© 2008, All Rights Reserved, Upwardly Global

Upwardly Global

Creating Economic Opportunities for Skilled Immigrants and Providing U.S. Employers

with Access to Global Talent

401 Broadway, Suite 800New York, NY 10013

www.upwardlyglobal.org

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Agenda

Overview of Upwardly Global– Why does Upwardly Global Exist? – Upwardly Global’s Client Profiles

Barriers to Career Reentry

Upwardly Global Impact

Partnership Models

Client Referral

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Introduction and Overview

A 501 c3 nonprofit organization, founded in 2000 with programs in SF, NY, and Chicago

Specializes in rebuilding careers for immigrant professionals. Recognized as thought leaders on immigrant professional talent inclusion by Harvard University, World Diversity Leadership Summit, and Toronto Regional Immigrant Employment Council

Recognized as innovator by Ashoka and John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award

Funders: individuals, foundations, employer partners

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Why does Upwardly Global exist? Global Leaders

Waspada IndonesiaAuditor

Manizha (refugee)AfghanistanPhysician

GraalBrazilArts Therapist

Faith KenyaSocial Worker

CristianRomaniaEngineer

EvelynEl SalvadorEngineer

Cashier

Waitress

Nanny

Home Health Aide

Barista

Housecleaner

= Invisible in US

Barista

Taxi Driver

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The Facts: Skilled, Educated but Underutilized

More than 1.3 million college-educated immigrants are unemployed or working in unskilled jobs

22% of all college-educated immigrants – or 1 out of every 5 highly skilled immigrants – are working in unskilled jobs– Construction laborers, babysitters, file clerks, etc

Another 22% are in semi-skilled jobs– Carpenters, electricians, massage therapist, etc

Brain underutilization is a reality

Source: Migration Policy Institute

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Upwardly Global Clients’ Profiles

Fully Work Authorized New Americans

University educated

Experienced Professionals

Migrate from developing countriesLatin American 39%Africa 23%Asia 21%Eastern Europe 12%Middle East 5%

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Barriers to Career Re-entry

Academic credentials and professional skills/ experience not recognized

Unfamiliarity with the characteristics of U.S. Job Search

Lack of U.S. experience and professional/social networks

Relicensing and certification

Language

Employers Lack Resources– Need sponsorship, lack of English skill and educational

background

Unfamiliarity with the U.S. Job Search Norms

•Resume Presentation

•Marketing Yourself

•Cultural Differences

Resume

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Provide details about what you did in each position, what you accomplished,

and the value you brought

Provide information about the ranking of the school you attended to help recruiters

understand the value

Common Resume Writing Mistakes

This resume is TOO SHORT! It does not give employers any idea of

about what this person has accomplished

Share information on skills AND accomplishments to demonstrate the

value you bring to the company

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Do not provide personal information (aside from

contact information)!!

This Resume is

TOO LONG (5

more pages!)

American employers

will only read 1 – 2

pages in order to

determine if they should consider the

candidate!

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Eguonor J. Onofeghara-Omoko Fully US work authorized ∙ No visa sponsorship required

OBJECTIVE To obtain a position as a legal or administrative assistant where I can apply my education and 4+ years professional experience in law SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Experienced in project planning, management, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation Excellent verbal and written English communication skills Team worker with superior interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and ability to work within strict timelines and

under pressure PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Receptionist/Litigation Clerk February 2002 – December 2005 E. A. Pippa & Co., Lagos, Nigeria A private law firm ranked in top 50 in nation, specializing in civil cases

Provided support to no less that 5 attorneys by keeping record of cases/files, preparing and filing pleadings, motions, and affidavits with the State High Court

Met one-on-one with clients and drafted age declarations and declarations for change of name Drafted motion to change venue for attorney transferred to alternate city, resulting in motion granted Conducted general word processing, scheduled and coordinated attorney-client meetings

Office Intern June 2000 – August 2001 High Court of Justice of Delta State, Ughelli, Nigeria This is the state high court which is equivalent to the superior high court of California

Worked directly with 20 or more active clients to draft affidavits Assisted court registrar with filing of pleadings and motions, such as ex parte motion, motion for judgment, and

motion for extension of time Assisted court registrar with administrative tasks, such as distribution of notice to appear in court, preparation of

court list, and affidavits OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE Sales Person Shibata Floral Company, San Francisco, CA (Part-time) January 2006 - Present

Administrative work: greet customers, answer questions, arrange flowers, clean EDUCATION Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Degree October 2001 – December 2005 (Diploma pending last semester of coursework) Delta State University, Delta State, Nigeria HONORS AND PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

First nominated Congresswoman for the Legislative Arm of the University of Benin’s Student Government (September 1999)

Prepared original paper—“State Prosecution of Offences: A Critical Review of the Power of the Attorney-General”—that is now a reference guide in the University of Benin’s main library

Selected Moot Court Registrar, Delta State University Students’ Court (June 2002-June 2005) Announced court cases during court session Endorsed filed court documents, such as ex-parte motion

TECHNICAL SKILLS: Proficient in MS Word, PPT, Excel and Power Point LANGUAGE SKILLS: Native English Speaker; Fluent in local dialect, Urhobo

Provide specific quantitative examples of the impact YOU had at the company. It’s OK to brag!

Include a brief explanation of what the company did (if not in the U.S.)

List your “survival jobs” in a separate category of your resume, after your professional experience

American Style Resumes are:

• Concise (1 – 2 pages is best)

• Results oriented

• Well organized and formatted

Marketing Yourself: Elevator Pitch

Who you are:

Hi, my name is _____________.

