This document provides information and advice for international students regarding job searches, resumes, and the H1B visa process in the United States. It discusses that the H1B visa allows temporary employment of foreign professionals in specialty occupations for up to 6 years, and is capped at 65,000 visas per year. The document then offers tips for international students to highlight their strengths, search for jobs through various online resources including networking on LinkedIn, and leverage their language skills and cultural knowledge. It provides guidance on creating a targeted resume that emphasizes relevance, accomplishments, and formatting considerations.

1. JOB SEARCHES &
RESUMES FOR
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
Erik Pavesic, MS, Career Counselor

2. The reality of the H1B
• The H1B is a non-immigrant visa which allows US employers to temporarily
employ foreign professionals in specialty occupations for three years, extendable
to six years.
• “Specialty occupations” include: architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical
sciences, social sciences, biotechnology, medicine and health, education, law,
accounting, and business specialties.
• In FY2015, 78% of H1B applications were approved—however, only 31% were for
“new employment”. 64.5% were for workers in computer-related occupations.
• The number of visas is capped annually to 65,000 with some exceptions. In 2016,
the H1B cap was reached within the first week of the filing period.

3. Understanding your Strengths
• In the United States, the job application process is a marketing/selling process
YOUARETHE PRODUCT
• Your resume will highlight key accomplishments that are relevant to your target
occupation/job
• Consider all of your knowledge, skills, and abilities; be creative and thoughtful
• Language proficiencies/Multi-linguist
• Regional/Cultural knowledge
• Do your research; think “outside the box”

4. Job Searches
• Meta-search Engines & Aggregators
• Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com,
• Additional general search engines
• Monster.com,CareerBuilder.com, Craigslist.com
• Specialty Searches
• JobsinNH.com, Idealist.org, HigherEdJobs.com,TeamWorkOnline.com,
• State/Federal Opportunities
• USAJobs.gov,CIA.gov, NH State Jobs
• MyVisaJobs.com – provides additional information on employment in the US

5. Networking
• In a survey of 3,000 people, 85% of respondents found their most recent job
through networking
• LinkedIn has a job search feature and a way to connect with thousands of
recruiters, staffing groups, and professionals

6. Language Proficiencies
• In the U.S. understanding and being able to converse in more than one language
can be an asset
• Consider searching using keywords like “translator” or “interpreter”
• Incorporate your language as part of a job keyword search (e.g. Arabic, Hindi,
Polish, French)
• Find different languages using the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) Map

7. Regional/Cultural Knowledge
• Your knowledge of your home country may be an asset you weren’t aware of
• Multinational Corporations (or worldwide enterprises) are organizations that own
or control the production of goods or services in one or more countries
• Do your research to find companies looking to expand and potentially become the
solution to their expansion problem

8. Keep building your knowledge
• Your background and your degree may not be enough to differentiate you so
consider additional ways to build your skill set
• Research relevant skills and technology for your future occupation
• Onetonline.org; Job descriptions
• Take a class or consider training opportunities
• Udemy.com; Coursera.com; edX.org; w3schools.com
• Watch a video tutorial online (e.g. youtube.com, Lynda.com)
• Think about adding any certificates of completion to your portfolio or LinkedIn profile

9. Resume
What a resume is…
• A targeted document that summarizes your fit and ability to do a specific job
What a resume is NOT…
• A full description of everything you have ever done in your entire life

10. Resume – Getting Started
• Name and contact information
• Education
• Include your degree information, institution, location (city, state), GPA (if 3.0+), relevant
coursework and projects
• Experience
• Include paid/unpaid, volunteer, and internships (CPT)
• Consider any student club/organization participation as well
• Skills, Proficiencies
• Languages, software, technology
• Awards/Recognitions

11. Resume – Differentiating
Keep in mind that a resume is a marketing piece (with you as the product). To help
sell yourself, keep in mind the following:
• Relevance
• Focus your content to the knowledge, skills, and abilities that the employer wants
• Use the job description to find keywords and phrases
• Accomplishment
• Showcase how you improved a process, outperformed your competitors, or made
something better through your work and skillset
• Scale/Quantity
• Numbers add dimension that help employers understand your capacity

12. Resume – Formatting
• Length
• Resumes are typically one to two pages; keep in mind that the employer will not look at
the second page if you do not have great content on the first page
• Keep word count to page down. 500 words/page is a good target amount
• Font
• Use a common, legible font in a size that does not strain the eyes (11pt or higher is
typically recommended
• Avoid use of italics, special characters, or text formatting beyond bold or underline
• Organization
• Place sections in a logical sequence, keeping your strongest and most relevant
information towards the top
• Use bullet points to allow for quick reading

13. Resume – Additional Considerations
• You will most likely have a different resume for each job you apply to
• Review the job description to understand their resume requirements and adhere
to them fully
• Federal positions have their own resume guidelines, and require additional
information not commonly presented (e.g. employer contact name, salary
information)

14. Resume –Things to Avoid
• In the US, do not include a photo of yourself
• Gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, or related information are not included
either

15. QUESTIONS?