The “Foreign Culture” of Job Searching

CultureRecently I was reading a career book when one sentence jumped out at me. “In many ways, conducting a job search is like adapting to a foreign culture.” Aha! I thought. This is exactly what career exploration and job searches are like for a number of the international students I advise (actually, for almost all students to some extent, since most students have not yet had full-time professional jobs, so it can be a “foreign culture” to them too).

Adapting to new situations is not unusual for university students. Luckily, most of you are able to rely on the advice of friends to interpret what we advisors suggest to you during orientation sessions and workshops. Some of you are brave enough to raise your hands and ask us, “What exactly do you mean?” or “Can you give us an example of how yoFish master-art-adapting-foreign-office-cultureu would actually do that?” Often, it seems easier just to ask your friends after the session. The problem is that, depending on the topic (careers in this case), your friends may not know much more than you do. (Or what they know may be very specific to their individual experiences.)

What I appreciated about this book is that it gives clear and specific instructions about how to actually do whatever is suggested. It doesn’t assume that the reader has the experience (or the social skills) to inherently know how to implement many career suggestions. It even gives examples of common mistakes.

Here’s one:

“Adam is like many job seekers I coach: frustrated and discouraged. He graduated near the top of his class with a degree in computer science. With some help from his father, Adam put together a resume, drafted a cover letter, and began applying for software testing jobs on internet job boards. After sending more than 40 resumes, Adam received an invitation for a telephone interview. Confident about his technical ability, Adam anticipated no problems answering questions.

The interview did not go as planned. Adam hadn’t kept a copy of the job advertisement, and had a hard time answering specific queries about his qualifications. Since he hadn’t done any research on the company, he wasn’t prepared to explain why he wanted to work there. When asked about whether he had experience using a specific tool, Adam responded, “No,” even though he was proficient with one that was very similar (and could have called attention to this.) The call lasted ten minutes.” (Bissonnette, 2013, p. 16).

Sound familiar to anyone? This skilled young graduate didn’t realize that he was entering a foreign culture, the world of work. All of us who explore new cultures need to learn their languages and norms in order to interact with the people native to those cultures. Here’s one cultural example for Adam’s case. Job applicants need to understand that simply wanting to work at a company is important toFit that employer. It helps the employer determine if you fit their company culture. Yes, you need to have the skills necessary for the work, but once an employer has determined that you have the skills they need, they want to understand why you want to work there. Responses such as, “Because you’re a famous company” or “I’ve always wanted to work for a company like yours” are not sufficient. Your response needs to indicate both what you know about the company and that you’re enthusiastic about working for them. Adam could have said something like, “For one of my class projects we tested a programming language you use, so I was interested in reading more about your company when I saw this job posting. When I read about your projects, the languages you use, and how you invest in new employees, I knew this would be a good fit.”

The book goes on to provide specific examples and definitions and to point out common errors. As another example, there is a section on mistakes made during interviews that focuses on four common errors: “long, rambling responses to questions,” “very, very short answers to questions,” “being unprepared,” and “not showing enthusiasm.” I know from the many mock interviews I’ve conducted that these are frequent mistakes among all students—in any class year, in any degree. Just explaining your skills isn’t enough. Preparation is essential so that you know what types of answers are appropriate and that you know a lot about the job and company. Being authentically enthusiastic is key.

So, for full disclosure now. The reason this book so carefully explains the norms of this “foreign culture” and provides many examples, clear explanations, and detailed worksheets is that the targeted audience of this book is those of us who find social skills difficult to understand and master—namely those on “the spectrum” with Asperger’s Syndrome.

I’m not trying to say that I think most students struggle with development of basic social skills. I am trying to say that this book might be helpful to many students, especially those who want to understand how and why to communicate with potential employers—in other words, how to understand the employer’s culture. The author attempts to “explain the ‘whys’ behind aspects of the job search that many people with Asperger’s Syndrome find confusing or silly.” (Bissonnette, 2013, p. 19). How wonderful to have a resource such as this for students on the autism “spectrum” who are exploring their career options! But, I’m also excited that there are tips in this book that I find potentially helpful for any student navigating a “foreign culture,” especially international students who want to find job opportunities in the U.S. Actually, I think many students might benefit from this book’s straightforward advice. For all of us it can sometimes be confusing to understand and adapt to a new culture.

