This blog post was co-authored by Ban Faris, Associate Director of Global Career Initiatives at ASU, Chung-Ning Gonzalez, Director of International Scholar and Employment Initiatives at ASU, and Dr. Drew Dexter Ross, Director of International Student Advising at ASU, and is based on a presentation delivered at the 2024 Interstride Symposium.
Job hunting for international students can be complex and challenging. Some of the unique challenges they face include a lack of education for employers on CPT and OPT processes, a lack of opportunities in non-STEM fields, and networking in a different language and culture.
It’s important for international students to start preparing for their job search as early as possible in order to overcome these challenges and succeed in job hunting in the US. Below, Arizona State University staff share the importance of helping international students understand the competitive job market in the US and how it may differ from students’ home countries.
How is ASU supporting its job-seeking international students?
Full-time international students in the US are on an F-1 visa. This is a temporary visa that requires intent to leave the US after graduation. Our career center helps students understand the terms of their F-1 immigration status and align that with their long-term goals. We also help students fully understand how OPT and CPT work including how and why to avoid using their unemployment days. Although the priority for many students is to stay and work in the US, our team encourages them to explore other options such as employment opportunities outside the US.
It’s important to teach students to leverage their strengths and think outside the box. International students bring specific advantages to US employers including:
- Global perspective
- Language skills
- Adaptability
- Diversity and inclusion
At ASU, we use NACE’s recommended career competencies to guide students on which skills to focus on and demonstrate in their resume, cover letter, and employer interactions. They include self-development, critical thinking, and teamwork.
What university career services does ASU provide specifically for international students?
ASU’s career services center offers 1-on-1 career advising either in person or online, whichever the international student is most comfortable with. We also collaborate closely with ISSC on career fairs, networking events, workshops, conferences, and the Global Career Network student organization.
Workshop topics we cover include but are not limited to:
- Career exploration
- Resume and cover letter help
- Job and internship search
- Informational interviewing
- Salary negotiation
- Personal statements
- Graduate school resources
Interstride tip! It’s important to let employers know that they do not have to do anything extra for employees on post-OPT. STEM OPT has a few employer responsibilities, but the majority of duties are still on the employee.
How does ASU educate and engage employers who may hire international students and graduates?
We focus on increasing the quality and quantity of student/employer interactions. ASU’s ISSC works to educate students and employers on CPT, OPT, and immigration processes. This education occurs through email series, handbooks, information sessions, conferences, webinars, and tours. We focus particularly on OPT because it is more common among our international students than CPT. We drill to employers that OPT is not a work visa or sponsorship.
This year, ASU launched a new website for employers with resources including:
- CPT and OPT definitions and procedures
- Employer guidelines for hiring students on OPT or CPT
- Info on ASU’s international student population
- The top employers who hire ASU international students
- Employer Q&A
What accomplishments stand out in ASU’s efforts to support international students?
Because international students are highly motivated to attend career fairs and other types of employer interactions, we have increased how many of these we offer each year. We collect data on how many international students we are engaging with on each campus and adjust with more workshops where needed to improve student engagement. ASU’s Career Services also publicly recognizes the employers who hire students on OPT.
Finally, we collect international students’ resumes and send them to staff and professors at ASU to be considered for volunteer positions at the school. This provides a unique opportunity for international students to gain hands-on experience without needing OPT or CPT because the work is through their school.
Employment outcomes for ASU’s international students
Numbers don’t lie. The efforts of ASU’s staff have paid off for their international students. The median annual salary for international undergraduates who remained in the US after graduation is $52,000. For international graduate students, the median salary is $97,000. When universities that have large populations of international students provide targeted job search support for these students and local employers, everybody wins!
