Dear Coach Kwan,
This is my first year in the States after the pandemic and I will be graduating soon. I know networking is important, and I heard the holiday season could be a great time to network. How can I optimize this holiday seasons in the US for networking post-pandemic?
Even before coming to the U.S., I asked myself: what is in store for me beyond graduation? If I graduate and then go back home to work, will what I have learned academically in the U.S. be applicable at all?
I feel like I’m doing something wrong when I try to network. I’ve asked my professor to connect me with a few professionals in his network. When I got on a call with those professionals and asked if they can refer me to the company, they all said that they would keep an eye out for me. Unfortunately, I never hear anything back. What is your advice for my situation?
For international students, when the traditional job search process starts to yield worse results than before, you need to find people who can advocate your abilities to your target employers. You want to get your foot in the door without stumbling through immigration question hurdles, right?
Nobody achieves success alone. We all need communities of people to support, and who support us, to build each other up and provide unique and helpful insight. In this way, anyone can succeed. ICAway aims to support a community of international students, immigrants, and leaders who want to pay it forward.
“Lift as We Climb” Mentorship program seeks to help build students’ ability to create mentor/mentee relationships.
Communication is the cornerstone of getting hired in the US and navigating the American workplace. Without effective communication, team members often go off on their own, become isolated and feel disconnected from the overall mission of the organization and team.
How To Make The Most Out Of Summer: Networking & Internship Hunting Dear Coach Kwan, Now that summer is here, I want to take advantage of having a break from school and focus on my job search. How can I take advantage during this time to maximize my chances of landing my dream job? Sincerely, A temporarily-free-from-school international student That is such a good mindset to have! Even if your duties as a student are temporarily paused, you can still take advantage of your free time. Summertime is a great time to take your job search one step forward! However, when we are in a new place or with a group of people that we don’t know very well, the feeling of confidence we used to have back home can be replaced by shyness and social anxiety. In the midst of attending multiple events and making new friends in a foreign country, sometimes you won’t be able to stop yourself from comparing yourself to other people. Self-doubt takes place, and you might not be able to enjoy the conversation. Below are a few things I would like to share with you to help you break some networking barriers and optimize this networking season during the summer! Did you know summer is the perfect networking season? You might think that summer is not a good time to network since people go on vacation. However, this means that people are less busy with work and have more downtime to dedicate to networking. It is easier for someone to get away from the office for a bit and grab a cup of coffee or a casual lunch with you. People are more relaxed, and the season makes the perfect excuse for networking in a more casual environment. While you might be used to thinking of networking as a suit-and-tie professional event, that is not always the case. People are more likely to open up when in a casual environment, and that is how you can make a connection that goes deeper than surface level. There are all kinds of events and opportunities There are a ton of networking events and conferences hosted during the summer. Remember that even though summer is a more casual and relaxed time. Keep an approachable and friendly demeanor while simultaneously professionally presenting yourself – people will indeed notice and be impressed. Furthermore, there are other opportunities to network! A perfect way to meet people that can become meaningful connections is through volunteering. By meeting people this way, you have the advantage of already having established a connection, since both of you are volunteering at the same place, maybe due to a mutual interest or even passion. During the summer, particularly because students such as yourself have more time, there are endless opportunities to volunteer, be it through your school, your local community, or a professional organization. Keep the conversation going Now that you know that summer is the perfect time to network and have found the events and opportunities for you to do so, you have to make sure that you keep the conversation going. Be friendly, approachable, and professional; you can show all of this by being a good conversationalist. What you need to do is to be present. Practice active listening to avoid hitting a dead-end conversation. I know many of us dislike small talk. I do too. Instead of asking multiple unrelated questions, try digging deeper into the same topic. Find a topic of mutual interest and keep the conversation going from there until you peel off those layers and get more depth out of the conversation. You will be pleasantly surprised with all the interesting things you will find about your new acquaintances. Keep some commonly used icebreakers in the back of your mind and use them when you need to. You can also always refer back to some basic questions—e.g., “is this your first time at this conference?”—if you feel a lull in the conversation. Check out events at professional affiliations for international communities like: Ascend Leadership Prospanica ALPFA Now that you are armed with knowledge, free time, and the sunny weather, go out there and take advantage! When it comes to career search, you are the one who is in the driver’s seat. All the best to you, and keep me updated! I would love to hear more from all of you who go out there and build meaningful connections. There are so many things you can learn about networking and creating a career brand to find jobs in the US. About Coach Kwan Kwan is an experienced human-capital consultant. Her past corporate experience includes global organizations like Deloitte, Accenture, and BMW. Kwan moved to the U.S. in 2014, earned her Senior Professional HR certification from HRIC and joined one of the world’s most prestigious consulting firms as a Senior Consultant of Human Capital Consulting Practice. There, she managed multiple projects for Fortune 500 clients. Today, Kwan is the CEO and Founder of ICAway, an educational consulting firm based out of Chicago. Our mission is to be an empowering community for international students and light their way to finding jobs in the U.S. Learn from Rupinder how she networked and landed her dream job.
