Navigating immigrant and international job searches — STEM edition

Two years ago this time, I was at home stretch with my PhD, ready for the big day of defense to celebrate. But, I felt anxious about my future— I had no plan, no clue, and no direction to find a job.

It wouldn’t be hard to imagine the struggles for an immigrant and international professional who needs to break down language, cultural, and networking barriers that are essential in job searching and securing. And those barriers escalated when emerging from long years of training in academia to the corporate industry.

After finishing my PhD, I entered the job market between the middle and late 2021, which was fortunate because at the time the market was still thriving and hiring. But I was terrified during the months of looking for the next new venture.

Although I knew I had skills and interest in science writing and communication, I was uncertain about the extent of my experience and network and how they could help me find opportunities. Meanwhile, I still enjoyed working in the lab and exploring new technology. I experimented with both paths to see which one clicked, networked to the best possible I can, sought internal referrals, and charted the path to an offer (or, offers).

Fast forward to now, I’ve been a professional scientist in my industry for a year and have gained new perspectives on what it means to work in corporate, as an industry scientist, while also balancing my passions that speak to my heart. I’m grateful and blessed for this journey and want to share my experience.

A quick timeline recap of my job search:

I defended my PhD in September 2021, and my graduate work “contract” ended a couple of days later, meaning I was immediately unemployed. My current job started in January 2022 — the offer letter appeared in November 2021. I received another job offer around the same time, which may give the impression that the job-hunting process went very well because it only took two months between finishing my PhD and receiving a job offer. But really, there was more to it than that.

I started preparing for a job search way back in April, took a break to fully focus on defending and dissertation, and a part-time journalism internship embarking between June and August, moved into a new town (August), and then resumed after I was deadly finished my PhD (September).

• The first piece of advice for such a job hunting journey is to stay focused and target a specific job — certainly, following this advice can improve efficiency, job search confidence, and sanity, but keep in mind that job searching is similar to research, and it is okay to make some trial-and-error attempts.

My many rejection emails from both sides of science writing (and, tangentially, communication and policy) and scientist/engineer positions helped shape my future path. Looking back after two years, I can see the gap between the old me and my then-dream job, which helps me determine what I want going forward.

• My next tip, which I despise myself for saying, is to seek referrals to get your resume in front of the hiring managers.

I reached out to an acquaintance who was a former PhD student from my program and worked at the company I was interested in. He forwarded my resume to the hiring manager, and I received an HR phone screening interview within a week. I didn’t get into the final selection, but I was impressed to witness the efficiency and effectiveness of getting yourself noticed by the right people.

However, this approach didn’t work all the time — it’s unlikely to have deep and broad networking for recent graduates or immigrant and international students who know the place and culture for only a few years. Additionally, many people may not feel comfortable using networking solely for an advantage-taking purpose — to earn a referral.

To avoid feeling this way, I began reframing my intention as an opportunity to be curious — getting to know the person, their motivations for making the career choice, and what life is like in their professions. This shifted mindset helps relieves the mental stress I felt between taking advantage of others and still being respectful.

• Lastly, get clarity on your priority.

A hard truth: you should know what you want when you’re in early graduate school, toward the end of your program, and when entering the job market. That’s how you can gain experience and resources.

From the start, I knew that I did not want to pursue an academic career. During my time in graduate school, I made a conscious effort to seek out options other than academia, which eventually led me to discover science writing and communication. Through participating in courses, workshops, leadership opportunities, and internships aligned with this career trajectory, I was able to hone many of the skill sets that have turned out to be useful in my current role as an industry scientist.

For you, it may be important to prioritize visa requirements and seek out companies with more favorable policies toward foreign workers. Because everyone is different and wants differently, take time to think through and feel deeply about what matters most to you.

I hope this article gives some helpful insights as you navigate your career path and strive for success and happiness in your personal and professional life.

Republished from https://medium.com/@chiungwei.huang/5-navigating-immigrant-and-international-job-searches-stem-edition-c2398ffc7b25