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Job Search & Networking for
International Students
Lynn Walsh, Career Advisor
Steps to Finding Employment
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Learn about your work permit issues
Self-evaluation
Choosing the path that is right for you
Open job market search
Hidden job market search
Research employers of interest
Up to date job search tools
Extra info
Follow-up
Learn about your work permit
• Be sure to have completed the application for Off Campus Work
Permit.
• If your study permit is expiring before your program is due to finish,
you must apply for an extension of your work permit.
• This will allow you to apply for an Off Campus Work Permit.
Self Evaluation
• Ask yourself about your likes and dislikes
• Evaluate your qualifications for the job you want
• What skills have you acquired through work, school, etc?)
• Transferable Skills:
• You’ve gathered these through various jobs, volunteer work, hobbies,
sports, or other life experiences
• Examples are: Communication, Research, Planning, Human Relations,
Organization, Management, Leadership, Language
• Identify short and long term goals
Choosing the right path
• Match interests and qualifications with requirements and rewards in specific
careers
• Explore the Campus Career Centre, HRDC offices, local libraries and the
Internet for specific info on various opportunities
• Take internships, part time employment, summer employment or volunteer
in your field
• Do some Labour Market Research and talk to people in your field of
interest
• www.jobfutures.ca
• www.labourmarketinformation.ca
• http://salary.monster.ca
Search the open job market
Open Job Market: This is the easier way to search for work:
• Classified ads in local and national newspapers
• Online job listings: (including jobs sent out on ISA list serv!!)
• www.monster.ca
• www.careerbeacon.com
• www.jobbank.gc.ca
• On campus career fairs
• Attend campus employer information sessions
• Check out the “Calendar of Events” on www.mun.ca/cdel
• MUCEP & GradSWEP: on campus work each semester.
Search the Hidden Job Market
Hidden Job Market:
This is a little harder & requires you to network & research
• Majority of jobs are not advertised, so you have to network
• Develop a list of friends, family, past employers, professors etc.
• Talk to these contacts and let them know you are looking for
work
• Make contact by telephone, face to face or networking letters
Research companies of interest & different career
planning techniques
• Research the employers you are interested in
• Explore resources in the CCD
• Review organization websites that have employers as
members:
• The St. John’s Board of Trade website (membership
directory). www.bot.nf.ca
• NATI: the NL Association of Technology Industries.
www.nati.net
• Review career planning
• www.careercruising.com
• Username: memorialuni
• Password: stjohns
• www.labourmarketinformation.ca/
Effective Resume and Cover Letter
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Target the position and employer you are interested in pursuing
Make sure to critique the cover letter & résumé before sending it out
• No spelling errors
• Bold your degree and job title
• Keep your cover letter to one page and write about your skills and
qualifications for the job; give specific examples. Resume shouldn’t
be any longer than 2 pages
• Do not include personal information on the résumé or cover letter
• Focus on your school, previous work experience, skills and interests
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In North America, a résumé and curriculum vitae (CV) are different.
• A résumé is used for job search
• A CV presents a complete picture of the breadth and depth of
academic experiences you have accumulated.
Networking!!!!
• The key to the hidden job market
• 85% of jobs are never publicly advertised, they are
discovered through networking
• Talk to everyone, let them know you are looking for
employment
• Talk to people already working in your field of interest
about careers in that area
• Attend career fairs and campus information sessions
given by recruiters
Networking Cont’d…
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Ask those that you talk with if they can suggest
someone else to contact
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Participate in mentoring programs or job shadowing
opportunities
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Volunteer
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Community Services Council
•
http://www.envision.ca/
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Document those conversations and contacts you
have made
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Identify those who have helped you and thank them
Extra info: differences about Job Search in
Canada
• Employers may expect you to use more direct speech than you
are accustomed to
• May feel comfortable being modest & don’t want to sound
arrogant; but it is ok to be/sound confident
• May feel more flexible with time than your interviewer
• Try not to keep interviewer waiting
• Some people in Canada may feel that being professional means
keeping your private life separate
• Don’t bring too much personal info into resume, cover letter,
interview or conversation with an employer.
A couple of other things to keep in mind…
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Silence in conversation may feel more comfortable to North Americans
than to other cultures
• Don’t worry about this, sometimes people are taking notes or trying
to comprehend what you have just said
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It is better to focus on what you can offer to the employer than always
talking about how great they are and how they can benefit your career
• Keep focused & discuss your skills, abilities and good qualities
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Small talk and chit chat is very important – it may sound like nothing,
but it is not
• Even when networking, all conversations are important
Points to Consider:
• If you have any questions or concerns about job
search please stop by and I can help
• Keep a notebook to record the contact you’ve made
and the jobs you have applied for
• Be prepared! Always have a copy of your resume on
hand
• Explore the CCD website for great tips on job
searching and career planning (www.mun.ca/cdel)
• Don’t just look “for any job”; the more specific you
are the easier the search.
Contact: International Student Career Advisor
Lynn Walsh
Centre for Career Development/International Student Advising
p: 709-737-8167 or 737-8895
lwalsh@mun.ca
Office Hours:
Mon., Tues. & Fri. (9am – 5pm): Centre for Career Development
(CCD), 4th floor of UC
Wed. & Thurs. (9am – 4:45pm): ISA Office, Corte Real