What jobs pay well and don't need a degree in the U.S.?
July 14, 2011 3:26 AM Subscribe
Please suggest possible jobs in the U.S. for a British person without a 4-year University degree, but who has A-levels and over 7 years of investigative, analytical, classified material, and management experience in the Police.
My boyfriend is thinking of moving to the U.S. on a marriage visa. He has A-levels, but no University degree. He's worked for over 7 years as a civil servant in the Ministry of Defence and Scotland Yard (Met Police) as an officer (and has been running his own staff for the past year).
In the U.S., he could not take jobs requiring citizenship until he resides there for 3 years (so govt jobs like police are out). He also cannot work as a Private Investigator in our state without 3 yrs of experience in the U.S. (so that's out). Overall he wants a non-menial job that's interesting and pays at least $40k.
We'd be grateful if anybody has ideas about how he can generate an income without a 4-year degree or citizenship (he will have a green card for the first 3 years). We're open to hearing from well-paid people in the trades (electrician etc). Please tell us how you got to where you are.
My boyfriend is thinking of moving to the U.S. on a marriage visa. He has A-levels, but no University degree. He's worked for over 7 years as a civil servant in the Ministry of Defence and Scotland Yard (Met Police) as an officer (and has been running his own staff for the past year).
In the U.S., he could not take jobs requiring citizenship until he resides there for 3 years (so govt jobs like police are out). He also cannot work as a Private Investigator in our state without 3 yrs of experience in the U.S. (so that's out). Overall he wants a non-menial job that's interesting and pays at least $40k.
We'd be grateful if anybody has ideas about how he can generate an income without a 4-year degree or citizenship (he will have a green card for the first 3 years). We're open to hearing from well-paid people in the trades (electrician etc). Please tell us how you got to where you are.
Where will you be living (city, state)? Did he have a particular focus or specialty as a police officer? Does he have any other relevant skills or hobbies?
posted by saladin at 4:12 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by saladin at 4:12 AM on July 14, 2011
Where in the US? Seems to me he has a lot of knowledge of the UK police/MoD that would come in handy if you need to liaise with the UK police/MoD. So... who in the US needs to do that? Banking, maybe? Security services?
posted by Leon at 4:28 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by Leon at 4:28 AM on July 14, 2011
I didn't have to be a citizen to get my current (government) job - I just had to have the legal right to work in the US. Do you know which city you'll be living in? Check the civil service regulations for all the jobs he's interested in; they say whether you have to be a citizen or not. Honestly, the lack of a degree is probably the bigger obstacle.
posted by SMPA at 5:24 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by SMPA at 5:24 AM on July 14, 2011
The military/paramilitary/police industrial complex in the US is huge. There are thousands of companies and non-government organizations that sell products and provide services to police departments at the local, state and federal level. That's where your BF should look for work.
posted by wutangclan at 9:44 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by wutangclan at 9:44 AM on July 14, 2011
Also, your BF should leverage his contacts back home. Someone there might know someone here who might be able to send a policing/security consulting contract his way.
Corruption at its best.
posted by wutangclan at 9:47 AM on July 14, 2011
Corruption at its best.
posted by wutangclan at 9:47 AM on July 14, 2011
Your boyfriend should consider looking for work with a private investigator. I have known several former police officers who, after a post-service employment gap, spent the requisite time getting investigative experience under the watch of a licensed investigator. Just because he does not qualify for his own license does not necessarily mean he can't do investigative work for someone else. That work could then be the basis for his own license down the road.
He should also look into mobile phone service providers, who might find someone with his background useful in their fraud department. The same also for insurance companies, and possibly also banks. Really, any industry targeted by criminals for fraud will have a fraud department which can find a use for his skills in a non-menial position.
I would suggest he avoid low-end guard or mall-cop jobs because those are menial. However, there are some private security firms catering to higher end clients that might be more interesting for someone with his background--they may pay better as well.
Nthing tapping the network to see if his network includes people who relocated to the U.S.
posted by Hylas at 11:10 AM on July 14, 2011
He should also look into mobile phone service providers, who might find someone with his background useful in their fraud department. The same also for insurance companies, and possibly also banks. Really, any industry targeted by criminals for fraud will have a fraud department which can find a use for his skills in a non-menial position.
I would suggest he avoid low-end guard or mall-cop jobs because those are menial. However, there are some private security firms catering to higher end clients that might be more interesting for someone with his background--they may pay better as well.
Nthing tapping the network to see if his network includes people who relocated to the U.S.
posted by Hylas at 11:10 AM on July 14, 2011
US airlines with operations in the EU/UK. Cargo airlines in particular. Sounds like he has the background they might find useful in their corporate HQ security department to liaise with their EU/UK based security operations.
posted by Carbolic at 12:36 PM on July 14, 2011
posted by Carbolic at 12:36 PM on July 14, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
However, if you have no education in the field, you will start out doing the difficult and menial parts of the job.
What about private security? Can he be a mall cop, or a bank guard, or something like that.
posted by Flood at 3:57 AM on July 14, 2011