Applying for Internships/Jobs as an International Student

So many of you who have by now figured out who I am (yes I know...) probably know that I'm also an international student. Turns out, we have to go through a bit of a formality when applying for internships or jobs- not much of a big deal, but I thought it would be helpful to find out about it anyway. Thus I went to the information session on How to Apply for OPT/CPT (Optional Practical Training/Curriculum Practical Training). Here's some things I found out:

CPT:
-The internship has to be an integral part of your major. So if you're bio like me, you can't do like a summer job at a law company filing papers or something like that...
-You can only apply after freshman year (so the Spring of freshman year is fine to apply, becuase you will have completed one year of study in the summer)
-Has to be at least 12 weeks
-Must have internship before you file for CPT, but the process can be as quick as one day
-It's called a 'summer co-op' and goes on your transcript, because technically it has to be part of your academic training in the US
-Here's what you do: CDC has co-op packet, take it, fill it out and bring it to the International House with your advisor's signature on it and after it has been approved by the CDC. The IH will issue an I-20, after which you prepare for your internship, get a social security number (office is in Worcester), and figure out transportation to the workplace for the summer. Yeah, it's really simple

OPT:
-Okay, this is what I would have to apply for and it's little bit more complex, but not too much paperwork overall.
-can be pre-completion or post-completion of studies
-process takes 8-10 weeks, so prepare and file for it early. If you plan on starting work in like June, make sure your papers are in by March at the latest.
-Here's the process: Complete applcation and form I0765. Bring passport, I-94, all previous I-20 forms, two passport style pictures, and a cheque or money draft of $340 for the processing. OPT can be applied for 90 days before graduation, but cannot be accepted 60 days after.
-Give all details if you have a job
-You will be issued an employment authorization document

Of course, a lot of students are also interested in work visa and green card applications. So there is another info session on that material on Wednesday, Feb 25th, 4-5.30 in SL406.
Some students however, are more interested in returning to their country for internships or full-time positions. There is a NACE virtual career fair in the summer- follow this link to register: http://asp.symplicity.com/nacelinkvcf/

Other questions can surely be answered by the CDC or International House, so don't hesitate to ask :)

How about Biology...

As I finish up senior year at WPI, it’s the time where I get a little reflective on the time I spent here. Needless to say, it has been a very valuable experience that gave me a superb education. But one of the many questions that pops up is: why biology?
I knew that biology was a passion for me since I was introduced to science. When I first got here though, I was determined to go to medical school. More exposure to the world of doctors and that kind of lifestyle made me realise, however, that I really did not want to deal with stressful days all my life, and treat health as a business. That’s when I decided to focus my energy on biology itself.
As a senior, I realise how truly diverse this field can be. I am talking about going to school for conservation, but there are a hundred other options for me. I can go into agriculture, pharmaceuticals, food production, cosmetics, reconstructive surgical procedures, bio-related drugs, genetics, environmental work- and these are just to name a few. I always have the option of doing research, or getting an MBA and joining the corporate side of things. It’s such a great field to be in, where I can hop around and do what I please, that I hope to never be bored.
I know that a few years ago, I would always get a little discouraged by seeing students who were so completely focused on their field, and had what they called their ‘five-year-plan’ all figured out. My best advice to all of you out there would be- don’t get discouraged! There is such a variety of things to do with science, that if you really love it, you will find your own way. A friend of mine who is the same major was told by someone that this wasn’t a field where you could joke around and be flaky all your life. I agree-but it’s also a field where you can be diverse. So if you want to go to Africa and play with tigers one day (like me), you can do that. Or if you love being focused for hours in lab and following procedures, and coming up with expeirments, you can do that. Or if you love biology and computers, you will probably enjoy bioinformatics. Even if you like surgery and making bio-products, but don’t like medicine- you can do something in biomedical engineering. These three fields-biology,biomedical engineering, and biochemistry- leave nothing unturned in the world of science. So whatever you want to do with science, I say, go for it, despite whatever someone tells you or however many people seem to be going in a different field. Ask questions from all your professors, make connections with upperclassmen, and make your own path to your future :)

How'd it go...?

So if you're a life sciences major like me and you went to the Career Fair, you were probably left with a lot to desire. There weren't a lot of major biotech firms, but I did have a chance to interact with some of them. As I was explaining my research to one of the company representatives, I realized this- I have no clue how to explain my research to a non-technician in my field! This is really REALLY bad news. Most fairs have human resources representatives who I need to be able to explain my work to, and on top of that, for both my MQP presentation and interaction with future employers, I should have a clear idea of what to say. Not just, "Uh, I work in a genetics lab with RNAi"...I mean, I didn't even know what RNAi was until about a year ago.
I have to be honest, I was never so glad that the Life Sciences Fair is a little later. This gives me some time to refresh my memory about what I'm doing, practice explaining it to non-biotechnicians, and get very proficient in speaking fluently about my research. I've decided I will be setting up a meeting with a CDC counselor to help me out. They are really good at holding mock interviews, which isn't necessarily what I'm going for yet, but it would be nice to practice interaction with a prospective employer.
Also, it's almost mid-February so it's about time I start looking for work. I think I'll hit Career Search on Job Finder, so I can start with companies by area. I'll be applying to Cambridge first, but it would probably be a good idea to narrow down to a few fields, instead of just biotechnology- because this is the center of it! From there, I'll probably cover New York and San Diego as well.
Keeping my fingers crossed!! ^_^

How I am Preparing for the Career Fair...

