How do I find OPT job?

Student Lounge International Students
1

I am chem. E major so I want to utilize OPT and OPT extension as mucha s possible after my graduation.
The problem is, where do I find the companies that will hire me?

2

I’d suggest 4 parallel strategies.

  • On-campus recruitment. Be upfront about your OPT status. If they offer you an interview anyway, they'd generally be willing to hire you.
  • Online job postings. I have had the most success with job listings on Linked In. Companies tend to be upfront if they online hire workers with permanent work permits.
  • Networking. Where have international graduates of your university found employment in the past?
  • Alternatively, you could start with a list of companies that sponsor H-1B visas in your occupation. Many of them will be open to hiring OPT students for entry-level positions. Click on the "disclosure data" tab on the following website to find a list of companies that have sought a labor condition certification to sponsor an H-1B visa, together with the industry and occupation of the position(s) that the work visa was for:

https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov/performancedata.cfm

3

I am going to do research with a faculty member this fall, and I ahve three semester left. Do you think that if I work hard enough, he may sponsor my H1B or at least hire me for OPT?

As for international graduates…I haven’t thought of that. I will try to see, but based on my experience, our international student network is very weka.

Thanks so much Barium. Our international student office is very…unhelpful.

EDIT: the link isn’t working

4

Odd, the link is working for me. Try googling “OFLC Performance Data.” (OFLC stands for Office of Foreign Labor Certification.) Should be the first hit.

5

I am guessing that the university would have to hire you? (Said faculty member does not have a company that could sponsor your work visa?)

I honestly don’t know what to tell you. I don’t know if it’s common in engineering disciples for universities to hire people with a Bachelor’s degree. (Maybe as lab assistants or lab technicians?)

6

If your university has a grad program related to your professor’s field, it probably is more likely that the prof would help get you admitted to that grad program so that you can continue working in his group.

7

Oh the link is working now. It must have been down temporarily.

8

You could most likely get him to hire you for your OPT (assuming that he likes you enough to hire you), since it isn’t any extra effort (paperwork, fees etc.). H1-B requires the sponsorship from the university (as they have to file paperwork and pay a fee for filing) so it will likely be more difficult. You should check your university’s policies on H1-B sponsorship as I am under the impression that most will only do it for postdocs, research associates etc. who have a PhD.