Enhancing Your U.S. Job Search for International Students, Part 1
This is the first post in a two-part series dealing with international students in the U.S. job market.
I’m not going to sugarcoat this. It is much harder for international students to land a job or internship in the U.S. than it is for American citizens. You have so many more challenges—visa issues, cultural differences, language barriers, differences in U.S. job search norms, and some anti-foreigner prejudices. Difficult yes. Impossible no.
As an international student, you have a lot to offer—your ability to adapt to new and challenging situations; resiliency and resourcefulness; motivation; maturity; the experience of living in different countries; a strong work ethic; multi-language abilities; and your own unique set of skills, talents, and abilities. These are traits that are valued by employers.
I can’t guarantee success, but if you consider and take action on the following 5 elements, your chances to succeed will be greatly enhanced.
5 Points to Succeed in Your U.S. Job Search
1. Expect Different Culture, Customs, and Job Search Norms
In the U.S., we probably do many things differently than the way it’s done in your home country. It’s not necessarily better, but it’s different, and in order to succeed here, you need to adapt to U.S. job search norms. There are so many differences that I can’t list all of them, but over many years of working with International Students I’ve found the following to be the most problematical for international students.
Self-Promotion
In some cultures, self-promotion is considered to be immodest and boastful. Here, it is expected as long as it’s honest, introspective, and objective. If you don’t promote yourself in networking situations, your resume and cover letter, and in a job interview, no one can do it for you.
Small-talk, Humor, and Inappropriate Words or Terms
In a networking situation or at the beginning of a job interview, some small talk is usually expected in order to break the ice and get the conversation going. Safe topics are the weather, sports, where you’re from, travel, and how you handled the pandemic. Topics to stay away from include politics, religion, and vaccination beliefs.
Humor is very tricky. When handled well, it can be quite charming. However, humor can be risky. What is funny varies from culture to culture, and well-meaning attempts can be misinterpreted and blow up in your face. I say, stay away from humor with people who you do not know.
It’s quite difficult to know what to call someone or what words or terms might be offensive. For instance, referring to a woman as a girl is definitely offensive. In person, you might be given a hint on how to address someone by how they introduce themselves—like “Hi, I’m Professor _______.” I for instance, always ask students to call me by my first name. But when in doubt, err on the side of being more formal. In a formal e-mail or correspondence, you might not know whether to use Mr. or Ms., so a safe way around that is to use Dear their first name and last name.
Age, Gender, Religion, Racial and Ethnic Group, Marital Status
The employment related Civil Rights Laws of the 1960s were aimed at reducing discrimination in the hiring process by forbidding employers from accessing information about the above categories that could be used to discriminate against job candidates. On your resume, cover letter, or in a job interview, never willingly provide any information about these categories. Never put a picture on your resume. The exception to this is LinkedIn as a LinkedIn profile is not considered to be a job application document.
Changing Norms
In career advising, we used to put a lot of emphasis on issues like eye contact, the handshake, and dress codes. A lot of this has changed because of COVID. Since most job interviews, career fairs, and other networking situations are now online, eye contact is no longer that important. While it is possible to approximate eye contact by looking at the camera instead of the screen, it is difficult to do and is no longer expected as long as you aren’t constantly looking down. The strong, firm American handshake probably won’t come back even in in-person situations. Neat, business casual clothing is now appropriate for online interviewing situations rather than formal attire.
So, besides what I have written, how do you know what is appropriate and how do you learn it?
I wish I could point you to a book or a source, but if they do exist, they are most probably out of date. As I just illustrated norms are constantly changing and the best way to learn is to watch, listen, and ask questions.
The CP&PD office offers a monthly online group for all GC international students. If you are interested, register through our events page. Make sure to fill out the survey when registering to let us know what topics you would like to cover.
2. Networking Is Vital
Did you know that according to surveys, 70-80% of jobs in the U.S. are attained through some form of networking that result in referrals and recommendations rather than just applying cold online?
