An internship offers international students an incredible opportunity to experience American workplace culture first-hand while building valuable professional contacts. Securing one requires careful planning and preparation; beyond getting the proper visa there may also be other considerations that need to be addressed.
Step one in finding an internship for international students should be to determine your desired experience type. A law student, for instance, might prefer an internship at an American law firm to gain exposure to its legal system while an economics major might benefit more from interning at a global financial institution so they can learn how stocks trade around the globe.
Once you’ve determined the type of internship you want to find, start networking with peers and alumni from your university. After doing that, research companies that offer internships by looking up their websites to see which positions they are hiring for and making contact with someone within the company if possible to set up interviews – according to Lever’s studies, 8% of candidates who were introduced by friends or colleagues ended up getting employment with that employer!
Take advantage of your university’s career center and ask for assistance writing an effective resume and practicing interviews. Career advisors tend to have extensive knowledge about the complexities associated with interning abroad as well as connections to employers who frequently hire international students.