International Master’s Students: Five Must-have Experiences to Launch Your Career Before You Leave Duke

As an international master’s student, the prevailing job-hunting strategy that I heard of among my peers can be summarized in one phrase: “sea application,” a term in Chinese that means applying to as many jobs as possible. However, it wasn’t until my second year of the program, when I began seeking advice from the Career Center and professional development team at The Graduate School, that I realized what I had missed:

Networking and referrals are critical for students (and professionals) to land an internship or a full-time job in the U.S. As Duke students, we have a strong alumni network to rely on, so that we can connect with alumni, seek their advice, get referrals, and learn about job openings even before they are posted. Yes, this sounds vague and intimidating. I felt the same way. I was literally shocked when I heard that I could invite alumni for a coffee chat, as this “coffee chat” thing didn’t exist in my culture.

Then I had my second discovery: there are also many resources offered by Duke to prepare us for real-world networking, including programs that help us identify our strengths, interests, and values so that we know our “dream jobs,” and events that allow us to practice the skill of networking in a zero-risk way.

Here are some events and programs from my second year that I personally experienced and highly recommend to all fellow international master’s students to try, as early as possible.

1. Write an alum profile.

The alumni profiles series is a wonderful opportunity to do an informational interview with an alum whose career path inspires you. And it provides a very easy first step to try networking. (Alumni love to be interviewed, too!) I interviewed an alumna of my program, Megan Mayhew-Bergman, and she candidly shared with me her struggles, aspirations and strategies along her journey of transitions from a business consultant to a fiction writer, environmental journalist, educator, and entrepreneur.

I still think about our conversation a lot because I also aspire to be a writer and had worked in the business world. The conversation not only taught me pragmatic strategies for making career transitions; it has also been inspiring to talk to someone who has achieved her dream so I then know my goals are within reach, too. I highly recommend writing an alum profile not only for the insightful conversations it can spark, but also for the professional editing support available through The Graduate School’s professional development team. Your story can be your first publication on the Duke Graduate School website with your bio and photo!

2. Attend a CliftonStrengths workshop (and do the assessment).

I first learned about the CliftonStrengths assessment when an employer told me they thought highly of it. I recommend this assessment and the workshop as a must-have experience at Duke for two reasons: first, it’s free to you thanks to Duke Graduate School’s purchase (just request a free code to take the assessment); second, the assessment and workshop help you explore your hidden strengths in an interactive way.

During the assessment, I was very surprised to learn that my top strength is “context,” which basically means I am adept at “thinking about the past.” This revelation came together during the workshop when the facilitator, Melissa Bostrom, asked us to reflect upon how our past experiences aligned with our strengths. It suddenly made sense to me: I have always found fulfillment in historic research and have voluntarily engaged in it in my previous jobs. This assessment and workshop offer a great, free opportunity to guide your self-discovery and learn how to maximize your strengths in your career journey. I highly recommend them!

3. Join an alumni sharing and speed networking event like “The Journey After Duke.”

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“The Journey after Duke” is a unique event offered each semester that combines a panel discussion and a speed networking session. Initially, when I registered for the event, I had only a vague idea that I would be meeting with alumni and listening to their career advice. However, the event exceeded my expectations in multiple ways.

I heard honest sharing from alumni of diverse backgrounds: One of the panelists, Dr. Jeannie Karl, shared how she struggled between living up to her Asian parents’ expectations (to become a professor) and listening to her own inner voice (to pursue a career in industry).

The speed networking was dynamic, fun, and informative. Unlike my previous experiences with speed networking where alumni changed tables every 15 minutes, at "The Journey after Duke," it was the students who changed tables. This format allowed me to meet and engage with over 15 alumni in a short span of time! While the time for conversation was limited, it provided an excellent opportunity to adapt to the fast-paced nature of networking and was surprisingly fun. The alumni were easy-going and encouraging. I recommend keeping an eye out for the next “Journey after Duke” event or similar networking events.

[Editors’ note: Want to hear more about this event from other previous participants? Judith Mwobobia and Xiaoxuan (Jessie) Yang have also shared their stories on this blog. The next event, in fall 2024, will be held Friday, November 8, and registration is now open.]

4. Build your LinkedIn profile and connect with alumni through supportive campus resources.

As an international student, the biggest cultural shock for me during job hunting in the U.S. was how important it is to use LinkedIn to connect with alumni, other professionals, fellow students, and potential employers. And your profile matters!

I have tried multiple ways to familiarize myself with using LinkedIn effectively and you can choose whichever suits you:

• Talk to your American classmates/friends to understand how they use LinkedIn for networking and seeking referrals. I am grateful to an American friend who shared her templates for cold messages on LinkedIn with me, which proved invaluable.
• Use Duke Career Center’s LinkedIn guide to polish your profile and learn how to connect with others effectively.
• Join events or bootcamps hosted by Duke Career Center that provide guidance on LinkedIn strategies. I attended a “Job Search Group Advising for Master’s Students” series hosted by the Career Center, which provided systematic guidance on job search strategies, including LinkedIn, for master’s students. I also talked to Hal Matthews, Associate Director for Global Careers, and he provided invaluable insights on job searching strategies for international students.

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5. Try asking a Blue Devil.

Ask a Blue Devil is a tool to get advice from Duke alumni. Yes, I know what you might think. I doubted if I could be connected to the “right” alum too when I wrote my inquiry about career exploration. But I decided to give it a shot. I followed the format guidance on the website and wrote my previous background, the new career direction I was envisioning, and asked for advice on “how I can create a pathway for my goal of career transitions.” And it worked! I received my first response six days later, and another two responses came in the third, fourth week.  All were very thoughtful and detailed responses from alumni who are senior professionals in the field. I sent them thank-you notes through the website and I was indeed encouraged by this warm support from the alumni network. I could have followed up with them although I didn’t for various reasons. But I would recommend this tool to everyone and you can explore what the combination of AI and alumni can do for you.

Lastly, I also recommend making good use of The Graduate School’s weekly professional development newsletter. I worked as an intern in my last semester helping prepare the newsletter and it struck me how many great opportunities I could have leveraged if I had had this “behind-the-scenes” perspective earlier.  The “More Opportunities” section promotes opportunities from a lot of different departments, so that it not only saves you time (instead of reading a bunch of newsletters) but allows you to explore opportunities outside your field. Because I am interested in the media and creative industry, I found networking opportunities in DEMAN (Duke Entertainment, Media & Arts Network) through the newsletter. Also, I want to highlight that for those looking for on-campus jobs, the “Funding Opportunities” section will sometimes promote postings you don’t see on JobX. There are tons of hidden gems of networking opportunities for different career paths (science communication, biotech, etc.).

As an international student, I understand that your schedule can be full and job searching can be challenging with the complicated visa issue. But you are not alone. I genuinely hope that you can spare some time seeking support from the community, meeting and connecting with people to guide your journey, and most importantly, staying well and having fun!  

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AUTHOR

Shu Hu, A.M.

Recent A.M. graduate, Graduate Liberal Studies

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Shu Hu recently received her A.M. from the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Duke University. She researches and writes on the intersection of media, technology, and social equity through a cross-cultural lens. Before coming to Duke, she was a senior tech PR professional in China.