What was your first finance internship and how did you get that opportunity? 

My first finance internship was last summer. I worked at a private equity firm focused on enterprise software. That experience was helpful for figuring out if this was something that I wanted to pursue long-term. At that company, I got a full scope of what a private equity deal looked like including:

• Finding a company that is a good investment prospect
• Doing due diligence and trying to see if we’re buying at the right price
• Thinking about how a private equity company can improve the business
• Working closely with some of the partners and managing directors of that company

How I got that as my first internship was kind of a stroke of luck. One of the managing directors at the firm went to Stanford, and he was on campus to hire a few interns. I did my interview in person with him there, and shortly later got the job. 

How difficult was it to find companies willing to hire international interns?

Most firms that are not willing to sponsor international full-time employees won’t sponsor international interns either unless they’re smaller companies. Their incentive for providing internships is ultimately to find talent to build out their future team. 

To figure out which firms sponsor and which firms don’t, there’s a Reddit-style, anonymous forum called Wall Street Oasis. People ask questions about finance and talk about which firms are sponsoring this year and which firms might have sponsored last year but aren’t anymore. A lot of finance firms change practices often. Another resource that I found helpful was search engines. If I wanted to work at Morgan Stanley, I would search for “Morgan Stanley H-1B Visa”, and there are websites that show how many visas they’ve sponsored in the past year.

How did you land your upcoming summer internship at Morgan Stanley?

I interviewed for this position in May 2023. The interview process was firstly an online resume drop. I didn’t know anyone at the company, so I didn’t network. They had HireVue, which is a one-way video interview where they would ask me a bunch of questions and I had to record myself. Shortly after that, I received one phone screen and one interview via Zoom.

Most finance companies will also do what’s called a super day. It’s two to three hours of interviews back to back. That day was quite stressful. It was on Zoom for me, but I know companies are beginning to fly people out again. I got my offer a week later.

What is the timeline for finance recruiting for internships?

Finance recruiting for big companies like Morgan Stanley is getting pushed earlier each year. For people looking for summer internships, the application period will be April or May of the previous year. I wanted to work summer of 2024 after my sophomore year, so I applied in April of my freshman year. You want to apply about one and a half years in advance.

Smaller companies have more irregular hiring cycles, so check LinkedIn regularly or Handshake, if your school uses it. For my role at Briga Stage Mount, I got the offer in March, which was three months before my start date. That was much later than the traditional recruiting process. 

A lot of people ask, “Do you apply as soon as possible or do you apply only when you feel ready in terms of your technical interview prep and things like that?” My advice is to apply as soon as the internship application opens. Most of these companies fill the roles on a rolling basis, so if you wait to start your process, some of the roles might already have been taken and it gets more competitive. 

What should international students bring to the first meeting with a recruiter? What talking points should they prepare?

When there’s a recruiting event at your school, ask the recruiter if they’re open to sponsoring people with H-1B visas or who need sponsorship in the future. It might be helpful to bring a resume and have it in your backpack. I’ve never given my resume to anyone at a recruiting event, but it could be beneficial if someone asks for it or if you want to keep in contact. Always be prepared, and show that you’re interested in the company. Ask them about the recruiting timeline and the responsibilities of the role to figure out if you’re a good match for it.

How did you prepare for your interviews? 

There were three rounds of interviews. The first round was mostly behavioral and personal questions:

• Why are you interested in finance?
• What are you studying in school and why? 
• Why do you want to work for this company? 
• Why do you want to work for this specific division?
• Tell me about a time that you overcame a challenge. 

In these interviews, show your interest in the industry. They might ask you “What’s a sector you think is interesting” or “Is there a recent piece of news you saw that was interesting?” Be prepared to talk about one or two businesses you like or trends that you’ve been seeing.

The second type is technical interviews. These are mostly banking-related questions. They might ask you: 

• Accounting questions 
• Questions about general business acumen
• Scenario questions such as how would you go about trying to figure out how much a company is worth

In my Morgan Stanley interview, there were mostly generic banking questions. There’s a resource online that I used to help prep called 400 Investment Banking Interview Questions. It’s a free PDF, and it covers most of the basics.

The third type of interview is a case study. There are different types of cases you can get. My Morgan Stanley interview was relatively informal. The case question I got was, “How would you value a coffee shop and a big software company differently?” But, I know there are cases in other companies that are more granular. They might give you an example of a company, and you have to answer questions based on what they say. Some might send you materials ahead of time or give you a few minutes to read something and then discuss it in the interview.

Do you have any other advice for international students looking for finance internships or full-time positions after graduation?

There are different possible streams in finance such as accounting, corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, and investment banking where you’re in charge of a process. On the buy side, people invest in the private and public markets across all types of different assets. Each role will have a different interview process and they’ll look for different things. Think of a couple of roles that you are most interested in and focus your prep on those streams. 

For small to medium-sized companies, be proactive. Email their HR or the contact info on their website. Also, leverage the network around you. Go on Zoom coffee chats with people to ask them what they like about the job, their experiences, and the recruiting process. This helps you figure out whether or not you want to do the job. In the interview, when someone asks you why you want to work for their specific company or team, you’re able to say something like, “I want to work here because I met so and so, and they said amazing things about the culture here.”

The post Vania Chow: On landing an internship in finance as an international student appeared first on Interstride.

What made you want to pursue an MBA? 

During my time at a footwear manufacturing company as a Global Purchasing Manager, I had to do a lot of cross-functional communication with other departments to figure out solutions for our brand customers and suppliers. For example, I had to consult with the finance and accounting departments to resolve financial issues. Oftentimes, although I understood the big picture, I was not able to articulate details directly with the suppliers. I would always have to ask the finance or accounting manager to join my meetings with suppliers to explain the details to make sure that there were no misunderstandings.

