Find Me an Internship! Internship Search Strategies for International Students
By: Vivi Hua
Tags: International Student, Internships

I’m often shocked when students ask me to find them an internship.

But I get it. I’ve been there many times when I was an international student.

Far away from home, I no longer had the privilege to use the network my family had built over the years. I gotta start everything from scratch, on my own.

This, is a daunting but exciting part of being an international student.

Though I can’t give you an internship, I’m giving you 5 key strategies to go about this process confidently.

#1. Use your school resources!

Yes. Many international students overlook people and resources available right around them!

This should be one of the first steps you take when you look for an internship.

Talk to your department chair, advisor, or professors — especially if you’re seeking opportunities in your current field. These people you see regularly likely have advised numerous students before you about the same question. They usually have an established professional network, might know of existing opportunities, and know where students have landed their internships in the past.

Get in touch with your international student advisor or The International Student and Scholar Services office (ISSS) in school. Your international student advisor or the ISSS likely has dealt with the same issue from other international students. Depending on how developed the ISSS office is in your school, they might know of internship opportunities that especially welcome international students. Note: While you are in touch with them, make sure you gain clarity on visa regulations for off-campus internships/employment for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). It’s important that you allow sufficient time for the application processing prior to the start date of your internship.

Go to The Career Center in your school. College Career Centers usually help students with various aspects of their internship/job search, ranging from identifying suitable career paths, resume-writing, interview skills, to connecting with potential internship sites, etc. You might learn a few helpful tips from them about internship search!

#2. Join local groups & professional associations in your field.

Undergrad international students often tell me “It’s too early to join professional associations!“ It’s NEVER too early if you’re pretty sure about the education/career direction you want to take.

I can’t over stress the importance of belonging to groups and associations in your field. These are pools of people who are/were in your position, who are happy to be mentors, or who are in a place to offer you actual opportunities. You might also find professionals who were once international students and can share specific insight into how they go about their career journey as a foreigner in the U.S. Plus, in these groups and associations, you’ll likely get up-to-date news and trends in your field that sometimes can inform your career decisions.

“One of the most difficult transition for students in undergrad and above is to realize they should not just focus on their studies. The path forward is no longer as simple as going from elementary school to high school. You need not only good grades but also a good network to help you get ahead in your career. ” — Dr. Vivi Hua

#3. Search online. Look up companies that hire foreign workers.

Yes. You hear me right! Simply do a good online search. Students often come to me desperately wanting to find out how to find an internship, as if they’ve done all they can. But when I do a quick keyword search on Google with them, I immediately find lists of internship opportunities in their fields. It’s good that you reach out to people for help, but remember to also ask yourself “Am I doing all I can on my end?”

Some main websites to find listings of internships/jobs:

https://www.indeed.com/

https://www.internshipfinder.com/

https://joinhandshake.com/

Also look up companies that regularly hire foreign workers. Chances are these companies would be open to offering internships to foreign students as well! Some helpful websites for this purpose:

https://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-and-studies/h-1b-employer-data-hub

https://www.myvisajobs.com/

#4. Set up a LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn has become an increasingly important platform for people to network professionally and to learn about internship/job opportunities. Headhunters and recruiters are always there looking to find talent for companies.

Follow companies and leaders in your field. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them and introduce yourself.

Know that not all of them are going to reply to you, but if you try hard enough and use a good strategy, I’m pretty sure at least some of them will get back to you and talk to you about opportunities they have.

#5. Think long-term. Network. Build relationships.

Over the years, I’ve worked with international students who wait till the last minute to attend networking events, when they need an internship like “next month!” Some of them shy away from meeting new people and introducing themselves to strangers.

I know it can be nerve-wrecking sometimes, especially when you feel “very different“ from everyone else or feel like your English is not as good as your American peers.

Even if these things are true to some degree, don’t let them stop you from wanting to move ahead. Instead, focus your energy on what you CAN do to present yourself confidently and leave a good impression.

Build relationships from Day 1. Start with your professors, TAs, and peers. Going back to my points above, these people are likely to be important resources you can tap when you need an internship/job sometime down the road.

Remember, your job is NO LONGER just to get good grades or be good at what you do.

On your journey as an international student and beyond, you’ll likely need these relationships you’ve built along the way. I don’t want you to regret not having thought ahead.

Most of these strategies will be useful to your job search after school as well. Keep a reasonable expectation when trying them out. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t gain traction right away. Keep working at it. Your efforts will pay off over time!