Considering employer feedback, the Business Career Center encourages international students to:
Individual Skill Development Opportunties
Employers expect students studying in the U.S. to be fluent in English, as you will be expected to communicate effectively with co-workers, clients, and supervisors on a regular basis.
- Develop excellent communication skills. Cultivate your language skills by talking as often as possible with native speakers, reading English materials such as newspapers, watching TV with and without English subtitles, listening to music in English, and practicing your public speaking skills. In addition, the Office of International Education offers an English discussion group.
- Prepare a well-written, comprehensive resume and cover letter that conveys your strengths and experience. The Business Career Center can help by reviewing your materials and offering suggestions. The Writing Center is another valuable resource for developing English writing skills.
- Practice your interview skills with the Business Career Center so you are prepared and confident if you are invited to interview! You can find videos of good interviews on YouTube to watch. Keep in mind that developing your communication skills will make you feel more confident interviewing and can help alleviate interview anxiety.
Group Skill Development Opportunities
- On-campus involvement: Taking advantage of on-campus events and other opportunities is a great way to gain career related experience. Joining an organization, tutoring, working on campus, attending events, conducting a job shadow, classroom projects, etc. are different ways to get involved and build the necessary skills employers are seeking.
- Volunteerism: The Center for Community Service offers information on a variety of ways to find and engage in skill building community service activities.
Learn about Business Culture
Learning about business culture in the U.S. can help you present yourself well to employers. Information on the learning opportunities below is commonly shared through student organizations, faculty, the Business Career Center newsletter, or the College of Business Administration’s Calendar of Events.
- Business / Case Competitions
- Shadow Days / Employer Site Visits
- Attend Campus Events: talk with the speaker after the presentation
- Visit employer websites
- Informational Meetings: Informational meetings can be a great resource for developing your knowledge base. The Career Center has created a resource to help you find individuals to speak with, choose questions to ask, and follow up after your meeting.
Market Your Experience
All internship / job seekers need to convince an employer of their qualifications for the job. As an international student you may offer unique skills, abilities, and strengths that set you apart from your competition. The following are some examples and questions that can help you market your experience:
Examples:
- Multi-language ability
- Awareness and experience living and/or working in other countries and cultures
- Adaptability and flexibility in overcoming challenges
- Strong work ethic and motivation
- Ability to make independent decisions
- Willing to relocate across the United States
Questions:
- What have you learned in school and through past experiences?
- What are you good at?
- How will you leverage your international experience for the position?
- Does the company have business relations in your home country where your cultural knowledge could provide a benefit? Consider using Uniworld to identify companies doing business in countries where you may have an advantage marketing yourself as a job candidate.
- What advantages do your language skills provide?
- How will you describe the skills you developed by pursuing studies in a new country (adaptability, dedication, hard work, etc.)?