That’s when I acknowledged I had a big knowledge gap that I wanted to fill. I started thinking about pursuing an MBA since an MBA gives you comprehensive training in finance, accounting, data analysis, and marketing. I figured it would be beneficial to have a more well-rounded skill set that can help me thrive in my future career.

How did you choose Dell? 

Dell has been cooperating with Rice’s MBA program for a long time. I reached out to previous alumni about their thoughts on Dell because many of them went to Dell either for an internship or their full-time job. I asked about how they feel about the company, the culture, and if they are satisfied with their job. All I got was positive feedback, so when I saw Dell openings posted on Rice’s career website, I talked to their recruiting team. That’s how I started. 

What was most appealing to me about Dell was that they encouraged internal rotation. After 18 months, you can proactively apply to work with another department. If you’re interested, you are free to reach out to other department managers to say, “Hey, I want to talk about your work here to see if I’m interested in this position or not.” They’re very flexible in that way. Dell doesn’t limit you to always staying in the same position or department. 

It’s a good benefit for me because I am interested in a lot of things. Someday if I want to change my career path, I can start again with the internal rotation to give it a try and see if I am a good fit for different roles. This is better than trying to start a new role I’ve never had experience with at a new company. It would be difficult to get hired with no related experience to prove myself. 

What was the process like transitioning from an internship with Dell to a full-time position?

I got my return offer before my internship ended. I was happy to hear that, but at the same time, my manager was very open-minded and encouraged me to explore other opportunities. I have the same mindset as him, so I wanted to make sure that I took every opportunity I had to find the best fit opportunity so that I wouldn’t feel regret someday. 

My internship ended in August and they asked me to reply to them by December. I remember I negotiated with them about postponing the deadline because I was still waiting on responses from other recruiters, but I ended up accepting the offer. Since I interned with them, I was pretty confident about their culture. I knew I would like it. For the other job opportunities, I heard a lot of negative feedback from alumni and people in my MBA cohort who interned with them, which ultimately impacted my decision. At the end of the day, I felt the most confident about Dell and their culture.

How was the experience going from STEM OPT to an H-1B visa with employer sponsorship?

People like me who got the offer from Dell very early on got an extra chance to do the H-1B lottery. I joined Dell officially in June, but the H-1B lottery was before that. Dell started the H-1B process for us, so we were automatically entered into the lottery rounds each year on OPT. It’s great if you land an offer and accept it early on because you can ask your company if they’re willing to start the H-1B process even before you officially join. I think most of the time the companies will do so if they already say they sponsor, but you need to check.

When you were looking for internships and full-time opportunities, did you ask the recruiters about sponsorship? 

I didn’t, but I did a lot of my own homework during recruiting. It can be kind of devastating for international students because there are limited resources that give you one view of which companies offer and don’t offer sponsorship. Sometimes the descriptions are not accurate. Sometimes they don’t sponsor, but they would say they sponsor and reverse. You have to ask alumni and your classmates.

As a former international student, do you have any key takeaways or learnings to share? 

Peer pressure is real, but don’t let it impact you too much or distract you from things you need to do. I know it’s hard, but try not to waste time being discouraged or envying others. Unfortunately, that’s what I did during the recruitment period. I spent a lot of time envying others and wondering why they had so many interview opportunities but I was still waiting to hear from the companies I applied to. Eventually, I learned it’s a waste of time. You should concentrate on the other preparation work you need to do for recruiting.

What tips do you have for standing out during the interview process and what should we spend the most time preparing for?

Spend most of your time preparing your story. Job interviews are all about storytelling. I was not good at it before since I didn’t grow up here and never worked in the US. I was not familiar with the working or recruiting culture here. I spent a lot of time developing my elevator pitch and my story of my background and experience. 

At first, I didn’t think it worked well. Then, one day, I talked to a woman in my MBA cohort. She was in marketing, so she was pretty good at storytelling and promoting herself. I asked her to do a mock interview with me. She helped me line up my talking points and combine them to make them more logical and appealing to the interviewers.

I recommend you reach out to any people who you think are very good at storytelling and personal branding, and ask them to help you develop your story. Sometimes when you are doing it yourself, you’ve got blind spots. You need other people to listen to you and help you develop a story together. Also, when you do those kinds of mock interviews with your friends, you are less nervous and are more yourself. You are not afraid of asking clarifying questions, and you are not embarrassed. So it’s easier to have friends help you. Ever since my friend helped me, my interviews went pretty well. I got an internship and eventually landed the offer with Dell.

The post Alice Wen: Leveraging an MBA in the US tech industry appeared first on Interstride.

What did you do before you transitioned to a career in education?

I worked for six years in the fine art world, very deep in it. I had my own photography business, and I worked at Alfredo Jaar’s studio for six years. I was fortunate enough to be exposed to the industry in ways that are hard to access, like working with international museums and also, local museums like the Met MoMA and art fairs, like Freeze Basel. We were represented by Gallery Live Long in Chelsea, and our office was there in the Chelsea area. 

Why did you choose to pivot to education?

I have been researching visual literacy and pedagogy for ten years since undergrad. My mom is a veteran teacher, so education has always been in my blood. I wanted to teach kids how to read images, so I found the why behind photography, the why behind Visual Arts, and the why behind education. The overarching theme was that I wanted to teach the next generation to be creators, not just consumers, and give them the agency and power to read images, dissect images, and put them back together. 

I love teaching. It’s super tough because 90% of my students are immigrants, and a couple of them don’t speak English. I’m using Google Translate every day, but we get by, and we have a lot of fun. The whole reason why I went into the Bronx to teach immigrant students is because I grew up in six different countries. I was born in South Korea, but I lived in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, and the States. I’m a third-culture kid. Therefore, I understand what my immigrant students are going through, and I’m passionate about helping them and being embedded into the world that they’re living in right now. 

How did you decide to pursue an O-1B visa?

If people are interested in the O-1 process, I’m assuming that they’re interested because they are artists. I’m assuming that because O-1 is called the Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement visa, and the visas are given to artists who have extensive experience in showcasing their talents in the US.

