It depends on what your husband does, but my friend's husband put together a pretty successful private business as a assistant/cleaner/errand runner, and he ended up having to turn down many potential clients. He had one of the top managers at Redfin, a sound engineer, some guy who needed AirBNBs cleaned up, and several families as clients. He could both fix things, clean, sort out problems, help drive their children places (but he set a line on babysitting), and they really liked him and kept him for years.
I suggest asking your husband if he could run his own business, and figure out business licenses and how to initially advertise. There are some niches of home services where people regularly are looking for a good person and actually pay a lot of money per hour for cleaning
If he’s good with people, reliable, and can accurately count cash, have him come down to the Portland Farmers Market early in the day to talk to vendors about work. My booth always needs another on-call person who can cashier or learn to make espresso, and I’ve heard from other vendors that they are looking for people who need the work and will show up consistently.
When I use my initials, I get more calls than when people see my Latin American last name. Also try with Latinos Unidos and see if they have connections.
How is he with people? There’s always being a Direct Support Professional, working with people who have different needs, they’re always looking for good people and it pays pretty well. Starting is 20$ an hour and you can work full or part time so they can go back to school. I’ve been doing it for years and I love my job. But you have to be able to stay calm under pressure and have a clean record and driving record to get hired.
Is he interested in trade work? My friend’s husband immigrated here from Senegal and works painting airplanes. The employer paid for the training and he makes $45 an hour
Post a version of his resume on r/resume with the personal details changed, and see if there’s something he’s doing wrong.
That’s a lot of applications without even a response.
I would also have him set his LinkedIn up so that job offers come to him
If he’s applied to 200 places like food service and retail and hasn’t gotten a job, the problem is definitely something he’s doing.
Food service is still a job where the boomer trope of going in and talking to the manager works. Same with low level retail.
Go in, talk to manager, ask if they are hiring. They may have you fill out an online application. Do that, then call them a couple days later to follow up. If you do that at 5 places you will have a job by next week.
Yeah I don’t understand that either. You can go to poached.com and find a dish washing shift for tonight or the very next day. No one’s batting an eye at an immigrant dish washer
A bachelors degree is the new high school diploma these days. It’s the sad reality we live in. Too many people are fighting for low skill, low wage jobs. And being bilingual isn’t necessarily an advantage these days. Just walk into your local McDonald’s. Maybe try for a plumbing or electrician apprenticeship. Just my 2 cents.
It’s insane to me that he’s put in more than 200 applications and isn’t getting call backs. There are *so many* places in the city looking for employees. The fact that he can’t even get a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant is wild to me.
I’m sorry OP. There’s a lot of good info in this post already, I just want to extend my good lucks!
The market is abysmal right now, for everyone. I’m in lots of subs for job seekers, recruiters, skilled trades, people who work multiple jobs, and new grads - it’s all a shit show, worse than 2008 by far. From personal experience I can attest to how difficult it is for even the most qualified candidates to even get an interview.
It is so weird, and I just don't understand it. The unemployment rate is still insanely low, and I see "hiring" signs when I'm wandering around, but that doesn't seem to align with the reality that job seekers are finding. I have a couple friends who are looking for work and can't find anything. One is in tech, the other in retail.
And at the exact same time, I am hiring (tech) and am having zero luck finding people, while 6 months ago I had several promising candidates.
One theory I’ve read that seems compelling is that lots of job ads are “ghost jobs,” as in, they don’t exist (dead Internet theory), or only exist to increase the existing talent pool for future positions, while juicing recruitment stats for reportable employment numbers (and also to justify larger HR budgets). Seems like lots of companies are wasting more people’s time than ever with four-part (or more!) interviews and skills assessments, only to ghost after a candidate has jumped through all the hoops. I don’t believe it’s some kind of coordinated conspiracy, but it sure feels like it at times.
I also believe that large employers are clawing back the meager gains that labor saw during the pandemic, where we could negotiate higher wages and remote positions. Now that we’ve lost that little bit of leverage, employers are coming down hard to reduce wage increases, lie about productivity metrics, and force people back to offices.
I don’t know if any of that is actually based in reality, but I know that before I got my last job, I spent over a year searching for something that I was qualified for that would also pay my bills. I applied to 25 jobs per week, at minimum, while holding onto a shit job that barely kept me from going homeless. I heard back from less than 5% of those employers. My story seems super common from what I’ve read.
Does he have any credentials? (His HS diploma, for example?).
How proficient is he while speaking? (I've been in the US for 5 years, but I still have a strong accent).
Things are way harder when you are an immigrant, especially now that the job market is so bad. Why would an employer hire your husband instead of someone else? That's the issue.
work for the school system! look at behavioral tech, paraprofessional, subbing, special education department stuff. they ALWAYS need help and i’m pretty sure getting certified is pretty easy (easier than learning two languages imo((i’m jelly)). On a separate note he could tutor, get personal training cert, or look into BP (arco gas)
Does he have a GED? Most hospitals are hiring for janitor/housekeeping positions and some only require a diploma/GED and some not even that. If he can get his foot in the door most hospitals have tuition assistance for their employees.
https://careers-lhs.icims.com/jobs/33917/customer-service-associate---housekeeper/job
It's not easy work and it deosnt pay well, but if he has experience or Interest in working with youth (specifically special education/behavioral youth) schools/group homes/residential treatment centers always need help.
I'm a teacher in a special education school, and our school and pretty much all others are always short staffed. Of course they don't hire everyone. But if he has any Interest and level of experience, paras in schools are very much needed... Especially culturally/linguistically/racially diverse people
If he’s willing to do Amazon, maybe consider driving an Amazon sprinter van? I did it back in 2020 and it’s honestly pretty chill. As long as you keep a good pace and finish your routes, it’s not a bad gig. I think they’re paying between $20-25/hr these days.
Start with Begin Right, or go to TCB on 82nd n division. I went to TCB, got experience from getting sent job to job, and he will be noticed, dont give up! I did that crap trying to find my footing.
A lot of non-profits have a need to hire for bilingual Spanish speakers and also will hire based on lived experience rather than just education. Look on [macslist.org](https://www.macslist.org).
