International Student US Job Search

GlobalMe School
The International Student Job Search Package:
50% discount code: BUQ2019
6 webinars for every stage of the job search
● How to Get a Job in the US
● The Internship Checklist
● Networking and Informational Interviewing for International
Students
● Advanced Topics: How to Get Unstuck in Your Job Search
● How to Build an International Job Search Strategy
● Choose Your Own Global Career Adventure
3 company lists
● 300 companies that
sponsor H1B
● 200 companies that hire
OPT STEM
● 165 companies that hire
CPT interns

Goal: Get answers to the top three
questions in the international
student job search:
1. How do I ﬁnd companies that sponsor?
2. How do I stand out to employers?
3. How do I build connections?

To succeed in your US job search
you must learn how to search for
a job in the US.
5

What do US employers look for
in a candidate?

“The most common reason for rejecting applicants coming in at the
senior level, where an MBA graduate would typically aspire to start
within an organisation, is a lack of cultural ﬁt and an inability to solve
complicated problems. Soft skills, such as teamwork, are important
but they are not enough. The ideal candidate is someone we would
like to have long term, which means they have to really want to work
at Expedia.”
Financial Times - What employers want from MBA graduates — and
what they don’t

The US job search is a game of
persuasion.
You must show employers you
have the right skills for the job.

Think about the industry you
want to work in after graduation.
What are the that get
you hired in that industry?

Source: GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey 2019

During the US job search you
must
employers you have the right skills for the
job.
employers that you are the right
person for the role.

How does this compare to your
home country?

Create a
resume
Apply to jobs Get JobInterview
What students think the job search looks
like

www.internationalstudentcareers.comLearn the visa
rules
Build a target
list
Hang out with
Americans
Talk about your
career
interests
Get practical
experience
Find an inside
connection
Mock
interview
Interview
Set up
keyword alerts
Create a
professional story
Customize your
documents
Negotiate
Research
roles
Conﬁrm company
sponsors
Talk to
alumni
What it actually looks like

rules
Build a target
list
Hang out with
Americans
Talk about your
career
interests
Get practical
experience
Find an inside
connection
Mock
interview
Interview
Set up
keyword alerts
Create a
professional story
Customize your
documents
Negotiate
Research
roles
Conﬁrm company
sponsors
Talk to
alumni
Today’s focus

Navigating work
authorization issues

Quick visa overview
● CPT - Internship authorization
● OPT - 1 year work authorization
● OPT STEM - 1 year + 2 additional for
graduates in a STEM ﬁeld (Not MBA)
● H-1B - 3 year work authorization with
option to extend another 3 years
22

US employers don’t want to hire people
for one year.
Few international students ﬁnd a job
for one year on OPT.
23

To get hired in the US you must ﬁnd a
company who will sponsor your long
term H-1B work authorization.

H1B Need to Know
You can’t apply for H-1B; a company must apply
for H-1B your behalf.
H-1B visas are given to specialized workers, i.e. a
role the employer can’t ﬁnd Americans to do
There are a limited amount of H-1B visas
available.
H-1B is allocated by lottery. 25

85,000
Total number of H-1B visas offered by the US government
201,011
The total number of H-1B applications received for 2020
H1B visa allocation data 2019

Find a
company
that
sponsors
Get hired
Hope gov’t
doesn’t
deny the
application
Get
selected in
H-1B lottery

Find a
company
that
sponsors
Get hired
Hope gov’t
doesn’t
deny the
application
Get
selected in
H-1B lottery
Denials for H-1B visa applicants increased from 6% to 24% between fiscal years 2015 and
2018. Through the first half of fiscal year 2019, USCIS denied 33% of initial H-1B visa
applications, data shows.

➔ Sponsorship is determined by position, not company
➔ Sponsorship is given to candidates who solve a business
problem
➔ Sponsorship is for specialized work that the company can’t
ﬁnd Americans to do

Companies sponsor
specialized workers
33

Specialized
workers
➔ Strategy/
management
experience
➔ Language skills
➔ Technical skills
➔ International
experience
34

Not
specialized
➔ No tech/data/
analysis skills
➔ Not MBA level
➔ No
int’l/language
skills required
35

It will take between 3 - 9 months to get a job in
the US as an international student.
The time it takes depends on:
Your communication skills
Your ability to build and engage a new network
Your knowledge of US opportunities
Your prior experience with American business
culture
Your ability to adapt to US business culture

Expect to spend 10 - 15 hours a week
on your US job search.