An H-1B visa is through a company, while an O-1 is proving that you have art shows, publications, articles published, or works being bought. You need to prove certain criteria of your artistry and your activities in the US. I knew that as an artist, in order for me to stay here and build my career, I needed a sponsor. Sponsorship is the hardest thing to get in the O-1. You can’t just prove that you’re extraordinary. You also need an external sponsor to vouch for your extraordinary talents. Alfredo Jaar, my sponsor, is not a company, therefore, the visa that he could provide for me was only the O-1 visa, not the H-1B.

So, a sponsor is not the same as an employer?

It doesn’t have to be, but they are usually because you need to prove to the USCIS that you have a working relationship with your sponsor. It doesn’t have to be full-time, but mine was full-time. If you work with a good lawyer, he’s going to give you a chart where you fill out what you’ll be doing for your sponsor, when and how, and how much you’ll be earning. The sponsor also has to hit certain criteria to be able to sponsor your O-1 visa.

Can you describe your O-1 process?

I did the O-1 visa process twice. The first time was very difficult. I was just fresh out of college. I didn’t have money saved, therefore I had to find a relatively cheaper lawyer. I only spent $2,000 as opposed to some lawyers who go up to $7,000 or $10,000. I did all the legwork. I got two or three RFEs (request for evidence) which is when USCIS deems there needs to be more evidence to prove that you are an extraordinary artist. It’s a pain in the neck to get the RFEs, but I got them two or three times. 

The artist visa lasts for three years, and then you have to reapply. The second time around it was really quick. I got it. Then, I got the travel stamp in Paris instead of Korea because my new lawyer was more competent and a little bit more expensive, but it was worth it. He had experience working with O-1, so he said, “Don’t go to South Korea to get a travel stamp, because if they reject you, even if you have an O-1, you can’t go to the States anymore. Just go to Paris because they give you travel stamps really easily.”

I have a dear colleague who’s Chinese. He got his O-1 visa approved in the US, but the Chinese government declined to give him a travel stamp. It was during the Trump administration. He couldn’t come to the US even though he had the O-1, because he left to his home country for the travel stamp, and the visa got revoked. Some of my other Chinese friends who did the artist visa just chose not to go out of the country. 

That’s my six-year visa journey. And then I went to grad school, so I didn’t need to have a work visa anymore. 

What was the timeline like starting from applying to the O-1 to getting the RFEs to finally getting the visa?

The OPT (Optional Practical Training) expires in a year, and my OPT started in June or July. You need to start the application before the OPT expires. I got hired in September, and then I started the application in February of the following year. I prepared all the documents and then submitted them right before the OPT expiration date. As long as they receive the document before the OPT expiration date, then you’re good to stay in the US. Even if OPT expires, because your application is in the system, they allow you to stay and continue to work until the result comes out. 

I submitted it in May or June. I got the first RFE within 15 days. There are two routes. If you pay $1,500, they do an expedited response. I think it was 15 days. But if you don’t pay that amount, it could take up to 90 days for them to reply to you, as in it could take them 90 days for them to give an RFE instead of 15 days. I chose the expedited route. I got the first RFE around July or August. 

If the USCIS says you don’t have enough shows, or your evidence is too weak, then you have to talk with your lawyer and build up a better case and give firmer evidence. I took about a month to prepare more documents, and then I submitted them around September, and it took about another 15 days to get another RFE. It dragged on until way past December and into the new year. 

What tips do you have for someone applying for an O-1 visa?

• Find a good lawyer who is experienced in international visas like the O-1. Due to the inability of my lawyer, there were a lot of complications, but I managed to get my visa. 
• If you leave the US and plan to return, you need the visa, but you also have to go out of the US and get a travel stamp.
• If it’s the first time someone is proving themselves for an O-1, USCIS scrutinizes their application, but the second time around it was very easy. If you’ve already established your ground as an artist, the USCIS just checks the paperwork and gives you the visa.

What are some of the general takeaways that you want to share with international students?

My biggest takeaway as an international student establishing a career in the US is to really go after your career with no shame or no hesitation. Many international friends, including my friends, have always commented on how the American friends in our classroom are always raising their hands and they’re going after things and they’re always loud. We would jealously talk about their abilities to BS their way around their grades. But there’s something to be learned about that attitude. I think going after what you want and practicing how to sell yourself and brand yourself and believing in your career and yourself and the artistry is very important. 

Step into that belief that what you have made in your career is worth recognition. Pave your own way. My heart goes out to all international students trying to make a career in the US. The legal system here is way tougher than in other places, so hang in there. I want to be as helpful as possible and show international people that you can do it. There are pathways and there are people who are willing to help you. I hope I was able to shed some information and some hope and light on your career. 

The post Esther Jang: On being an artist, a teacher, and securing an O-1 visa appeared first on Interstride.

How did you become a product manager?

I started my career as a software developer right after my computer science degree, but then slowly realized that coding is not actually my cup of tea. I wanted to stay close to technology products, so that’s when I made the decision to transition to product management (PM). Since then I have remained in this space because I love two things: interacting with people and building technology products that solve people’s real-life problems.

What made you decide to get a master’s degree in the US?

I switched to product management even before my master’s. After a year as a software developer, I transitioned to PM. I was working as a project manager for enterprise customers leading B2B products, but I realized that to grow as a PM and as a product leader, you need to know more about how you can refer to data to drive your business decisions. So, I really wanted to enhance my data analytics skills.

I also wanted to enhance my overall enterprise technology management skills, which means you should know how technology management and change management are done at large enterprises. And, I wanted to gather business and financial acumen knowledge. For those reasons, I decided that I would go with a master’s degree to enhance my skill set and prepare me for the next steps of my career.

Another driving and motivating factor was that I lived in India, but I wanted to get international work experience. During that time, product management was a very hot field both in India and in the US. Most of the important product leaders or product decisions of the well-known tech companies were being driven from the US. Hence, I decided to move to the US for my master’s and hopefully continue my career as a product manager after my master’s and be at the epicenter of great product decisions.