What you can do:

I have __ years of experience in/as a __________(field/profession).

What you are looking for:

I am looking for a position as a _____________where I can apply my skills in (skill #1), (skill #2), (skill #3). I would like to work for __________ (type of organization/company – be specific).”

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Dominant American Values

“Typical” U.S. Corporate Value

Alternative Value UpGlo T.I.P

Individual is valued: Independence and decision-making are important. Individual recognition is expected and appreciated. Privacy is honored.

Group is considered more important than the effort or recognition of the individual

Job seekers will often use “we” instead of “I” when sharing accomplishments. Suggest job seekers to provide information about their specific role in the project.

Informality is the norm: almost everyone uses first names.

Permission is needed to use first names; some never use first names.

Job seekers may be perceived as stiff as he/she probably believes it is important to be formal in interviews. Let job seekers know he/she can call the interviewer by first name.

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“Typical” U.S. Corporate Value

Alternative Value UpGlo T.I.P

Competition and ambition stimulates high performance.

Harmony influences communication and personal ambition is frowned upon.

Job seekers come across as passive, relative to their U.S. counterparts. Direct job seekers to focus on the ways they have been able to bring a team together for a group success instead.

Direct communication is expected; saying what’s on your mind is important.

Directness and open criticism are considered offensive and people often use intermediaries to approach others.

A job seeker’s examples may not demonstrate the directness generally expected in the U.S. workplace. Suggest job seekers to frame answers around accomplishments and achievements.

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Dominant American Values

“Typical” U.S. Corporate Value

Alternative Value UpGlo T.I.P

Each person is expected to have an opinion and express it freely. The right to challenge authority is highly valued.

Deference is given to persons in power or authority. Authority is highly respected and rarely challenged.

Job seekers may find it difficult to give examples of times that they challenged authority. Direct job seekers to share a time he/she advocated for a project in order to understand the approach he/she has taken in situations when challenging was accepted.

People are measured by what they do.

People are measured by family and origin.

Job seekers may use personal accomplishments in their examples during an interview. Specify that employers are looking for professional examples.

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Dominant American Values

Networking and Obtaining U.S. Experience

Networking and Obtaining U.S. Experience

Volunteer or internship opportunities– www.voluntermatch.org– www.idealist.org

Networking– Where

Professional Association events/meetings Job Fairs Classes/Trainings

– How Informational interviews

(http://www.quintcareers.com/informational_interviewing.html) LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)

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Career Path for Skilled Immigrants

www.careersfornewamericans.org

www.welcomingcenter.org

www.careeronestop.org

The Bookkeeping Center – www.tbkc.org

Kaplan Medical – www.kaplantest.com

LaGuardia Welcome Bank Center

Bnai Zion Foundation – www.bnaizion.org/retraining.php

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Upwardly Global Program

Job Seeker Program • Identify, Screen and Select

• Job Search Tools: Resumes, cover letter, marketing pitch

• 8-week workshop series with practice built-in

• Individual coaching by UpGlo staff

• Matched one-on-one with Industry Mentor

• Direct referral to Employer Network companies educated a

bout immigrant talent pool

• Feedback and support throughout placement process

Employer Network Program • Education: Cross-cultural recruitment training

• Engagement: Employee volunteer opportunities to improve

cross-cultural communication skills and awareness

• Employment : Our candidates provide practice and experience

moving foreign-born candidates through the pipeline

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Upwardly Global Impact

NY economic impact– Coached more than 800 skilled immigrants from 100

developing countries

– Placed more than 200 skilled immigrants with an average starting salary of ~ $40,000 with benefits

• Income increase of $20,000

– Engaged employers as partners to work towards systemic change

– Partnerships with 50 community organizations

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Sample Placements

LEGAL

- Paralegal (Colombia) Akst & Akst Law

- Senior Contract Officer (Kenya) JPMorgan Chase

- Legal Assistant (Nepal) The Myers Law Firm

NONPROFIT/SOCIAL WORK

- Program Associate (Bhutan) Int’l Center for Tolerance Education

- Research Associate (Uzbekistan) Committee to Protect Journalists

- Staff Therapist (Poland) Psychotherapy Institute

EDUCATION

- Science Teacher (Somalia) San Diego Unified School District

BUSINESS

- Marketing Manager (Thailand)CSAA

- Relationship Manager (India) Citigroup

- AdSense Coordinator (Peru) Google

- Benefits Accountant (Mongolia)McKesson Corp

- Associate (Philippines)KPMG

- Consulting Analyst (Iran)Accenture

TECH

- End User Support Analyst (Romania) Memorial Sloan-Kettering

- Tech Project Manager (India)JPMorgan Chase

SCIENCE

- Organic Chemist (Eritrea)PowerVision

- Analytical Chemist (India)Biokey

- Post-Doc Research Associate (Mexico)

Lawrence Livermore Labs

ENGINEERING

- Well Planning Engineer (Nigeria)Halliburton

HEALTH CARE

- Anesthesiology Tech (Haiti), Brooklyn Hospital

- Medical Resident (Vietnam)

Coney Island Hospital

- Nurse (Philippines)SF General Hospital

Referring your clients

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Minimum requirements:• live in the U.S. less than 5 years• have full, permanent work authorization• have minimum of Bachelor’s degree from outside the

U.S.• have at least 2 years of working experience in field• possess computer skills and at least intermediate

English proficiency

Direct them to Upwardly Global’s Websitewww.upwardlyglobal.org to complete a simpleonline application.

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Thank you

Q&A