Career Acceleration for Immigrants: Using Foreign Qualifications Effectively
Get your foreign credentials evaluated first. This single step opens doors faster than polishing a resume alone.
Evaluate Your Credentials Right Away
Contact a service that compares your degree to local standards. In the US, World Education Services handles most cases. In Canada, try the World Education Services or provincial bodies.
- Order an official evaluation of your diploma and transcripts.
- Include course descriptions if the first report feels light.
- Pay the fee and wait four to six weeks for results.
A nurse from the Philippines usually receives a report showing her BSN matches a US associate degree plus clinical hours. She can then apply for state licensing exams without starting over.
Map Your Experience to Local Job Titles
Employers scan for familiar terms. Rewrite your experience using the exact language in job postings.
| Your original title | Local equivalent | Example duty rewrite |
|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator, Mumbai | Project Manager | Led cross-functional teams of eight on software rollouts |
| Accountant, Lagos | Staff Accountant | Prepared monthly closes using IFRS and local tax rules |
Check three recent postings for the role you want. Pull the top skills listed and match them to your actual work. Drop anything that does not line up.
Prepare Documents and Follow Up
Keep a simple checklist so nothing slips through.
- Evaluation report (PDF)
- Updated resume with local titles
- LinkedIn profile that mirrors the resume
- Two references who can speak to your recent work
Send applications to ten targeted roles per week. After five days, send a short note to the hiring contact: “I submitted my materials for the analyst position and wanted to add that my evaluation confirms equivalence to a US bachelor’s degree.” Track replies in a spreadsheet so you know who received what.