How did you choose a master’s degree program?

• I didn’t want to stay away from my professional field for a long time. Therefore I decided to go with a one-year master’s versus a two-year master’s or one-and-a-half-year master’s.
• I wanted to choose those programs that had internship elements embedded within them, either in between the semesters or at the end of the two semesters.

• I wanted to choose a program that gave me the flexibility to choose the courses that I wanted. For example, I went to University at Buffalo and, as part of that curriculum, out of the 36 credits that I was supposed to take, 18 credits or 50% of my courses were electives that I got to choose. So I could structure my curriculum in a way that would enhance my skill set and help me grow as a product manager. I didn’t want to study subjects that may not be relevant to my career growth.

Can you share your experience getting an internship in the US?

I was supposed to start school in the fall, but COVID hit and I had to defer my admission by six months. Ultimately, I began in spring and did a summer internship. Since I was preparing myself to come in the fall, I understood what the internship recruitment cycle was, and I started to apply for internships before landing in the US so that I could hit that fall recruitment season. Many companies in the US will recruit from July to October, or even early November. It’s the time when most companies will be opening up their early careers or university recruitment positions.

I wanted to jump the ship early so I could give myself the most opportunity. I didn’t think about what would happen if I applied for this job. I am used to applying for all the relevant internship positions that I come across. With that determination and perseverance mindset, I was able to hit quite a large number of applications that ultimately allowed me to get one.

Do you have any tips for job hunting as an international student in the US?

A lot of my classmates during my master’s program came directly to study here right after their undergrad. I did come from India with work experience in my field, but I have realized that even having a brand name on my resume or having some work experience in my resume wasn’t the only factor to get a job. For example, I used to work at Microsoft in India, but I wasn’t able to get a Microsoft internship or a full-time job here.

What really stood out was being able to sell your experience in a transferrable way. That’s the beauty of product management. Let’s say you have been doing data analysis and you want to grow as a product manager. You can actually sell your data analysis experience around how you love it, why you do it, and how your data analysis helps end users of your products. That shows your intent to grow as a product manager and is the key to how you articulate your experience during the interviews.

During an interview conversation, I love to be succinct, specific, and give examples that allow the interviewer to understand my profile and experience. I always refer to the STAR framework for answering questions. In fact, I actually do it as a START framework:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Results
• Takeaways

Another thing that I did during my job hunt was to google the Fortune 500 list. I went to each and every company’s career webpage and looked for a product manager position. That allowed me to apply for companies in that Fortune 500 list which wouldn’t have usually shown up in my LinkedIn because of how I have chosen the industry and how my profile is set up.

Just by going through that list, I was able to get a list of a handful of companies that I could have only ever imagined. As part of the Fortune 500, they are very reputable. There is a whole variety of resources available. I’m not saying these are the only methods that will work for you, but these are some things that I did.

What are the key points recruiters are looking for on a resume for a product management role?

In a resume, the key thing that is primarily looked at by the recruiters is the impact that you have created. It could be an internal or external impact. Doesn’t matter if it impacts one hundred customers or one million customers. Highlighting that impact is really necessary. So whenever you are writing your resume bullet points, showcase your impact, and when you are giving your interviews, be sure to showcase two major traits. One is your curiosity or empathetic nature. Your empathetic mindset shows how you are listening to your customers or users for your product to make your product better. The second trait is around your execution skills because as a product manager, you need to drive.

Do you have any advice on how to best network with large companies that sponsor international talent?

We all know about LinkedIn and Indeed, as those two are the most common portals to apply for jobs. But, there are a couple of unconventional ways, which I had realized over the years that actually helped me get interview calls when I was in school. Clubhouse was a hot app during those days. Everyone was crazy about Clubhouse. I used to jump in those recruiter conversations in the clubhouse apps, and I ended up speaking directly with recruiters from Meta, Google, and Adobe. They were hosting live public conversations.

You just need to do a little bit of research and find those channels or groups and jump in there. I remember there was a portal which I stumbled upon through some newsletter. I don’t remember exactly the portal name, but it was primarily for project managers. When I went into that portal, I was able to find amazing opportunities after joining different communities. Some communities have either their own Slack channels or their own Discord communities. Just jump in. If you Google the top 10 product communities to join, Google will itself give you the most popular communities.

I personally used to attend networking events in my region even with companies that didn’t used to sponsor. When you are networking, you are not looking for a first-degree connection. You’re really looking for that second-degree and third-degree connection. That person in that company may not be hiring, but may connect you with someone in their network who is hiring an international student.

The post A senior product manager’s job search tips for international graduates appeared first on Interstride.

How did you end up studying film? 

I moved to the US in 2017 for UT Austin (UT). Before that, I went to an international school in China where most students would go to a university abroad. I was undeclared when I joined UT, but they have a really good film degree, so I thought, “I like editing videos, I might as well just choose it.” That’s how I decided on film at the time.

Why did you decide to pivot from film to marketing? 

After I started the program, I felt like I wasn’t as passionate about film as other students. I didn’t really have a clear goal in the degree. Some people really wanted to be a director or a cinematographer. Ultimately, I realized I didn’t want to have a career in film.

Part of my decision was also driven by my being an international student because it would be hard to get a job in the entertainment industry. I don’t know any international student who has done it successfully. It would be difficult to stay in the US, so I decided to pivot.

Coming from film, how did you gain hands-on experience in marketing?

I decided to try a lot of activities outside of film. I joined a theater club at UT where I did a lot of producing. I was in the choir and I was doing some creative work, but I ended up becoming a producer for some of the projects. I also became a publicity officer for the club, managed their social media, and did copywriting work. This was how I got started with content marketing.

