Job Search Basics: Engineering jobs for International Students

Know the role

Engineers are not a homogenous group. Use the right job titles to find a role that fits you. Click on the title to learn more about the career path and salary expectations. Data is from Payscale.com

Understand the what makes people successful in your field  

To get a hired you need to understand what makes people successful. Take time to research what is expected of you in your field.

Learn what a chemical engineer does

Learn what an electrical engineer does

Know what a mechanical engineer does

Consider rotation programs

Engineering leadership or rotational development programs for new graduates are an excellent opportunity to get professional training on the job. These programs often expose you to new and geographic locations.

Get the right skills

The top skills employers will evaluate you on:

1. Technical Skills
2. Communication Skills
3. Interpersonal Skills
4. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
5. Enthusiasm, Commitment and Motivation

Learn how to build these skills while you are in school:

• What are you doing during your academic experience to improve these skills?
• How are you showing employers that you are a motivated problem solver?
• What are you doing in school to improve your communication skills?
• How are showing employers your interpersonal skills?

Differentiate yourself: Improve your soft skills

Engineering jobs are incredibly competitive. Stand out by improving your soft skills. Your ability to communicate, write, and show your curiosity are just as important as your technical skills. While in school present to groups, write about your experience, and get experience outside the classroom working with others. These actions will improve your soft skills.

Find engineering companies that hire international students

Don’t waste time applying to companies that don’t sponsor international students.

Below are a few companies sponsoring H1B for engineering roles.

Mechanical Engineers

• Tesla
• Catepillar
• Apple
• Siemens Energy
• Altair Product Design

Civil Engineers

• Parsons Brinkerhoff
• California Department of Transportation
• DPR Construction
• Bechtel
• KBR

Industrial Engineers

• Apple
• Medtronic
• Sandisk
• Intel
• Honeywell

Electrical Engineers

• Tesla
• Tmobile
• General Motors
• Texas Instruments
• KLA Tencor

Chemical Engineers

• MIT
• Exxon
• KBR
• Flour Entreprises
• Phillips 66

Learn how to research companies that sponsor or save time and get the list of companies that hire international students in the course: Top 250 Companies that Offer H-1B.

Finally: Do more than submit a resume

If you’re preparing for a role at a place like Space X you need to do more than just have a resume and wait. Here’s what one student did to get his internship at Space X:

During some self-reflection in grad school, I realized that my resume was weak in applied control theory. So I built a quadcopter from scratch, programmed an Arduino with a controller, tested the system, and flew it. It didn’t fly very gracefully, but it cemented classroom concepts in reality. From a hiring perspective, it also showed that I was willing to seek out knowledge in areas I knew needed work. This is an absolute requirement to work at SpaceX (or anywhere IMO).