This may be a major difference between here and your home country. It is probably not a very democratic way of doing things, but that’s the way it works. Employers usually covet internal referrals because it helps reduce the pile of applicant resumes, and no one will put themselves out on a limb by recommending someone unless they believe in the candidate. There is a hidden job market of jobs that are filled without being posted, and networking gives you access to those jobs. You might be able to get a job by applying cold online (after all, 20-30% do), but it significantly enhances your chances to land an interview if there is some form of networking in your job search strategy.
There are many forms of networking, but I think the very best one for international students is the informational interview. This involves reaching out to someone who is doing the type of job or working in the type of company that you are interested in. You actually ask questions like: How did you go about your job search? What types of skills are valued among candidates? Can you talk me through a typical day? What do you like/dislike about you job? Is there anyone else that you think I should speak to? Through this method, you are gaining valuable insider information, and you are also creating contacts with people who can help you right now or further down the line.
Informational interviewing might sound strange to you because it is pretty much done only in the U.S. and Canada. I know what the hesitations are: How can I reach out to a stranger—it’s impolite? Why would someone want to talk to me? First of all, it’s very acceptable here, and it’s done all the time. More senior people are often willing to help someone a bit more junior. Possibly, someone helped them in a similar way. Also, people love to talk about themselves, and you are giving them that opportunity. If you have hesitations, start with someone you know or try to identify someone from a similar background to you or a graduate of the Graduate Center or another CUNY school. The worst that can happen is that someone won’t answer or say that they don’t have the time or that they’re not the right person. Just try one. After the first time, it becomes much easier, and it is an interesting and effective way of looking for a job.
To learn more about building and growing a professional network, see our list of past webinars.
3. Improve Your English
I used to do career advising with immigrants from Russia, and the single biggest predictor of their success was how well they learned English. It was very easy to live in a Russian speaking neighborhood, read books and newspapers in Russian, and watch Russian cable TV channels. Unfortunately, the people that did that were only employable in the Russian community.
Obviously, you will need to have well-written resumes and cover letter without any spelling or grammatical errors, and you will need to express yourself well in job interviews. My advice is to make a conscious effort to improve your English. Write down words you don’t know and look them up. Look at doing class presentations as an opportunity to improve your English rather than a frightening chore. Use the GC Writing Center to improve your writing. Do a mock interview with us at the Office of Career Planning & Professional Development. Conduct informational interviews. My daughter, who was not a native English speaker, learned English from watching Full House on TV, listening to the dialogue while reading the subtitles in her native language. While I’m not suggesting that you have to follow the antics of Danny Tanner and the Olson twins in order learn English, what I am saying is that you probably know what ways you learn best and keep at it.
4. Know Your Visa
Don’t assume that a prospective employer knows about OPT, CPT, and Sponsorship. While large well-established employers and universities most likely know the process, you might have to demystify it for smaller employers and start-ups. Also, don’t assume that if you land an unpaid internship that you won’t have to use your OPT. Ask about the company policy. (You can do volunteer work without using OPT.) For any visa issues, you have a wonderful service at your disposal at the GC, the Office of International Students.
5. Research Your Field, Join Your Professional Association, Read Job Descriptions, & Attend Career Fairs
Do as much online research as possible on your prospective field. Besides googling, there is also a very useful Department of Labor website, CareerOneStop, as well as Glassdoor. The appropriate professional association for your field provides a tremendous source of information as well as myriad networking opportunities. Reading job descriptions on GC Connect or general or specialty job boards gives you great insight as to what employers are looking for and whether there are any skills gaps that you need to address. Attend online career fairs not only to look for jobs, but also to practice your English and your networking skills.
Enhancing Your U.S. Job Search for International Students, Part 2
This is the second post in our two-part series on enhancing the U.S. job search for international students.
In my last post, I reviewed important aspects of the job search for international students, including cultural norms, networking, expanding your knowledge, and researching opportunities. This week, we cover 5 more important tips, including interviewing, negotiating, and strategizing.
