Career Resources for International Students

Ciao, everyone! Instead of going home for Thanksgiving last November, I spent a week traveling in Italy with three friends. As one could imagine, it was the best week of my life; whether I was hiking through the mountainous medieval city of Gubbio, navigating the outdoor markets of Florence, or enjoying a moonlit walk by the sea in Sorrento, I had more than a great time. And as much as I love being back at school (where my old friends homework and stress keep me company), I can't help but yearn for the few days I spent as an international wanderer.

Me at the top of the mountain on which Gubbio, Italy resides. The views were, without a doubt, the best of my life.

While my travels only lasted a week, we as college students are surrounded by peers who come from all over the world and stay for long periods of time - years, for some. International students certainly do not have it easy; in addition to dealing with the everyday stresses of college, they must adapt to a new culture, and do so thousands of miles away from their loved ones. These realities don't intimidate too many, however. Recent reports (2015 Open Doors Report) show that 886,000 international students currently attend American colleges and universities, and that they contribute $27 billion to the US economy. My maiden voyage across the Atlantic gave me a newfound respect for international students, and also made me wonder what it's like for them to find internships and jobs in the US. While it is definitely difficult, the Career Center offers myriad resources specifically for international students, on topics ranging from visa logistics to adjusting to a new culture. Highlighted here are just a few resources for perhaps the most courageous among us - or at least those most accustomed to long stints away from home:

My Visa Jobs: As a social media intern, I'm partial to blogs, but this one stands alone as a great resource. Jam-packed with posts offering advice on visa applications, current events on US international student policy, and tips on the job search, My Visa Jobs is worth a click or two for any international student.

Perugia, Italy - where a friend of mine studied abroad last semester.

iHipo: This is a great database for international jobs and internships - and boy do they mean international. The three most recent postings (as of this writing anyway) are from the Netherlands, China, and the UAE. Additionally, iHipo boasts advice articles, company descriptions, and resume/CV tip sheets.

Tips for International Students (University of Michigan): This brief video provides a few tips about adjusting to American culture for international students, an important lesson for students looking to network or interview with US employers. If you're not a visual learner, the University of Virginia has a packet of information on breaking cultural barriers and some nitty-gritty info on visas.

I would do it all over again for the food alone, honestly.

GoinGlobal: This site serves as a go-to of sorts for everything an international student needs to know. With information on career trends, advice, and search processes in 40 countries, GoinGlobal should be at the top of any international student's web resources list. (GoinGlobal is a little tricky to find: log in to SIS, go to WebCenter under "Student Living", and find GoinGlobal listed under Career Center Web Resources.)

Tips for International Students (Tufts Career Center):  In addition to having links to all the above resources and more, the Career Center offers some quick tips for international students on job applications and interviewing. Before you plunge into the job or internship search, make sure you brush up on communication skills, visa status information, and your rights as an international student on the Career Center website.

Naples, Italy (There were many amazing views on this trip.)

There's no doubt about it - being an international student comes with its own unique set of challenges. The Career Center does everything it can to make sure that international students, who are a vital part of our community at Tufts, are prepared to enter the job market, in whatever country they choose to do so. So, while I plan my next trip out of America (hint: I hear London is beautiful in the spring), I hope that international students use this post, and the resources in it, to find that perfect job or internship to augment their own abroad experience!

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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Bridging the Gap: The Career Center Student Advisory Board

Last Wednesday, I attended the kickoff meeting of the Career Center’s newly-formed Student Advisory Board. This organization consists of around 20 students, myself included, from all academic years and disciplines, as well as several representatives from the Career Center—Senior Associate Director Donna Esposito, Associate Director Robin Kahan, and even Director Jean Papalia joined us! The group focuses on improving the relationship between the Career Center and the Tufts student body, and ensuring that the student voice is heard in the Career Center. It was an exciting evening, filled with introductions, pizza, and bucketloads of brainstorming new ways to make the Career Center more accessible to students. By the end of the hour, there were pages and pages of ideas proposed, ranging from broad and far-reaching to detail-oriented. In keeping with one of our main goals, I thought I'd take this chance to increase awareness of the Student Advisory Board, and share some of the discussion topics from our first meeting. 

As a quick aside, many colleges and universities across the country boast Student Advisory Boards in their Career Services departments, and they have been shown to yield benefits for staff and students alike. The Career Center has had intentions to start a Student Advisory Board for years, and was very pleased with the positive response they received from students (in the form of many applications). Donna mentioned that other universities in the greater Boston area have tried to start Student Advisory Boards in their Career Centers but have had little success, so the formation of this group at Tufts is a great example of the pride Jumbos take in making their home a better place!

Jumbo Pride!

Increasing awareness. Right off the bat, several suggestions pertained to increasing awareness of the Career Center’s usefulness to students. One of the main reasons I joined this group was the lack of utilization of the Career Center by many of my friends that I’ve observed since I began working here. A lot of students aren’t even sure about what the Career Center does. One of the board members explained that she applied for the board because she had never set foot in the Career Center before, and wanted to provide this perspective (which, along with all others, is welcome!). Several other board members offered suggestions for services that the Career Center already provides. The board agreed that a key facet of our work will be the increased promulgation of Career Center services, events, and functions throughout the Tufts community.

International attention. A good number of the board members are international students, and have used the Career Center to a varying extent. They emphasized the importance that the Career Center should place on tailoring some services specifically for the international student population—a significant portion, given the pride Tufts takes in its internationalism (just look at the first paragraph of the Tufts Wikipedia page!). The Career Center has already begun this process—for the first time this summer, Career Center summer internship grants will be awarded for students who accept internships abroad as well as in the US, meaning that international students can go home for the summer and receive payment from Tufts for their internships! Now that the board has voiced its support, the Career Center will be able to do even more to extend its reach to international students.

Broader focus. Many board members noted that companies at the Fall Career Fair belonged to a select few career fields (consulting/finance, data/IT, etc.). Although Robin pointed out that this was because only specific types of companies are prepared to recruit employees in the fall, the idea of a broader focus presented itself in other suggestions; someone else proposed the idea of a workshop series that focuses on all levels of career development, from the basics of career planning to more advanced shadowing opportunities and company tours. Although this seems like a lot to take on, expanding the scope of the Career Center is perfectly aligned with the Student Advisory Board’s mission statement, and will likely be the crux of our work.

The above list, which only covers some of what we discussed last week, is ambitious to say the least. It is unlikely that we will accomplish everything mentioned in our kickoff meeting by the end of the academic year. But as Donna explained, there is no limit on what can and cannot be done, and all suggestions are welcome. The potential of the Student Advisory Board is immense, and it can become whatever we want it to be, which in my opinion is the most exciting part of being a member. In the short-term, board members will be interviewing several friends each about their perceptions of the Career Center over the next few weeks, and reporting their findings at the next meeting later in the semester. Once we have a larger data set, we will be able to move forward and make a real impact on the student-Career Center relationship. Stay tuned for more information on this great new organization!

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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