Advice for International Students At UC Irvine Seeking Employment Post-Graduation

I remember the first day of my college life. I bought a PlayStation 4 and it pretty much took over my life during freshman year. I was gaming and skipping classes too often, but I eventually realized what I actually want out of my time at UCI. I took a semester off last year due to COVID-19, and now I am a fourth year Electrical Engineering student who is also an international student. My goal hasn’t been absolutely clear at this point but finding internships, applying to a Master’s program, and attaining a job post-graduation is on my vision board. 

I want to take some time to emphasize how hard it is to find a job if I don’t have permanent residency or American citizenship. A lot of government-owned technology companies don’t recruit international students at all because many of the technologies they are working on might be classified. Also, many companies are hesitant to hire or pay international students due to challenges that arise when employment paperwork is required. If you are a STEM major, you can work up to three years in the U.S. after graduation and one year if you are non-STEM. If the company wants you to work longer than that, they have to use their resources to help you to get an H1B visa, in which they don't need to go through all that trouble if they hire an American citizen.  Click here to learn more about how to apply for the 24-month extension of OPT if you are STEM major, as well as information on what is needed for an H1B visa application. 

If you are an international student who wants to start your career in the United States, here are some advice I can share with you: 

1. Keep your GPA high

   No matter what major you are or whether you want to pursue a Master’s degree in the future, GPA can be really important factor when recruiters look for candidates. I attended a career fair at UCI and many recruiters who are interested in me asked for my GPA. Although GPA doesn’t represent everything about you, and you could be performing better in a certain area than others, it is still a good source of information for companies to know how well you performed in college. College courses are difficult, but the difference between an A and a C actually demonstrates a lot on how much efforts you have put into the course, especially when the company is familiar with courses at UCI. 

2. Career Fairs

   Opportunities won’t be given to you if you don’t advocate for it. UCI has many career fairs throughout the year (you can find more information below), but most of it happen in September and October. Students don’t necessarily go to career fairs to get hired, but you should go to network and to meet people. People, whom you have strong relationships with, can be great allies during your career development because they can offer advice and mentorship. If someone you know can refer you to a job position, you have a much higher chance to getting employed. Don’t be shy— the worst thing someone can say to you is that they can’t support you. Make sure to prepare your LinkedIn and resume before you go! Check out the career-building preparation resources at UCI here.

3. Internships

   I have a friend who applied for over a hundred internship positions last year, and only about 30% of the companies replied to him. From freshman to senior year, you have three summers in between where you can spend your time committed to full-time internships. Don’t hesitate to apply for all types of internships, but if you don’t feel the most confident in your technical skills, try to apply for an internship that relates to your major. During your interview, you can share what you’ve learned in your classes, what you hope to gain in the internship, and how you’d like to expand to other related fields. Check out Handshake to find opportunities that you can apply for. 

4. Get to know your professors!

   Professors can write you recommendation letters! UCI professors are all experts in their fields. If there is a professor whom you want to work with, ask if they need research assistants. They are very knowledgeable of resources and graduate programs that might best suit your needs and interests. Go visit their them during office hours and share what you’d like to learn from them! Read fellow Unfiltered Life writer Rehana’s blog post on 10 topics you can talk about during office hours.

COVID-19 had a huge impact on many of us as students. Many international students were able to follow their dreams of attending university in the U.S. but ended up not finding a job after graduation. Don’t fret— confidence is THE most significant embodiment you and I must hold when navigating our academic and professional careers. We cannot reach anything if we don’t believe in ourselves. You can do it! Zot! Zot! Zot!