International Student Career Community

The International Student Career Community is focused on assisting Bentley’s international students in their domestic and home job searches. The job search process for international students as a whole is challenging and complicated. This Career Community will provide students with resources, programs, and information to support their efforts in working in and outside of the U.S. and help them navigate these challenging processes successfully.

  • Your Centers of Support – Center for International Students and Scholars & Pulsifer Undergraduate Career Development Center

    The Bentley Center for International Students & Scholars (CISS) enhances the academic experiences of international students and scholars by providing the highest levels of knowledge and expertise in advising, immigration services, advocacy, and programming to the Bentley University community.

    The CISS office seeks to empower students with the knowledge they need to navigate their visa status, including seeking and obtaining the authorization to work in the U.S.  While it is the student’s responsibility to seek information on their authorization and search and obtain internships and post graduate positions, CISS will assist you with eligibility and application for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT).

    The Pulsifer Undergraduate Career Development Center (PUCDC) prepares students to make informed decisions about their futures and educates them on career pathing and job searching.  It is imperative for all students to take personal initiative to achieve career success.  It is important to remember that Pulsifer Center is NOT a placement service – we help you determine your strengths, skills and interests, evaluate career opportunities, develop your career development toolkit in CDI courses, facilitate connections with employer representatives, and educate you on how to identify and apply for opportunities.  The goal of the Pulsifer Undergraduate Career Development Center is to empower students to make positive career choices by providing comprehensive resources through targeted programs, specialized events, classroom learning and one-on-one meetings.

    Audra Boni is the PCDC International Student Specialist and works closely and communicates regularly with our international students – if you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to contact Audra at aboni@bentley.edu.

  • Credit Internships for International Students

    International students must obtain academic credit in order to work off campus in the U.S. for CPT.

    Bentley is now offering a new one credit internship course and this new course allows undergraduate students to earn one academic credit for internship work experience completed during the summer, fall or spring trimesters. The student must complete a minimum of 45 hours of work at the internship over the span of at least four weeks in order to receive credit for the course. Students will need to have completed a minimum of 30 credits prior to taking this class in order to be eligible. This class can only be taken once. Students can decide to take this class as a business or arts and science elective.

    In order to be approved for this course, the student must fill out an online form available through the undergraduate course catalog. Once submitted, the student’s form will be reviewed by the Associate Dean of Business or the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, depending on how they want the credit to count in their degree audit. Students must apply no later than the add/drop period of the academic semester during which the internship takes place. Credit will not be granted retroactively. Upon approval, the Associate Dean will assign the student a professor who will oversee the academic work associated with the internship and assign the student a grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

    Three credit internship are also available to upperclassmen via their Major department’s faculty internship coordinator.  For more information about this process, click here.

  • What You Need to Know for an Effective U.S. and Home Job Search

    Employment in the U.S. is not guaranteed or promised to foreign nationals entering the country on a student visa. However, the first step in a successful job search is to understand the U.S. job hunting process. You may be inclined to proceed as you would if you were conducting a search in your home country, but this strategy will not produce the best results. Different cultures have different expectations, and you must become aware of the typical job search strategies, tendencies, and commonalities in the United States.  The PUCDC & CISS have created a comprehensive International Student Career Search Guide specifically for Bentley’s international students which includes important information and advices on:

    Visa and Job Prospects for International Students in 2020 (article from Vault)

  • Important Job Search Resources for International Students

    ESL Resume and Cover Letter Writing Tutor in the Pulisfer Career Development Center (offered during academic year)

    Interstride is a new resource that makes the international student job search more transparent and all available in one place!  This resource supports your job search and career readiness whether your are seeking opportunities in the U.S., in your home country, or elsewhere.  Interstride provides the following with international students in mind:

    • Job listings
    • Real-time hiring needs
    • Employer Information
    • Cultural differences guidance
    • Networking strategies
    • Tips to make the most out of the international experience
    • And more!

     

    GoinGlobal is another important resource for international students.  It has everything you will need for your U.S. and home search including:

    • Career guides that are constantly updated for more than 90 domestic and international locations (including local job search resources, work permit and visa regulations, interview and cultural advice, resume/CV guidelines and examples, and professional and social networks)
    • More than 16 MILLION WORLDWIDE job and internship opportunities, with a multilingual search function to find openings posted in the local language, customized search tools for more relevant results, and NGO, nonprofit and corporate opportunities all in one database
    • Comprehensive worldwide employer directory with employer information from more than 190 countries and more than 450,000 profiles
    • H1B Plus – instant access to thousands of visa petitions from U.S. employers seeking to hire international talent, searchable by location, job title, occupation, and company name, with salary information powered by a customized search engine that provides access to all 400,000+ visa petitions from the U.S. Department of Labor

    View the Vault Career Guide for International Students here.

    Paid Microinternship Opportunities for OPT students – Note: You must be approved for OPT before applying for these opportunities.