Job Search for International Students

1. Job Search for International Students is brought to you by: Career & Employment Services and International Student Center Fall 2008

2. Presentation Outline • Employment authorization options • Overview of OPT, CPT, AT and H-1B • The Job Search • Marketing Yourself • Develop an effective resume or CV • Understand an American style interview

3. What are my employment authorization options? For F-1 visa holders OPT - Optional Practical Training CPT - Curricular Practical Training For J-1 visa holders AT – Academic Training H-1B

4. What is OPT? Employment must be commensurate with field of study and level of education. Maximum amount of time authorized with standard OPT application is 12 months for each level of education. Pre-Completion vs. Post-Completion Post-Completion: Only allowed 90 days of unemployment during standard 12 month period. Full-time vs. Part-time ISC makes recommendation for OPT; but approval is made by USCIS (this can take 3-4 months) Must have approval from USCIS prior to beginning employment Current fee for OPT is $340

5. Extensions of OPT STEM Extension Who is eligible? Students that have obtained a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral students in certain STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. Students whose employer is registered with E-Verify If a STEM student receives a 17-month extension, they may not be unemployed for more than an aggregate of 120 days, applied to the entire 29-month period of OPT.

6. Extensions continued.. Cap-Gap If a student who is on OPT is a beneficiary of a timely-filed H-1B petition requesting change of status and an employment start date of October 1 of the following fiscal year, the student’s legal status and work authorization will be automatically extended. If the H-1B petition filed on the student’s behalf is rejected, denied or revocated, these privileges would automatically terminate.

7. For more information on OPT.. Attend an OPT workshop Mondays at 4 pm at the International Student Center

8. What is CPT? Defined as “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the university.” Required Curricular Practical Training is an internship or practicum that you must complete to earn your degree. Some programs with an internship requirement that fall under the category of required CPT are Hotel & Restaurant Management, Public Administration, and certain tracks in Architecture For-credit Curricular Practical Training allows you to earn academic credit toward your degree requirements in a job that is related to your field of study. It may be a required part of your degree program or an elective Must have a job offer at the time you apply for CPT. Eligible students must be currently in F-1 status and have been enrolled for at least one academic year prior to beginning CPT. Students that are not in a degree program (i.e. ELP, Exchange students) are not eligible for CPT. Part-time vs. Full-time-depends on the type of CPT (required or for-credit, see ISC for details) Authorized by the ISC; application packet online, no fee See http://www.k-state.edu/intlstucenter/immigration/documents/CPT_FAQs_000.pdf for additional information.

9. What is Academic Training? Employment must be within field of study. Authorization is employer specific. Must have a job offer at the time of applying. Can be used in the following contexts: Part-time while classes are in session; Part-time or full-time during your annual vacation; Full-time after graduation; Full-time after completion of all coursework for a degree requiring a thesis or dissertation.

10. AT continued… Generally, you are eligible for 18 months of AT or the length of your program, whichever is less. Ph.D. students are eligible for an additional 18 months upon graduation. Authorization given by ISC; no fee for this authorization Must continue to maintain health insurance for you and your dependents

11. What is an H-1B? Students on an F-1 visa or students on a J-1 visa who are not subject to a two-year home residency requirement (212e), may continue to be employed beyond OPT or AT with an approved change of status to H-1B. This is available to those who have at least a Bachelor’s degree or higher and will be working in a job that requires at least a bachelor’s degree. Generally, the total time granted is 6 years, Initial period of 3 years that may be extended for additional 3. An H-1B is employer specific and it is the employer that petitions USCIS for the H-1B. You cannot apply for an H-1B on your own. There are substantial fees associated with the petition for an H-1B. If employment is with an institute of higher education or a non-profit organization, the fees are $820 for the initial petition. Employers in the private sector must pay an additional fee of $750 or $1500, depending on the size of the company.

12. H-1B continued… The law limits the number of H-1Bs granted each fiscal year. The fiscal year begins on October 1. Exemptions to the cap include: institutions of higher education; related or affiliated nonprofit entities; nonprofit or government research organizations. The first 20,000 applications received for international graduates of U.S. universities who have obtained a Master’s degree or higher will be exempt from the cap. Your employer may apply up to 6 months in advance of the start date for the H-1B. The salary you are offered must meet the “prevailing wage” for that position in the geographic area.

13. During the Job Search When considering employment options, remember to inquire if they: are willing to sponsor an H-1B are registered with E-Verify Remember: Only employers or attorneys can petition for an H-1B for you.

14. Contact the ISC Sara Thurston-González, Director Maria Beebe, Assistant Director/H-1B Karl Anderson, International Student Advisor Stacey Bailey, International Student Advisor Donna Davis, International Student Advisor Office hours: Monday-Friday 8 am – 5pm Walk-in Advising: Monday-Friday 10am – 4pm Phone: 785-532-6448 Email: isc-fso@ksu.edu

15. Job Search TipsUsing CES website Use visible and hidden job markets Network Develop a plan of action

16. Resume or CV? • What’s the difference between them? • What’s the point?

17. Getting organized • Start with Education • After that, put sections in order of relevance to your audience

18. Describing your experience • Use action verbs, be careful of tense • Expedite 3,600 tons of fruit to the factory • Provide details-- • number of students taught • course content • research methods

19. Example: teaching • Taught introductory economics to two classes of over 150 students each • Developed syllabus and lecture notes, graded assignments and exams

20. Example: research • Purified and quantified protein using HPLC, SDS-PAGE, spectrometer, ELISA

21. Describing international experience • Provide a frame of reference • Examples: • Largest chocolate confectioner in Belgium • One of the top 5 universities in China • Some samples • Source: MIT Career Center

22. What to Wear For Interviews or Career Fairs

23. Tips for Interview Success Be early Have a confident handshake Make eye contact frequently

24. Demonstrate knowledge of the company Relate your specific skills and accomplishments to the position

25. Behavioral interviewing Mastery of this is KEY! • STAR Model • Situation—Tell what happened • Action—What did you do? • Result—How did it turn out?

26. Let’s practice • Tell me about yourself • Tell me about a time when you came up with a creative solution to a problem

27. Challenging questions • What is your greatest weakness? • What do you want to be doing in 5 years? • Why should we hire you?

28. More interview tips • Be able to explain your work authorization in simple terms if asked • Ask questions of the employer at end • Send a thank you note

29. Salary Issues Know what you’re worth Avoid discussion of salary in first interview

30. K-State Resources for International Students International Student Center Kansas State University Manhattan KS 66506 785-532-6448 785-532-6607 fax isc-fso@ksu.edu www.k-state.edu/intlstucenter Career and Employment Services Kansas State University 100 Holtz Hall Manhattan KS 66506 785-532-6506 785-532-6802 fax ces@ksu.edu www.k-state.edu/ces