10 life hacking for those planning to leave for the USA

His candid posts about the reasons for moving to America, the Kazakh mentality and a kind of reaction to the news feeds have long gained popularity among users of the treasury.

Photos from the personal archive of Timur Khan

In an interview for 365info Kazakh-American blogger Timur Khan shared his experience of moving to another country and told why ordinary workers in America sometimes find work faster than white-collar workers.

- Tell us about yourself: where were you born, in what city did you live and what did you do before the move?

- I was born and raised in the once greenest megalopolis of Kazakhstan - Almaty. He graduated from the #15 Linguistic Gymnasium, then entered the Faculty of International Relations at the Kazakh National University. al-Farabi.

Before moving to the United States, he taught students and pupils English, and also studied French. I love my hometown very much, so at the weekend I tried to visit the theater, go skating on Medeu at night, go to the mountains, and just walk along the streets of Almaty. In addition, every summer I went to the United States on a student exchange program, and was also an intern at the AIESEC program, under which I went to Poland, where I taught senior students in Krakow with students from other countries. After the internship, we arranged a Eurotour with the same guys. These were my best student years. After defending his diploma, he managed to work in state-owned companies.

- When did you move to America? How did you decide to leave?

- My stay in state structures was short. Realizing that social elevators do not work well in their home country, plus previous experience of traveling to the United States, when I could earn a regular lawnmower up to $ 150 per day, they made it clear that I would not be able to “build myself house, raise a son and plant a tree.

For me, the time was too expensive to spend it on work that did not like and did not adequately compensate for my efforts. So I went to the States.

Why exactly there? America is a country of immigrants, where, if desired, and persistence, you can quickly climb the social elevator. Yesterday you were a dishwasher, today you are already an assistant chef, and after a while you can become a chef or owner of your own restaurant. Or here is an example of a “white collar” - today you are a simple office employee, tomorrow you’re already an assistant accountant, and after that you have the chance to become a self-employed auditor with a license. All this, of course, is possible with proper education, increasing work experience in a particular area and diligence.

Photos from the personal archive of Timur Khan

—Is it difficult to change your habitual way of life? How was the adaptation to the new country?

- You know, to say that “straight is hard” - I will not say. But if you say that “everything from the first days was simple” - I also lied.

Of course, it was hard at the very beginning. I immediately realized that I would have to retrain in the USA, because our diploma is not recognized there. I entered CUNY, University of New York, on the specialty “Finance”.

It was hard, as literature, lectures - everything was in English. And even if I already had an excellent level of language, it was still not easy.

You know, one thing is when you come for a few months and return home, and another thing is when you are going on purpose, wanting to settle in another country. But people get used to everything, and living and studying in New York is the dream of millions of people. Therefore, even if I didn’t sleep at night reading books, I worked on weekends as a photographer at the Kodak Store in Chinatown, I saved everything, so that I could live until next month, I loved this new life and even had time to get acquainted with girls in Central Park and find somewhere money for going to the movies. It was a wonderful period in my life.

Photos from the personal archive of Timur Khan

- What difficulties did you encounter, and what was easy?

- The most difficult thing for me was that they did not eat and sell horse meat here and could not find beshbarmak anywhere. Just kidding Perhaps the only difficulty was to pay for a semester of study, to pay the rent of a room in Brooklyn in time, to hand over all the subjects in time and not fall asleep somewhere on the subway on the way home, which sometimes happened. For the rest, I think everything was easy. Special thanks for the support and my parents.

- How do the locals treat you?

- Positive. I have always found a common language with the locals, whether they are children of rich parents, immigrants from Latin America or ghetto guys.

You just need to treat with respect to other cultures and not to lift yourself over them

It also helps a sense of humor and the ability to put a person in place when necessary. I think everyone needs to take note of these two qualities.

- Name for you personally the biggest differences between Kazakhstan and America?

I think if I start to describe everything to the smallest detail, the time limit given to me by the time limit is not enough. But, perhaps, I would note that here you feel safer, you don’t fear the police, you trust them, here most of the population honors the law.

And yet ... this is already a hackneyed phrase on social networks, but here people smile more often. It may seem fake to you, you may like gloomy and gloomy faces more, but this is a fact - here people smile more often. Americans also appreciate the work. In the US, the population works more. There are a total of 10 federal holidays, which are officially a weekend ... Karl! 10 days a year! Forget about Nauryz and New Year.

There is another difference - in food. Our Kazakhstan food, well, anyway, tastier ..

Photos from the personal archive of Timur Khan

- Kazakhs have always been nomads, so traveling and trying yourself on a new zhaylau is not bad. I do not like to give advice - this is an ungrateful thing, and so far I do not consider myself to be the one who has reached such a level as to distribute them. However, if you give a small farewell, I would say:

1. Learn English day and night, no matter how well you know it. Coming here, you will still regret that you have devoted little time to learning.
2. Make yourself a driver's license if you do not have them yet.
3. Go to the dentist, oculist and all doctors before departure. It is expensive here without insurance.
4. Forget that in Kazakhstan you are a successful lawyer, restaurant manager or head of credit department. In 99% cases here you will have to re-prove your skills, often starting to work far from an office worker.
5. Take a multicurrency bank card with you, immediately upon arrival, open yourself an account in a US bank, do not carry a lot of cash with you.
6. Do not delay the search for work. Go to restaurants, read on the sites, look in the newspapers.
7. Strangely enough, but in the US, those who have Kazakhstani experience in service stations, restaurants, as a plumber or a builder, find jobs in these areas easier and get good money.
8. Upon arrival, decide the issue with the documents, if you decide to stay in the United States for a long time.
   If you are moving with your family, think a hundred times. It's one thing when you're a 25 –year old student, and another thing when you have a wife and a child. Make sure that savings for the first time is enough.
9. America does not wait with open arms, it is a fact. And yes, never listen to those who tell you that you will fail. Only petty and envious people can say that. The generous will always believe in you.
10. And the last. Always remember that according to your behavior, our country is being judged, so try to behave in a way that Kazakhstan is perceived positively.

Personally, my expectations were met. I worked in American companies in different states, gained experience. At the moment I work in e-commerce company as a financial manager in Miami, at the same time I opened my small online business and gradually develop it. I am young, full of energy, I have two diplomas and a good resume. So there are only plans to further conquer the peaks.

Photos from the personal archive of Timur Khan

- Are you going to return to Kazakhstan?

- Good question. I came back to see my family, friends, but at the moment my life is already here in the USA. I recently got married and plan to bring up children while here. Of course, for the summer we will take them to azhshkas and attacks. I want my children, in addition to English, to speak both Kazakh and Russian.

I think that we will return to Kazakhstan, but later, perhaps in order to work for the good of the country, incorporating the experience of Western corporations. But for this you need to become a specialist of the highest class. Returning there now, leaving everything halfway in the US, would be unwise. If we are to go home, then as they say, it is better “with a shield, and not on a shield, and in silver.”

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