Going through the traditional job search online is tough because only about 2% of applicants get the interview. For international students, it can be even tougher. When you get the immigration screening questions at the beginning of the application process. You may not be able to move on to the next round. Many companies clearly state that they do not have a work visa sponsorship policy. It seems like there is nothing that you can do to change their minds. There is a way to bypass that immigration question hurdle. When you can build meaningful connections with target professionals. There is a possibility that you can be referred straight to the hiring manager. There are many companies with flexible hiring policies. All you need to do is to prove that you are the right talent that they should invest in. You can bypass the traditional job search online, jump over the “immigration question hurdle,” and get you the job interview of your dreams. Change the Way You Think About Networking When you hear the word “networking,” you may think of a situation in which you simply exchange business cards with as many business professionals as you possibly can and wait until someone contacts you. Or maybe you think of going to a business conference and trying to impress business professionals hoping that one will give you the golden opportunity of working or interning at their company. Sadly, these two approaches are unrealistic. They are also not very effective when it comes to building your network. Instead of thinking of networking as a business transaction, think of it as building meaningful connections with business professionals. The goal of building meaningful connections is to connect deeper with business professionals by forming mentorships where both you and the business professional are learning about each other. These connections are important because they are more impactful and long-lasting than simply handing a person your business card. More importantly, you will be able to find mentors that can help you in your future career. Different Ways to Connect Both online and in-person networking are important ways for international students to expand their network. In the US, online networking can be beneficial for students to connect with business professionals outside their region. Some examples of online networking include utilizing email, LinkedIn, social media, or even phone calls. LinkedIn Networking A common mistake international students make when networking on LinkedIn is being too straightforward and only reaching out to people because they want to have a job in a specific company. An important question to ask yourself is, “Did you reach out to people with the mindset of job seeking or to build a meaningful connection?” If your sole intent is to look for work without building a meaningful connection, consider changing your approach. Find people that you’re genuinely interested in and ask yourself how you can help them. A professional career counselor, Ed Brodka, from the University of Buffalo, has mentioned that being “on” LinkedIn is like attending a huge (400 million attendees) professional development networking conference that never ends. Check out his article by clicking the link above to benefit from his tips! Email networking A common mistake that international students make is that they may be too formal and write lengthy emails. When networking through email, some things to remember are addressing the email to someone specific and having a friendly and professional tone. For example, greeting with “Hi” or Hello” followed by the name of the recipient instead of using “Dear.” When it comes to the networking email’s length, your message should be no more than five sentences as a sign that you want to respect their time. The Huffington Post has resources like The 1 Email Successful People Never Send to further help you achieve success through email networking. Business Calls You may be afraid of going on a call because of your accent or because you know Americans can speak very fast at times and you may not be able to understand them. But phone networking is unavoidable because it helps you connect with people beyond the town or city you are living in. For example, if you are a software engineering student at a school in Lincoln, Nebraska, you may want to connect with someone who works in a tech firm in California to introduce yourself and learn more about the industry and the work that he/she does. Phone calls are the most personal type of online networking because you have the opportunity to talk with a business professional life. Similar to email networking, you should begin a phone call with a friendly and professional introduction. Begin by stating your first and last name and asking a sociable question such as “How are you?”. It’s important not to overthink the call and instead strive to engage with the business professional in a genuine way. In-Person Networking Are you originally from a country that speaking with a stranger is an awkward behavior? I know my home country (Thailand) definitely has that culture! It will take a bit of time for you to adjust but you can simply start practicing this skill by observing and taking note of how Americans speak to others in public. To help you further prepare for your next networking event, here are the 12 Networking Do’s and Don’ts For International Students that will help you network effectively. When it comes to building your network, you can start small by engaging with people that you meet in your everyday life. Whether at a coffee shop or a business conference, it is important for you to constantly create opportunities to engage with new people – you never know who you might end up talking to! I wish you all the best with your new chapter in the U.S! Coach Kwan Do you want to get more tips on this topic? Check out these resources: To get involved with our ICAway community, please join our private group at ICAway Dream
