International Careers

MBAs in a Global Job Market
Excerpts from an article published by the MBA Career Services Council

Given the market demand for global managers, increasing numbers of MBA students with relevant work experience and unique qualifications are interested in securing internships and/or finding full-time employment following graduation in a country other than their home country or region.

Based on the extensive experiences of MBA Career Services Council members around the world, the relatively small number of students who have been successful in securing long-term professional employment in a country other than their home country immediately following graduation are those who partnered with their career services office and:

Organized and implemented an individualized, focused and comprehensive career development plan, clearly identifying their skills, abilities, and values and how these related to different functions and industries.
Regularly read local newspapers and periodicals, and searched for web-based resources to stay abreast of the current social, economic, and political environments in their targeted countries.
Identified and exploited opportunities to speak and write at the native level in the countries of interest, as well as to learn and appreciate the local personal and business customs and cultural sensitivities.
Reinforced language fluency and developed cross-cultural communication skills through experiential education, such as study-abroad or exchange programs, extensive travel, or relevant temporary work.
Created a network of professional contacts in their targeted countries through professors, alumni, and classmates from that country to learn the appropriate job search process and the cultural nuances of the job search.
Obtained expert knowledge of the immigration rules and regulations of their target country.
Developed contacts through professional associations, particularly those with an international membership, structure, and services.
Obtained career-related summer or part-time employment for pay or on a volunteer basis to enhance their understanding of the intricacies of the world marketplace and the relevant work experience required for international careers in their specific fields of interest.
Expanded their list of targeted employers to include small and medium-sized businesses seeking to expand internationally or with existing operations in countries of interest.
Attended international job fairs and other recruiting events, sponsored by a consortium of universities, by private employment agencies, or by not-for-profit organizations or governmental agencies.
Obtained employment information, labor projections, and cultural expertise by contacting foreign embassies, consulates, economic development boards, and cultural service offices.
Focused on their job search on a specific country, industry, and function to identify their competitive advantage for positions in short supply which could not be filled by nationals at the local level.
Assumed personal responsibility for their non-home country job search and dedicated the time and effort required to be successful.

Visa Status
Students on F-1 and J-1 visas have opportunities to work in the United States both before and after graduation. In most cases, the job is considered part of academic training and must be directly related to the student's field of study.

Many companies will have a policy for hiring international students. Most of these policies will assume that the potential employee would stay beyond the 12 months provided through optional practical training. When the company interviews an international student it's safe to assume that they are looking for someone who could be sponsored for an H1 or TN visa and potentially a green card.

There are two types of temporary employment visas: H1 and TN. The INS and US state Department web sites provide detailed information on these visas. (http://www.bcis.gov)

Remember it is your responsibility to fully understand your VISA status. The University Of Minnesota has a great resource for international students. The International Student and Scholar Services (www.isss.umn.edu) can help you address some of the legal issues regarding your international status.

MBA Consortia
There are many events that facilitate recruiting for international students. They are:

International MBA Consortium employment conference in November. Orlando, Florida. Top companies recruiting for positions all around the world.
National Society of Hispanic MBAs Conference and Career Exposition in November. San Antonio, Texas. Top companies recruiting for Spanish speaking MBAs.
Euro-Japan Career Forum. London, November.
DISCO International Japanese/English. Boston, Massachusetts. October.
EMDS recruiting events. Forums in different parts of the world. Especially Europe. (www.emdsnet.com)

Other Resources

"Getting a Job in the US" A Guide for International MBA Students Version 2.0
This job-search guide was produced by the creators of www.ForeignMBA.com. It is specifically targeted to the international MBA student looking for a job in the US. Visit the GBCC library to read this invaluable book.

International Student Advisory Board
Each year the GBCC teams with a select group of international MBA and MA-HRIR students to create events and programs designed to assist international students with their job search efforts. For more information on joining this group, contact Clare Foley, Graduate Director in the GBCC.

GLOBE
Carlson's International Student club frequently sponsors events oriented to global business.