The book is The Complete Guide to Getting a Job for People with Asperger’s Syndrome: Find the Right Career and Get Hired, by Barbara Bissonnette, published in 2013 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers (London and Philadelphia). The quote in my first paragraph above is from Bissonnette, 2013, p. 12. The four examples of interviewing mistakes are from Bissonnette, 2013, p. 136.

culture balloons

Career Tips for International Students

GlobeInternational students enrolled at Penn seek internships and jobs in their home countries, in the United States, in global organizations’ locations around the world, and in other countries. Searching for an internship or job involves many of the same tasks anywhere (identifying one’s strengths and goals, exploring career fields, preparing resumes and cover letters, networking, researching companies, applying, interviewing, and more), but two particular issues make the process different for international students seeking positions in the United States: language skills and immigration issues.

Through my experiences at several universities working with international students who are undergraduates and graduate students in many different disciplines, I’ve found that the best way for international students to address these two challenges is to take responsibility for what they can control and to learn as much as possible about what they cannot control.

You do have control over your language proficiency. If English is not your first language, practice. Practice more. Practice every chance you get. Practice with people whose first language IS English. Listen to English being spoken—on TV, online, in movies and plays, during lectures (in your own classes and through guest lectures on other topics you find interesting). Find every opportunity you can to speak English. Visit the Graduate Student Center’s website to learn about their resources. When you are with friends from your home country, agree to speak English together all the time or at designated times. (For example, ask your friends to promise to speak only English this evening until 10:00 p.m. If anyone breaks the rule, that person must buy ice cream for everyone else in the group.) Practice makes sense. If you were planning to compete in a sport—let’s say tennis, would you spend most of your time practicing volleyball?

You do not have control over immigration policies in the United States, but you DO have control over how well you understand them. Take the time to visit ISSS to learn about your visa options regarding work during and after your time at Penn. Review the online resources about immigration. Attend workshops about OPT and CPT. Read our blog regularly to glean advice for international students from career advisors, students, and alumni. Pay attention to calendars at Penn so that you can attend helpful career events such as alumni panels (former international students) and the annual fall lecture on “Immigration Made Easy,” presented by immigration attorneys. The more you understand about work visas in the United States, the better prepared you will be to respond to potential employers’ questions. There were many special Career Services workshops for international students at Penn last year; how many did you attend?

Tomorrow is the first day of summer, and fall seems many weeks away. But summer is a great opportunity to dedicate some time to your career preparation. Update your resume. Draft your cover letter. Be able to identify what type(s) of work you’re seeking and be able to explain why. Think of good examples you can use to prove you have the skills needed for the position(s) you plan to seek. Practice your English skills. Acquaint yourself with the visa issues you need to understand.

International students at Penn bring incredible strengths with them: tenacity and drive, global perspectives, unique experiences, enthusiasm, daringness and bravery, intercultural competence, an awareness of more than one way of doing things. Use these skills to tackle the challenges of language proficiency and immigration issues. And go eat some ice cream on the first day of summer!Ice Cream

“Pathways”—It’s Plural!

DSC00766“Pathways” is used as a title for several career resources. Some companies call their internships or rotational programs “Pathways.” The word “pathways” is sometimes a label for information sessions or bridge programs that organizations develop as introductions to industries or companies.

At Penn’s Career Services, we call our career guide “Pathways.” This manual is a printed book, a downloadable PDF on our website, and an online ebook. It is full of articles about exploring career fields and searching for internships, jobs, and graduate/professional schools. Employers eager to hire Penn students advertise in it, and we provide lists of companies that actively recruit on campus.

In all the career uses I’ve seen of this word, it’s plural. “Pathways.” This is intentional for two reasons. First, there are many different career paths available to Penn students and alumni. Second, each individual student will almost certainly pursue more than one career path during her/his professional life. (According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, most people stay in the same job for under five years.)

