International Students and Employment
Monday, December 8th, 2008Author Byline: Grace Kutney - Career development professional with 10 years of experience in career advising. Specializes in working with undergraduate students with little-to-no work experience. Special interest in working with international students, immigrant populations, parents transitioning back into the workforce.
Author Website: http://sweetcareers.blogspot.com
If you’re an international student hoping to work in the United States after completing your undergraduate degree, you have a few hurdles ahead of you. The way I see things, you have three major hurdles to overcome:
- Through coursework and practical experience, mastering the content knowledge required within your chosen field
- Becoming comfortable articulating your value to prospective employers and network contacts
- Employer’s willingness to hire international candidates
You have control over hurdles one and two, which in turn can have a positive impact on hurdle three.
Most of the international students with whom I have had the pleasure of working have had little to no trouble mastering the content knowledge within their field - they have typically excelled in their courses and, when given the opportunity, often stand out as interns or researchers. So, in terms of hurdles, the first one seems to be a less daunting one.
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