As an international student from Vietnam studying in the US. I am currently pursuing a Dual Degree BBA in Computer Information Systems and BS in Information Technology at the University of North Alabama (UNA).

Throughout my time here, I have applied for a lot of internships, faced lots of rejections, and eventually landed some in the most unexpected way.

I will share with you some resources that has been useful to me along the way to pursue a career in the US.

Tips

• Invest in yourself.

  Buy reputable online courses & certificates to specialize your skills.

• Post contents on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc.

  Post what you learn and don’t overthink it. Make sure you are providing values or showcase your knowledge.

• Go to networking events, career fairs, and conferences.

  In addition, you can reach out to professors and alumnis.

Luck matters! Don’t underestimate yourself! Try to increase your luck surface area. Check out this tweet on luck.

Tools

• Symplicity - this link is for my school, but your university might have its own, or they might use the next one…

  This is how I landed my first internship at GrubSouth!

• Handshake - this site is good for job hunting. You can also chat with other students and recruiters.

• LinkedIn - this is crucial. LinkedIn profile is your own brand. Don’t be shy to post!

  This is how I landed my second internship (a Vietnamese startup) at Vucar. The founder actually reached out to me on LinkedIn after seeing some of my coding project videos!

  I also landed my third internship (the most interesting one) at Ossillate. We had a chat before on LinkedIn and the founder reached out to me for a software engineering role.

• Simplify - this browser extension helps you autofill job applications in seconds!

• Work at a Startup - a job site from YC. Startups are always on the hunt!

  I landed a gig doing bug hunting for a startup on this site.

• Otta - they have a mobile app with Tinder-like UI (not that I use Tinder a lot) that recommends relevant jobs for you.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) - for international students

Below is the process of applying for CPT at UNA. If you study at a different college, the process might be slightly different.

• CPT is part of an established curriculum within a school so you have to register a course for it.

• Two types of CPT:

  • Part-time CPT: 20 hours or less per week

  • Full-time CPT: 20 hours or more

    If you do 12 months or more of full-time CPT, you are not allowed to do OPT.

Instructions:

1. Talk to your employer and have them sign these forms:

   • Have them write a formal job description including job title, job responsibilities, your pay rate, your start and end date.

   • UNA Experiential Learning Program Memorandum of Understanding

   • International Student CPT Authorization Request

2. Go to UNA Lion Jobs page and click ADD New to fill out the Experiential Learning experience/CPT. Upload the signed forms here as attachments.

3. Email instructor/professor of the internship course and have them signed.

4. Bring the signed International Student CPT Authorization Request form to your DSO.

5. Wait for approval.