International Students

Make the Most of Your International Experience

Your global cultural fluency is highly valued by employers. For example, if a company wants to expand globally, you can assist its leadership in new international markets. If you’ve worked on multicultural projects in other countries, you’ll be able to manage and engage with a variety of teams. Consider how your professional identity as a international student can aid you in becoming a stronger and more competitive candidate. Utilize these skills in your job applications and professional interactions with other students at networking events, employer information sessions, and seminar talks.

To help you maximize the potential of your international experience, we’ve provided the following steps:

Reflect

Consider asking yourself questions like:

• “What unique skills and experience can I bring to this employer?”
• “Do I have access to international markets and networks?”
• “Do I have multilingual ability?”
• “Have I worked in multicultural teams in different parts of the world?”

Practice

Once you’ve reflected on your international experience, practice writing and speaking about yourself as a global professional. Strengthen your communication skills by sharing your experiences with your peers, joining student organizations, and scheduling an appointment with a Career Center advisor.

Quantify

When writing your resume or CV, highlight the quantity and quality of your professional experience, whether paid or unpaid. Ask yourself questions like:

• “How many years of management or networking experience do I have with ethnically diverse teams?”
• “How many countries have I lived and worked in?”
• “How well do I comprehend different cultures?”

Recruiters value a diverse workforce and will be impressed by your ability to communicate with multicultural teams. Incorporate this information into your professional summary or bullet points in your resume or CV.

Informational Interviews

Conducting informational interviews is an essential step in connecting with professionals who were previously international students and currently working in the United States. Inquire about how they utilized their overseas experience, what the employer values most, the employer’s recruiting needs, and how they described their professional international experience in their employment application. This information will help in your career exploration and job search, enabling you to advocate for yourself.

Customize

Professional experience is highly valued by many employers during a job search, but not all detail needs to be incorporated into your job applications. Analyze each job description and decide how to apply your relevant overseas experience to the job description. Your international background is a plus, yet it needs to be strategically tailored into the application materials for the position to which you are applying. Carefully select which professional experience will best match the position to which you are applying.