As an international student, on a student visa, it is a good idea to plan and strategize for a job after graduation, far in advance of your graduation and while you are a student, if you wish to stay and work in the U.S. Here are 5 tips for steps you can take while studying to set yourself up for success.
1. Informational Meetings Within the Desired Industry
Informational meetings within the desired industry will connect you with someone in the industry, who may be a business contact in the future, helps you learn about the industry from an insider, and will provide you with valuable career insight.
2. Have your Professors Know You and Your Career Interests
Your professors have contacts who they may connect you with or can themselves hire you. Connect with Professors whose classes you enjoyed or had an impact on you, even if it is unrelated to your field of study, and build a genuine relationship.
3. Get an Unpaid Internship or Do Volunteer Work
Employers are much more likely to hire students who already have job experience than students who need to be taught from scratch. An unpaid internship and volunteer work will help you gain the experience you need to be a more desirable candidate.
4.Look on career websites for desired job posting and then work to meet qualifications by the time you graduate or seek the job.
Learn in advance what qualifications you need to get hired for the job, then pursue activities, study, volunteer work, and internships that will get you qualified by the time you apply for the job. You want to be qualified when you apply so you don’t waste time after graduation becoming qualified.
5. Create a strong online professional presence.
Your resume only conveys so much about you. Employers will Google you. Develop a strong LinkedIn profile, create a blog, have your own website highlighting qualifications or interest, and other online activities that make you stand out. Having an online presence allows them to learn much more about you than what a resume can convey. Make your online presence high quality, interesting, and keep it professional.