Thread: MD: A Floral Protest Over Job-Based Visas

Thanks for the heads up guys. I have had "kind" H1B Indians offer to help me get a job in my own country before. I did hand out my resume without even considering it would be plagiarized. I think next time I'll just provide links to some of my publications instead. I talked to an HR Supervisor at NASA (met by chance) and he said to send him my info. If nothing comes of it, he will be on a long list of people who said they were shocked someone with my education and skills is unemployed. They always say they will help, and then the ball gets dropped. Yes, I am in a city where engineering jobs should be easy to get, but even when I know professionals within that company, nothing comes of it. Basically, I am so depressed I can't talk about it much.

Someone posted earlier that Americans are tired of being "too qualified" and "too old" to find employment. That is my problem in a nutshell. I went to the Housing Authority to get put on the list for Section 8. I am number 56,134 on their list and they serve about 1000 people a year. I'm so very glad the San Jose Mercury News ran a giant ad the day before about signing up (in Spanish) for section 8 the first time it was opened in years. I called the office and asked - does this funding only go to legal citizens? He said "you know better than that." Can't get a job, can't get any help to avoid being homeless. I'm SO discouraged and becoming slowly suicidal over it. Maybe I could marry a rich 20-something Indian engineer - he'll get a green card and I'll get some money from the engineering profession.

So, you handed out your resume to 'kind' foreigners who offered to help - and it didn't do any good? Remember how the career counselors always hammered on us to 'network' and here you did that, and look where it got you? People would look at all the [fake and/or duplicate] job ads, and diss us job hunters, saying there must be something wrong with US.

I have been seeing quite a number of strange job ads. It does look like there are 100s of new jobs being posted, yet they ask for advanced degrees with 15+ years experience doing something which is not part of their degrees. Sometimes the job is so specific you can tell it was tailor made for someone they already intend to hire. Many ask you to submit your salary requirements - well, if you try and low-ball to compete with foreigners you're "too cheap" and something must be "wrong" about you - but if you go for what you deserve they can quietly throw your app in the circular file because you're "too expensive." At least you here at Alipac understand - I am really getting sick of the "blame the victim" mentality among my well-employed engineering peers. They all got their jobs in the mid-nineties when things were different. Now people are telling me to take my Master's degree off my resume so I won't look overqualified. Gee, and I thought obtaining that degree through scientific research was a GOOD thing. I bet they didn't make themselves look like less than they are when they got their jobs. I've heard of resume padding - but UNpadding? It doesn't work anyway but it gives them a great excuse to blame me for my unemployment.

During the recession that started around 2000, I dropped my Master's and once my undergrad degree! Removed all hint of age. Then, around 2002, I began noticing ads demanding that you not only have experience, but "recent" experience. In other words, if you got laid off and aren't back yet, don't bother.

Non-immigrant H-1Bs are a License to Break the Law!
Hi SoFedUp and BR,

Originally Posted by SoFedUp

I talked to an HR Supervisor at NASA (met by chance) and he said to send him my info.

Unless the law got quietly changed, it's illegal for federal agencies to hire foreign nationals. If NASA hires you, you should find no foreign nationals on the property.

Someone posted earlier that Americans are tired of being "too qualified" and "too old" to find employment.

This brings on another example of wanton age discrimination being practiced out in the open. Example: Jan 2003, over 200 USAA programmers were fired (many were over age 40), during a mass firing, and replaced by young (under 30) H-1Bs from India. The USAA CIO argued on television that the H-1Bs brought in computer skills that never previously existed in the US - They learned those skills during "knowledge transfer" from the Americans that were later fired. Bottom line - large scale age discrimination was conducted and the law wasn't enforced.

In addtion to age discrimination....