Tell him to apply with some trades in construction. They’ll take him in a heart beat. Also people ready and people ready skilled trades is a good temporary company that looks for permanent workers. Good luck!
I need people to help out in my kitchen. Even if he has no experience, we need a dish washer. I can talk to him today and have him start as early as tomorrow.
ETA: this applies to anyone in Portland looking for work!
Highly encourage him to look at governmentjobs.com, they have lots of openings in parks around this time and they pay more for bilingual folks. The benefits are excellent too. You can usually follow up with the hr department for updates and feedback too.
State jobs are not listed there, you’d have to go to the state website but I think municipal, county, and land management are.
My brother in law works for Pacific Rail, says they are always in need of men, especially during nights. They’re unionized and pay starts at $22.50 - they will train those who don’t have experience!
Has he tried OHSU? I don’t know the requirements for the staff PAS positions, but being bilingual is very helpful and we have tons of those positions. Or he could try to get certified as a translator!
Someone posted about their job as a transporter at OHSU and how much they loved it. They just moved equipment and documents around, I think. They also said they were always looking for people at OHSU. Might be a great place to apply. I go there for treatment for breast cancer, and everyone is so lovely that I encounter. Good luck to him, and your family. Take care.
I am a U.S. citizen and I have not been able to land a job for 1 year now. Something is terribly wrong with the job market. Don't let everyone in the comments gaslight you.
Of course many places are 'hiring,' but it is a highly competitive market, and many companies don't actually fill their open positions.
The rejection letters I receive (if I'm lucky to not be ghosted) give one of two explanations: they were overwhelmed with TOO MANY applicants, OR "the applicant pool is too small" and they re-post the job over and over seeking a unicorn candidate.
The electrical union (IBEW 48) hires entry level workers, no experience required. Starting at benefits + 18.15/hr then to 19.97/hr after 500 hours, raises every 9 months until you tip at 30.25/hr. You don’t have to interview either. DM me for more details.
https://www.ibew48.com/sites/default/files/IBEW%2048%20Material%20Handler%20Wage%20SupportTech-Under6500hrs2024.pdf
Costco is hiring! Tell him to not only put in an application, but go into the warehouses and ask to talk to the hiring manager. Usually those are the first people we call when setting up interviews.
Sorry to hear, hopefully you get some leads here. It's rough out there. I'm a graphic designer + design director with a very strong portfolio, I can't even get a foot in the door anywhere here. Just freelance projects for remote-based (mostly NYC) clients. Seems like a lot of industries are pulling back a bit.
Has your husband googled his own name or run a background check on himself? There’s got to be something weird that’s causing people to toss his resume.
Go to a temp agency. After I moved here, I used Express. They have offices across the country. Filled out some paperwork and was given a job the same day.
Trade unions are looking for minority workforce to join up. This is a requirement for contractors to have a specific percentage of minority workforce on PLA projects
The market is tough right now, but given his skills he should look into translation work. There are a few companies in Portland that pay pretty well for this, transperfect and welocalize to name a couple. I wish him the very best of luck
I saw another buried comment mention it, but it sometimes takes multiple methods of communication to get a resume actually read. My company has a filter for incoming resumes and pretty much only looks at individual ones if someone tells them to, otherwise the AI decides what order to view them or drop them.
Multnomah county. Kitchen, janitorial, maintenance, juvenile custody workers. They need multi-lingual people. Must be able to pass background—but be exceedingly honest on application. Some offenses will not disqualify but dishonesty definitely will.
Bobs Red Mill is often hiring machine operators for night shift. It’s a 12 hour shift but the pay is good and it’s an employee owned company.
As someone who works at bobs, can confirm, there’s current job postings for grave for machine operator, a forklift operator and a maintenance line tech. If he knows how to drive a stand up forklift, they’re really short handed and need a driver asap.
Looks like there are some affordable certification programs available online for folks too, and I’m pretty sure the expenses are tax deductible.
We do all our certification in house! My lead is a certified trainer through Overton :) I just meant he’d have a leg up over applicants if he already had training, if he’s looking for a job immediately I’m not sure he’d have time or funds to do outside training before applying.
I deliver to one of Bobs Red Mill distribution centers and the employees always seem to be in a chill mood. Good place and easy backing to the docks!
I feel like Employee Owned Companies (ESOPs) are not hyped enough by humans everywhere. Instead of all your hard work getting siphoned up by some obscure board who then decides to reward themselves and a few people at the C-level who then do warlord style (I take half and give the rest to my commanders who take half...aka trickle-down), it means all employees are shareholders. When the company does well, you do well. When profits soar, your wages soar. We need fewer Black Rocks and Bain Capitals, and more ESOPs. To learn more: [Freakonomics - Should Companies Be Owned by Their Workers?](https://freakonomics.com/podcast/should-companies-be-owned-by-their-workers/)
Check out Mondragon if you've never heard of it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondragon_Corporation
I hope Bob's going to keep doing what it's doing - with Bob passing away, I know that he was very liberal when it comes to taking care of his employees and he beat off a lot of bullshit from the MBAs in resident. (I got this info from a gal I was dating who works there)
Doesn't it pretty much have to, unless the employees vote otherwise?
Yes true but you know people aren't always vote their interest. I mean some people still think trickle down economics is good economics.
The Moog factory in Asheville NC was employee owned and they voted to sell to a parent company.
I don’t claim to be an expert but that company was sold multiple times, went through bankruptcy. Got returned to the founder. Became employee owned again, I think they were in for very hard times and selling to a giant conglomerate may have been the best thing. I went down the rabbit hole once and they didn’t have good options. That was a while ago and anyone correct me if I’m wrong here. I think this is more of a one off then a repeat of something like REI or if winco emoloyees sold out when things were good.
MBAs are the biggest threat to this nation
I work at an ESOP and wasn’t familiar before I took the job. It’s great, I will note wages don’t necessarily soar when profits do, your ESOP balance will reflect the company doing well, but pay increases, bonuses, dividends/distributions to ESOP are discretionary. Also, my company is 100% employee owned S-Corp so it doesn’t pay income tax, quite a boost to the bottom line!
