I’m writing this in a bit of a low moment and hoping someone out there might understand what I’m feeling. I graduate next month with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Math from a Top 100 school in the U.S. I’ve kept a strong GPA (3.8), done two prior internships at a FAANG company and I started applying for jobs early, way back in June 2024.
My last internship (Summer 2024) went really well. My manager gave great feedback. The recruiter even said the team loved me and wanted me back. Then a few months later, I got the “due to headcount” email. No return offer. That hit hard.
Since then:
I’ve applied to 800+ jobs.
I’ve tailored my resume and written cover letters.
I’ve reached out on LinkedIn to alums and hiring managers.
I’ve attended career fairs and had my resume reviewed by some of them which they mention how good it is.
I’ve interviewed at a few places made it to the final round six times.
And still… nothing.
Now I’m getting close to graduation. As an international student, the clock is ticking. I’m trying to stay calm, but the stress of not knowing what comes next is getting overwhelming. I’ve considered grad school, but loans are a huge concern. I don’t know how much longer I can keep pushing like this without losing hope.
I keep wondering why is this so much harder now? Just a year ago I had multiple options. I’ve grown since then. I’ve built more. I’ve learned more. But the silence I’m facing now makes me feel like I’ve somehow gotten worse, not better. Logically I know that’s not true, but emotionally it’s getting harder to shake.
I know I’m not the only one struggling right now, and maybe that’s why I’m posting this. To say: if you’re in the same boat, you’re not alone. And if you’ve made it through this especially as an international student I’d love to hear how you managed, or even just a few words of encouragement.
Thanks for reading. I really needed to let this out.
This could be your issue right now. Some companies are reluctant to OPT sponsor international students. And there are also plenty of domestic students with these skills.
Are you being flexible in terms of where you are applying for jobs?
Do you have any job prospects in your home country?
Yes, I was going to say the same thing - it’s hard to be an international job seeker right now. While OPT does not require sponsorship, companies typically sponsor international students for an H1 and green card, because they don’t want to hire an employee for just 3 years (length of OPT). Many firms, including mine, are hesitant to sponsor right now.
@TiaraPinker, I’m sorry to hear about your situation. It’s tough.
Your best bet are large “Big Tech” firms who seem to still be wiling to sponsor (but the competition is so intense).
Aside from that, I agree that you should shift focus to job hunting in your home country.
Going to grad schools with big loans is not a good idea. You might find yourself in the same situation a couple of years from now, but with large debt.
I mean, look around. Unfortunately, the US has become increasingly unwelcome to foreigners and visas are likely getting much harder to sponsor in the current political climate.
But even prior to this, however, it was never a good idea for international students to study in the US with the assumption that they would be able to stay after - that was never a guarantee. Hopefully you have some options in your home country or perhaps a third country still open to sponsoring work visas.
Yes I am trying to be flexible but as you said some companies are reluctant to OPT Sponsorship but I am still trying.
if anyone has any resources that would be helpful
I am sorry and please know that many college recent grads are having the same issue. Not sure if this is helpful or not, but I would advise you to see if your past internship managers can contribute to the recommended/skills section on Linked In. I would also encourage you to have 1 sentence in your cover letter and resume noting you had a return offer and due a headcount freeze, this offer recently was rescinded. Good luck - hang in there. Also, if you haven’t -expand your geographical reach.
I agree with the others. If you are not a citizen and need a company to sponsor your visa, that it is certainly going to make things more challenging. That said it’s by no means impossible. The tech company where I work rarely hires anyone. However, we have hired international persons – mostly to replace international persons that quit. I expect we chose to hire international rather than domestic to reduce costs.
This also relates to which positions you are applying for at which companies. Rather than blindly applying hundreds of positions, you might target specific companies that are known for hiring international students, and apply to the corresponding positions. This might mean a lower compensation than most other students in your class. Your college’s career counseling office might have some stats about which employers may be a good fit.
If it makes you feel better, my son ., who has 2+ year experience as a programmer has been looking now for 5 months is getting barely any bites. He is a US citizen
Actually, this is a common but mistaken perception. H1B workers are required to be paid the prevailing wage for a given job and location (and the Labor Department verifies this via the labor certification process). At most you can get away with 90% of the “prevailing wage”, but with all the legal and application fees on top of that, it’s a wash.
