Our first job in America was at a restaurant. We worked as bussers. After a short time in the States, we realized we wanted to get a second job. And we managed to do it very quickly.
After scrolling through the popular classifieds site craiglist.org, I found vacancies at Dunkin’ Donuts. I immediately messaged the employer, and we arranged a meeting in just 3 days. After meeting and discussing all the details, we agreed that she would soon send an application to InterExchange, and then we would need to confirm the job offer there. Having completed all the formalities and received approval from the InterExchange program sponsor, we started working a week later. Our position was called crew member. In the final version, after completing training, our duties included: making coffee and sandwiches, taking and serving orders, working the cash register, and keeping the workplace clean and tidy. The hourly rate was $12 per hour. By the way, this was the minimum wage in the state of Massachusetts for 2019, meaning employers do not have the right to set a rate lower than $12, but they can set it higher :)
*ADVICE FOR FUTURE PARTICIPANTS: if you have chosen the Self-arranged program and you have to choose a job, try to rely on states with a minimum wage of $11-12$, because after taxes, the "net" salary will be $9.8-10.8$. Among the states with the highest minimum wages are: Massachusetts, Arizona, Maine, Washington, Oregon, New York (but keep in mind that housing in NY is not the cheapest either), Colorado, California. The lowest minimum wages in America are in the state of Georgia ($5.1 per hour) and Wyoming ($5.15 per hour).
