{"id":22507,"date":"2022-07-19T14:13:43","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T14:13:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.interstride.com\/?p=22507"},"modified":"2023-12-08T16:05:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T16:05:40","slug":"5-essential-tips-to-better-support-international-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstride.com\/blog\/5-essential-tips-to-better-support-international-students\/","title":{"rendered":"5 essential tips to better support international students"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Most international students hope to work in the US after graduation. However, unlike domestic students, international students face immigration hurdles and employer biases that require them to be a lot more strategic in their job hunt.<\/p>\n

As a career advisor, you are in a unique position to help international students.<\/p>\n

With a little planning and research, you can guide students to fulfilling careers in the US or other developed countries with comparable economies and opportunities. Here are some tips to get you started.<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Start career counseling upon arrival<\/b><\/h4>\n

Imagine the competition for jobs as a marathon. The problem for international students is that they are starting the race an extra two miles behind domestic students.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s because a lot of employers are hesitant to hire international students. To overcome this bias, international students must outhustle domestic students to make themselves as marketable as possible. They need to identify career goals and then work on developing the industry knowledge, functional experience, professional experience, and cultural competencies to appeal to employers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing that knowledge and experience takes time. It requires students to pursue the right degree programs, engage in meaningful projects, land relevant internships, and develop a professional network.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many international students, however, don\u2019t realize the future obstacles they will face and aren\u2019t thinking about their careers in their freshman year or even their first year of graduate school.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s your job to prepare them as soon as possible. Neither of you can afford to wait. So, why not develop a workshop or program for international students as soon as they arrive on campus to help close that opportunity gap quickly?<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Check in periodically<\/b><\/h4>\n

Remember what we said about starting the marathon early?<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, starting early doesn\u2019t matter if a student gets off course. Keep open communication lines with your international students and check in on them periodically. Make sure they are hitting their milestones and doing the things they need to be doing to reach their full potential, graduate on time, and achieve their career goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Use Data and Insights to Guide Students<\/b><\/h4>\n

International students cannot afford to take a shotgun approach to their job search. Many of them waste valuable time and resources applying for jobs at employers who will not sponsor work visas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, most traditional jobs boards do not indicate whether or not they hire international students. Still, there are ways that students can be more strategic. They can do that by using data and insights to steer their search toward the best job leads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, how is an international student supposed to know where to begin?<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are resources out there that allow you to better identify target companies. This is where Interstride can really help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our <\/span>Visa Insights page <\/b><\/a>allows you to job hunt for companies willing to sponsor international students. <\/span>You can tailor your search based on visa type, the industry you want to work in, the state you want to work in, your work experience, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Get rid of the shotgun and adopt a laser focus instead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Prepare them for failure<\/b><\/h4>\n

80 percent of international students would stay in the US to start their careers after graduating. Unfortunately, the truth is that the same 80 percent end up returning home mainly because of immigration hurdles and inability to find work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Returning home can be a big disappointment for international students. Many of them come from developing countries where wages are relatively low. These highly skilled graduates often end up working jobs where they are underpaid and struggle to pay back their student loans.<\/span><\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t have to be that way, though.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a career counselor, you should prepare your international students for the possibility that they might not find work in the US Encourage them to develop a Plan B that still keeps them on track to meet their long-term goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0A Plan B could include:<\/span><\/p>\n