Most of this is due to the current economical/political situation and out of your control. However, I would recommend pursuing in-person leads/referrals through connections/networking instead of sending bulk applications online (which is convenient and tempting). You had two real internships and interacted with real people. I would revisit those connections and reach out to people who may potentially know other people in hiring positions or may know people in other companies. If you are located in the same city, take them out for coffee, ask about their work, talk about your recent projects. Also, since OPT is as-of-right for 12 months and doesn’t require sponsorship, it shouldn’t be a burden for the company initially. Good luck!
I’m really sorry that this has been a harsh surprise for you so, I think that you really need to consider jobs in your home country.
When you came to the US, it should have been explained that as a guest of the university, and the US, you would be provided with an education. Upon graduation, the Immigration Service expected you to return to your home country.
There were no guarantees made that you would become employed. No promises, by US immigration are ever suggested nor made about future outcomes in the US.
You are graduating with a degree in CS that should be marketable in your home country or other countries.
At my daughter’s large tech firm, they just went through a series of layoffs in CS. Her website specifically states that the company will not consider sponsorship of noncitizens. They currently don’t have enough contractual work for new employees.
At my husband’s international firm, he can’t use employees who don’t qualify for US security clearances. This includes international candidates with MS degrees.
As mentioned earlier, you are on a time clock. Focus on finishing strongly in your studies and send some resumes outside of the US. You cannot rely on staying in the US.
Sorry, but this is the current reality.
[quote=“aunt_bea, post:11, topic:3688006”]
Upon graduation, the Immigration Service expected you to return to your home country.
[/quote] The F-1 Visa gives the student the right to work for 12 months after graduation. It’s the OP’s right and his expectation for (at least short-term) employment in the US is not unreasonable.
Yes, but there will be companies that don’t want an employee for just 12 months. In some places, this is when the learning curve takes place. Employers hope many hires will stay longer than 12 months.
One thing that I wonder about, although I do not know whether it will work. Depending upon what country you come from, you might want to apply to US based companies that have engineering offices in your home country.
At least in the past (I do not know about hiring right now) the US-based company that I worked for would sometimes hire recent graduates who were from India but who graduated from US universities. For a short while, perhaps a year or two, they would work in the US. Then when OPT timed out they would return to India and continue to work for us, possibly even in the same group and same manager, but located in India.
There are quite a few US based companies who have engineering groups in India, and some that have (often smaller) engineering groups in other countries such as Canada.
If you are from a different country then whether this works or not might depend upon whether there are US companies who have engineering facilities in your home country.
Yes, the option of a year or two of OPT, is not an unreasonable idea. It doesn’t, however mandate, nor require a “right to work”; it gives him/her “permission” to work as a guest. That’s the difference. And yet, here we are, 800+ submissions later.
This person cannot find an OPT offer.
It is not an unreasonable idea that some employers cannot continue to hire new employees if they know they have budgetary and contractual constraints.
They cannot waste energy and budgetary resources training someone that they won’t be able to offer employment in the future.
This “inconstant” is a factor that they agreed to when they accepted admission to a US university. The universities cannot guarantee future employment in the US for any of its students. It’s an assumption that’s on the student. You can’t assume anything.
Students would never have received visas, to study in the US, if their intent to Immigration officials was to remain in the US. In that case, a student Visa would’ve been denied.
“The F-1 Visa gives the student the right to work for 12 months after graduation. It’s the OP’s right and his expectation for (at least short-term) employment in the US is not unreasonable.”
The right to legally work does not mean that a company is required to hire such an individual. It just means that the company will not be in violation of labor laws by hiring someone during the OPT period.
Given the current economic situation it is not a surprise that foreign nationals are finding it rough going.
Update: I got a Job at a good company with a starting salary of $150k. A week after my graduation is when the offer came in. It was a really tough journey but I am glad to be at the end. I start work soon and I wanted to come back here to encourage anyone who comes across this post and is going through a tough time. I can’t tell you how to deal with your current situation and in the moment it feels like your world is collapsing but I promise you there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I see your resilience and I am rooting for you. Have some hope and keep going. Remember your life is more than this moment so while you chase your goal remember to live. I hope this post helps you. Thank you all in the comment section for the encouragement.