Students are sometimes anxious when considering career fields to pursue, which internships to seek, or which opportunity to accept after graduation. Should I take this job offer, or should I go to graduate school? Yes! Both (although usually not simultaneously).

Of course you can’t embrace two full-time opportunities at the same time. The option you pursue will affect your professional life now and in the future. But you will make changes. It is unlikely you will still be in your first position after several years. So sometimes the question is not “Which path will I give up?” but “Which path will I pursue first?” (Experience may be the necessary ingredient to selecting one’s next pathway. John Krumboltz has explored this in his happenstance learning theory.)

Remember, there are multiple pathways in your future. It’s plural!

March Madness

bballIt’s that time of year again for . . . figuring out what to do after the semester ends. Oh, and basketball!

Some of you have already found and committed to your upcoming summer internships or full-time jobs. Others are scanning the sites, looking for teams, studying their histories, trying to pick what might be a winning combination for you.

Upsets? Perhaps the position you wanted didn’t come through? Keep searching—use our resources and come see us.

Seedings? Perhaps your top choice didn’t turn out to be as interesting as you had hoped when you did an internship, talked to recruiters at a career fair, or networked with alumni? If you are changing direction and now focusing on different career fields, use our resources and come see us.

Cinderellas? Perhaps you’ve received unexpected interest (or even an offer) from a recruiter or networker you met at a career workshop or panel? If you need negotiation tips, use our resources and come see us.

Pairings? Perhaps nothing or too many things interest you, and you are finding it difficult to make choices? If you need to begin exploring ideas and think it would be helpful to really think about what you want, use our resources and come see us.

One of the fun aspects of tournaments like the March NCAA national championships for men’s basketball and women’s basketball is the unexpected results. When your curiosity takes over and you’re intrigued by a professor’s or presenter’s experiences, a friend’s story about a past internship, or a company highlighted in a news article, explore it!

Finally, don’t panic. It may feel mad, but it’s not too late! Many students find their internships and jobs in the spring. Check our surveys to see when students in your program found their positions last year. Depending on the industry(ies) you’ve targeted, hiring may be done in the fall . . . or winter . . . or spring . . . or just in time (right before anticipated start dates). March is as good a time as any!

Whether you’re committed to your national-champion pick, or whether you’re ready to consider all the options, upsets, and possibilities along the way, Career Services can help.BlankBracket

The Complexity of Career Planning

puzzlepiecesI’m currently studying complexity theory, the way “patterns emerge through the interaction of many agents.”* Because the actors and issues and environment continually change, patterns also change as they emerge, stabilize, and then perhaps dissipate. Observation and flexibility are the keys here.

This seems particularly applicable to planning and navigating careers. Since everything is in flux—organizations, technology, economies, the environment, politics, relationships, and YOU—we’re aiming at moving targets. Preparation for a career can take years as we study, develop skills, and gain experience. When we finally get “there,” the “there” has likely changed.

So in order to prepare for the evolving and complex landscape of the future, developing the skills of observing, learning, and adapting is critical. “Probing” is key. Your liberal arts education at the University of Pennsylvania provides a foundation for this perspective. I encourage you to observe, question, discuss, and engage as often as possible. In the realm of career planning, this means opening up to a range of options. If you have already identified a career goal, plan for it and pursue it while simultaneously continuing to learn about other opportunities and how they are similar to or differ from your initial focus. If you are exploring career options or haven’t yet begun to do so, jump in and learn about career possibilities in every setting. Pay attention to the work that people do and ask them questions about it. Whatever it is that you enjoy doing, do it! And talk to others who also do it to see if/how they’ve used their skills in professional settings.

The best tactic, the one that will help you adapt to how the future unfolds, is to explore.

 

*From Kurtz, C.F., Snowden, D. J. “The New Dynamics of Strategy: Sense-Making in a Complex and Complicated World,” in IBM Systems Journal (42:3), 2003.