You are at the beginning of
your global career.
Be curious about where it
might take you.

www.internationalstudentcareers.comIdentify cities with
international
population/companies
Learn the visa
rules
Find
connections
on campus
Connect with
recruiters from
companies
Learn the
hiring
timelines
Visit the
country
Mock
interview
Virtual Interview
Set up
keyword alerts
Learn how to get
hired in your
target country
Customize your
documents
Negotiate
Research
opportunities
Make a target list
Build
relationships
The International Job Search

➔ Explore Canada’s Global Skills Visa for tech workers
➔ Target global startup ecosystems
➔ Research rotational programs at large corporations
➔ Target cutting edge industries especially in ﬁntech, cybersecurity,
and artiﬁcial intelligence
➔ Build relationships with recruiters abroad using contacts made in
the US
➔ Get to know your classmates from countries that interest you
➔ Take a trip to meet alumni in your target country

Make time for global curiosity.
Dedicate 10% of your job
search to monitoring
opportunities in another
country.

Research and
Preparation
Interviewing
Application
Networking and
Relationship
Building

Research and
preparation
Networking and
relationship building
Interviewing
Application
● Creating resumes, cover
letters, Linkedin proﬁles
● Building a target list of
companies
● Finding companies that
sponsor
● Information gathering
● Researching roles
● Building a professional
story
● Writing emails to recruiters,
alumni
● Conducting informational
Interviews
● Engaging with people at events,
conferences
● Volunteering on projects or events
● Following up with people you
meet, recruiters
● Talking to recruiters or hiring
managers at career fairs
● Answering behavioral-style
interview questions
● Sharing your opinion
● Telling your professional
story
● Articulating why you want to
work for the company and
what value you add
● Submitting resume via
email to company
● Applying on company
website

Research and
preparation
Networking and
relationship building
Interviewing
● Creating resumes, cover
letters, Linkedin proﬁles
● Building a target list of
companies
● Finding companies that
sponsor
● Researching roles
● Information gathering
● Building a professional
story
● Writing emails to recruiters,
alumni
● Conducting informational
Interviews
● Engaging with people at events,
conferences
● Volunteering on projects or events
● Following up with people you
meet, recruiters
● Talking to recruiters or hiring
managers at career fairs
● Answering behavioral-style
interview questions
● Sharing your opinion
● Telling your professional
story
● Articulating why you want to
work for the company and
what value you add
Application
Research
● Submitting resume via
email to company
● Applying on company
website

➔ Visa Databases (myvisajobs.com or h1binfo.data)
➔ Payscale Research
➔ Tracking Spreadsheet
➔ LinkedIn

There is no easy way to ﬁnd
companies that sponsor H1B.
It takes a combination of
research and investigative
skills to ﬁnd H1B companies.

Remember: companies decide to sponsor H1B at the job level. Just because
a company sponsors doesn’t mean it sponsors for all jobs!
myvisajobs.com h1bdata.info
Data from USCIS Data from USCIS
Includes Greencard data Does not include Greencard data
Hard to navigate Easy to navigate
No ads Invasive ads

➔ Ask your career services for a list of companies that sponsor and/or a list
international student alumni working in the US
➔ Use LinkedIn alumni tool to ﬁnd former international students from your
school who are working in the US
➔ Target organizations like universities, nonproﬁts, and hospitals; they don’t
have to go through the H-1B lottery
➔ Visit career websites of other schools to identify companies that sponsored
international students
➔ Look for companies who have international teams and locations
➔ Target companies in popular H-1B states

You must differentiate yourself
from the competition to get
sponsored.
What do you offer an employer
that other candidates don’t
offer?

“During some self-reflection in grad school, I realized that my resume
was weak in applied control theory. So I built a quadcopter from scratch,
programmed an Arduino with a controller, tested the system, and flew it.
It didn’t fly very gracefully, but it cemented classroom concepts in reality.
From a hiring perspective, it also showed that I was willing to seek out
knowledge in areas I knew needed work. This is an absolute requirement
to work at SpaceX (or anywhere IMO).”
- Grad student who interned at Space X

➔ Be a knowledge resource by reading and sharing industry news
➔ Write persuasive cover letters (some employers actually read them)
➔ Create a website that shows your experience, goals, beyond the resume
➔ Produce content that shows off your knowledge and experience (YouTube videos,
Twitter engagement, LinkedIn sharing and interactions)
➔ Tell an engaging professional story
➔ Connect people to interesting information and other people
➔ Lead or host events
➔ Build contacts inside companies who will advocate for you
➔ Learn about companies needs, products, challenges, and opportunities
➔ Talk to recruiters about their openings

What do you oﬀer an employer
that other candidates don’t
oﬀer?
If you don’t know this answer,
you are not ready to apply for a
job or be sponsored.

