Job Search in the United States for International Students

[racha007]

I recently graduated with a major(BChEn) in Chemical Engineering and have been to numerous career fairs, however I have faced the issue of companies not willing to sponsor(H1-B) Internationals.

I have a 3.4 GPA from a top Chemical Engineering Program (University of Minnesota), so I doubt that GPA is the problem, however it is still difficult to get interviews/jobs. Several companies are open about the fact that they are rejecting qualified international students.

What would be the best way for good international students to attain jobs with the current economy in the US?

I have applied for over a 1000 positions, but I admit, I have only written specific cover letters for about 50 of them.

By the way, if this question does not belong in this forum, please delete it. I am posting as I hope a community of professional chemical engineers would be able to give great advice to a new engineer.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Hate to say this - but right now we are in the "Shop American - Buy American" mode. Just a fact of life and the economy. Sorry and good luck.

I am not racist or whatever - just what I see going on....

 

[racha007]

Thanks for your reply mike. I totally understand your viewpoint, however, instead of being told "tough luck", I would much prefer practical advice.

For example, one company told me "please get a masters or PhD and that will make it easier for us to sponsor". Although I agree that it will help, I am not sure that I am keen on doing that.

If it is the ONLY way to getting a H1-B (for my GPA) then I guess I will have no other options, which is why I am posting on this forum to seek advice.

 

[Compositepro]

My understanding is that H1-B visas allow bringing in foreign talent when that talent cannot be found domestically. Obviously that would only apply to highly specialized people and not to new graduates.

 

[KiwiMace]

From my limited but insightful experience of recruiting for grads, I can say that the masters degree probably will not help as much as you might think. I would guess that unless the PhD was sponsored by or specifically catering to a current corporate need you would not necessarily have much luck there either.

The issue is that most corporations are seeing a glut of people looking for jobs and the sponsorship process is risky (costly) - mostly because there is a high probability of the candidate departing immediately after obtaining a visa. Would a manager choose a high risk foreigner over a citizen or PR? It is not a racist or even USA#1 thing I would hope in the majority of cases.

There are literally thousands of smart international students at good schools in the USA and lots of them getting superb post-grad qualifications, and all trying to get deservedly good entry level jobs but unfortunately not having a visa is a very easy way to cut through the paperwork.

I personally think that non-citizen/PR's with an urge to stay might have more opportunity going home and finding employment with a US multinational in their own (or other applicable) country and transferring back when firmly embedded with a company that is prepared to invest in the employee.

 

[racha007]

@KiwiMace,

I can understand the worry that employers may have against entry-level candidate(High cost but low productivity). Which is why I asked whether a Masters/PhD would make that easier (as now the candidate can be treated as somewhat of an expert and does not need as much training).

However, there is an issue that if I were to go back to my own country and were unable to get a decent job, I would not have the option to return to the US. This is because once a student graduates, the visa is invalid and the student cannot return to the US once they leave, however, they can have a change in status (F1-EAD) which gives them 1 year + 17 mths extension to continue looking for positions as long as they do not accumulate more than 90 days of non-work.

Which is why I would like to at least know that I have given it my all during my job search in the US.
What are some of the things I can do right away that would make a difference in my job search and make me seem more desirable to the companies I apply to in the future. I am currently working as a volunteer consultant(and soon paid)for a top notch company, but would like to be hired by them if it is possible. What are some of the things I can do to not let sponsorship be an issue.