My Road to My Dream Job as an International Student

“We have received your job application. After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected for this position.” – Looks familiar?! If Yes, Keep reading.

At the end of my first quarter as an International Master’s Student at Northwestern University, I was fed up with such email replies after following up with n-number of employees. In today’s world securing a job or internship in the states is challenging for many non-IT or Computer Science international students.

If you do not want to be a victim of such motivation killers its time to streamline your job search process to improve your chances of landing a job. You could try the tips below. It worked for me and it may work for you.

Know What You Want

If you have already narrowed down the industry, type of company/work place and job responsibilities that excites you then you are in a better shape. If not spend some quality time thinking about it. Trust me you don’t want to land a job that you end up hating every day. Having diverse educational & work background I came to the USA in search of something new to get exposed to the entrepreneurial community and work for a startup that creates an impact on the society. During my Master’s program, I got myself exposed to a variety of events and project work (thanks to MEM and NU) in different industries and found my passion towards Clean Energy. I started focusing on academic projects by picking companies and topics those were current in the clean energy sector to build my project portfolio and experience. Explore how your skill sets from your previous work experience and master’s degree can be utilized effectively to land a job in your industry or companies of interest. Remember, employers today are not just looking for your skill sets. They’re looking for a candidate who is dedicated and truly passionate about what he/she wants to do.

Craft Your Pitch

Craft your 1min pitch based on your previous work and project experiences. Pitch about yourself with right attitude and confidence whenever you network with people in career fairs, workshops or any networking events. Make eye contact, keep smiling, greet, introduce who you’re, what you did (talk about previous work experience that aligns with skill sets the company needs), what are you doing now (your degree, relevant course works and projects related to the job you’re seeking), why this job and company (one strong reason why this company and job role) and how you can help alleviate some of the problems faced by the company (extra points). Anticipate questions you may get asked and be prepared with solid answers. This requires preparation in advance by researching about the company and people you are going to meet. Practice your pitch with your friends or in front of a mirror so that you don’t forget the flow or stumble in front of the recruiter. If you’re going to a career fair filter down the companies and jobs of your interest well in advance. If needed modify your pitch depending on the company and job responsibility. I personally feel that being polite, confident and communicating clearly & slowly throughout is the key! Never leave a networking event without the business card or email id of the person you interacted with and if possible send a reminder email the same day. I recommend not to discuss about VISA sponsorship in your first meeting unless the representative asks you about it.

Informational Interviews

I strongly encourage you to do as many informational interviews as possible. I landed my job that way. Remember, you’re not asking for a job here. Instead, you’re asking someone to help you to learn more about an industry or a specific topic that will aid your job search. All informational interview requests are sent via email asking for an in-person meeting or a VOIP call. Shorter the better. Be mindful of the words used in your email. The best place to start is asking your professors and program directors for help to connect with any known contacts/alumni in your industry of choice or company of interest. Also, you can connect with an alumnus working in a relevant industry/company via LinkedIn and approach them directly. LinkedIn Premium account comes in handy here. Again, remember you’ve to be grounded throughout the process. Once an informational interview is set up be thoroughly prepared for the discussion (the pitch you already mastered will help here) and make sure to ask many intelligent open-ended questions for a healthy discussion. At the end, request them to connect you with their colleagues/acquaintance to keep the conversation going. Once you feel well acquainted with people you barely knew, request them to share any opportunities that they may be aware of in a follow-up email.

A sample informational interview request email below:

“To: XXX

CC: YYY

Sub: Help/Advice Appreciated – Clean Energy Enthusiast

Hi Mr./Mrs. XXXX,

I’m Vignesh Ramasamy, Engineering Management Graduate from Northwestern University and I was referred to you by Prof. YYY (or Prof. YYY/Person name referred your contact). I am reaching out because I’m currently doing a blockchain energy project and seeking help/advice from a specialist pertaining to this topic.

I would like to know if you could do an informational interview with me or connect me with someone, in the block chain energy space, who might be willing to do an information interview with me. Any recommendations or introductions you could make would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help!”

Done right, Informational Interviews works like a charm than applying online with referrals.

Be Yourself

I did informational interviews rigorously for at least six months before landing my dream job. You may get yours soon or even later. Either way, being positive and maintaining a composed state of mind helps. Worrying and sulking will just worsen your job search process. This may be nerve testing for many of you. At the same time, this whole experience may bring the best out of you. So, never doubt yourself and keep believing that you and your skills are valuable. Being well prepared a week before the hiring season gives you lot of confidence. Talk with a moderate pace and convey your message clearly! This does not mean you must fake your accent. Be Yourself and that’s what differentiates you from others. Instead of getting succumbed to pressure, keep yourself busy learning new skills while you wait for your reply emails and be productive by reaching out to people via different channels. Set reasonable and achievable short-term goals (can be no. of informational interviews you want to do in a week). If you don’t land an internship or a job do not worry, start doing your own project (you can form a team if you would like to), publish articles and papers based on your project, volunteer work in your field of interest while you keep hunting for the right opportunity. Learn from your previous interviews, modify your resume or pitch and keep improving your chances. If you do these things, you’re guaranteed to expand your network and greatly improve your chances of securing a job that you love.

“The wisdom of things not working out often isn’t revealed until much later”

Good luck!

Vignesh Ramasamy

MEM Alum ‘16