You aren’t here to learn how to
submit resumes online.

rules
Build a target
list
Hang out with
Americans
Talk about your
career
interests
Get practical
experience
Find an inside
connection
Mock
interview
Interview
Set up
keyword alerts
Create a
professional story
Customize your
documents
Negotiate
Research
roles
Conﬁrm company
sponsors
Talk to
alumni
People engagement is part of your job search

rules
Build a target
list
Hang out with
Americans
Talk about your
career
interests
Get practical
experience
Find an inside
connection
Mock
interview
Interview
Set up
keyword alerts
Create a
professional story
Customize your
documents
Negotiate
Research
roles
Conﬁrm company
sponsors
Talk to
alumni
You’re here to learn how to build relationships

You need to
establish
professional
relationships
people on the
inside of
companies to
help you get
noticed.

Employee Referral Situation #1
➔ Students notiﬁes contact that
they intend to apply to open
positions
➔ Contact forwards resume to hiring
manager/recruiter as a trusted
referral
Apply
online

Employee Referral: Situation #2
➔ Contact tells students about opportunity
➔ Student applies for open role
➔ Contact shares student’s name/resume with hiring
manager/recruiter
Apply
online

Employee referrals are a preferred
recruiting method by companies

Employees have a ﬁnancial incentive to
refer qualiﬁed people they know

Networking creates
opportunities to build
relationships with people inside
of companies where you want to
work so you can be referred

To make connections, you need
conversational skills.

To make connections, you need
conversational skills. to talk to people in
your job search

➔ 1st year peers
➔ 2nd year students
➔ Students from other departments
➔ MBA students from other schools
➔ Faculty
➔ Career services staff
➔ Alumni who come to campus
➔ Alumni who are working in companies that interest you
➔ Founders
➔ Hiring managers
➔ Recruiters
➔ Conference speakers
➔ Former colleagues and bosses

To succeed in your US job search you
must become a conversational
chameleon.

➔ Talking about your job interests to strangers
➔ Talking to faculty about their expertise and asking for career advice
➔ Conducting informational interviews with alumni
➔ Making the “ask” in informational interviews
➔ Going to conferences to talk to people in your industry of interest
➔ Speaking to recruiters from companies who come to campus
➔ Talking to alumni at events to get insider information
➔ Connecting people who have a shared interest
➔ Giving advice or helping on a project
➔ Behavioral interviews where you convince employers you are the best candidate for the job

Networking is critical to your
job search success at this level
of recruiting.

Networking is about information.

Networking is about relationships.

Networking is about standing out.

Networking is about relationships,
not expecting a job.

1. Networking in groups
2. Networking with recruiters
3. Networking with alumni and
interesting professionals

Weather
Work
Weekend
+ Travel/Trafﬁc
+ Sports
+ Food (at events)

Before making connections, you need
to clarify your professional interests and
goals.
You need to be able to communicate
your professional interests to new
people.
You need a professional story.

➔ I’m curious about…
➔ I’m interested in…
➔ I’m studying (subject) because I want to learn ...
➔ I chose to study at Questrom because …
➔ I want to work in (industry) because ...

Past
What were you doing before you came to school here?
Where did you work, what type of work did you do, what were you responsible for?
Present
What will you study while you’re here?
Future
What type of company do you want to work at after graduation?
What type of job do you want? What industry do you want to work in? Why?

Now put it together and share it.

rules
Build a target
list
Hang out with
Americans
Talk about your
career
interests
Get practical
experience
Find an inside
connection
Mock
interview
Interview
Set up
keyword alerts
Create a
professional story
Customize your
documents
Negotiate
Research
roles
Conﬁrm company
sponsors
Talk to
alumni
Informational interviews

“An Informational Interview is a meeting in which a potential job
seeker seeks advice on their career, the industry, and the
corporate culture of a potential future workplace, while an
employed professional learns about the job seeker and judges their
professional potential and ﬁt to the corporate culture, so building
their candidate pool for future hires.”
Source: Wikipedia

Translation
A conversation between a job seeker and an employee so they can
get to know one another with the idea that the job seeker will be a
good ﬁt when an opportunity is available. Both parties know the job
seeker wants a job.

Informational interviews are NOT
behavioral interviews
Informational interviews Behavioral interviews
Tool for networking Required part of the hiring process
Conversation is driven by student Conversation is driven by employer
Student asks contact for time to chat Employer asks student for time to
chat
Learning experience Evaulation experience
Performance doesn’t determine
whether or not will get a job
Performance determines whether or
not you will get the job

To get a referral you must build
professional relationships with people
inside of companies.
People need to get to know you so they can
advocate for you.

Informational interviewing helps you
build professional relationships.
However, informational interviewing is
ambiguous. It is not a direct path to a job.

Informational interviews are not
the place to ask for a job.
People will let you know about a job
if they like you and there is an opportunity
that ﬁts your background.

Informational interviews make you a
more competitive candidate.

