International Students and the Job Search

Expectations in U.S.

Possible Conflicting Values of Another Culture

Self promotion

• Assertiveness, openly discussing accomplishments
• Follow-up with employers (telephone inquiries, thank you notes, etc)

• Unless presented as part of a group activity, citing achieved goals, accomplishments and skills is viewed as boastful, self-serving, and too individualistic
• Asking employers directly about status of application may be viewed as rude

Directness in communication

• Open and direct responses to questions
• Eye contact with interviewer, relaxed posture, and other appropriate nonverbal behavior
• Discussion of salary and benefits only when initiated by interviewer or at time of job offer
• Candidate asks questions about the job at the end of the interview

• Eye contact, especially with persons of higher status (e.g., employer/interviewer), is disrespectful
• Appearance of criticism must be avoided to save face
• Asking open-ended questions about the job may be seen as rude and inappropriately direct

Self Disclosure

• Personal descriptions of experiences, hobbies, strengths and weaknesses
• Answers to questions related to personality (e.g., leadership style and problem solving abilities)

• Personal questions about likes, dislikes, etc. are considered an invasion of privacy and are discussed only with close friends and family
• Or, these kinds of questions sometimes are seen as totally irrelevant to a candidate’s job qualifications
• Revealing outside interests may be considered a threat to the time, energy and other resources invested by a candidate into the job

Career Self-Awareness

• Demonstration of knowledge of self, career goals and how they relate to job
• Discussion of long-range career plans
• Ability to be self-directed in one’s career development

• Questions about role in company indicate potential disloyalty
• Jobs are assigned by government or family or determined by school or test score
• Individual must be flexible to accept whatever job becomes available without regard to their own career goals

Individual Responsibility in Finding Employment

• Use of a wide variety of resources in identifying jobs (e.g. friends, family, contacts, associations, career services, academic mentors, etc.)
• Networking by candidates; personal referrals can carry great weight in evaluating a candidate’s potential

• Jobs are found for the individual by government, school or family
• Dependency relationships in job search are fostered. One resource (e.g. academic advisor or employment agent) will find work for job seeker with little proactive action on the part of the individual

Informality in the Interview Process

• Congenial interviewing environment that encourages openness, some joking and exchange of information

• Sitting with a person of higher status requires deference. The job applicant is very polite and does not ask questions or provide information that may indicate lack of respect for interviewer’s position. Handshaking, touching, using first name, crossing legs, etc., are inappropriate

Punctuality

• Arrive 5-15 minutes before appointment

• Personal relationships are more than time. Anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours lateness from agreed meeting time is not insulting

Effective Letters of Application and Resumes

• One page, error-free, concise and attractive outline of relevant job experience, skills, accomplishments and academic credentials • Personalized to reflect each individual’s strengths and capabilities

• Resumes are a detailed chronology of academic and formal work experiences and not a tool for self-promotion

Individual Equality

• Race, sex, and age are legally not supposed to affect the interview process
• Politeness and respect are shown to all employees a candidate meets, whether receptionist or CEO

• Males and older persons may expect to assume dominance in interactions with females and younger persons
• Level of organizational hierarchy may determine the amount of respect an individual is given
• Attitudes on gender, race, and other individual characteristics and how they impact hiring decisions vary from culture to culture

Knowledge of Organization Prior to Interview

• Obtain as much information as possible about the company before the interview. Demonstrate awareness of organization in letter of application and during the interview

• Research about organization may indicate excessive and undesirable initiative or independence