FAQ for International Students

I want to attend the Career Fair this year, where do I start?

It is never too early in your academic career to visit the Career Fair, which is held twice a year. In your first year, you may want to go and take in the scope of the opportunities available. Do not be overwhelmed but treat this first year as a field trip—a learning experience. Your second/third/fourth year, you want to be able to engage with the employers. Have your resume and elevator pitch ready. To prepare for this, you want to visit the Career Center in Garey Hall well before the Career Fair.

Can I work off-campus as an International Student?

As an International Student, you can apply for Internship opportunities that are directly related to your Major. You may not apply for Internships that are related to your Minor. If you can secure an internship for either the summer or for during the semester, please contact the Office of International Students and Scholar (hereafter OISS), Vasey Hall Rm 203, for the next step in securing off-campus employment authorization. You must not start your internship without first obtaining an updated Form I-20 from OISS.

Please note: Internship work authorization is governed by the F-1 Curricular Practical Training (hereafter CPT) regulations. Each institution has formulated internal policies based on those CPT regulations. No two institutions or programs within an institution have the same policies regarding CPT. Please contact OISS regarding the university’s CPT policy. IOSS holds a CPT Workshop once during each of the fall and spring semesters. For specifics as to CPT Work Authorizations, students are encouraged to attend one of these sessions.

CPT Work Authorization should not be confused with Post-Completion Optional Practical Training (POST OPT for short). POST OPT is the period of employment eligibility that occurs AFTER you have completed your program of study at the university. Twice every academic year, the Office of International Students and Scholars holds POST OPT Workshops. Every student is invited to attend the sessions. Those graduating at the end of fall or spring/summer semesters are strongly encouraged to attend the session that best corresponds to their graduating semester. It is not uncommon for a student to attend the POST OPT Workshop more than once. During the POST OPT Workshop there will be a discussion of eligibility for STEM Optional Practical Training Extension (STEM OPT) and the most common employer visa classification, H-1B.

IOSS strongly encourages all our International Students to make an appointment if they have questions after the POST OPT Workshop so they can have a better understanding of the POST OPT benefit. Your friend or relative’s experience of POST OPT is not yours; everyone’s case is different and unique.

IOSS and the Career Center are available for discussions of STEM eligible Majors and industries you may wish to consider or avoid. You are encouraged to have this discussion early during your academic career at the university.

I don’t have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. Will this matter to a prospective employer? 

You are not the first International Student who has applied for a position with a U.S.-based employer visa, BUT you may be the first International Student that the representative behind the table at the Career Fair has ever met! Take a deep breath… remember the following:

  1. You have employment authorization (CPT or Post OPT) to be employed here in the United States. It is either CPT or POST OPT, as noted in the above section; and
  2. Once your POST OPT Work Authorization ends, you will need employer sponsorship to another visa classification to continue your employment with the employer.

When completing an employment application, if there is a question that asks, Will you now or in the future need sponsorship, you must select the answer “yes”. Never lie on an application because you want to get past the screening algorithm. You are correct, for some employers that will mean the end of your application; for others, it is just a way of placing them on notice that they will have to do additional work to keep you, if they hire you.

What should I put on my resume? 

You are not required to place your immigration status on your resume. Work with the Career Center in Garey Hall to develop and prepare your resume and your elevator pitch. When talking to the company representative at the Career Fair, do not be surprised if he/she has no idea of what an F-1 visa is. Although you may have had a great conversation and made a connection, if he/she does not know what an F-1 visa is, the response may be, “I have to be in contact with our Human Resource Department.” Unfortunately, sometimes the Career Fair will be the first and last time you may have contact with that company.

To review your resume and discuss career opportunities, schedule an appointment with the Career Center via Handshake here.

What about bulk employment applications?

Although third party employment sites appear attractive, especially when you cannot secure an employment opportunity, it is preferable to apply for positions on a company’s job application portal. Under no circumstance should you provide highly sensitive information like a Social Security Number on a job application. If you get the job, you will provide that information to the Human Resources Department at a later stage, not at the application stage.

What resources are available to me to search for jobs as an international student?

There are two main resources that we encourage you to use:

  1. Handshake:
    • Handshake is the premier job search platform for college students. Create an account today and update your career interests to receive relevant employer and job information. Browse jobs, career fairs, and other important events related to your career interests. There is a specific filter that you can use that filters employers and job opportunities based on sponsorship and OPT/CPT status. While helpful, we recommend that students also use Interstride as a means of finding international-relevant opportunities.
  2. Interstride
    • Perhaps one of the most essential resources for international students, Interstride is a job search platform exclusively designed for international students. Browse job opportunities, filter jobs by Visa, and explore companies that have an extensive history of sponsorship. They also have a wide array of webinars and workshops guiding international students through the job application process. Create an account here and explore your options today.