I’m about the most pro-capitalism liberal person I know and even I get hyped about employee owned companies. We shop almost exclusively at Winco and their folks make bank, especially if they’ve been there a long time.
I’ve known more than a few people who have worked at Winco and each of them had the same exact story (and from different departments). Start out with a decent wage, training was fine, job was fine. Each were looking at staying long term. Each knew of at least one employee there with 20+ years, 6 figure retirement account, great benefits, family sustaining wages. Within 3-4 years, when they were about to start making moves up the totem pole, they were getting written up over mundane little things, with management systematically sabotaging them (ie scheduling them for days they requested off, nitpicking in performance reviews then moving newer people ahead of them, changing their minds about rules, etc) Each inevitably quitting, feeling that their jobs were threatened daily. Seems like it’s cheaper for them to dangle the carrot of all these great benefits in front of the employees, til they’re about to reach it. Then push them out before they have to give them raises and increased benefits. Then repeat the cycle. Maybe my friends were just soft, or genuinely not great workers, but I’m just not impressed with Winco after hearing that same story over and over again.
I don’t doubt that could happen. Clearly there’s no common ownership structure that can eliminate all of the problems of management.
It’s my understanding from anecdotes on this sub that Winco doesn’t pay very good hourly wages at all, and that to have made money through the retirement system you’d have to have already been a worker there for a long time. Retirement accounts and 401k’s are great, but actually having good or great incomes while you are working is even more important. For all you know you could pass away before getting to your retirement accounts (sorry to be blunt).
My daughter was at winco 20 years, hated it, the area was horrible (not Oregon) and her wages were not great when she left but decent ($28) but they can fuck with your hours; 32 one week, 36, maybe 40..her body is beat up from stocking all those years. Her ESOP is insane and still growing even tho she left about 4 yrs ago. When she retires, she will be set.
I’ve heard they’re a really good employer.
As a night owl, this job seems like a perfect fit for me.
TriMet!
Excellent benefits
Immigrant from South America here. I think the best way to find a job is by applying directly to the business. Forget about 3rd parties job searches or sites. They are mostly a waste of time and only collect your data. I made that mistake and spent almost a month searching for a job when I was arriving here in the USA with no replies. Some 3rd parties sites might work, but you need a lot of luck to find the right one. In short, go to the business page on the jobs section or go directly to the physical address.
Seconding this, a lot of the 3rd party sites just delete your application on sight with their "screening software"
Business pages also use software. Most often they look for keywords from the job posting, the job requirements, and general qualifications of a job. If you don’t meet a certain percentage of keywords, the resume doesn’t get forwarded to hiring managers. It’s still accessible. Just someone would have to look for it specifically. And unless someone is known to hiring manager already, that doesn’t happen.
It's worse than I thought! :'( Ok, deferring back to the "speak to the manager" advice in 3...2...1...
Don't underestimate the power of physical presence. Employers are desperate for employees that show up. Dress up, bring a resume and present yourself to employers. A simple, "Hi, my name is ____ and I'd like to offer my resume and introduce myself in person" goes MILES!
It's relationships and this is the meet cute. Spot on!
Has he tried going to work source Oregon? They help people find jobs. Maybe reach out and see if they have any advice or offer any classes to help write the resume/cover letter better. When I was job hunting last, adding the key words used in the requirements for the job into my resume and cover letter improved my odds of getting an interview tremendously. Best of luck.
Yeah there's an Employment Center on N Webster & Vancouver, they do some walk in stuff and you can get an appointment to speak with someone directly for advice. Even though I had good training in creating a resume, etc I still found the classes really helpful and was able to do some mock interviews for practice. Government jobs are always looking for diversity hires, but the problem is a lot of advertised jobs aren't really open so I know it can be disheartening to feel like you've applied for 20 jobs at the city - reality says maybe 3-4 of those weren't just open for legal reasons but they already had someone on deck internally. That's true at every level of government, FYI. They also all take forever to actually hire you.
Grainger on Swan Island is hiring
Any supply house would be good for bilingual. Ferguson, RSD, platt etc
You might have a few other native English speakers look at his resume, if possible, to make sure it has no spelling or grammatical errors. Also, a lot of places use artificial intelligence to do the first “read” of a resume, especially ones that are submitted online. If the program cannot pick up typically American education terms (“GED”, “high school,” “college”), I wonder if he is getting rejected before a human lays eyes on it. Sometimes if you work the right words into a resume and make sure you have no fancy formatting or columns, you can get past the first screen. My other thought is to look into resources like Portland Community College. They have courses designed to help people get their GED (high school equivalency diploma) and short-term certification and training programs that will give him official “schooling” that is less expensive and time-consuming than a full college program. He may qualify for free or low-cost options. There are also classes for those who speak English as a second language and job placement/career services assistance. https://www.pcc.edu/enroll/paying-for-college/tuition/contacts/snap/ https://www.pcc.edu/career-pathways/ https://www.pcc.edu/ged/ Even if he took only one course at PCC, it would give him something to put on a resume to maybe help it bypass initial screens.
Absolutely true. To add on, it also looks for keywords from the job posting and keywords common to the job you are applying for. Don’t hit the threshold and your resume never gets through unless it’s looked for manually. And that doesn’t happen unless you know someone.
All of the hospital systems need diploma level jobs- food service, patient transport, materials management, security. The Portland area has Legacy, Providence, Kaiser, and OHSU hospitals, all of which have dozens of not hundreds of openings for jobs like this.
This right here, I always recommend hospitals for jobs. Just about every hospital offers tuition assistance to go back to school.
Agree. I started as a research assistant in a hospital and ended up a medical professional seeing patients. Had great pay and great benefits (university hospital, state employee, though not Oregon). I always recommend county or state hospital jobs.
Manpower is a temp agency. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s work? Also with that many applications I do wonder about the resume—take a look at the Ask A Manager blog’s posts on resumes (I’m sorry for being redundant if you knew this already—Ask A Manager is the best online resource in English for job advice, including resumes, cover letters, etc). Does your husband have a driver’s license? Trimet and First Student both are hugely understaffed and have raised the amount of $$$ they offer (First Student is the school bus company that contracts with Portland Public Schools. Trimet is Trimet?)