Many international students strive for academic excellence while pursuing higher education in the U.S. While this is a great goal, several international students become so focused on academics that they neglect to network with people in the field they dream of pursuing. Unfortunately, the online job application process yields few results. And because many have not used their time in college to make meaningful connections with business professionals, they have a smaller chance of getting referred when looking for a job. With a limited time frame after graduation (90 days unemployment window) and high competition in the U.S., this is often a stressful time for international students who wish to stay and work in the U.S. Sadly, many end up having to pack their bags and go home. However, international students do not need to go through the stress of beating the clock after graduation! All of these problems can be solved if international students start doing the following in the early stages of their college program: Network with people at school and outside their school Build meaningful connections Engage professionals as their mentors Some of you reading this article may be thinking that you don’t have anyone to help you achieve your career goals. But did you know that approximately 44 million american adults who are not mentoring a young person say they would seriously consider mentoring? This means that there are lots of people who are willing to become your mentor and help you grow your career. You only need to know how to approach them. (Click here to tweet) What is Mentorship? Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. Start asking yourself, “who do I know?” and “who can I connect with?” Think about any “super connectors” you may have, which are people you already know that can connect you with someone else. In my blog, “Build Your Network in the U.S. as International Students”, I talk about the different networking ways that international students can strive to make meaningful connections with business professionals in the U.S. How Can I Find a Mentor? There is an old saying that goes, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. This means that you want to make sure you’re doing the best you can by being active and engaged in areas that you are interested in. So when someone gives you the opportunity to shine, show up. Even though the assignment is out of your comfort zone or you have a busy schedule, try your best to fully engage in opportunities presented to you remembering that nothing great ever comes easy. Free your mind to all possibilities, be genuine, and make people see you and realize your potential so that you can begin creating opportunities for mentorship to happen. How Do I Start Engaging Someone as My Mentor? Showing interest in a person that shares similar passions with you can be a good way to start a connection with them. There is no need to ask someone to be your mentor, but you can ask them for a one-on-one where you can share why you’re interested in connecting. You may be nervous connecting with your mentor for the first time and are not sure how to start or end a conversation, but remember to be calm, professional, and yourself. Most importantly, take the time to get to know your mentor as a person. Ask them questions that give them an opportunity to tell their story, their successes and even their failures. Learn from them. And also give them an opportunity to learn from you and some of your experiences. By being genuine with your mentor, you will be able to create a strong and trusting connection with them. It is this meaningful connection that will help you get referrals and connect you to other professionals in your field. When looking for a mentor, keep in mind that you don’t have to form a mentorship with the CEO of a top company. Simply make connections with people who inspire you and will help you grow. Although it’s great to connect with people in the career you are pursuing, cross industry mentorships can also be very helpful. For example, if you are a business/ economics student, a political science professor may realize your potential and want to connect with you. Through this connection, the political science professor can help connect you to other people, who in turn can help you achieve your goals. You never know who or what the person you are connecting with knows. So be open minded and ready to grow! How Can I Make My Mentorships Long Lasting? In order to have long lasting mentorships, you should strive to be a good mentee. This means that you should set expectations of yourself. Three key areas to recognize are: 1. Don’t Waste Their Time Before you find a mentor, you need to identify what you want. Take the time to figure out what your goals and aspirations are. Remember, mentors are meant to help guide you by giving advice and not by telling you what your goals should be. Before you ask for a meeting with your mentor you should know what questions you want to ask them and what topics you would like to discuss. Doing a bit of research before you meet is a good way for you to avoid asking obvious questions when you meet with your mentor. 2. Be a Giver, Not a Taker When you begin building meaningful connections and engaging in mentorships ask yourself “Why should this person invest their time in me?”. There is no end date to having a mentorship. Meaningful relationships are an ongoing process that can take up to a year or more to build and strengthen. So take the time to follow up with your mentor and really learn from them and also show your mentors how they can