What about violations of the Americans with Disabilities act? Disabled Americans are fired, and replaced by physically fit personnel from Bangalore.
What about civil rights violations? Minority Americans are fired and replaced by Hindu majority workers arriving from Bangalore.
What about OSHA violations promulgated by "knowledge transfer" to H-1Bs? I'll have to PM message you on that one, I would rather not post it out in the clear. Well, don't ask for now; I just had dinner and I want it to stay down.

Originally Posted by SoFedUp

I have been seeing quite a number of strange job ads. It does look like there are 100s of new jobs being posted,

That's not only the fake job ads, but never, never deal with dice.com. They only serve India. What a ruse!

Originally Posted by BR

During the recession that started around 2000, I dropped my Master's and once my undergrad degree! Removed all hint of age. Then, around 2002, I began noticing ads demanding that you not only have experience, but "recent" experience. In other words, if you got laid off and aren't back yet, don't bother.

Yeah! Know what you're talking about. I had to dumb down my resume in 1998 just to get interviews.

Stop Non-immigrant job destroyers!

I did send my info to NASA, but my faith it will do any good is in the trash at this point. Thanks to all of you for being here and understanding that I speak the truth. I have lost some friends and family members because they were so quick to blame me while admitting I'm extremely intelligent and it's mystifying that I am struggling. I had fellowships and scholarships and awards based on my excellent research. I'm 43 and I feel hopeless. The only thing keeping me from "checking out" is my son. I really don't want him to see me homeless, but that's better than not seeing me at all. Thanks for letting me vent here. Having so many intelligent people exposing the truth is the lifeline I really need. I can use these links to educate those who are blissfully ignorant. I even cut off a friend who has a Materials Eng master's who said "California is rich! We just had a budget surplus!" He called me an IDIOT when I said our budget was in a severe shortfall. Here he is with a master's degree and his head is in the sand. I just can't have conversations like that anymore. It's affecting my health. I could kiss you all for being true patriots and trying to save this country. :-* If any of you live anywhere near San Jose, please let me know so we can meet up. It would cheer me up a lot.

Sorry but I am more and more confused by your story. You have a Physics degree and you are saying that H1-B Indians are taking away jobs in Physics from Americans and plagiarizing your resume to get jobs in Physics? I am afraid it makes no sense to me. I have no reason to plagiarize yours or anybody else's resume. I was just responding to your request for help.

Originally Posted by sofedup

Thanks for the heads up guys. I have had "kind" H1B Indians offer to help me get a job in my own country before. I did hand out my resume without even considering it would be plagiarized. I think next time I'll just provide links to some of my publications instead. I talked to an HR Supervisor at NASA (met by chance) and he said to send him my info. If nothing comes of it, he will be on a long list of people who said they were shocked someone with my education and skills is unemployed. They always say they will help, and then the ball gets dropped. Yes, I am in a city where engineering jobs should be easy to get, but even when I know professionals within that company, nothing comes of it. Basically, I am so depressed I can't talk about it much.

Someone posted earlier that Americans are tired of being "too qualified" and "too old" to find employment. That is my problem in a nutshell. I went to the Housing Authority to get put on the list for Section 8. I am number 56,134 on their list and they serve about 1000 people a year. I'm so very glad the San Jose Mercury News ran a giant ad the day before about signing up (in Spanish) for section 8 the first time it was opened in years. I called the office and asked - does this funding only go to legal citizens? He said "you know better than that." Can't get a job, can't get any help to avoid being homeless. I'm SO discouraged and becoming slowly suicidal over it. Maybe I could marry a rich 20-something Indian engineer - he'll get a green card and I'll get some money from the engineering profession.

Try the local LDS church - in my area they have a job bank and are very sympathetic. They will help non-Mormons find a job. Also, can you go back to school and use financial aid as a bridge for a time? I did - yes the debt is massive but the interest rate is very low and you can subsequently qualify for deferments or forebearance if your luck stays bad. What you need is to get your ability showcased and make friends where it will lead to doors that eventually open. I had to take an internship for a few months in my 40s as a bridge to where I am now.