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Hello Career Service Teams!

In this month's edition of The Confident Candidate, we’re highlighting challenges many of your MBA and MS students face: breaking into the U.S. job market as an international student.

For international students, landing a U.S. job is more than just applying online. It’s a maze of visa restrictions, cultural differences, and employer hesitations - and many students feel lost.

The Struggles They Face

Many international students arrive in the U.S. expecting programs to guarantee job placement. Instead, they discover the job search process in the U.S. is highly network-driven, unstructured, and competitive. Some of the common struggles they face are:

The Visa Dilemma: Many students assume that a company’s willingness to sponsor is a simple yes/no decision. But in reality, many employers don’t fully understand the process, leading them to avoid international hires altogether. The vauge jobpostings don't help either. In 2024, only 1.6% of the 1.5 million job postings analyzed by an Ed Tech company had sponsorship-friendly language in the job description (Intead, 2024).
Networking Gaps: The U.S. job market isn’t just about résumés, it’s about who you know. Unfortunately, many international students arrive with zero local connections and don’t realize that 80% of jobs are filled through networking (Forbes, 2025).
Cultural Barriers in Interviews: In some cultures, humility is key. In the U.S., if you’re not confidently selling yourself, you’re invisible. Many students struggle with small talk, eye contact, and self-promotion -making interviews and networking events feel like impossible hurdles.
Reality vs Expectation: Many international students arrive to the U.S. with preconceived notions, only to feel disappointed when faced with reality. This includes lack of social etiquette knowledge, job search process, communication hurdles and hustle culture to name a few.

So what can career service teams do to better support these students?

Join my information session on this topic where I'll highlight how international students can overcome these challenges.

Info Session: Helping International Students Navigate The U.S. Job Landscape

* Session only for Career Service Team Members

Wednesday, March 19 2025 at 3:30 PM EST

February Spotlight:

University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University and Rutgers Business School implemented key workshops to help their students stand out - whether navigating the job search or advancing their careers. These sessions covered a range of critical topics:

Storytelling (MBA and MS)
Think & Talk Like a CEO (EMBA)
Emotional Intelligence (FT-MBA & PT-MBA)

Programs like these play a vital role in equipping students with essential skills and exposure as they take the next steps in their careers. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute and support their growth in any way I can.

Let's take a moment and recognize the amazing career service leaders from these programs who work so hard for their students: Frank Fletcher, Deniz Bahar, Imelda Guzman, Ray Chan, Amy Fairbrother, Marc Limata, Vanessa George