Dear Coach Kwan, I just finished my finals and woohoo… I officially graduated! Now, I am trying to be more proactive about my job search. I understand that LinkedIn is a great tool to use for online networking, but how exactly do I go about searching for specific professionals that I should contact? Sincerely, A motivated, energized and ready-to-connect international student Congratulations on graduating! This is a huge accomplishment! I am very happy to see you are being proactive about your job search as it is truly the key for international students to land their dream job. It is definitely not enough to merely rely on online job applications to progress through the hiring process. Networking and career branding are the two essential skills that all international students should master in order to become highly desirable job candidates. Once you have polished your networking skills and have clearly defined your career brand, you need to let the world know about you! LinkedIn is an amazing resource as it is full of professionals from every industry and with all kinds of careers. You need to tap into this resource: find the right people who can guide you the right way. When to find target professionals on LinkedIn: Once you have identified your target job and target industry, and you can brand yourself as an expert in the field rather than just a job seeker (we teach you all that on our Talent platform), it is time for you to take matters in your own hands and be more proactive. Here are three different scenarios of when to use LinkedIn to find professionals and increase your chances of landing a job: 1. You are at the interviewing step of the hiring process The best way to prepare for an interview would be to speak to someone who works at that company, preferably working in your team. During the interview, the hiring manager will not only be looking for someone who has the right skill set, but also someone who fits in with the company culture. Who best to inquire about company culture than someone who is currently living it? An informational interview will definitely be helpful, and it will certainly give you an edge as a candidate. Furthermore, LinkedIn makes it so easy to find the right people! There are three types of people you could potentially reach out to: People you have mutual connections with People you have met once before Unknown people in the same industry Naturally, it is easiest to approach someone you have common ground with. If you have a mutual connection, you can break the ice by bringing that person up, or if you have met them before, you can talk about that time you had seen each other. However, even if you have no common ground with this person, since you are a potential coworker, you are not a complete stranger. Send them a friendly message explaining your situation and the reason why you are contacting them, and there is no reason for you to feel awkward at all. 2. You want to be the first to know about open positions Trying to expand your network? Use LinkedIn search filter tool to find professionals in your field that are active on LinkedIn. In-person networking is the best resource, but it is limited by location, time, and opportunity. By using LinkedIn as a networking tool, you can reach out to anyone, anywhere and at anytime. For example, if there is a company that you really like, you can visit their LinkedIn page and look at the list of employees. Within that list, you can narrow your search to someone in a specific team or a specific role. Connect with people working in the team that you would potentially want to join, and position yourself as an attractive hire, regardless of whether there is an online job posting or not. Job posting takes some time after there is a need for a new position. Imagine knowing about a job opportunity before it is even posted online because you have an insider – how great is that! Not only is it great to have an insider that serves as a referral, but when you use this channel, you have less competition, since only a limited number of people will even know about this role in the first place. The only way to find this hidden job market is by knowing the right people at the right place, so step up your networking game and start using LinkedIn! 3. You applied online and want to make sure that recruiters see your resume Applied online for a job and have not heard back yet? Reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn in order to stand out from the large pile of online applicants! There is absolutely no reason for you to just sit and wait. Plenty of international students that I coached in the past successfully landed their dream jobs by using a “hybrid” approach to applying for jobs: online applications and also reaching out directly. If you have top-notch networking skills and a clear career brand, it will increase your chances of making it to the next step of the application process, and later on, a job offer! Continue being proactive about your job search, I am rooting for you! Sign up for the ICAway Talent Platform to get an effective job search strategy to help you land your dream job! Listen to Silvia and learn what happened after her LinkedIn profile was optimized! About Coach Kwan Kwan is an experienced human-capital consultant. Her past corporate experience includes global organizations like Deloitte, Accenture, and BMW. Kwan moved to the U.S. in 2014, earned her Senior Professional HR certification from HRIC. She joined one of the world’s most prestigious consulting firms as a Senior Consultant of Human Capital Consulting Practice and managed multiple projects for Fortune 500 clients. Today, Kwan is the CEO and Founder of ICAway, an educational consulting
