By Callum Walmsley
Jaydon Humphries ‘22, who earned his bachelor's degree in business management from St. Francis College, is now working full time at World 50 Group in New York City as a senior associate. But when he first arrived in the United States from Rotherham, a small town in England, this was the last thing that he expected.
“I’m 25 years old, and I came to the US as an international student athlete after my contract with an academy-level soccer club in England ended when I was 18,” he said. “At that point, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to pursue professionally, but I knew that I could leverage my soccer background to get a scholarship at a US college.”
Many international students find the job hunting process to be daunting, stressful and almost impossible. This does not always have to be the case, and being proactive all the way through college can reduce the pressure as graduation approaches. Thomas J. Ward Jr, assistant vice president for career development and strategic partnerships at Adelphi University, shared steps that international students can take to reduce the burden of job hunting further down the line.
Ward said that there are many things that international students cannot control, such as requiring visa sponsorship to work after graduation, the 20-hour per-week international student work limit, or not being authorized to work and earn money off campus without applying for optional practical training (OPT). But he said they should take advantage of the things that they can.
“Go to career fairs, meet and network with people, go to different alumni events, participate in leadership certificates, panel discussions, join clubs and organizations,” he said. “These all hold professional value, but also social value too, and that is just as important.”
Ward said that international students may feel more urgency to state their intentions when networking, as they are limited by how long they can stay in the US due to visa regulations once graduating. But being too direct may not always be the best way in these situations.
“Students across the board, and especially international students, have a natural instinct of going to a networking event with the intention of asking for a job. This isn’t always appropriate,” he said. “You may introduce yourself, tell them a little about yourself, then always try to get the person’s contact information and follow up that way and ask them if they want to take a look at your resume.”
Ward suggested that this is a far better approach than going in there and immediately asking for a job, which may look desperate. “You want to go in there strategically, doing your research on the speaker, the purpose of the networking event, the audience, and going in there prepared to put your best foot forward,” he said.
The importance of getting out there and speaking to people cannot be underestimated, and Thiago Negrao ‘24, who earned his bachelor's degree in finance at Adelphi, knows this all too well as an international student from Brazil. Negrao now works as a sales associate at Ninety One in Manhattan, a global asset management company. But without resilience after facing adversity, things might not have been so successful.
“If it wasn’t for the connections that I was able to build consistently through my time as a student, I would not be in the job that I am in right now,” he said. “I was lucky enough to eventually meet someone from the company that really liked me and was able to give me a chance. Before this, I had applied to hundreds of jobs and I was never able to pass the first phase because nobody was willing to sponsor me. But you have to keep going.”
Although there are many challenges that come with navigating the job market as an international student, Humphries believes that there are also many advantages to coming from a different environment than the other candidates.
“I often felt that I needed to blend in to secure a role, but during my first internship, I realized that my background actually set me apart in a valuable way. As an international, you bring a unique perspective and skill set that many candidates might not have,” he said.
Humphries added, “Companies often see a similar profile of applicants, so standing out is natural. I leveraged this by highlighting skills that may not seem directly related to the job, like adapting to a new culture, living independently, managing my own meals and maintaining organization. These experiences reflect hard work, discipline and adaptability–qualities that strongly resonate with employers.”
While Humphries has a clear success story as an international student securing a job here in the states, he said there are still things that he would do differently if he could restart his college experience.
“If I could go back, I’d prioritize internships and career development sooner, rather than waiting until my senior year,” he said. “Internships are critical, both for skill-building and expanding your network. I’d also focus on taking part in more on-campus activities and career fairs to gain broader exposure and experience in different fields”
Humphries mentioned the importance of expanding his network. Negrao said that doesn’t just have to be at career fairs or social events, but also by using the professors that you see every week while in college.
“Professors should be used as a resource for success, and many of them are willing to help you to find opportunities if you display the right attitude and willingness to work,” said Negrao. “You never know who you might need in the future, but it is also important to leave the shyness behind, because you would regret it much more if you don’t get out there and use every resource available to you in order to succeed.”
There are countless resources that students can use to grow their network at college, but Ward said that many students don’t realize that their peers can be just as useful as professors and alumni in some cases.
“We always tell students that your classmates are part of your network as well,” he said. “You never know who they know and what experiences they have that could help you. Students don’t always recognize that building relationships with their fellow students is probably the most authentic and sincere way to form connections that may be useful further down the line.”
The goal for most students is to find work after graduation, but this can be a challenging and stressful time. The Career Center at Adelphi is there to help every step of the way. Ward is now in his sixteenth year at Adelphi, and his team have supported every level of education in that time.
“I have a great group of teammates here, and we serve all undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni,” Ward said. “That ranges from doing resumes and enhancing LinkedIn profiles, interview preparation, internship and job search, individual career counseling, leadership certificate program, digital badges and the list goes on.”
There is no guarantee that getting the extra help will get somebody a job, but taking advantage of the resources that are available might make it that little bit easier.
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