Jobs
Finding employment during and after college
Your Job and Internship Resource Hub
Finding and securing employment can be time-consuming and confusing due to the large number of resources available online and elsewhere. The St. Cloud State University Career Center has provided resources that will help you focus your current job search.
Handshake is SCSU's primary source for all on-campus employment, including graduate assistantships. Students can search and apply for positions.
How can we support your job search today?
Graduate Assistantships and Handshake
International Student Career Planning
The United States has strict rules and guidelines for international students working off campus during while in school. To better prepare yourself for potential employment off campus after you graduate explore and review these career planning resources and tips.
SCSU's international students have gone on to work at these and many other U.S. employers:
- 3M
- Amazon
- Boston Scientific
- CentraCare Health Systems
- Medtronic
- Open Access Technology International, Inc.
- UnitedHealth Group
- Veritas Technologies LLC
- Wells Fargo
- Wolters Kluwer Financial Services
Use these links to begin your journey to securing employment in the U.S.
Job and Internship Tips
As an international student, you face certain challenges and restrictions regarding the U.S. job search.
- Watch Job Searching for International Students which was coordinated by the Career Center.
- Important: You need legal permission to work before starting. To seek the required work authorization, contact an international student advisor.
- We suggest you begin your search early.
- Communication skills are very important.
- Use every possible opportunity to strengthen your command of spoken and written English. Keep in mind that the Career Center will be happy to assist you with cover letters and résumés, and all other aspects of the job search process.
- When looking for potential employment, keep in mind that you have unique assets to “sell” in addition to your academic training.
- Bilingual abilities
- Adaptability
- Unique cultural background
- Professional experience
- Networking is even more important for the international student than for a U.S. citizen.
- We recommend you systematically make personal, written, or telephone contacts with relatives, friends and alumni in the United States and back home who may be able to help you in the search.
- Fellow students from abroad who have gained some experience with the U.S. job market may be able to help you with your search for a position.
- It is best to concentrate on employers that have ties (offices, plants, subsidiaries, marketing teams, sales forces) to your country of origin. They often have an interest in you working for them in this country, or to return to your home country after initial training in the United States.
- Two useful directories available in Miller Center:
- Directory of American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries
- Directory of Foreign Firms Operating in the U.S
- In most cases, you will be eligible for 12 months of practical training related to your studies, but you may find that some employers will be reluctant to hire international students because of their visa restrictions.
- It is the best policy to be honest about your visa status with employer contacts. Please make your “permission to work” status clear in every letter, résumé or direct contact with a company representative.
- One of the most invaluable sources you have here in the U.S. is your embassy. Foreign embassies often maintain lists of contacts for employment. Call them!
- Discuss any concerns you have with an international student advisor.
*Adapted from “Advice for International Students”, Hofstra University Career Center.
Values of U.S. Employers
- Self-Promotion
- Assertiveness.
- Confidence in openly discussing goals, personal qualities and accomplishments.
- Follow-up with employers (telephone inquiries regarding application status, thank-you notes).
- Appropriate dress/grooming/hygiene.
- Communication
- Open and direct responses to questions.
- Eye contact with interviewer and relaxed posture.
- Appropriate space and other non-verbal behaviors.
- Self-Disclosure
- Personal descriptions of experience, hobbies, strengths and weaknesses.
- Answers to questions related to personality (e.g. leadership style, problem-solving abilities).
- Career Self-Aware
- Demonstrating knowledge of self, career goals and how they relate to the job or internship.
- Responsible for own career development.
- Discussion of long-range plans.
- Finding Employment
- Use of wide variety of resources for identifying jobs or internships: friends, family contacts, professional journals and associations, career center, and faculty.
- Networking.
- Interview Process
- Concerned with image and professional style.
- Congenial interviewing environment that encourages openness, some joking, and exchanges of information.
- Time Orientation
- Arrive 5-10 minutes before interview appointment.
- Be specific and accurate with time descriptions.
- Individual Equality
- Egalitarian attitude regarding wealth, social status.
- Things to remember
- Some websites require a subscription and in many cases the subscription is not free.
- Some websites require a student to obtain a username/password from their career office if the career office is a subscriber to the service (typically students can also get a subscription on their own if their career center is not a member).
Job Search Websites
Explore our favorite websites for government, international, nonprofit, and remote employment.
Our Top Job Search Sites
Jobs in Minnesota
Note: To search for internships on these sites, do a keyword search for "internship."
Government Jobs
Minnesota
- Association of Minnesota Counties
- CareerForce - Concentrates on Minnesota job seekers and employers
- League of Minnesota Cities
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR)
- Minnesota Job Network - Free registration, view jobs by city or category, post resume
- Minnesota Merit System - The Merit System covers human service, social service and emergency management positions in 75 of Minnesota's 87 counties
- State of Minnesota Careers
- St. Cloud VA Health Care System
Surrounding States
- South Dakota Jobs - South Dakota Department of Labor's Career Centers
- State and Local
Federal
- Best Places to Work - Comprehensive and authoritative rating and analysis of employee engagement in the federal government
- Government Jobs
- IRS (Internal Revenue Service)
- Social Security Administration
- USA JOBS - Official job site of the U.S. federal government. It's your one-stop source for federal jobs and employment information
- US Department of State
Armed Forces
Entry-Level Positions
Remote Work
Remote/Virtual Employment/Internship Sites:
- Jobspresso
- Parker Dewey
- Upwork
- Crowd Strike - Mainly IT Positions
- CIS Abroad - Virtual internships and study abroad opportunities
- Amazon
Remote/Virtual Internships Working for Another Country:
Graduate Employment Site:
Other Resources:
International Jobs and Teaching Abroad
Listings by state and region
- Career Assistance: State Resources - State and federal job search and job posting resources listed by state.
International jobs and internships
- Global Vision International
- GulfTalent
- SCSU Center for International Studies
- University of Northern Iowa Overseas Recruiting Fair
- Work Abroad Programs & Jobs
- The Riley Guide geographical listing and resources
Teaching Abroad and English as a Second Language (ESL) Resources