Job Search & Networking for International Students

1. Job Search & Networking for International Students Lynn Walsh, Career Advisor

2. Steps to Finding Employment • Learn about your work permit issues • Self-evaluation • Choosing the path that is right for you • Open job market search • Hidden job market search • Research employers of interest • Up to date job search tools • Extra info • Follow-up

3. Learn about your work permit • Be sure to have completed the application for Off Campus Work Permit. • If your study permit is expiring before your program is due to finish, you must apply for an extension of your work permit. • This will allow you to apply for an Off Campus Work Permit.

4. Self Evaluation • Ask yourself about your likes and dislikes • Evaluate your qualifications for the job you want • What skills have you acquired through work, school, etc?) • Transferable Skills: • You’ve gathered these through various jobs, volunteer work, hobbies, sports, or other life experiences • Examples are: Communication, Research, Planning, Human Relations, Organization, Management, Leadership, Language • Identify short and long term goals

5. Choosing the right path • Match interests and qualifications with requirements and rewards in specific careers • Explore the Campus Career Centre, HRDC offices, local libraries and the Internet for specific info on various opportunities • Take internships, part time employment, summer employment or volunteer in your field • Do some Labour Market Research and talk to people in your field of interest • www.jobfutures.ca • www.labourmarketinformation.ca • http://salary.monster.ca

6. Search the open job market Open Job Market: This is the easier way to search for work: • Classified ads in local and national newspapers • Online job listings: (including jobs sent out on ISA list serv!!) • www.monster.ca • www.careerbeacon.com • www.jobbank.gc.ca • On campus career fairs • Attend campus employer information sessions • Check out the “Calendar of Events” on www.mun.ca/cdel • MUCEP & GradSWEP: on campus work each semester.

7. Search the Hidden Job Market Hidden Job Market: This is a little harder & requires you to network & research • Majority of jobs are not advertised, so you have to network • Develop a list of friends, family, past employers, professors etc. • Talk to these contacts and let them know you are looking for work • Make contact by telephone, face to face or networking letters

8. Research companies of interest & different career planning techniques • Research the employers you are interested in • Explore resources in the CCD • Review organization websites that have employers as members: • The St. John’s Board of Trade website (membership directory). www.bot.nf.ca • NATI: the NL Association of Technology Industries. www.nati.net • Review career planning • www.careercruising.com • Username: memorialuni • Password: stjohns • www.labourmarketinformation.ca/

9. Effective Resume and Cover Letter • Target the position and employer you are interested in pursuing • Make sure to critique the cover letter & résumé before sending it out • No spelling errors • Bold your degree and job title • Keep your cover letter to one page and write about your skills and qualifications for the job; give specific examples. Resume shouldn’t be any longer than 2 pages • Do not include personal information on the résumé or cover letter • Focus on your school, previous work experience, skills and interests • In North America, a résumé and curriculum vitae (CV) are different. • A résumé is used for job search • A CV presents a complete picture of the breadth and depth of academic experiences you have accumulated.

10. Networking!!!! • The key to the hidden job market • 85% of jobs are never publicly advertised, they are discovered through networking • Talk to everyone, let them know you are looking for employment • Talk to people already working in your field of interest about careers in that area • Attend career fairs and campus information sessions given by recruiters

11. Networking Cont’d… • Ask those that you talk with if they can suggest someone else to contact • Participate in mentoring programs or job shadowing opportunities • Volunteer • Community Services Council • http://www.envision.ca/ • Document those conversations and contacts you have made • Identify those who have helped you and thank them

12. Extra info: differences about Job Search in Canada • Employers may expect you to use more direct speech than you are accustomed to • May feel comfortable being modest & don’t want to sound arrogant; but it is ok to be/sound confident • May feel more flexible with time than your interviewer • Try not to keep interviewer waiting • Some people in Canada may feel that being professional means keeping your private life separate • Don’t bring too much personal info into resume, cover letter, interview or conversation with an employer.

13. A couple of other things to keep in mind… • Silence in conversation may feel more comfortable to North Americans than to other cultures • Don’t worry about this, sometimes people are taking notes or trying to comprehend what you have just said • It is better to focus on what you can offer to the employer than always talking about how great they are and how they can benefit your career • Keep focused & discuss your skills, abilities and good qualities • Small talk and chit chat is very important – it may sound like nothing, but it is not • Even when networking, all conversations are important

14. Points to Consider: • If you have any questions or concerns about job search please stop by and I can help • Keep a notebook to record the contact you’ve made and the jobs you have applied for • Be prepared! Always have a copy of your resume on hand • Explore the CCD website for great tips on job searching and career planning (www.mun.ca/cdel) • Don’t just look “for any job”; the more specific you are the easier the search.

15. Contact: International Student Career Advisor Lynn Walsh Centre for Career Development/International Student Advising p: 709-737-8167 or 737-8895 lwalsh@mun.ca Office Hours: Mon., Tues. & Fri. (9am – 5pm): Centre for Career Development (CCD), 4th floor of UC Wed. & Thurs. (9am – 4:45pm): ISA Office, Corte Real