Because of that experience, I got to do some other internships in content and social media marketing including:

• Interning with a music app and doing photography and content marketing.
• Working within video editing with Live Nation C3 Presents, a big company in Austin that runs the ACL festival, Lollapalooza, and a bunch of other festivals in the US.
• Interning at the UTeach Institute at UT and managing social media and web analytics

After graduating from my undergrad, I got an internship at L’Oreal in China, where I did e-commerce analytics.

Why did you decide to pursue a Master’s degree in marketing right after undergrad?

My friend told me that UT has a bridge program where I could apply during my junior year for a Master’s degree from the McCombs School of Business. The program would allow me to finish the summer classes during my junior year and then continue in the fall after I graduated from undergrad.

I picked this program for its more analytical syllabus; there were some classes related to coding. I wanted to explore the analytical side of marketing and become more competitive in the workspace.

What were your goals with this degree?

Previously, I did a lot of internships in social media and content. I was mostly making content or writing copy, but was ready to move toward a new direction.

Marketing is such a big field. From my degree, I learned that there’s a lot you can get into. You can do brand management, you can do pricing, and so much more.

What was most interesting to me was marketing analytics and dealing with data. I decided to get into data science after I finished the IBM data science certification on Coursera. Outside of my program, I made sure to explore extra projects to gain knowledge in the data science field, which really helped me land my current role.

How did you land your current role as a data scientist at Keurig Dr. Pepper (KDP)?  

I got my job from a recruiting event at my school. A few companies like IBM, Keurig Dr Pepper, and a fintech startup were interviewing people from the business school. I actually wrote a cover letter to my now-director. He was hiring and said he could host me during the lunch hour on Friday. I got invited to the interview, they invited me for the next round, I did a case study, I interviewed with the VP, and then I got the job.

Was sponsorship important to you? 

I didn’t know that KDP sponsored international students. Actually, I had a mentor from the same company and they just told me they don’t sponsor. I had another international friend who gave up on signing up for a slot because he didn’t want to waste his time on a company that didn’t sponsor.

I didn’t have any interviews anyway and I wanted to practice interviewing. Even if they didn’t sponsor, I would still get the experience, which is why I went for it. It turns out they did sponsor on a case-by-case basis.

If there’s a role that you think you are a good fit for, you should try. Unless they explicitly say that they don’t sponsor, I think there’s still a chance, especially if it’s a data-related or technical role.

What made you a great fit? 

They were very clear that they wanted to look for a person from the business analytics program, such as a technical person who was interested in marketing, or someone in marketing that was interested in data science. It was a role that had a strong focus in marketing, which was exactly what my program was for.

I was also very interested in consumer packaged goods because I worked for L’Oreal, and L’Oreal was my dream company at the time. Being a data scientist, I felt it would be a really good stepping stone, in case I want to go into tech in the future.

My experiences were also a good fit for the role because I had CPG experience, I had a marketing degree and I was doing a lot of data science projects.

What are some takeaways and advice you have for other international students? 

Growing up in China, we have a very different culture; I didn’t have a lot of confidence growing up. It was hard to look for a job and get an interview and offer, especially in the US. I started doubting myself, “I applied to all these jobs. I’m not sure if they rejected me because I needed sponsorship or because I was not good enough.” At first, I thought they just didn’t want to sponsor. The more I applied, the more I started feeling like maybe I wasn’t good enough.

Even for American students, it’s hard to look for a job right now in this job market. It’s a really difficult job market right now, and there’s no need to doubt yourself or your abilities.

As international students, there are a lot of things that we can bring to companies and we can create a lot of value. You just need to really showcase your unique points.

• Be open to opportunities. Initially, I didn’t think that KDP was going to sponsor international students. I took my shot because I wanted to practice more interviewing. I think it’s good to practice interviews a lot. Even if the companies don’t sponsor, you should apply.
• Utilize all the resources that the university gives you. My school has a lot of rich resources and partnerships with companies. That’s how I landed my job.
• Connect with alumni from your school. They are usually happy to help with referrals or other job search advice. It’s good to reach out to international alumni because they have been through the same struggles, and you know that the companies they work will likely sponsor.

The post Mandy Hong: From film major to data scientist at Keurig Dr. Pepper appeared first on Interstride.

I was born in Vietnam and spent most of my life in Japan. My family migrated from Vietnam to Japan in search of better opportunities. For high school, I attended Hokkaido International School, which had a significant number of students from the United States.

Growing up in different cultures, I was a Third Culture Kid, which has shaped my perspective and identity. The exposure to different perspectives sparked my curiosity, leading me to consider studying in the U.S. To make that dream a reality, I was fortunate enough to secure a $150K scholarship, which greatly assisted with financing my college education.

I studied Economics and Data Science at Lawrence University and just graduated in the summer. Currently, I am running my own startup called Afforai, a SaaS data processing platform that helps e-commerce businesses understand customers’ likes, dislikes, and pain points by processing thousands of customer reviews using AI. We are targeting underserved small and medium-sized businesses in the rapidly growing e-commerce markets of the US and South East Asia, leveraging my and my cofounder’s international backgrounds and understanding of the market in both regions.

How and why did you start your startup?

As a way to temporarily distract myself from the job-hunting process in my senior year in college, I participated in Lawrence University’s LaunchLU startup competition for a second time. I didn’t win last year, so I was determined to participate again and prove to myself that I could identify opportunities that others might miss. It worked out and I won first place.

When did you know you wanted to pursue the startup full-time on Optional Practical Training (OPT)?

I actively applied for jobs in the fields of Economics and Data Science during my senior year but I wasn’t able to secure any job offers.

I continued working on the startup project, achieving significant milestones along the way. Each accomplishment reinforced my belief in the potential of the startup, ultimately leading me to decide to pursue it full-time. We were accepted into the Microsoft for Startups program and Chicago’s 1871 business incubator program. We were also able to secure over $100K in tech services. After six months of dedicated work, we acquired our first ten paying customers.

Fortunately, I discovered that I could undertake my OPT under my own startup.

