International Students

Welcome to Career Services. We can help you.

  • Make sense of the American internship and job search process
  • Learn to identify your skills, find job postings and match your skills to postings
  • Prepare materials — an American style resume and cover letter
  • Build a network and effectively use networking contacts
  • Prepare for interviews and follow up
  • Learn cultural differences that can help you to succeed in securing professional employment opportunities

An American internship, co-op or even a credible volunteer experience in your field is extremely important if you wish to find after-graduation employment in the U.S. You will have to search for and compete for these opportunities, although your department will help with a co-op search. If co-op is included in your program or curriculum, and you are interested in participating, please meet with your co-op advisor first. For general information about co-op, please see the following:

Top Ten Tips for International Students Seeking Internships, Co-ops or Jobs

  1. The Career Services website offers resources on every aspect of the American job search process. Carefully review guides on resumes, interviewing, job search and networking which you will find below. Read these BEFORE you make an appointment to make the best use of your time.
  2. Attend an International Student Small Group Job Search BEFORE you make an appointment with a counselor. We offer a number of sessions regularly. Please check the Career Services calendar for specific dates and times. Look for workshops designated INTL (for international students) on the calendar. In addition, attend other Career Services workshops of interest.
  3. Utilize Career Services resources including:
    • Use HuskyCareerLink to find internship and job opportunities. Account Log-In information can be found on the bottom of the login screen.
    • Check out Going Global by logging into HuskyCareerLink. Going Global includes country and city guides for the US and overseas, job and internship listings, H-1B employers, and an employer directory featuring 400,000 plus companies in many countries including the U.S.
    • Utilize InterviewStream to practice interviewing at your convenience, BEFORE you make an interview practice appointment. Northeastern University e-mail required for log-in.
    • A great resource is: MyVisaJobs.com. MyVisaJobs.com quickly allows you to learn which employers have utilized H-1B visas for a three year period and also provides other excellent resources.
    • Monitor USCIS H-1B Cap. USCIS will allow you to monitor the number of available H-1B visas and provides helpful information.
    • Interested in hearing from other international students across the U.S.? Check out the Resource Library and Blog for Dreambridge Partners to hear from both international students and professionals and receive advice on navigating both the job search and American culture. (Create a free account.)
    • Career and Job Search Guides and other career resources are also available on the Career Services website.
  4. Attend Career Fairs. Review Career Fair Success Tips Career Fair Success Tips Step By Step Guide for more information on how to prepare and make the most of Career Fairs. Please attend Career Fair Prep for International Students and review all relevant PowerPoints including: International Student Career Fair Prep and H-1B Visas Presentation, Be sure to know and be able to clearly explain your visa status.
  5. See Resources for Improving Your American English. The most successful international students are communicators with strong verbal and non-verbal communication and interpersonal abilities. Understanding American social interaction and culture can be an important success factor in interviewing and being competitive for positions within the U.S.
  6. Spend time with American English speakers to polish your English language and your American social skills. Joining organizations will provide you with the opportunity to practice English language and social behaviors. Join at least one organization which has American student members. For a list of organizations, please click Campus Activities - Northeastern University.
  7. Build a network and learn to connect. Networking is the number 1 way people find positions. Be sure to utilize your existing network and gain connections here in the U.S. Learn about resources that make networking easier such as LinkedIn, Professional Associations, and alumni networks such as HuskyNation (for juniors, seniors, graduate students, and alumni). Please see our LinkedIn for Job Search page and attend LinkedIn 101, LinkedIn for Networking, and additional networking workshops and events.
  8. Search widely and apply for jobs selectively. You will dramatically increase your success if you match your skills to the positions you are considering. We recommend that you have a strong match between your skills, experience, and abilities and the positions for which you apply. Applying for positions for which the match is not strong generally does not yield successful results.
  9. Understand and abide by the rules of your visa. Contact the ISSI to verify your eligibility for employment and learn the process for applying. International Student and Scholar Institute - Northeastern University.
  10. Consider conducting a Two Country Job Search. Apply for positions in both the U.S. and in your home country. Create a Plan B (a second option post-graduation). Evaluate where your best post-graduate employment opportunity exists.

Career Services is here to help you learn the skills to be successful in an internship or job search. Use our resources!

Getting Started

  • Read this website thoroughly to learn the basics of job search American style. Read the guides to resumes, cover letters, job search and interviewing on the home page.
  • Register for an international small group job search session. They are offered several times throughout the semester.
  • For additional help, walk-in hours are Monday-Friday from 1:30-3:30 pm. If you are working on your first American resume, a 10 minute walk-in is not enough time. You should plan ahead and make an appointment instead.

Resources specific to international students include

International Alumni Success Panel: Part 1 and Part 2
Introduction to Job Search for International Students
Interviewing American Style
International Student Career Fair Prep and Step by Step Guide
Resume Writing
Employment Visas for International Students
The Art of American Small Talk
Improving Your American English