Time goes by so quickly it's not even funny. Next week is the Career Fair on the 4th and 5th! The first day is internships only, so I guess that's not really relevant to me. But the 5th is a day I really have to be prepared. I know that I've been talking about applying to graduate schools but I realize that these programs are really competitive and so I decided to look for jobs as well. Besides, being in the workforce might give me a better idea of what I want to do before I really get into a serious graduate program and get more specific with my field of study. So there are some things I need to get prepared:

-I just got my resume critiqued, and even though I hadn't really changed it much from the last fair, it turns out there were a whole lot changes I had to make, because this time I'm looking for a full time job, not an internship. Now I need to implement those changes.

-Log into Job Finder and update my resume before the fair. A lot of companies don't take a hard copy of your resume, but will ask you to apply through JobFinder, so it's a good idea to keep it updated.

-Research the companies that are coming this year through JobFinder (there's a list once you log in to your account), and check out the ones I'm interested in. It's always nice to approach companies and have a little bit of background information on them and already know what they do- it's a good first impression to make.

-Dress nice!!!

I know that this isn't really a biotech fair, and the life sciences fair is in March,but this is definitely a great way to get prepared and get experience talking to people and knowing how to approach them well. Hopefully there will be some good people I meet and if not, it'll be good preparation anyway!

Good luck and be prepared!! :)

Things They Don't Tell You...

If you're a girl who's pretty involved at WPI, you probably know what WIN is. If you're not...well, you still might know. For those who that don't, Women's Industry Network is WPI's very own women's networking organization that holds hundreds of female WPI students as members. It holds dinner events once a term where students get clubbed into sections based on their majors with two professionals that are in the same field as them- for example, I sat at a table with biology majros at school and professionals in the field of bio/biotech. It's a very helpful event that sets you up with people that can give a lot of advice and guidance on what to do in school, out of school how to get a job- that sort of thing.

Last night's event was super helpful- we had professionals talking about things such as exempt vs. non-exempt employment, taxes, work insurance, health care plans, savings plans, time off, renting vs. buying homes, paying off student loans, etc. Now I know it all sounds super boring, but amazingly enough, it is now that I begin to realize these are all things I'm going to have to think about like...now! Whether or not we want, time takes it toll and we have to make real-life decisions. Once we're in the real world, it really is surprising how many options there are and all that can be overwhelming. This was all advice that people don't tell us- all real life situations that we have to face by ourselves.

I'm glad WPI holds events like this that can be so helpful to students in their future when they enter the work force.One such event is "Life After College" that will be hosted by the CDC in the Odeum today, 5-6pm. If you see this post before then- you should definitely try to stop by!

Back From Break

As this 'lovely' weather rolls around (fallen on ice anyone? I have...of course), I can't believe this is the last winter break I just spent at WPI. Good thing I took a much needed vacation. But I was also, fortunately, back a couple of weeks early to do some MQP work, and graduate school applications. The first one is hopefully going to be sent out tomorrow-so glad I finally wrote those essays.
I realised that I didn't have the time to get all my essays reviewed, but since I'll be applying to some schools with later deadlines, I have time to make appointments at the CDC to get the later ones reviewed. Also, I plan on getting some help to apply to jobs now that spring is not far away. The spring career fair is actually coming up on Feb4th and 5th. The first day is for internships, but the second day is more vital for me, with internships and full time jobs being looked for.
The next thing is to get more organized and start putting deadlines for myself so I can send out all the application materials, get my MQP in line, and start a thorough a job hunting process.
Last C-Term ever....almost done :P

Things I Didn't know...

In my mad search for wanting to travel/work/study abroad, I finally checked out some of the CDC resources...and I was pretty taken aback at some of their guides. For people like me interested in the envrionment and biotechnology, there are career guides listing types of jobs and locations and companies. There's even quite a large guide called "Living and Working Overseas". For some people I know who are looking to travel as well, there are smaller guides on volunteer programs that are an alternative to peace corps, which may be not exactly what will make you find your way, but would be a wonderful starting point. I've actually talked to a lot of international people who would like to be working for companies from their country but in the US, and there is rather large directory of such foreign firms in the US as well.

When it comes to finding jobs outside the country, it's difficult at a school like WPI, where most engineering majors tend to stay pretty local after graduation. It's also difficult for life science majors, where Boston seems to be the meccah of biotechnology and bioengineering. Many other options exist for me though- even within the US, if that's what it comes down to. And that is good to know. If I want to travel, I recently found out that San Diego is also a big bio-science hub, so California (which, let's face it, might as well be a whole new country) is definitely an option.

But as far as living and traveling and working abroad goes, it's great to have a good starting point. Luckily life science majors have some time before they can start job hunting, and hopefully that time will give me the leverage I need to get where I want.