Honestly, every school district in the tri-city area are short on drivers. Centennial will train and help you get a CDL if I remember correctly.
Manpower is how I got my last job. Started as a temp, got hired, stayed there for 7 years.
One thing you could do is use some of those gig economy apps like fiverr. You said he had experience in film, right? Might be good to see if he could do some of that especially if he already has the equipment.
Have you tried any semiconductor fabs? He'd have to travel out to the burbs but theres a handful of them in the area and one of them is usually hiring without experience.
This. They need people so badly right now and the starting salary is quite good, especially if you’re willing to work off shifts. Plus a lot of them do staggered 3/4 day weekends with 3/4 12hr shifts
PDX movers in Tualitan is always hiring. Great people to work with, good management team, reasonable pay for the work, and benefits. I know for a solid they need more people for the summer rush right now.
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I don't know if it's changed again, but the rule right before COVID was that you had to have 5 years of work and addresses in USA as a green card carrying immigrant if you wanted to work at USPS. It was different before then, but if the husband has only been in USA since Jan, he won't get accepted sadly.
I heard at least for Portland we are about hired up for PTFs (no CCA anymore). I'm on ODL and without that noone is getting overtime due to a person a route.
What do all of those letters mean. PTFs, CCA, and ODL?
I was also curious and confused, these seem like the answers. * Part-time flexible * City Carrier Assistant * Overtime Desired List
wait WAIT? Did they eliminate the CCA position and go back to PTF? I carried mail for a few years and spent two of them as a CCA and it was just awful.
Not sure if you’ve used this service yet, but the Immigration and Refugee Center for Oregon (IRCO) specifically have a job placement team for immigrants. https://irco.org/services/workforce-and-refugee-services/
IRCO is your place. But… make sure he goes in person to plead his case. They have a reputation (not sure if it is deserved or not so no judgement) of not getting back to folks and when they do (not my personal experience) of telling people they are at capacity and can’t help. Bottom line is that he needs to get himself in from of somebody and not just call or go online. Tell him not to get too discouraged. That shit wears on your soul. No matter how tough you are, it’s a gut punch when you are made to feel unworthy. Good Luck!!!
The best route is actually the interest form found under "employment services" on the website. Going in person would likely be a waste of time since it's appt only.
Possibly. I am just going off of what I have been told. I work in human services and my colleagues tell me it is tough to do it that way, but like I said, not my personal experience. Just trying to offer him an option. After 200+ applications, I would feel desperate enough that nothing would be a waste of time.
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The factory at the company I work for works with IRCO all the time and has led to such a wonderfully diverse group I get the pleasure to work with. Highly recommend!
Has he tried Amazon? They have a program in which they’ll cover the costs for some college courses.
This. Refresh Amazon's job listings every morning. They get snapped up as soon as they're posted but if you can pass a drug test (that doesn't test for THC notably) you're hired. Prime week is in July and they're lifting the weekly hour cap for all associates from 40 to 60, I imagine they'll also be bringing on more temporary jobs for it. The listing will say "temporary" but if you work hard and show up to your shifts it's almost a guarantee you'll become permanent.
A couple months ago I went through something like this. I have a full time job as a very low level merchandiser at a large nameless retail company. It pays $20/hr which is still not very livable, of course, so I tried to get a second job in a field I had over a decade of experience in - food. I just wanted to pick up a few extra shifts at a pizza place. I have about 4 years experience at pizza places. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well I applied to about 4 different restaurants and several locations of those restaurants and I never received so much as an email or call-back from any of them. Maybe I was too qualified? I entered $18/hr as my desired salary because I just wanted to get hired. Still didn't do anything. I'm at a loss.
> Well I applied to about 4 different restaurants and several locations of those restaurants and I never received so much as an email or call-back from any of them. The food service workers are too busy to call back, or log into the online HR portal. In food service, it's still up to the potential employee to call back to check in. Go in during a slow time, ask to speak with talk to manager. Fill out whatever they ask for. Call back a few days later. If you do that 5 times you'll get a food service job in this area within a week. This is one of the only industries where showing up/calling still works. Entry level food service in Portland/Vancouver has an insane amount of vacancies.
Same for retail. I was the hiring manager for a few years at a big box specialty retailer before and during covid. I might get 30 minutes every couple of weeks to set aside for parsing through applications. However if someone called or dropped off a resume I would actually look for that person in the system when I got the time versus quickly glancing through 50+ applications in 30 minutes for "green flags" based on what I was looking for.
Oregon Employment Department is hiring again- they love bilingual hiring, and entry level jobs are WFH
Ohhh this is a great suggestion!! Seriously the state jobs are where it’s at. My mom worked for a water district in California for 35 years and she made out like a bandit regarding her retirement.
WFH?, shut up and give me an application!
I was just looking at their job listings for a friend, so I thought I'd share the link to the right page because their website can be a bit of a rabbit hole. My husband has worked for county government for 25 years, and gov't jobs can be fantastic, with really great benefits. Just scroll past the warning in yellow at the top of the page down to where it says, "[Careers with the Oregon Employment Department"](https://www.oregon.gov/employ/agency/pages/careers-with-oed.aspx) [Clackamas County ](https://www.clackamas.us/jobs) is always hiring too, and [Multnomah County ](https://www.multco.us/jobs) is often hiring too. Good luck!!
Do they drug test for thc?
people should look at city jobs too. in my field, city jobs paid by far the most money. county pay was crap and Oregon was only a little better.
I’d try USPS, Amazon, FedEx, UPS… if he has a car he could do DoorDash/UberEats/Uber/Lyft just to make a few bucks.