Did you know other international students who’ve done this before you?

I haven’t personally come across other international students who have embarked on a similar journey before me. However, I have had underclassmen express interest in joining my startup, including two international students on my team.

What resources or people did you rely on to make this happen?

To make this happen, I primarily relied on the resources available on the internet. Websites such as Interstride provided me with valuable information and insights necessary for starting and growing a business. Additionally, I sought advice from mentors, professionals, and other entrepreneurs who were generous enough to share their experiences and expertise.

What were some of the challenges you faced?

Initially, I had to ascertain the technical feasibility of developing the product I envisioned and determine the associated costs. As an entrepreneur, it is daunting to navigate the uncertainties that come with building a startup.

However, having a co-founder proved invaluable. Hung Nguyen was also an international student. We met freshman year in college. He majored in Computer Science and Data Science. One of the most brilliant minds on campus that I know of. We supported each other, held each other accountable, and motivated one another. Working with the right people who shared the same vision and passion made a significant difference in overcoming these challenges.

How was your job search during your senior year?

I actively searched for jobs during my senior year. I primarily focused on roles related to data analysis and data science. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any offers. This lack of opportunities played a significant role in my decision to pursue my startup. I firmly believe that if no one is willing to offer you an opportunity, you should create your own. This mindset drove me to embrace hard work and carve my own path.

What kinds of internships and work experiences did you have during college?

During college, I undertook a data analyst internship with a non-profit organization based in California. I developed a data visualization software to aid in tracking homelessness and identifying crucial data points that could contribute to solving the issue. This internship showed me that the work I do can make a difference in people’s lives. This strengthened my passion for data science a lot more.

When you first started college, what did you envision for your post-grad self and career?

When I started college, I had no clear vision of what my post-grad self or career would look like. I decided to major in Economics and Data Science after taking courses in most departments on campus to explore my interests. This foundation of diverse knowledge proved to be invaluable as a startup founder. I possess enough knowledge to collaborate effectively with specialized individuals in different fields.

What advice do you have for your younger self or other international students?

My advice to my younger self and other international students is to embrace uncertainty. While it may be intimidating, it is also thrilling. Take the plunge into the unknown, explore new opportunities, and listen to your instincts. As long as you continue to learn and grow, things will eventually fall into place. Remember that the path to success may not always be conventional, and it’s okay to forge your own unique journey.

The post From OPT to entrepreneur: Alec Nguyen’s journey to building a startup after graduation appeared first on Interstride.

Jukka Strand is a former international student from Finland who completed his Bachelor of Science at the London School of Economics and was then awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to complete a Master of International Affairs degree at Columbia University in New York City. His current role is Senior Infrastructure Finance Specialist at the World Bank, based in Singapore.

Walk us through your career path.

After graduating from Columbia, I started my career as an associate at Citigroup in New York. As the Global Financial Crisis took hold in 2008, I decided to pursue my long-lasting dream of working in an international organization and so I moved to Washington DC to work on transport infrastructure projects at the World Bank. Being able to use my financial skills to promote global development in challenging client environments proved to be very fulfilling and I have not looked back since.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while studying in the US?

The biggest challenge for me was to search for jobs in Washington while living in New York. The online networking tools were not as advanced as they are today, requiring me to make several trips to Washington to professionally break into the “World Bank bubble”.

What was your most valuable resource?

The support of peers, faculty and alumni was essential to my job search. You need to find the right people who can help you achieve your career goals

Can you tell us a fun fact?

One of the most memorable student moments I had was bumping into the President of Finland at the United Nations Headquarters, where I was working part-time. I had been looking forward to observing heads of state during their General Assembly meeting but could not have expected to be chatting and shaking hands with one, least of all my own President.

Do you have any advice for students studying in the US?

Boldly follow your dreams. The most difficult thing is deciding what you want to do and the rest is just executing a plan to get there.

The post Jukka Strand: Finland to US international student to Singapore World Bank appeared first on Interstride.

Hello, my name is Estefania Barnuevo and I am from Ecuador. I did my undergraduate studies in International Business and Trade at the Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador. After my undergraduate degree, I worked for a year while applying to US universities to get my Master’s degree. I was enrolled at Northeastern University first for my graduate certificate in accounting and finance before transferring to Bentley University. Currently, I am pursuing my MBA with a concentration in Finance. I am also the president of a women’s organization, called GWLO (Graduate Women Leadership Organization).

Tell us about your current role!

I work at Bentley as a Graduate Student Ambassador. My job is pretty nice because I get to meet all incoming students and interact with them from a student perspective. I started working at the graduate admissions office in August 2019.

After my graduation, I will be joining Novartis Pharmaceuticals in East Hanover, NJ, under a financial role called FDP (Financial Development). I got this offer after I completed my internship during the summer of 2020. My job will be a leadership rotation, where I’ll be working in many financial areas of the company. I will also work for a year in Basel at the main company headquarters.

How did you navigate your education and experience to arrive at where you are today?

I come from a family that owns a business in Cuenca—my hometown. My grandfather founded Agrosad 55 years ago and since then, my mother’s family has been involved in the company. My mom was the CEO when I was a teenager, so she taught me how valuable it is to work, especially as a woman. She also taught me how to build my path and to achieve every goal I set in life. I have worked hard to get to where I am but always with the help of my family, I appreciate them because they taught me to persevere. I believe the experience of seeing my mother at the top helped me to set my goals high.

While studying, I worked at the family business, doing everything they needed me to do. The business is dedicated to providing agricultural goods to farmers so I was involved in international relations, working with vendors. After that, my mother was diagnosed with leukemia, which led me to become interested in the pharmaceutical world. I was not meant to be a doctor, but I still wanted to help people. After my internship at Novartis, I understood that I could still help people in other ways.

What’s the biggest challenge as an international student in the US?

As an international student, the biggest challenge I faced was loneliness. I came to the US by myself when I was 22, and from a family that was always together, I felt alone.

