Obstacle No. 2:
I failed my interview!

Many international students are turned down after they are interviewed. There are many reasons for this, including missing qualifications, lack of work experience, lack of knowledge of the business, cultural differences, the language barrier, and so on. Keep in mind that getting turned down is not unique to international students! It is understood that most interviews do not lead to a job. It is usually necessary to make many, many attempts before you finally get hired. Many people feel that looking for a job is much harder work than having a job. But the last place you try will be the one that hires you.

The three things you need to do before your interview are: (1) prepare, (2)prepare, and (3)prepare! Here are some ideas to help you to prepare:

Research employment regulations

Be thoroughly familiar with the immigration regulations and benefits attached to your immigration status. Often, you are expected to educate the employer about these details, possibly during your interview.

Research the employer and the position

This is crucial for any job hunt. You must understand what the company does, who their competitors are,what they are hiring for, and what qualifications they are seeking. Your Career Center library has many resources to help students research employers.

Network

Networking is one of the best ways to identify potential jobs for any student. In developing networks and resources, you can try to talk with local ethnic communities, nationality based clubs, and classmates and professors originally from the same home country. Networking is a life-long process that you should start as early as possible. But remember not to lose your perspective - don't call someone for the first time and ask for a job!

Practice

Mock interviews can give you invaluable interview practice and insight into your own interviewing strengths and weaknesses. Career consultants can help by conducting mock interviews. If you want to learn more about interviews, click here.

Obstacle No.3: I don't speak good English.