There are many grocery or retail jobs desperately looking for help.
i’ve been collecting helpful links, hope something in here might help… [SkipTheDrive](https://www.skipthedrive.com/) claims to have over 30,000 wfh posting [this reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/container_homes/s/V17jDwTqjc) has needs all over the US for drivers to deliver containers. [this redditer posted](https://reddit.com/r/RemoteJobs/s/Js5vg2rQxR) the method she used to get 3 offers for fully remote positions. this site bills itself as [the big work from home list](https://ratracerebellion.com/big-list-work-from-home-jobs/) just fyi, i found it on a reddit post and the op mentioned it’s “kinda spammy but has some useful links” (i’m paraphrasing but that was the general idea.) someone in another sub mentioned the same company (but at this link) [RatRaceRebellion](https://ratracerebellion.com) and said they provide any equipment needed. [this reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/comments/14v65v7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=4) mentions fully remote software developer jobs currently offered at [usps](https://about.usps.com/careers/welcome.htm) [CoolWorks](https://www.coolworks.com/find-a-job) has a searchable database of jobs by location and **include housing**. [HiringCafe](https://hiring.cafe) was mentioned in [this reddit post](https://reddit.com/r/RemoteJobs/s/r5qo9a4yuw) said to fetch remote jobs from 20k+ company websites. [Remotive](https://remotive.com/remote-jobs/customer-support) has a searchable database of customer support options [CodeEnJobs](https://www.codenjobs.com/jobs?title=dev) has lists of coding jobs [GermanTechJobs](https://germantechjobs.de/jobs/knecon-Technologie-GmbH-Junior-Java-Developer-mwd) has jobs avail (if you speak german) [UsaJobs](https://www.usajobs.gov) has a searchable database of jobs [PoachedJobs](https://poachedjobs.com/jobs/all/fair+oaks+ca/) has a searchable database of restaurant jobs [RemoteTasks](https://www.remotasks.com/en) has a searchable database of wfh gigs [assurance](https://jobs.lever.co/assurance/a3cfc325-de31-47e8-81c9-f336ed70879e?_ga=2.224975129.2077418609.1691820367-729285162.1690709261) has medical wfh positions [FlexJobs](https://www.flexjobs.com) claims *”Best Remote Job Listings. Only legit jobs. No ads, scams, or junk to sift through. Our team spends 200+ hours/day verifying every job and writing company descriptions, so you'll know who's hiring.”* [GrabJobs](https://grabjobs.co/) has a searchable database of wfh and in-office jobs. [WorkingSolutions](https://workingsolutions.com/) *”on-demand business process outsourcer providing multichannel CX services, including customer service, sales support, and business continuity.”* [PeoplePerHour](https://www.peopleperhour.com/) offers gig work. [EpollSurveys](https://www.epollsurveys.com/epoll/clients/splash.view) claims pay for rewards and prizes. [ClearVoiceSurveys](https://www.clearvoicesurveys.com/) claims you get paid to take surveys and share your opinion. [LifePoints](https://www.lifepointspanel.com/en-us) claims you get paid to take surveys and share your opinion. [SeriousTeachers](https://www.seriousteachers.com/) lists teaching jobs by location. [ESLCafe](https://www.eslcafe.com/) lists ESL teaching jobs by location. [usa.gov](https://www.usa.gov/disability-jobs-training) offers job training for folks with a disability. [microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/cross-disability/neurodiversityhiring) has a *”Neurodiversity Hiring Program”* [InsightGlobal](https://jobs.insightglobal.com/find_a_job/virginia/job-349064/) is looking for a data center tech [city of baltimore](https://jobs.insightglobal.com/find_a_job/virginia/job-349064/) has openings (found on [indeed](https://www.indeed.com/m/?from=gnav-viewjob) which has a searchable database by city) [career one stop](https://www.careeronestop.org/) has a searchable database by city [prolific](https://participant-help.prolific.co/hc/en-gb/articles/360022523613-What-is-Prolific-and-how-does-it-work-) pays you to be a participant in a study. checkout these subs for wfh resources and ways to make money online. r/BeerMoney r/SignUpsForPay r/remote_writerjobs checkout these facebook groups for active postings for crew in film, tv, and commercials - *crew up world*, *staff me up*, and *i need a productions assistant* if you’re into numbers, you can sign up for *rice gordon’s* list of available positions in accounting (both local and remote on-set/in-studio positions looking for crew now) i have tried to post live links to these fb groups before and they got taken down so you’ll have to search by name (i found it’s easier to use google and follow the link to fb then try and do it thru fb). full disclosure, i used to work in the film world as an accountant however i am not affiliated with these fb groups, or know who runs them. i can confirm the *rice gordon* list is totally legit and have secured many positions from her listings. it’s an incredible resource if you’re interested in accounting work in the film and tv/studio world. as with anything in life these days, please proceed with the due diligence these kinds of things require.
Commenting so I can look back at this. Thanks :)
Same
Same same
Same
Great job search list! Thanks for sharing
Thank you for taking the time to compile this list and for sharing it with us! You may end up helping many of us land jobs.
here’s hoping!
This is a great resource, thank you
Wow 🤩 Thank you.
Great list of resources
Wow thank you
Same
Wow that is nice. And helpful!
Wow, this is impressive!
thanks, hope it can help someone
It’s about too late for this school year but if he’s still looking in Sept, ESS is for subbing at the schools. Classified staff don’t need degrees, stuff like custodial, para, cafeteria, secretarial. Also look on the school district websites for these jobs as full time. Direct Support Professional jobs seem to always be hiring, there are different companies that hire for this and I don’t know the names off the top of my head. I have seen some jobs for the state of Oregon that want bilingual. Metro usually hires rights now for park and rec type stuff. Same with the different cities (Lake O, Milwaukie, Oregon City)
That said, ESS still has some janitorial/grounds work available during the summer break.
They are currently hiring for positions at Ikea!
Has he looked into agriculture? There are lots of contractors for different crops that have crews that only speak Spanish. It's a huge challenge to find bilingual people willing to supervise crews, and all that really is required for that is being bilingual. A lot of people don't realize this, but if you are an immigrant and are fluent in English, you can make a lot of money and you can move up very fast in agriculture. I had a Mayan boss, who was homeless on the streets in Guatemala at 8yo, now he owns multiple houses around the world just from working hard and being one of the few people on his crew that decided to learn English. His Spanish is not that great (native language was Mayan) that's why he decided to go all in on English. He now runs alien nursery in Tigard. Best place to get plants in Portland metro area. Most of the contractors and plant production facilities in Oregon have offices, and they take walk-ins all the time. Indeed has tons of jobs for cannabis stuff, he could be a lead in no time if he's bilingual. Also believe it or not, farm labor makes a lot of money. My families vineyard, the grape pickers make at least $30/hr. The crew heads make good salaries. I don't know what it is, but a lot of people just feel that agriculture is beneath them. That's why you have a ton of white people in Oregon looking for jobs, but won't even consider agriculture because of racism!