Another challenge I faced was making friends, which has never been an issue for me before, but I believe that everyone’s too busy here in the US. It is hard to meet new people but not impossible—you just need to try harder.

Finally, another challenge was jobs. I saw my friends suffering and struggling after graduation, but what I always say is to use the tools the university gives you. Network and attend events. It doesn’t matter if you seem intense. That is a good way to make other people notice you because the world is full of people, so you need to do something to stand out.

What was the most valuable resource to you as an international student in the US?

The most valuable resource for me is networking. Become a friend of career services and other staff. Professors will be the ones who recommend you—the ones who can speak about who you are and what you did during class. It is not only attending class, taking a seat, and listening. You also need to speak and act. I believe the most valuable resource is yourself because you are the one who will make things happen, always by the side of a good team and good friends.

What advice do you have for other international students?

The only advice I have is that nothing is impossible, and even in the days when everything looks bad, something good will come. I won’t lie—it’s hard to be an international student in the US. But I think it is worth it, if that is your dream. Since I was a kid I wanted to study abroad and work for a multinational company, so I started working on my dream.

The post Estefania Barnuevo: From Ecuador to the US appeared first on Interstride.

Yoon Choi was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She received her Bachelor’s degree in fine art from Ewha Women’s University in Seoul and her Master’s degree in textiles design at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Yoon is now a Footwear Concept Designer at Nike.

What did your career path look like?

I interned at various design studios through graduate school and after graduation. I worked for two years at a small design studio that focuses on non-residential interior textiles. About six years ago, I came to work in Nike’s Innovation department, where I’ve been ever since.

What was the biggest challenge you faced as an international student?

A couple months after I finally submitted my H-1B application, I received a letter from an immigration officer saying that based on his book that lists eligible H-1B careers, Textile Design might not be in scope because it doesn’t require even a Bachelor’s degree. As such, he asked for me to provide a set of letters by professionals in my industry to confirm that a degree is in fact required for my career. Aside from this feeling as insulting as it did—I had just dedicated the last six years of my life and made an incredible financial commitment to setting myself up for a career in this field—it was going to be a very stressful, exhausting and discouraging process to go through.

The directions were ambiguous without a specific number of letters to produce and asked to provide statements from industry peers accompanied by their proof of education, which required a lot of effort from them. After significant outreach across my network, I collected around ten written letters and diplomas from very generous friends, professors and even some strangers in my extended network.

My letters were accepted and qualified my career as skilled labor, but shortly after, a rumor emerged that the US had hit its H1B limit and were going to resort to a lottery system for the first time in a few years. I was confident because entering that process with a masters degree, I would be placed in a higher probability pool, but in the end, I saw friends who didn’t make the lottery despite successfully securing visa sponsorship and having graduated from top American universities. I understand that the process has only become more competitive since then.

What about your most valuable resources?

Finding a list of companies that sponsor visas and getting legal help was very helpful. After I found a company who would support me, they were still too small to provide the necessary legal assistance (unlike larger companies that have in-house legal teams), which meant I had to find and pay for my own immigration lawyer, which was not easy or cheap. A company that could provide trusted and affordable legal assistance would have been extremely valuable for me. I’ve also heard that at some of the larger companies that do provide legal assistance that this can indirectly impact employees salaries, so protection from this via affordable private legal assistance I imagine would be valuable for all.

What advice would you give to international students?

Recruiting has to be less about the company and its reputation and more about finding a company that will support your immigration and allow you to build on the skills you gained in school. You need to sometimes swallow your pride and not pursue your dream company even when you see American peers with comparable resumes and experiences as you. If the company can’t support your immigration process, then it’s not worth dedicating your time to recruiting.

Be smart about where you intern. If you intern for a company that cannot promise visa support for full time, you have to move on to other options. It isn’t just about finding an internship that can convert to full time employment, it’s also about getting immigration support, which – if you don’t ask – you might not find out their unwillingness to provide until the completion of your internship.

Understand the immigration timelines. Even after you find an employer who will sponsor you, there are lead times in processing the visa that you need to understand. People think you have a full year after graduating, but the reality is it’s actually more like 7 months when you consider how long it takes to complete and submit the H1B application. I learned this from friends who had gone through this process. My school did not provide this information and many of my peer international students did not benefit from this same context and thus didn’t secure a job ahead of this timeline.

Try not to be discouraged by this process. It was painful, but it made me stronger and more confident in myself. I eventually learned there were many things out of my control, all I could do was be my best self and use the best resources available to me. I decided it would not be the worst thing in the world if things ultimately did not work out, and knew it could lead to an even better life somewhere else in the world if it didn’t. I feel fortunate and proud of how things worked out, but I would not have been ashamed if life had taken me in a different direction.

The post Yoon Choi: Korea to the US and becoming a Nike Footwear Concept Designer appeared first on Interstride.

Shravya was born in India and grew up in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In pursuit of her Bachelor’s in Business Administration, she came to University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Shravya then went on to get her MBA/MPH from UCLA. She currently works as the Chief of Staff at Virta Health.

What did your path look like to land your current role?

Like many other business school students, I was drawn to consulting and spent 5 years in Deloitte Consulting’s Strategy and Operations practice, specifically focused on healthcare both pre and post grad graduate school. My consulting years were really formative and helped build the fundamental skill sets that I now carry with me to each role I take.

Ultimately, after moving to San Francisco with Deloitte, I caught the tech bug and decided to make the switch to Box first as their Chief of Staff for Industries and later as the founding member of its Solutions Marketing team. After 5 years at Box, I wanted to get back to my roots in healthcare, specifically at a fast growing startup that was making a meaningful difference to patients, which is what led me to my current role at Virta as their Chief of Staff.

What was the biggest challenge you faced as an international student?

