Iraqi Professionals Unable to Find Jobs

Ahmad Ali, a recently-arrived Iraqi refugee, faces a difficult choice: "I either go back to Iraq and die or I forget about my past and profession and start from scratch in the US."

Ali is one of the lucky few Iraqis who was granted refugee status in the US after risking his life writing and reporting on the political situation in Iraq. In Iraq, he was forced into hiding after his relatives and friends were targeted by insurgents for his relationship with Western reporters. He fled to Syria and then to the United States where he had high hopes of re-establishing himself and continuing his career in journalism. But after a few months of unsuccessful job searching, Ali is unemployed and facing persistent offers from military contractors who are offering well-paid positions as a translator back in Iraq.

Like many highly skilled immigrant professionals in the US, Ali has struggled to apply his skills and experience to a professional position in the US. Although he has five years of experience as a translator and correspondent for major Western media outlets, he lacks the kind of professional network that Americans rely on to find jobs and he is not familiar with norms of the American job search. His resume does not fit the American format and he is culturally unfamiliar with the kind of self promotion that is expected in American interviews.

For Ali and other Iraqi refugee professionals, the need to find is even more urgent. After 3 months, Ali will no longer qualify for refugee financial support and the offer of a well-paying job in Iraq will become increasingly hard to refuse.

Enter Upwardly Global. Based on a special request from List Project, Upwardly Global has made a commitment to work remotely with these Iraqi professionals, who have settled all over the country. From resume revisions to job search skills conference calls and from referrals to networking opportunities, Upwardly Global is working hard to extend their services to these professionals who have nowhere else to turn.

"These Iraqi professionals all have impeccable English and many have experience working closely with American companies in Iraq. They are highly educated and ambitious and we want to see them succeed in re-building their careers in the US," says Francie Genz, Outreach Coordinator in the San Francisco office, who has worked tirelessly to lead the Iraqis effort

Upwardly Global hopes to create a more intensive program by hosting a 2-day job search seminar in Washington, DC for Iraqi professional jobseekers. This seminar would include workshops, one-on-one resume development, interview practice, advising by our Upwardly Global staff experts, and networking with American professionals.

For more information on how Upwardly Global is working with Iraqi professionals, please call 415-834-9901.