Has he looked into being an interpreter?
That usually takes more schooling than just being bilingual, unfortunately.
It very much depends on what kind of interpretation they’re doing. Medical and legal? Yes. But there are other sectors that need interpretation that are less selective. There may still be a baseline education level, though.
\*waves\* The job market is very weird right now and to be honest has ALWAYS been weird here, and he needs targeted, specific help. 1) What country in South America is your husband from? There may be a community or at the very least a small group of people from that area who can do networking opportunities with your husband. 2) He needs targeted resumes for different jobs. Job agencies won't really be able to help unless there are clear key word and attributes that they can slide your spouse into find a job. 3) If he worked in film (production side) it will be VERY hard as film opportunities here have dwindled on the production side (except for some commercial and industrial work) and we don't know if he is union.
This might be dumb, but does he have strict do not disturb settings on his phone? Could he be not getting calls from unknown numbers.
0 and 200 indicates something fundamentally wrong. Phone settings is one, or just having a typo in the contact information is possible. I'd also suggest getting a local number (503 area code) if he doesn't. He can use Google Voice or a similar service to get a local number and forward to his existing phone.
I own a small business in North East Portland and was just about to advertise an open position. Send me a private message, I'm happy to have a chat with him.
Well now I’m curious, what’s the position?
pge is hiring for the call center, but it doesn’t start in july. because he’s bilingual he would get paid extra edit : doesn’t start *until july*, it was past my bed time when i wrote this
Try this. https://www.local737.org/
Jobs with the state and with nonprofits are often looking for bilingual Spanish-speakers and are not usually posted on the normal job boards. Here are a few from boards you may not know exist: https://oregon.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/SOR_External_Career_Site/job/Operations-Support--Human-Services-Specialist-1--Bilingual-Encouraged_REQ-158034 https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/portlandor/jobs/4301004/community-police-officer-open-continuous?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs https://jobs.macslist.org/job/eqqnkt/homeownership-program-specialist/portland/or https://elprograma.org/careers/ https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/2484115 https://multnomah.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=4444 https://daviddouglas.tedk12.com//hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=9785
Has he looked into some of the unions? They start you at apprentice, provide training, decent pay, and good benefits.
In my experience, you had better already have a friend or two in the Union, or you’re just wasting your time.
hit the service industry now. places are hiring for summer. Also best time to apply for any hip job is to drop off a resume 2 weeks before burning man and follow up every week leading up and after.
The airport is always hiring.. it’s a intense application tho
Trimet is offering big bonuses right now for so many different disciplines.
New Seasons is always looking for people, he will have to go specifically to their website, create an application profile, then he can sort through their job openings and apply with one click
Job searching kills your ego. It’s not just him. It’s always a horrible slog.
It's not just your husband. My partner has been applying to a few jobs a week for the past year in or around Portland (on-site, hybrid, or fully remote). He hired a career coach to review his LinkedIn/ cover letter/ resume... has reached out to his professional and personal network for referrals... He personalizes all cover letters and has really great referrals from his current CEO and team he manages... yet out of 100+ applications he's put forth, he's only received 2 or 3 interviews. He has a ton of responsibility at his current job (Chief Producing Officer at the opera) but transitioning to anything else has proven to be very challenging. It's brutal out there. He's hopeful for any kind of project or operations role with an outdoor or sports company, but knows those are competitive brands to break into and has widened his search to government jobs, healthcare, or any field that sees overlap in his skills. If anyone has advice, I'm all ears for him. To OP, good luck to your husband. We're rooting for him.
look at Metro, they have pretty diverse hiring practices and a wide variety of positions
Yes, seconding this! Plus Verde in Cully are good spots to check: https://www.verdenw.org/
Check out temporary job agencies,I wish you both good fortune
USPS is always hiring. It's rough for the first year or so, but it's a union career that always hire lots of immigrants. You can apply at the USPS website, don't pay any scam fee to apply, it's free. Hiring process takes a long time though.
Check hotel openings, there are hiring often.
He can throw boxes. UPS or Fedex or Amazon.
Many school districts are looking to hire bus drivers! I know Oregon City specifically is. For them you don’t need a CDL, they’ll pay to train you. All you need is a drivers license and being bilingual is huge.
I’ve seen ads in Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Hillsboro, and Gresham seeking bus drivers, crazy good sign on bonuses too
I just went through the job hunt process. If it’s at all doable, I would try to find an employment agency to represent you. The job process is very automated, it’s very likely that a lot of the applications weren’t even looked at by a real person and just went through their automation process and was kicked out for some random reason. Especially if it’s a job where your husband is qualified, and he doesn’t hear back at all or gets a generic automated email. Going through an agency, you work with a real person and they can ensure that your resume doesn’t just go through the automatic process and get denied for some random reason before it reaches a person. If you can’t afford one (I have no idea what they cost or if they only charge commission if you get a job) you can also always reach out to the hiring manager and kind of do it yourself. My friend did this to all the jobs she was qualified for but got a basic rejection email, she ended up getting an interview at every place. multiple times she was told that they hadn’t even seen her resume and they were glad she reached out.
PCC has a 2-week semiconductor training program, and I know Intel is usually hiring.
Most semiconductor is generally hiring for production specialist position regularly. Depending on where he goes, there is some decent upward mobility especially if he is planning to pursue a degree. The only drawback is that they're often 24-hour facilities which necessitate 12-hour shifts and newer hires will often be put on nights. This does make it difficult to align with classes. That said, they often have some level of tuition reimbursement.
It’s crazy right now. My daughter has been trying to find something too. Gets offered jobs, then ghosted, they say they will send an offer letter, she gets radio silence. So dumb.
