Urgent: Hurricane Earl to Hit East Coast this Week

FOLLOW SAFETY PROCEDURES AND CHECK NEWS REPORTS FREQUENTLY

Hurricane Earl is expected to threaten the east coast of the U.S. this week – from North Carolina up to Maine. Important: if you are working or traveling in these areas, please check weather reports and obey all local authorities regarding evacuation, safety and relocations. YOUR SAFETY IS A PRIORITY.

If you are at the beach, stay safe and follow the lifeguards’ advice. Do not swim in the water if there are high waves and strong rip currents.  Please contact us if you have any questions.

Join us for our NYC Happy Hour Event on August 18!

The InterExchange Career Training Department cordially invites all of our NYC area Interns and Trainees for Happy Hour on Wednesday August 18th in Greenwich Village.

This is a great opportunity to meet other participants in the NYC area and the Career Training USA team.  In addition, if you have general questions about your program or have specific questions about your J-1 Visa, the Career Training staff will be available and more than happy to help.

When: Wednesday, August 18th from 6pm-8pm, Greenwich Village, NYC

Drinks will be available for purchase at the bar. Come enjoy some cheap drinks and great company!

Please RSVP to Di Gao at dgao@interexchange.org with your name and your company’s name if you will be attending and we will send you all the details for our Happy Hour Event!

Happy Memorial Day from InterExchange

It’s Memorial Day weekend, so InterExchange would like to extend a warm welcome to all our participants from around the world who are beginning their work program in the US! Welcome to the United States! To get you into the spirit of the holiday, here are a few facts about how and why Americans celebrate Memorial Day.
• Memorial Day is the unofficial “beginning of summer” here in the US, and many of our seasonal employers start training their international workers and gearing up for the busy summer season in the weeks leading up to Memorial Day. Memorial day and Labor Day (in September) are the two bookend holidays that define the summer season.
• To most Americans, Memorial Day is a long holiday weekend that gives them their first chance of the summer to go to the beach or the swimming pool, enjoy a picnic or barbeque with family and friends, and get started on that home improvement or gardening project.
• It officially started in 1868, and was originally called “Decoration Day”. The holiday was established to commemorate fallen soldiers from the Civil War, however over the years it has become a day to remember all US men and women who were lost in the wars. Many American communities celebrate with Memorial Day parades and fireworks displays.

How to Decide Which InterExchange Staffing Program is Right for Your Business

You’ve thought about hiring seasonal or short-term international workers, but where do you start? InterExchange offers two different international work programs that can handle international recruiting for employers of all sizes. Here’s a quick checklist to help you decide which one is right for your business:

The Work & Travel USA Program is recommended for employers who:
• Need short-term or seasonal staff (limited to 3-4 months)
• Need staff in retail, restaurant, kitchen, maintenance, housekeeping, dishwashing or ride operations departments.
• Can offer full time hours: 35-40 hrs/week

The Career Training USA Program is recommended for employers who:
• Need interns or trainees with university training or prior professional work experience
• Can offer paid internships or trainee positions for up to 18 months
• Can provide full time, professional level positions

Every employer is different, and some employers elect to work with more than one program to fill all their staffing needs. These programs are regulated by the US Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security, and therefore some industries may not qualify. Please contact Larry Rothchild at lrothchild@interexchange.org to discuss your specific needs.

Make a Video about Working in the US and Win $2000! Enter the WYSE “Expand Your Horizons” Video Contest

Last year, InterExchange was thrilled to see one of our Camp USA participants, Rodrigo, win the 2009 WYSE Working Abroad “Expand Your Horizons” Video Contest!  WYSE has just announced the deadline for their 2010 video contest, and InterExchange encourages current participants to submit their video for consideration. Grand prize is US $2,000!  All participants traveling on one of our Working Abroad, Volunteer, Work & Travel or Camp USA programs between October 2009 and August 2010 are eligible.  Entries must be under 3 minutes in length, and must be received by WYSE no later than September 17, 2010.

Visit our WYSE video contest page for details on how to enter and to view Rodrigo’s winning 2009 video.

Important Information about Flight Delays and your J-1 Visa

We understand that flight delays due to the volcano in Iceland may be preventing some of you from departing the US on time. Please note that once you reach your program end date, you may only legally remain in the US for up to 30 days past your end date, known as a grace period.

Here is what you can do if your flight has been delayed and you can’t exit the USA before your grace period ends:

• Keep a copy of your original flight ticket or itinerary so that any cancelations or delays can be verified by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) when you are able to exit the US. It is important that you do so as this will help you to avoid problems in the future if you ever wish to return to the US.