My visa status was the #1 determinant and often times roadblock in my career journey. When interviewing for jobs post undergrad/grad school, the options were limited for international students and only a fraction of the companies were willing to process visas. The same was true when I was looking for positions after Deloitte. I would interview and make it to the 2nd or 3rd round at startups only to learn the company couldn’t accept non residents. I was also under enormous pressure when looking for positions outside Deloitte since my H1B visa was running out and not only did I need to find a company that was willing to process an H1 but one that was willing to start my green card paperwork immediately upon joining.

In fact, soon after I got my offer letter at Box, the HR team retracted it citing that we didn’t have enough time to process the green card paperwork. I had to hire an independent attorney to help me navigate this and after sending Box a 20 point explanation on how to manage my case, the offer was reissued. While at Box, I also navigated many visa and green card hurdles when switching positions, all of which were extremely complex and stressful to navigate.

What were your most valuable resources that helped you get where you are today?

• I would say the three most helpful things for me were:
• My network of international friends and allies I could tap for help.
• My network of friends in HR that helped me to figure out what my options were.
• Realizing that it is worth it to just hire a lawyer or pay a consultation fee for a few hours so you are empowered with the right information.

What advice would you give to international students today?

Especially in today’s world, it’s worth really asking yourself where you see yourself and what types of jobs/roles you’re looking for in the next 3-5 years. It’s worth understanding how easy or difficult it is to break into a certain industry or role in certain countries & also how strict/relaxed their visa policies are. I feel extremely lucky to have been able to make my way through the complex visa web in the US but that hasn’t been the case for a lot of friends and family.

The post Shravya Kidambi Gupta: Chief of Staff at Virta Health appeared first on Interstride.

Jose Miguel Ortega is a former international graduate student from Mexico City. He received his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management and is currently VP of Central Operations for Walmart China.

Can you walk us through your career path and how you got here?

I started my career in Marketing working for Bimbo Bakers in Mexico where I managed the launch of one of the company’s key products. I then got my MBA at UCLA where I focused primarily in Finance and Operations. During the program, I interned with Walmart Mexico in Corporate Finance. I loved the experience and received an offer to continue full time post graduation. I knew that although I wanted to go back to Mexico in the short-term, I wanted to keep the door open to coming back to the US. My new role, which was focused on international business processes, did just that—it allowed me to work directly with other markets across Walmart and would eventually create an opportunity for me to take on new roles with the company in both the US and in China. My global experience has served as a huge asset and has been central to my career growth.

What has been your biggest challenge studying in the US?

The biggest challenge was clearly knowing what opportunities were available to international students and potential career trajectories. I found that I mainly focused on companies that directly recruited international MBA students but didn’t know much about other companies, so my search and focus were limited.

What has been your most valuable resource?

The most valuable resource was my fellow peers at UCLA. We supported one another and helped each other during our early job searches and to this day.

What advice do you have for international students in the US?

Find mentors from different stages of your life and career—people you admire and whose career path you respect. These mentors will provide you insight and different perspectives as you have to make big decisions in your career. In many cases, your mentors will also link you to new opportunities you wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to. Also, pay it forward! Be a mentor to others whether it be through your company, your alma mater or volunteer work.

The post Jose Ortega: VP of Central Operations at Walmart China appeared first on Interstride.

Betty Yao is a former international student from China, who majored in accounting at Xi’an Jiaotong University. She has a Master of Accountancy degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of California Davis. Betty has worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Shanghai, China, US-based startup Pillow, and currently works in Google Corporate Finance.

What did your career path look like in the US?

Right after graduation from undergrad, I came to the US for my master degree with the hope to find a job here. However, the job hunt in the US was not successful due to the visa sponsorship limitation and I landed with an offer from my dream company back then but was in China. I accepted the offer and began my career in auditing mainly focusing on high tech companies and worked on several IPO engagements. After a few years, I felt it’s time to get back to the US to achieve my MBA but most importantly, find a job here.

During my MBA, I started to find an internship right after orientation. Lucky enough, I found an Internship with Pillow, which finally turned into a full time offer. Pillow was also the first company that helped me submit my H1B application. This finally made my life and career on track for my goal in the US.

What was the biggest challenge you faced?

The biggest career challenge for me was trying to speak and write as a native speaker. When I started my career in the US, I always felt the pressure when I communicated with my colleagues since English is not my first language. I was worried that I said a word wrong or used grammar incorrectly.

After a few months working with my colleague, I understood that accent or grammar is not the most important thing in work, it’s how you articulate your thoughts and present your ideas. With this in mind, I spent more time on how to become a good speaker and how to make an eye-catching presentation, which helped me a lot in my career and my interview with Google.

What were your most valuable resources?

The most valuable resources for me are Linkedin. Before my interview with Google, I tried to find insiders on LinkedIn and asked for help. Don’t be frustrated if no one gets back, just try more people. I was lucky to get someone who responded who provided very useful advice to help me prepare for my interview. Try to make full use of Linkedin, from alumni or even strangers.

Do you have any advice for students?

Don’t send the exact same resume to all the jobs you applied for. Try to tailor your resume with the job description. This will increase the possibility of passing through the first round screening.

The post Betty Yao: From X’ian, China to Corporate Finance at Google appeared first on Interstride.

1. What did your path look like to land your current role?

I began my career as a turnaround consultant in the technology and energy sector where I led restructuring projects in Western Europe, Central Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Prior to joining my current employer, I worked as a Senior Associate at a European private equity fund.

2. What was the biggest challenge you faced as an international student?

The US work visa and green card application process turned out to be much more complicated and time consuming than expected. It took me a lot of research to figure out which forms to submit, what deadlines to meet and which requirements to fulfill.

3. How about your most valuable resource?

Somebody to guide me through the entire immigration process would have been hugely valuable. Unfortunately, easily accessible services like Interstride were not available back then.

4. What advice would you give to international students?

Venture out of your comfort zone! In the early stages of your career, you will not be the top performer at your job. Cultivating perseverance will allow you to expand your skill set and reach your goals.

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