All the links and resources in the Career Toolkit will be helpful to you, but we also wanted to have a section that addresses the needs of International students and provides specialized resources to help you make the most of your time in the iSchool.
Please see the resources below.
Legal and Regulatory Guidelines
International Students must consult with International Student Services (ISS) on matters of visa status, OPT, CPT.
International Student Services (ISS) at UW-Madison offers a wide variety of services and information, including employment and visa information, to international students.
Understanding different VISA statuses: CPT/OPT/STEM/H1B/Green Card.
OPT/CPT (includes workshop recording)
Allowing international students to work on and off campus.
Tax and Social Security Number (SSN)
Specific Career Development Resources for International Students
Interview preparation resources.
- Non-native speakers speaking and writing practice resources.
- Public speaking for non-native English speakers (LinkedIn Video)
- Business Etiquette Tutorial (LinkedIn Video)
- English as a Second Language (ESL): https://esl.wisc.edu/
- UW-Madison Writing Center: https://writing.wisc.edu/
- Practice for interviews, including questions about your visa situation.
Career planning guidance to help students identify career goals and develop career paths
Job Search Resources
- GoinGlobal: This tool is designed to support international students, students preparing to study abroad, those studying a foreign language, and those seeking to gain professional experience internationally.
*Need to have your degree listed in Handshake to get access to it. - Internship & Job Searching – The Information School – UW–Madison (wisc.edu)
- Research on companies that hire international candidates.
https://www.myvisajobs.com/Reports/ - How to filter in Handshake for jobs that are CPT and OPT friendly. See the following guide for searching and filtering jobs in Handshake. https://support.joinhandshake.com/hc/en-us/articles/218693408-Searching-for-Jobs-and-Internships
- Select the following filter under UW Madison collections:
- Answering Common Employer Questions about Sponsorship (ISS Handout): Strategies to communicate with employers about the student visa status and sponsorship in different job-seeking stages
- Information about on-campus career fairs and job expos: Events – SuccessWorks – UW–Madison (wisc.edu)
Timeline for job search in the US (for international students)
This list will help you prepare to seek an internship or job opportunity during your time at iSchool.
Success Stories and Alumni Resources
- UW-Madison ISS OPT Alumni Profiles: interviews of international students who have secured an internship/job under OPT
- UW-Madison Information School | Groups | LinkedIn: Building an alumni network to connect graduates with employed alumni for job-seeking advice and guidance.