Re-Entry and Employment
"It’s a funny thing about comin’ home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You’ll realize what’s changed is you"- from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The process in integrating back into one's home culture can be stressful on it's own, but for many recently graduated international students this stress is compounded by the pressure to find employment in their field of study. While international students may face unique challenges during their job search process, they also possess unique skills which set them apart from their peers who have not spent time abroad.
Challenges and Obstacles to Overcome
Lack of personal or professional networks- college is an opportunity for students to make connections with professionals in their field through volunteer work, internships, co-ops, and networking events. Many international students return home and find that they lack the same network of connections that their peers do.
Solutions: Utilize contacts you have made abroad, join a professional association in your country, network with other returnees in your home country, and reach out to friends and at home.
Lack of knowledge of the professional culture in your field within your home country- "I am a UK qualified nurse, midwife, and health visitor, and I have a Master's degree. Upon returning home, I soon realized that I was on a steep learning curve when I discovered that even the names given to my qualifications had changed."- from Burn-Up or Splash Down. International students sometimes struggle to adapt the professional skills that have developed abroad, even when working in the same field in their home country. Some international students also struggle to facilities within their home country, as equipment, work systems, and technology available may be different from those that they trained with abroad.
Solutions: Find a local mentor, subscribe to industry publications in your native language, research your countries practices in your field before you return home
Lack of experience finding, applying, and interviewing for job in your home country- the rules, practices, and customs which characterize the job application process vary a great deal between countries and across cultures. For international student who never held a job in the United States, they are faced with the challenge of learning how to write a resume or CV, conduct a job search, and prepare for and carry out an interview. For students who have previously been employed in the United States, they often find that interview techniques they practiced, resumes they developed, and even professional dress are different from what they have grown accustomed to.
Solutions: Reach out to friends or family for advice and conduct practice interviews with someone from your home country If there is a professor from your home country at your school in the U.S. reach out to them before you depart.
Lack of suitable occupational placements or employers who will appreciate your skills- "Sometimes people at home don't appreciate your achievements... When I got back I really had problems at work. Nobody wanted to accept the ideas I had learned." International students sometimes find that their new skills and ideas are not as valued as they hoped.
Solutions: Be creative in your job search. Look for multinational corporations or U.S. companies that operate in your country that may e more receptive to your international experiences and expertise.
Failure to acknowledge changes in attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs which might influence employment- "I got used to customs in US that were weird as soon as I arrived there and I didn’t imagine they were so deep inside me [until I returned home]."- from The Art of Coming Home. One of the biggest challenges international students face is failure to identify elements of the host culture that they have internalized during their stay which influence how people from their home culture perceive them.
Solutions: Take time to reflect on your experience abroad, attend a cross-cultural training session, observe and think critically about people's behaviors in a professional setting, both in your home and host country.
Misconception by future employers- your potential employer may be concerned you are experiencing adjustment problems, that you have developed an exotic alternative lifestyle and cannot be a team player, or that you are flighty and will be returning overseas soon.
Solutions: Try not to spend too much time talking about your re-entry challenges, don't express desire to return overseas, and demonstrate attachment to your home county in your discussions.
The process in integrating back into one's home culture can be stressful on it's own, but for many recently graduated international students this stress is compounded by the pressure to find employment in their field of study. While international students may face unique challenges during their job search process, they also possess unique skills which set them apart from their peers who have not spent time abroad.
Challenges and Obstacles to Overcome
Lack of personal or professional networks- college is an opportunity for students to make connections with professionals in their field through volunteer work, internships, co-ops, and networking events. Many international students return home and find that they lack the same network of connections that their peers do.
Solutions: Utilize contacts you have made abroad, join a professional association in your country, network with other returnees in your home country, and reach out to friends and at home.
Lack of knowledge of the professional culture in your field within your home country- "I am a UK qualified nurse, midwife, and health visitor, and I have a Master's degree. Upon returning home, I soon realized that I was on a steep learning curve when I discovered that even the names given to my qualifications had changed."- from Burn-Up or Splash Down. International students sometimes struggle to adapt the professional skills that have developed abroad, even when working in the same field in their home country. Some international students also struggle to facilities within their home country, as equipment, work systems, and technology available may be different from those that they trained with abroad.
Solutions: Find a local mentor, subscribe to industry publications in your native language, research your countries practices in your field before you return home
Lack of experience finding, applying, and interviewing for job in your home country- the rules, practices, and customs which characterize the job application process vary a great deal between countries and across cultures. For international student who never held a job in the United States, they are faced with the challenge of learning how to write a resume or CV, conduct a job search, and prepare for and carry out an interview. For students who have previously been employed in the United States, they often find that interview techniques they practiced, resumes they developed, and even professional dress are different from what they have grown accustomed to.
Solutions: Reach out to friends or family for advice and conduct practice interviews with someone from your home country If there is a professor from your home country at your school in the U.S. reach out to them before you depart.
Lack of suitable occupational placements or employers who will appreciate your skills- "Sometimes people at home don't appreciate your achievements... When I got back I really had problems at work. Nobody wanted to accept the ideas I had learned." International students sometimes find that their new skills and ideas are not as valued as they hoped.
Solutions: Be creative in your job search. Look for multinational corporations or U.S. companies that operate in your country that may e more receptive to your international experiences and expertise.
Failure to acknowledge changes in attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs which might influence employment- "I got used to customs in US that were weird as soon as I arrived there and I didn’t imagine they were so deep inside me [until I returned home]."- from The Art of Coming Home. One of the biggest challenges international students face is failure to identify elements of the host culture that they have internalized during their stay which influence how people from their home culture perceive them.
Solutions: Take time to reflect on your experience abroad, attend a cross-cultural training session, observe and think critically about people's behaviors in a professional setting, both in your home and host country.
Misconception by future employers- your potential employer may be concerned you are experiencing adjustment problems, that you have developed an exotic alternative lifestyle and cannot be a team player, or that you are flighty and will be returning overseas soon.
Solutions: Try not to spend too much time talking about your re-entry challenges, don't express desire to return overseas, and demonstrate attachment to your home county in your discussions.
To learn more about how to sell your time abroad to potential employers, check out on next section, "Marketing Your Strengths."