5 More Points to Succeed in Your U.S. Job Search
1. Do Practice Interviews at our Office (Especially If You Haven’t Had a Job Interview in the U.S. Before)
I can guarantee that doing a practice (mock) interview with one of our career advisers will reduce the stress of an actual interview and significantly improve your performance. One tip for international students: if during an interview, particularly on the phone, you didn’t hear or didn’t understand the question, ask the interviewer to repeat or clarify. It’s much better than trying to guess at what they said.
2. It Is Not Impolite to Negotiate a Job Offer
When you are so happy to get a job offer, there is always a temptation to accept on the spot. Don’t do it!
After receiving the written offer, you will be given some time to ask questions, get clarifications, and possibly negotiate for better salary and conditions. After you receive a job offer, a negotiation process is often expected, particularly in the private sector. In fact, it is a really good opportunity because, with the offer, they have shown they really want you and they would rather not open up the hiring process again. In other areas like nonprofits or higher education administration, there may be less of a possibility to negotiate.
It is not impolite to negotiate, but it should be done in a polite manner and should not become a long, drawn-out process. You might be negotiating vacation days, working from home, and relocation expenses, but first and foremost you will probably be negotiating about salary, and you need to be prepared by knowing what is the expected salary level for this position in this company or industry. There are resources such as Salary.com or Glassdoor that can help you, but the best way is to find out from insiders, people who work in the industry. There is a cultural sensitivity in the U.S. about asking people to reveal their salaries, but you could tell them your offer and ask whether they think it’s fair.
3. Be Wary of Job Search Scams
Last fall, there was a spate of job search scams, preying on students who, because of the pandemic, were more desperate and therefore more susceptible. First of all, don’t assume that because a posting is on a reputable job board that it’s automatically legitimate. There are thousands of postings and not all of them are vetted.
Here are some identifying characteristics of job search scams:
You are emailed about a job posting that claims to have gotten your information and a recommendation from a specific CUNY professor or a career center. (A number of CUNY professors were hacked last fall!)
You are being asked for sensitive personal information or they are giving you instructions to use your personal bank account that they say will be reimbursed. Never make a check deposit to your personal account at the request of an “employer.”
They are immediately focusing on how much money you will make.
You are being offered a position without an interview process.
They are using a generic email address, not from a company domain; the website looks fake or minimalist; or there are spelling errors and it looks unprofessional.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
I want to add a note about independent recruiters who may contact you through LinkedIn. Most of them are legitimate and may have ties to companies you are interested in. Legitimate recruiters receive a fee from those companies. If any recruiter asks you for money, though, it’s a scam. The best way to work with recruiters is through recommendations that you’ve gotten from others.
Another borderline scam is as part of a company recruitment process, i.e., you are being asked to complete a complicated and time-consuming project. That may be a way of getting free work out of talented students.
If you have any doubts, contact our office. Don’t act hastily or rashly. Better safe than sorry.
4. Develop an International Job Search Strategy and a Plan B
Not to be a downer or a smasher of dreams, but you have to realistically consider that you might not land a job that allows you to stay in the U.S. Develop a back-up plan that might streamline your job search back home by working or interning for an organization here that also exists in your home country. Also, consider other countries. Canada, for instance, our friendly neighbor to the north is much more open to granting work visas to skilled international students than the United States.
5. Follow and Utilize the Office of Career Planning and Professional Development
In this blog post (and the last), I could not address every problem or situation that you will encounter in your job search process. That’s why one-on-one, individual career advising is so important. Do make an appointment with one of our career advisers to review your job search documents, develop an individual job search strategy, and do a mock interview. Take a look at our library of past webinars and podcasts and watch the ones that are appropriate for you. Sign up for our mailing list so that you can stay current with our programming including new webinars and podcasts, panel discussions, workshops, and employer information sessions.
And as I mentioned in the previous post, this year we are hosting a monthly online group for all GC international students. If you are interested, register through our events page, and don’t forget to fill out the survey when registering to let us know what topics you would like to see covered.