Elissa Clemons from University of Detroit Mercy talks about how to sell yourself as an international student in the industry.

1. Selling
Yourself:
Interview
Strategies
for
the
Experienced
Interna6onal
Student
Elissa
Clemons,
University
of
Detroit
Mercy

2. Overview
• Learn
strategies
for
a
successful
job
search
▫ Resources
and
approaches
necessary
to:
▫ Find
Employment
and
get
a
job
offer
▫ Discussing
ImmigraEon
Status
– What
to
say
and
what
not
to
say?
• Confidently
discussing
the
experience
and
the
skills
you
posses.
• Tips
for
Interviewing
• Tips
for
Networking
• Take
Away

3. As
the
world
becomes
smaller
with
the
globalizaEon
of
markets,
the
number
of
internaEonal
students
on
campuses
has
increased
throughout
the
U.S.
today.

4. InternaEonal
students
seeking
employment
in
the
U.S.
have
unique
and
different
challenges.

5. Two
major
obstacles:
• Employment
restricEons
imposed
by
U.S.
immigraEon
regulaEons;
• Cultural
differences
that
may
affect
a
student’s
ability
to
successfully
present
his
or
her
qualificaEons
to
an
employer.

6. Employment
RestricEons:
• Understand
your
Visa
status
• Become
knowledgeable
on
CPT,
OPT
and
H1B
Visa
status

7. Employers’
hiring
preferences
relaEve
to
experience,
by
percent
of
respondents
Hiring
Preference
2013
2012
2011
I
prefer
to
hire
candidates
with
relevant
work
experience
70.1%
73.7%
72.4%
I
prefer
to
hire
candidates
with
any
type
of
work
experience
(doesn’t
maZer
if
it’s
relevant
or
not,
just
some
type
of
experience)
19.9%
17.5%
17.6%
Work
experience
doesn’t
typically
factor
into
my
decision
when
hiring
a
new
college
graduate
4.8%
5.1%
5.3%
Other
4.3%
4.6%
4.7%
Reprinted
from
Job
Outlook
2013,
with
permission
of
the
NaIonal
AssociaIon
of
Colleges
and
Employers,
copyright
holder.

8. Preparing
for
the
Job
Search
• Determine
your
short-­‐
and
long-­‐term
goals
▫ You
should
be
able
to
clearly
arEculate
your
career
goals
to
an
employer
• IdenEfy
PotenEal
Employers
▫ Which
employers
hire
for
pracEcal
training
experience
or
full-­‐Eme
employment
?
▫ Companies/organizaEons
with
exisEng
relaEonship
with
your
home
country

9. Skills
to
highlight
on
Resumes/Cover
LeZers
As
a
student
studying
abroad
you
have
a
variety
of
skills
employers
are
seeking:
• DeterminaEon,
• Resourcefulness,
• Flexibility,
• Intercultural
competency,
• The
ability
to
navigate
through
a
different
social
and
cultural
system,
etc.

10. AbiliIes
Employers
Seek
on
a
Resume
–
Job
Outlook
2015
AbiliIes
Percent
Leadership
77.8%
Ability
to
work
in
a
team
77.8%
CommunicaEon
skills
(wriZen)
70.9%
Problem-­‐Solving
skills
70.9%
Strong
work
Ethic
70.4%
AnalyEcal/quanEtaEve
skills
68.0%
Technical
skills
67.5%
CommunicaEon
skills
(verbal)
67.0%
IniEaEve
66.5%
Flexibility/adaptability
62.1%
Source:
Job
Outlook
2015,
NaEonal
AssociaEon
of
Colleges
and
Employers
AddiEonal
aZributes
visit
www.naceweb.org
/surveys/job-­‐
outlook.aspx
Data
for
the
Job
Outlook
2015
survey
was
collected
from
August
11,
2014
through
October
7,
2014.
A
total
of
260
surveys
were
returned
for
a
25%
response
rate.

11. Interviewing
Tips
As
an
internaEonal
student,
it
is
important
that
you
sell
your
unique
strengths
during
the
interview.
• Fluency
in
mulEple
languages
• Global/intercultural
competence
• Adaptability
and
flexibility
• Resourcefulness
• Willingness
and
ability
to
easily
relocate
(many
internaEonal
students
do
not
have
family
or
other
obligaEons
tying
them
down
to
a
geographic
area)

12. Language
Skills
and
H1B
Status
• Language
Skills
▫ Listening
and
speaking
skills
are
of
parEcular
importance
during
the
interview
process.
▫ Seek
out
opportuniEes
to
pracEce
your
English
language
skills
• H1B
Status
▫ Do
not
immediately
as
for
Sponsorship
▫ Employers
can
ask
“Are
you
eligible
to
legally
work
in
the
U.S.?”
▫ Do
not
let
your
visa
status
be
the
focus
of
the
interview.

13. Networking
Tips
It
is
omen
reported
that
60%
to
80%
of
all
employment
opportuniEes
are
developed
through
networking.
• What
is
Networking?
▫ Networking
is
connecEng
with
people
and
creaEng
relaEonships,
▫ an
effecEve
way
to
increase
your
chances
of
success
in
the
job
search;
▫
an
opportunity
to
learn
more
about
your
field
of
interest
and
various
occupaEons
within
it,
▫
as
well
as
specific
organizaEons,
which
may
help
you
in
choosing
a
career
path.

14. Take
Away
• Become
an
expert
on
the
Visa
and
HB1
process
• Follow-­‐up
with
your
career
services
and
InternaEonal
Services
office
on
your
campus!
• Start
your
job
search
early!
• IdenEfy
employers
who
have
hired
internaEonal
students
in
the
past!
• Be
confident
when
arEculaEng
your
experience!
• PracEce
your
English
language
skills!
• ParEcipate
in
pracEce
interviews!
• Work
with
the
career
services
office
on
your
campus!

15. QuesEons
&
Answers
• Make
an
appointment
to
speak
with
your
career
services
office
for
individualized
assistance!

16. Resources
• GoinGlobal
(check
with
your
career
services
office)
• My
Visa
Jobs
-­‐
hSp://www.myvisajobs.com/
• Career
Services
Office
at
your
insEtuEon
• InternaEonal
students
office
at
your
insEtuEon