• Call InterExchange Career Training USA immediately at 1-888-621-1202 or email us at training@interexchange.org

• Call the USCIS at 1-800-375-5283 to inform them that you intend to leave as soon as possible and then follow any instructions they provide.

Flights have now resumed, so if you have an upcoming flight that is within your 30-day grace period no further action is necessary. However, if flights are disrupted by the volcano again, please follow the instructions above.

NYC Hospitality & Tourism Networking Event

Career Training USA is hosting a free networking luncheon and information session for hospitality and tourism employers on May 6th in NYC. This event is a great opportunity to network with other hospitality and tourism professionals, stay on top of trends in the hospitality and tourism sector, and learn how to diversify your workforce with top quality international talent.

Hotel and Restaurant Managers, HR Professionals, Culinary and Beverage Managers, and tourism industry Hiring Managers in the NYC area are invited to attend.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Larry Rothchild, Director of Business Development, at 917-305-5430 or at lrothchild@interexchange.org

An Internship of a Lifetime in NYC

We’ve just said “tot ziens” (that’s au revoir in Dutch) to our intern, Bregtje, from the Netherlands.  During her internship at InterExchange over the last 12 months, Bregtje learned a lot and made an invaluable contribution to our company, too!  We interviewed Bregtje just before she left New York to head back to Hogeschool Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Q. Why did you choose InterExchange for your internship program?
A. I study International Business and Languages, and internships abroad are mandatory for my degree program. I wanted to experience living in New York and upgrade my English to a more professional level, plus I already knew InterExchange from the Camp USA program in 2005.  I worked as a Camp Counselor for a Salvation Army Summer Camp for underprivileged children in Columbus, Ohio which was one of the most amazing experiences in my life!

Q.  What were the main focus areas for your internship at InterExchange?
A.  I conducted marketing and communications research for the Career Training USA program and helped international students with their internship and training program applications.  With the Business Development Department, I helped with promoting, presenting and selling the work programs that InterExchange sponsors, during business trips throughout the US.

Q. What have been some of the highlights of the last 12 months for you?
A.  Professionally, I learned to better analyze a problem/situation and to determine multiple outcomes before making a decision.  One of the goals is to prepare you to work in the real world.  Another highlight were the business trips that I made with Business Development, especially to Chicago and Austin. During those trips I learned how to make presentations and represent InterExchange. I have really enjoyed my internship at InterExchange.  Even though we work very hard, our office culture is friendly and relaxed.

Personally, I would have to say our church in Manhattan and the friends I met there.  I had a dream come true when I was able to celebrate my birthday under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco with one of my best friends.   Overall, I think I mainly enjoyed the daily living in the Big Apple, everything so available and close by. I love the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and the area around Borough Hall in Brooklyn where we have our favorite bar called O’Keefes! In Manhattan I would say Top of the Rock on a warm and clear day is awesome! And whenever I am on a train again I will remember how much I liked to ‘people watch’ in the subway.

What advice would you give to other prospective interns/trainees who want to do a program in the US?

A very small useful tip: Start looking for housing after you arrive in a big city like New York. It is way easier than trying to secure something from your desktop in your home country! Book a bed in a hostel for the first week and visit some places after you arrive. Also in New York they have large residencies for internationals where you can rent a room for a couple months. I ended up with a room in The Webster Apartments and although I didn’t stay there all that much it is a very safe place with an awesome location!

California Intern Meet Up – Tuesday March 16th 6-8PM

The InterExchange Career Training Department cordially invites our California Interns and Trainees for Happy Hour on Tuesday March 16th, 2010.

This is a great opportunity to meet other participants in the California area and the Career Training staff.  In addition, if you have general questions about your program or have specific questions about your visa, the Career Training staff will be available and more than happy to help.

When:
Tuesday March 16th from 6PM-8PM

Where:

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant

4th & Hope

Adjacent to 400 S. Hope St.

Los Angeles, CA 90071

http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/Locations/southern-california-los-angeles/los-angeles-california/FifthSt.aspx

213-629-1929

All InterExchange Interns and Trainees will receive two free drinks and free appetizers.

Please RSVP by Wednesday March 10th to the following email address with your name and your company’s name if you will be attending so we can place our food order: aviscardo@interexchange.org.

Bay Area Travel Guide

“The City by the Bay,” San Francisco, to many, conjures up images of Hippies and the 1960′s.    While the city remains a hub of counterculture in the U.S., defining the city in this way does a disservice to the countless other aspects of this unique region. The Bay Area offers unparalleled scenery, top-notch restaurants, and exceptional nightlife.  Here’s a local’s guide to the Bay Area that will take you off the beaten tourist path.