International Student Workers | Photo by Bethany Althauser | The Wright State Guardian
Some international students struggle with employment during their time at Wright State. Here is a guide to getting that elusive on-campus job.
International community
With affordable tuition fees, numerous graduate programs and convenient housing on-campus, Wright State University has more than 1,200 international students who are currently enrolled. Students from all around the globe come to WSU to pursue their higher education as international students.
For experience or to put some extra money in their pocket, students feel the urge to get an on-campus job after coming to the United States, as they are eligible to work on-campus for 20 hours per week. Sometimes, it can be stressful for international students if they are unable to get their desired on-campus job. This guide will provide students with a roadmap.
Eligibility
A lot of new students sometimes need clarification on whether they are eligible to apply from their first semester or not. In this case, students can apply from the very beginning of the semester.
As per the WSU Human Resources Department, a student has to take at least six credit hours as an undergraduate and three credit hours if they are a graduate student, then they are ready to apply for their first on-campus job.
Skills employers seek
To get the job, students have to understand what type of people or skills employers are looking for in the respective fields.
“Most hiring managers are looking for skills and characteristics that are directly transferable and potentially valuable to their organization,” Dr. Kendall Goodrich, WSU professor and chair of the marketing department, said. “Evidence of strong scholastic achievement also helps, since this is a good indicator of work ethic and capabilities.”
Preparation and job application
Handshake is a job portal where a student will find job openings at WSU.
There is also an app platform by the same name, where students have to create an account by providing all the necessary information regarding their studies and any kind of work experience. Students can also register for e-mails from Handshake that will suggest on-campus employment opportunities every few days.
Importance of the resume
A student’s resume will play a very important role in terms of a job application because this is the mirror that is going to reflect experience to the employers.
Students must put all their academic details with work experience in the resume. There is no need to worry if a student does not have work experience, as they can mention extra-curricular activities, training and other volunteer work experiences that will be relevant to the job they are applying to.
It is recommended to not use the same resume for every application, because the requirements will be different for each posting. Students can see the job posting for relevant keywords to add to their resume.
Malik Anik Nawaz, an international student at WSU, shared an important experience on his resume.
“I was applying for so many jobs but did not get any response, and I was pretty frustrated about that, but when I changed the format of my resume from Lance Cauley and put my previous work experience accordingly, I started getting calls for interviews,” Nawaz said.
Lance Cauley is a career consultant at WSU. He provides students with advice and information about resumes, as the international format is not the same as the American format. This is a common mistake international students make.
Skills
Most on-campus jobs do not require highly skilled knowledge, but some knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint may be helpful, but in some cases, the jobs may require specific skills.
For example, a Bangladeshi student, Ismat Ara Eti, is working as a UCIE immigration assistant, and she is required to know structured query language (SQL), PowerBI and more software knowledge for that post. For her English proficiency, she had to submit her GRE scores. These are some uncommon exceptions to on-campus job posts.
There are some job postings where a student does not need any experience.
Communication
In addition to the previously mentioned skills, students should have good communication skills to express their experience and the interest they have in the particular job.
Students should not hesitate to pay a visit to the employer if they have time. Talk to employers and give them your contact information. Ask them if they have any vacant positions and when it will be a good time to scope for jobs.
Sometimes, recommendations can be helpful from someone on campus in the desired department where the job is located. Such recommenders will also be good contacts for job information.
For more information about employment both on campus and post-graduation, visit the WSU Career Services website.