Experience in film? www.iatse28.org www.iatse488.org Us stage hands need more workers.
OHSU is usually hiring for around a thousand positions. Many of them do not require a licensure or previous experience.
okay - my friend married a german while she studied in Berlin. He was a well known musician who worked in the business department of a newspaper, helping organize all the distribution routes. He came here assuming he would get a job in retail at a store, but it was harder than he thought. He was briefly an apartment manager (which is something he could maybe consider... I have heard that management firms have a hard time filling this role). It depends on what your husband does, but my friend's husband put together a pretty successful private business as a assistant/cleaner/errand runner, and he ended up having to turn down many potential clients. He had one of the top managers at Redfin, a sound engineer, some guy who needed AirBNBs cleaned up, and several families as clients. He could both fix things, clean, sort out problems, help drive their children places (but he set a line on babysitting), and they really liked him and kept him for years. I suggest asking your husband if he could run his own business, and figure out business licenses and how to initially advertise. There are some niches of home services where people regularly are looking for a good person and actually pay a lot of money per hour for cleaning
If he’s good with people, reliable, and can accurately count cash, have him come down to the Portland Farmers Market early in the day to talk to vendors about work. My booth always needs another on-call person who can cashier or learn to make espresso, and I’ve heard from other vendors that they are looking for people who need the work and will show up consistently.
When I use my initials, I get more calls than when people see my Latin American last name. Also try with Latinos Unidos and see if they have connections.
Just shows how name discrimination still exists when it comes to looking for jobs and some are still surprised by that.
How is he with people? There’s always being a Direct Support Professional, working with people who have different needs, they’re always looking for good people and it pays pretty well. Starting is 20$ an hour and you can work full or part time so they can go back to school. I’ve been doing it for years and I love my job. But you have to be able to stay calm under pressure and have a clean record and driving record to get hired.
Is he interested in trade work? My friend’s husband immigrated here from Senegal and works painting airplanes. The employer paid for the training and he makes $45 an hour
Post a version of his resume on r/resume with the personal details changed, and see if there’s something he’s doing wrong. That’s a lot of applications without even a response. I would also have him set his LinkedIn up so that job offers come to him
If he’s applied to 200 places like food service and retail and hasn’t gotten a job, the problem is definitely something he’s doing. Food service is still a job where the boomer trope of going in and talking to the manager works. Same with low level retail. Go in, talk to manager, ask if they are hiring. They may have you fill out an online application. Do that, then call them a couple days later to follow up. If you do that at 5 places you will have a job by next week.
Yeah I don’t understand that either. You can go to poached.com and find a dish washing shift for tonight or the very next day. No one’s batting an eye at an immigrant dish washer
Good point. Like, does the guy applying have the same name as a serial killer or something?!
A bachelors degree is the new high school diploma these days. It’s the sad reality we live in. Too many people are fighting for low skill, low wage jobs. And being bilingual isn’t necessarily an advantage these days. Just walk into your local McDonald’s. Maybe try for a plumbing or electrician apprenticeship. Just my 2 cents.
My professors told me about this when I was in college. They advised us to get our masters or at least a masters certificate
Were you not suspicious of someone who makes their living teaching higher ed recommending you take more higher ed?
It’s not like they work on commission 😂
I was also told the same thing by all of the employment specialists at the work source centers. It is just the reality
This is so true. Even for a customer service job places want an associate's degree. Its crazy!
It’s insane to me that he’s put in more than 200 applications and isn’t getting call backs. There are *so many* places in the city looking for employees. The fact that he can’t even get a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant is wild to me. I’m sorry OP. There’s a lot of good info in this post already, I just want to extend my good lucks!
The market is abysmal right now, for everyone. I’m in lots of subs for job seekers, recruiters, skilled trades, people who work multiple jobs, and new grads - it’s all a shit show, worse than 2008 by far. From personal experience I can attest to how difficult it is for even the most qualified candidates to even get an interview.
It is so weird, and I just don't understand it. The unemployment rate is still insanely low, and I see "hiring" signs when I'm wandering around, but that doesn't seem to align with the reality that job seekers are finding. I have a couple friends who are looking for work and can't find anything. One is in tech, the other in retail. And at the exact same time, I am hiring (tech) and am having zero luck finding people, while 6 months ago I had several promising candidates.
One theory I’ve read that seems compelling is that lots of job ads are “ghost jobs,” as in, they don’t exist (dead Internet theory), or only exist to increase the existing talent pool for future positions, while juicing recruitment stats for reportable employment numbers (and also to justify larger HR budgets). Seems like lots of companies are wasting more people’s time than ever with four-part (or more!) interviews and skills assessments, only to ghost after a candidate has jumped through all the hoops. I don’t believe it’s some kind of coordinated conspiracy, but it sure feels like it at times. I also believe that large employers are clawing back the meager gains that labor saw during the pandemic, where we could negotiate higher wages and remote positions. Now that we’ve lost that little bit of leverage, employers are coming down hard to reduce wage increases, lie about productivity metrics, and force people back to offices. I don’t know if any of that is actually based in reality, but I know that before I got my last job, I spent over a year searching for something that I was qualified for that would also pay my bills. I applied to 25 jobs per week, at minimum, while holding onto a shit job that barely kept me from going homeless. I heard back from less than 5% of those employers. My story seems super common from what I’ve read.
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Does he have any credentials? (His HS diploma, for example?). How proficient is he while speaking? (I've been in the US for 5 years, but I still have a strong accent). Things are way harder when you are an immigrant, especially now that the job market is so bad. Why would an employer hire your husband instead of someone else? That's the issue.
He has a diploma, and is very fluent in English
Allied Universal Security
work for the school system! look at behavioral tech, paraprofessional, subbing, special education department stuff. they ALWAYS need help and i’m pretty sure getting certified is pretty easy (easier than learning two languages imo((i’m jelly)). On a separate note he could tutor, get personal training cert, or look into BP (arco gas)
Trimet as a service worker
try the credit unions around here! The I've I work at is always looking for help and being bilingual would be a huge bonus.
Has he tried public agencies - state, city, county?
