Handshake Tips for International Students

Finding opportunities from employers who are willing to sponsor job visas or accept OPT/CPT can often be a frustrating process. Fortunately there are some resources and tools in Handshake that can make this process a little easier!

Job Filters: One great way to help identify opportunities for international students is to take advantage of the job filters in Handshake.

To begin, click on the Jobs link in the top navigation bar in Handshake.
Next, click on the All Filters A screen will pop up with the various filter choices.
Scroll down to Work Authorization. There will be two check boxes. One for Will sponsor or doesn’t require US visa. The other for Accepts OPT/CPT.
Check the box(s) that apply to you and then click Show Results.

Using these search filters will help to identify opportunities that apply to your situation. When posting each job/internship, employers select whether they will sponsor US visas and/or accept OPT/CPT. The Work Authorization search filters reflect the selections made by the employer for each of their opportunities. Filling our some the other filters, such as location, job type, keyword, etc., can of course narrow searches down further.

Career Fairs: Navigating a career fair can also be a challenge for international students. Handshake can also help ease this with similar filters to the job search. When registering for career fairs, employers, just like with jobs, will select if they sponsor US visas and/or accept OPT/CPT. To get to these filters, select Events from the top navigation bar in Handshake. Next select Fair Search then click on the fair you are interested in. Click on the All Employers link. You will see Filters on the left hand side. Under Categories, you will see check boxes for Will sponsor or doesn’t require US visa and Accepts OPT/CPT. Select the appropriate boxes to a see a list of employers that match the selected criteria.

Taking advantage of these filters can help you identify the employers you would like to target when attending career fairs.

GoinGlobal: GoinGlobal is another tool within Handshake that you can take advantage of. The H-1B section allows students to search for US employers who have sponsored H-1B employment visas. You can search by job title/keyword, location, company name, etc.

GoinGlobal also provides country guides, which give you access to culture, visa, and interview advice for a variety of countries. GoinGlobal can be accessed though Handshake by clicking on Career Center and then Resources.