Working during your studies can be one of the best ways to gain experience, make money and learn about American culture – however finding work may prove challenging for international students.
This blog will detail the ideal jobs for international students that are both flexible and allow you to retain your student visa.
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Teaching Assistant
Teaching assistants provide teachers with assistance by performing various duties that free up time for teaching their pupils directly. Not only can teaching assistants assist during class lessons, they can also offer extra-curricular support such as breakfast and after school clubs or work exclusively with pupils with special educational needs.
Cultural communication styles and classroom expectations may present unique challenges for international students, so new TAs should seek guidance and advice from more experienced TAs or professors before beginning their term at UCLA. Attending the annual TA conference before taking up this position may also prove invaluable in terms of providing resources and information needed for success in this position.
Foreign students seeking part-time work while studying can find employment as cafe or restaurant servers and catering assistants, or tutoring or peer mentoring roles extremely valuable. Working in cafeterias or restaurants as catering assistants gives hands-on hospitality experience and is especially suitable for culinary or hospitality studies students. Peer mentoring involves helping fellow students with course content, reading or assignments as needed – an opportunity which international students often offer their mentees unique perspectives or ways of understanding.
Library Assistant
One of the best part-time jobs for international students is working as a library assistant. This profession will give you the chance to meet lots of interesting people while improving your language skills and gaining work experience in an ideal workplace environment. However, it should be remembered that too much work may interfere with studies so it’s wise not to overexert yourself too soon.
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In general, librarian jobs involve performing many duties that span from shelving books, providing customer assistance, processing loan requests, making recommendations of book titles to training new employees and providing administrative support to librarians.
Another advantage of working in customer service is being able to form relationships within the business world and maybe even open up future employment opportunities. Furthermore, customer service and communication skills gained are transferrable into other careers.
Students looking for employment close to their classrooms will benefit from working on campus; it offers convenient transportation links while still accommodating flexible study times. Note, however, that F-1 visa holders may only work related to their studies or research on campus.
Research Study Assistant
Off-campus part-time work is an invaluable way for international students to gain valuable experience in the USA, though your visa restrictions may limit which jobs are available to you.
Start off by speaking to your professors to find out which research projects they’re involved in, as this can be an invaluable opportunity to expand your CV and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the subject matter. Furthermore, this helps provide an understanding of academic culture in the US; if your university has a more collectivistic culture you must feel comfortable expressing yourself as an independent thinker for success.
Graduate students looking to pursue teaching careers should seek opportunities to intern or teach classes with faculty members as part of curricular practical training (CPT), an optional aspect of degree programs authorized by a designated school official (DSO) on your SEVIS record. This type of experience will give them invaluable hands-on teaching experience before embarking on their own teaching careers after graduating. CPT positions must also meet certain eligibility requirements set forth by DSO on SEVIS records in order to be valid.
Department Assistant
As department assistants, students provide administrative support for professors and research staff members. Their responsibilities may include helping with research projects, maintaining lab equipment, or supporting various projects. It’s an ideal job for international students because it will give them transferable skills that will benefit their future careers.
As part of your duties in an inbound or outbound call center, you will take calls from customers or the general public and answer their calls promptly and accurately. In doing so, your duties might include informing callers on products or services available and helping them when necessary; you will also be accountable for handling customer complaints.
International students often choose this profession to hone their English skills while working in an enjoyable work environment, although hours may be long and repetitive tasks may arise.
F-1 visa students studying in the USA are permitted to work up to 20 hours each week during term time on campus employment and off-campus CPT and OPT employment if it relates directly to their field of study and is approved by their designated school official (DSO). It’s important to remember, though, that you should only accept one part-time job at any one time unless this work relates directly to your field or you are facing extreme financial difficulty.