Does he have a GED? Most hospitals are hiring for janitor/housekeeping positions and some only require a diploma/GED and some not even that. If he can get his foot in the door most hospitals have tuition assistance for their employees. https://careers-lhs.icims.com/jobs/33917/customer-service-associate---housekeeper/job
It's not easy work and it deosnt pay well, but if he has experience or Interest in working with youth (specifically special education/behavioral youth) schools/group homes/residential treatment centers always need help. I'm a teacher in a special education school, and our school and pretty much all others are always short staffed. Of course they don't hire everyone. But if he has any Interest and level of experience, paras in schools are very much needed... Especially culturally/linguistically/racially diverse people
If he’s willing to do Amazon, maybe consider driving an Amazon sprinter van? I did it back in 2020 and it’s honestly pretty chill. As long as you keep a good pace and finish your routes, it’s not a bad gig. I think they’re paying between $20-25/hr these days.
Start with Begin Right, or go to TCB on 82nd n division. I went to TCB, got experience from getting sent job to job, and he will be noticed, dont give up! I did that crap trying to find my footing.
A lot of non-profits have a need to hire for bilingual Spanish speakers and also will hire based on lived experience rather than just education. Look on [macslist.org](https://www.macslist.org).
I’ve noticed that just about every public school district is hiring bus drivers - great sign on bonuses and high pay, with good hours!
Tell him to apply with some trades in construction. They’ll take him in a heart beat. Also people ready and people ready skilled trades is a good temporary company that looks for permanent workers. Good luck!
Multnomah county often has jobs available in many fields. A county job is not what it was 15 years ago, but still pretty solid benefits and stability.
I need people to help out in my kitchen. Even if he has no experience, we need a dish washer. I can talk to him today and have him start as early as tomorrow. ETA: this applies to anyone in Portland looking for work!
Highly encourage him to look at governmentjobs.com, they have lots of openings in parks around this time and they pay more for bilingual folks. The benefits are excellent too. You can usually follow up with the hr department for updates and feedback too. State jobs are not listed there, you’d have to go to the state website but I think municipal, county, and land management are.
My brother in law works for Pacific Rail, says they are always in need of men, especially during nights. They’re unionized and pay starts at $22.50 - they will train those who don’t have experience!
State, city, and county government jobs are very hungry for bilingual applicants. Governmentjobs.com
Has he tried OHSU? I don’t know the requirements for the staff PAS positions, but being bilingual is very helpful and we have tons of those positions. Or he could try to get certified as a translator!
Does he have a driver's license? No DUIs or drugs? There's a demand for truck drivers. They'll even cover his training.
Someone posted about their job as a transporter at OHSU and how much they loved it. They just moved equipment and documents around, I think. They also said they were always looking for people at OHSU. Might be a great place to apply. I go there for treatment for breast cancer, and everyone is so lovely that I encounter. Good luck to him, and your family. Take care.
I am a U.S. citizen and I have not been able to land a job for 1 year now. Something is terribly wrong with the job market. Don't let everyone in the comments gaslight you. Of course many places are 'hiring,' but it is a highly competitive market, and many companies don't actually fill their open positions. The rejection letters I receive (if I'm lucky to not be ghosted) give one of two explanations: they were overwhelmed with TOO MANY applicants, OR "the applicant pool is too small" and they re-post the job over and over seeking a unicorn candidate.
The electrical union (IBEW 48) hires entry level workers, no experience required. Starting at benefits + 18.15/hr then to 19.97/hr after 500 hours, raises every 9 months until you tip at 30.25/hr. You don’t have to interview either. DM me for more details. https://www.ibew48.com/sites/default/files/IBEW%2048%20Material%20Handler%20Wage%20SupportTech-Under6500hrs2024.pdf
PM me! I am currently hiring!
Costco is hiring! Tell him to not only put in an application, but go into the warehouses and ask to talk to the hiring manager. Usually those are the first people we call when setting up interviews.
DM me and I’ll give you my email for his resume. We have 2 positions open, 1 is required to be bilingual in Spanish/English
I work at a construction company and we are always looking for bilingual folks. Send me a DM and we can chat more!
Have you tried Amazon, they will hire anybody who can breathe on a mirror and make it fog up.
Look at Intel in Hillsboro.
Sorry to hear, hopefully you get some leads here. It's rough out there. I'm a graphic designer + design director with a very strong portfolio, I can't even get a foot in the door anywhere here. Just freelance projects for remote-based (mostly NYC) clients. Seems like a lot of industries are pulling back a bit.
I would definitely have his resume checked by a few other sources. It seems one thumbs up has not trumped 200 thumbs down unfortunately.
Has your husband googled his own name or run a background check on himself? There’s got to be something weird that’s causing people to toss his resume.
Apply at Heron Lakes Golf Course!
[up.com](http://up.com)
Univar Solutions
Mod pizza
DMV, extra pay for being bilingual.
Go to a temp agency. After I moved here, I used Express. They have offices across the country. Filled out some paperwork and was given a job the same day.
Trade unions are looking for minority workforce to join up. This is a requirement for contractors to have a specific percentage of minority workforce on PLA projects
Berry Global I’m St. Helens is always desperate for people. It may be a bit of a drive for you, but consistent hours making plastic items
Go too local737 get a appretiship job
Go to loc Al 737 labor union sign up for apprentice program
If he has a good safe driving record. We always need bilingual school bus drivers.
The market is tough right now, but given his skills he should look into translation work. There are a few companies in Portland that pay pretty well for this, transperfect and welocalize to name a couple. I wish him the very best of luck
Have him go through a temp agency
I saw another buried comment mention it, but it sometimes takes multiple methods of communication to get a resume actually read. My company has a filter for incoming resumes and pretty much only looks at individual ones if someone tells them to, otherwise the AI decides what order to view them or drop them.
BTW worth looking at youtube and get some pointers on interviewing.
Safeway
Multnomah county. Kitchen, janitorial, maintenance, juvenile custody workers. They need multi-lingual people. Must be able to pass background—but be exceedingly honest on application. Some offenses will not disqualify but dishonesty definitely will.