International Student Career Day


  • Are you hoping to find a job in the U.S. after you graduate? 
  • How does your immigration status affect you or limit your job search in the U.S. market? 
  • Are you considering graduate school in the U.S.? 
  • How should you even begin looking?  What do you need to know? 
  • Whom can you talk to help you with this process?

Finding a job in the U.S. may be attractive but can be a daunting task. As an international student and largely in part of your immigration status many questions do arise and complicate the job search process.

International Student Career Day has been specifically designed with you and your concerns in mind. Many workshops, presentations and opportunities are scheduled to simplify your decision, and your job search.

 

Visa & Immigration Restrictions

The good news is that:

- as a F-1 visa holder you can rely on your OPT (Optional Practical Training) to gain actual employment experience in your chosen profession for a maximum of one year. 

- as a J-1 visa holder you are eligible for an aggregate of 18 months of "academic training" or employment.

However, the time restriction is often times not long enough to be granted employment in the first place. Furthermore, what happens if you choose to take this one year in shorter increments during summer vacations to give you the necessary skills to gain a job after you graduate?

 

Cultural Differences

The immigration and visa restriction while being a big factor is not the only complication that an international student may face when looking for a job in the U.S. Cultural nuances, while easily overlooked, can impact how a candidate is evaluated by an employer. Many countries such as: Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Germany, and Mexico a candidate is expected to submit a photo of himself or herself along with his or her resume. In both Japan and France the resume and cover letter must be handwritten as the handwriting is used by the employer to analyze how his or her handwriting reflects on his or her personality. Handwriting a resume or cover letter and submitting photos of yourself is unheard of in the U.S. and it is against the law. Knowing what type of information to include in your resume and how to convey it will either land you the job that you are applying for or not.

 

Why?

The International Student Career Day was first implemented in January 2005 after a few international students approached the International Student and Scholar Services administrators expressing their frustration with the job search process, and wanting more support. The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and the Career and Acaddemic Planning office have now worked hand in hand to organize this annual one-day program. During the evaluation of the second International Career Day, the planning committee decided to expand this program to a week (and therefore call it : international Career Week) as opposed to a day, to give more students the opportunity to attend all of the different sessions and presentations offered during this program. More importantly, this change came about, to allow potential employers, and more international alumni to come on campus to answer international students' questions and concerns and to even interview them for potential positions within their firms/companies.