Guillaume's story
Guillaume began his job search in late March/early April, after learning his girlfriend was relocating to New York. He initially targeted French companies for visa sponsorship support.
His first breakthrough came quickly: he interviewed with the New York subsidiary of a French services company, both by phone and in person, and received an offer contingent on the company securing a project assignment. "I thought to myself, 'Wow! I found a job after only two weeks. That's incredible!' I stopped looking for a job altogether," he says.
When the company delayed without a clear answer, Guillaume resumed his search and began looking at American companies. He learned that "the H-1B visa is the most traditional visa for working there. However, only a certain number of these visas are available per year. The application for an H-1B visa is due in April and then delivered in October."
Given his urgent timeline, Guillaume discovered he qualified for a J-1 trainee visa thanks to his prior work experience.
How did Guillaume find a job in New York City?
Guillaume noticed the cultural differences in the hiring process: "Americans have very different cultures. They are very good at selling themselves but unsure how well they can perform on the job. The opposite is true in France, and in my case, even more so."
He faced repeated rejection over visa concerns, so he reframed his applications: "I tried to put a positive spin on it... I told them I had already found out and was with an organization that could sponsor my visa, which would be suitable for 18 months."
After returning to France in late October, Guillaume kept applying and eventually found an American company co-founded by a Frenchman with an IT opening. His first interview was in French with the co-founder, followed by a technical interview in English.
After follow-up attempts and a wait through mid-December, he received a positive offer. "I sent all the paperwork to the sponsoring organization, and everything was completed by December 20th. I am currently waiting for my paperwork to leave for New York," he says.
His application strategy was aggressive: "I had everything ready to go. Although I took the time to tailor my resume and cover letter to each job offer, I still sent loads of them out." Asked how many applications he sent, he answers: "A considerable amount! Probably more than 50. I don't even know."
The interview process, in general
Guillaume experienced unfamiliar interview formats with American companies. During one on-site interview, the interviewer suddenly said: "Ok, now I am going to have you do an exercise on the whiteboard."
"It threw me off; I never had to do anything like that when I had interviews in France. So, it certainly took me off guard. I started a bit stocked and expected a negative outcome," he admits.
A second American company gave him a take-home technical exercise, which he preferred: "I preferred that because it gave me more time to think and work at my own pace, as you do in the real world." That led to a 4-hour office interview with the entire team.
"Each time, they reviewed my background and accomplishments and then moved on to more technical questions, similar to the whiteboard problem," he reflects. Both positions were senior-level roles, and Guillaume wonders whether the interviewers felt he lacked the experience for the title.
The interview process with his French company
The company co-founded by a Frenchman ran a different process. Guillaume's second interview was technical, with the department head asking about his background and technical questions, without a formal test.
"I believe the fact that there was a Frenchman in the company helped because he understood the culture, and that made it a lot easier to share my views," he notes.
Guillaume's application strategies
Guillaume applied both spontaneously to companies without advertised openings and to formal job postings from American firms. His strategy combined volume with tailoring: "Although I took the time to tailor my resume and cover letter to each job offer, I still sent loads of them out."
J-1 visa details
Guillaume used Intrax as his sponsoring organization and paid entirely out of pocket: approximately 2,800 euros for the 18-month training program, plus additional health insurance coverage provided by the organization.
On wages, Guillaume explains: "I didn't ask for anything when they called to tell me I had gotten the job; he told me what my salary would be and told me it was what everyone on the team was paid, so it seemed fair to me."
His employer later clarified that, as a trainee, his salary couldn't fully match the rest of the team's compensation. Guillaume says the salary "is still decent when you include my training bonus."
The company's sponsorship history
Guillaume was the company's first J-1 employee. "They weren't used to filling out this type of paperwork, and there were quite a few exchanges with the sponsor," he observes.
He helped manage the visa process himself: "You helped them out by finding a visa organization yourself. You contacted everyone to fill out the paperwork and worked hard to ensure that your employer didn't have to do much to get you your visa."
J-1 then H-1B?
Asked about transitioning to H-1B, Guillaume notes complications: "The organization I went through wouldn't like this idea at all. It's an exchange program, and the assumption is that I'll return to France to apply the new skills I learned while in the USA."
He acknowledges the switch is possible but requires legal help: "Based on my internet research, changing from a J-1 to an H-1B visa is still possible, but the process requires a lawyer."
Update: one year after this interview, Guillaume obtained an H-1B visa sponsored by his company.
Guillaume's professional background
Guillaume holds an Engineering Diploma (master's level). He entered the workforce in 2008, working for a service company for five years before becoming self-employed for eighteen months.
His job title in France was Study Developmental Engineer, focused on Java; in the US, this position translates to Software Engineer.
What about retirement and 401K?
Asked whether he can save for retirement via a 401K in the US or France, Guillaume responds: "No, nothing like that is included in the J-1 visa program. Often, this is considered a 'benefit' offered in addition to salary. They didn't mention it for the job in New York, so I plan to save money on my own. That's just the way I have to do it!"