Informational interview goals
➔ Build relationships with company insiders
➔ Gather data to make you more competitive
➔ Learn more about the organization and industry
➔ Make a favorable impression
➔ Ensure the person you’re talking with knows your career
interests
➔ Share your passion and enthusiasm

www.internationalstudentcareers.com
www.internationalstudentcareers.com
Research Outreach Engage Close Thank
Use LinkedIn, go to
events, or follow up
with people that
you’ve recently met
to make a list of
people who you
might speak to.
Email contacts or send a
LinkedIn message to ask
for a time to talk. The goal
is to learn about their
background and
experience in their
industry/role.
Engage in a discussion
about that person’s
background and
experience in the
industry. Share your
professional story, ask
interesting questions.
Some students talk to over 100 people in the US
job search. Keep a list or tracking spreadsheet to
stay organized.
Send a thank
you note
Ask for time
Add interesting people to
your tracking spreadsheet
End the conversation
with an ASK
Find
interesting
people
Ask your curious
questions
Email your contact to
thank them. Tell them
what you learned from
the conversation.. This
record of your
conversation will be
useful in the future.
The Informational Interview Process
Prepare curious questions
Write down questions that you
want to ask contacts based on
their background. What would
you like to learn from them? What
would you like them to know
about you?
Ask for ﬁnal advice and remind
your contact to keep you in mind if
there is an opportunity that is a ﬁt
for your background.

RESEARCH
➔ People at companies that interest you
➔ People working in the industry that interests you
➔ People working in a department/role that interests you
➔ Recent alumni (<5 years graduated) at companies that interest you
➔ International student alumni working in the US

OUTREACH
➔ Use LinkedIn or ﬁnd email address on company website
➔ Keep your message short
➔ Use templates
➔ Don’t send resumes
➔ Be clear about what you want

COMMUNICATE
WELL
➔ Keep your message short
➔ Don’t send your resume
➔ Make an actionable request

Dear Mrs. Johnson,
I hope this email finds you well. I am a student at (university) where I am studying computer
science. I am originally from (country) and moved to the US to pursue my academic studies. I
have a 4.0 GPA and am very active in many clubs on campus. This April I was part of a hackathon
at our university. Our team took third place in the competition. We built an app that connects
students to blockchain investment opportunities. We received high praise for our app and
perhaps will work on it beyond our studies. However, I am in my last term of school, so I am
focused on finding opportunities for work in the US. I am interested in any positions that require a
computer science degree. It is not easy for international students to find work in the US due to the
H1B visa.
I found your LinkedIn profile and noticed that you work at (company name). I have always wanted
to work at (company.) I would like to inquire about opportunities at (company). I have attached my
resume for your review. If you have any advice about my resume I appreciate your feedback.
Looking forward to your response. Thank you kindly your time.
Thank you,

Dear Mrs. Johnson, Too formal. Use: Hello or Hi (but not Hey), with first name.
I hope this email finds you well. I am a student at (university) where I am studying computer science. I am
originally from (country) and moved to the US to pursue my academic studies. I have a 4.0 GPA and am
very active in many clubs on campus. This April I was part of a hackathon at our university. Our team took
third place in the competition. We built an app that connects students to blockchain investment
opportunities. We received high praise for our app and perhaps will work on it beyond our studies. Too
much detail. However, I am in my last term of school, so I am focused on finding opportunities for work in
the US. Unnecessary information. I am interested in any positions that require a computer science degree.
Not specific enough is not easy for international students to find work in the US due to the H1B visa.
Unnecessary information
I found your LinkedIn profile and noticed that you work at (company name). I have always wanted to work
at (company.) I would like to inquire about opportunities at (company). Do not inquire about opportunities.
Put the focus on the person, not the company. I have attached my resume for your review. If you have any
advice about my resume I appreciate your feedback. Don’t attach a resume or ask for a review.
Looking forward to your response. Student has not asked for anything.
Thank you,

Hi Jennifer,
My name is (your name here), and I’m a student at (university) studying (subject). I saw your
background on LinkedIn and was impressed by (name something you were impressed by). When I
graduate I hope to become an software engineer like you.
I’d like to learn more about your career path and would like to ask a few questions about how you
have succeeded in your ﬁeld. Would you be available for a 20 minute phone call in the next week?
Thank you in advance for your time,
(your name!)
(your LinkedIn proﬁle link)

Action time.
Find someone you don’t know. Conduct a 5 minute info
interview.
➔ Introduce yourself (name, where you’re from)
➔ Tell your professional story.
➔ Ask 3 questions about their professional experience
➔ Thank them for their time

Goal: Learn about a person’s previous work experience before coming to
Questrom
Introduce yourself. Then ask questions:
How did you get your last job?
What was the biggest challenge you had in your last job?
What were the most valuable skills to succeed in your last position?
Which companies in your home country are considered innovative?
What advice do you have for me if I were to search for a job in your home
country?

Each week reach out to 5
people
Apply to 3 new jobs
Conduct 1 informational
interview

International Student US Job Search

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