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International students have to navigate not only a new culture and education system but a new job market. Knowing peak hiring seasons will allow you to research and apply for job positions in a timely manner. The more you plan ahead, the more prepared and informed you will be to find a job that fits your long-term goals.
For example, large tech and consulting companies are often willing to sponsor international talent for work visas and green cards because they already have experience with sponsorship. They also typically have a standard recruiting schedule, so you may want to focus on these companies ahead of time. If you wait until your final semester of school or after graduation to start looking for work, these companies may have already filled all open positions. F-1 students who do not secure a job within 90 days of the start of OPT will lose their OPT work authorization.
Additionally, knowing what the recruitment and hiring timelines are and how they differ by industry allows you to make deliberate choices about your networking and application strategy. This means you can more effectively leverage your school’s career fairs as well because you will have an idea of which recruiters you should prioritize talking to based on their recruitment timelines.
Keep in mind that these recruitment timelines assume that you will graduate from college in May as most students do, and they generally only apply to large companies and intuitions. Lastly, small businesses may be more flexible and recruit all year or have their own specific recruitment windows. Find more job search advice catered specifically to international students in the US on Interstride’s blog.
