International Student Job Search Strategies

1. International Student Job Search Strategies Career Opportunities Center career.mst.edu ~ career@mst.edu ~ (573) 341 - 4343 #20 in the Nation (2008):Best Career/Job Placement Services

2. Agenda Obstacles to Getting Hired Overcoming Obstacles Meeting/Targeting Companies Résumé Issues Interviewing Resources

3. Obstacles to Getting Hired Why might some companies prefer to hire citizens? Process is more complicated; less familiar May cost more money than hiring a citizen More time consuming May have concern about effective communication with customers and co-workers Fear they may lose their investment in time, money and training

4. Obstacles to Getting Hired Why do companies hire international students? Need for bi-lingual or multi-cultural employees Desire to hire the best candidates regardless of citizenship status Need for individuals with advanced degrees In math, science and engineering 50% or more of advanced degrees in the United States are granted to international students; 67% of all EE PhD’s in 2005

5. Develop communication skills • Internships/Co-ops • Recent study showed that 53% of international students received their job offer • from a company they had previously interned with • Attend Grad School • Be better, smarter, faster, etc. • Get involved on campus • Get better grades • Get experience • Attend COC Workshops and become a superior job seeker Overcoming Obstacles

6. Meeting/Targeting Companies • Attend company events on campus • Presentations, info sessions, ‘days’ • Introduce yourself to the recruiters (Be prepared!) • Be assertive but not aggressive • Identify employers that have and do hire international students • Always identified on Career Fair flier • Check the GoingGlobal Database • Pay attention to requirements in MinerJobs • Talk to friends and alumni • Look for global or globalizing companies • These companies may find your international experience very valuable • Be very prepared to meet recruiters at the Career Fair

7. Résumé Issues • Résumés differ from country to country • Make sure yours looks like what American employers would expect • Be sure to have a COC Career Advisor look at your resume • Provide a frame of reference to American employers for foreign companies/schools they may not be familiar with • Do not list ‘English’ as a skill unless you speak more than 2 languages fluently

8. Interviewing • Become knowledgeable about the company beforehand and demonstrate that knowledge • Products, challenges, changes, news items, etc. • Read their website thoroughly • Search for news (bizjournals.com, news.google.com, etc.) • Public companies: AnnualReports.com • Accentuate communications skills whenever possible • “Tell me about a time when…”

9. Resources • GoingGlobal (register in the COC office) • Dictionary of American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries • Use it for free in the COC Main Office • Internet Resources • www.iaest.org • http://international.monster.co.uk/ • http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobs-search-international

10. COC Team Heidi Lyle Administrative Assistant Sara Earl Recruiting Assistant A-G Colleen Kapeller Recruiting Assistant H-Z Monica Galarza Administrative Assistant Lea-Ann Morton, Ph.D. Director Nancy Zamazanuk Career Advisor Marla Smith Assistant Director Edna Grover-Bisker Associate Director

11. Q & A