Here’s what really matters in getting OPT Jobs

Well for so long I have wanted to write this or read about this. But wherever I see, all I can see is people are telling things we already know. so here is my opinion on what really matters to land that job that you long for.

I am from China, and I moved to the US in 2017. It was a very long and beautiful journey but more about that in some other stories. When I was about to graduate, I know that I need to find an OPT job, or else I might get deported back. And at that time when 38 days have passed and you are planning that you will return back, the adrenaline rush that you get is on a different level. Well, on top of it I did not have any the knowledge to make my resume or how to apply or what to write in my mail to the HR department or which companies should I target. You see I was like a baby who can’t even crawl in this corporate world.

So, I sat down trying to write every point that I need to have in order to land this OPT jobs. Which I will share with you in a minute. Before that, I need to clarify I have tried everything from begging my faculties to even try to bribe a company just to hire me. So what I am telling you will a lot useful for newcomers.

1. I needed a great resume.
2. I needed a company that would like my resume and has the vacancies for my field
3. I needed to outgrow US citizen ( Come on, we all know that we first priority will always be a citizen than will come other countries student)
4. I needed to have a great personality as well as body language
5. I needed the genuine help of someone with experience in recruitment who can apply to different companies
6. I needed to be open to the idea of reallocation
7. I needed to accept a low salary ( if it’s the last resort)

These are just things I needed before the interview process even began. How to crack an interview? I will write about this later.

1. I needed a great resume.

A resume is the starting point for you landing that job. It’s the first impression that your interviewer or selector will see you through. And we all know, the first impression is the last impression. So I looked on various platforms and for the finding that best resume builder. I have spent more than 150$ on different websites promising that they are the best in the market. The companies that I trusted and got the best results are

1. myresumejobs
2. novo resume
3. resume help
4. resume nerd

well, I can’t link all the websites. As people will think I am an affiliate.

2. I needed a company that would like my resume and has the vacancies for my field

Well, finding companies that will like my resume and as well as has the vacancies for my field is a lot difficult. You can google all the companies, their details, their HR mail id. But all these things will be useless if they won’t even open your CV. So it is very hard to get a job on our own.

3. I needed to outgrow US citizen

No matter how more deserving you are companies will always choose a citizen over a foreigner. This is not wrong, because they are right in their places and we are in ours. The only way you can beat this is by becoming the best candidate on their list. Well, let’s face it. Not everyone can become the best candidate. So, accept and let go. This is the only way towards your growth.

4. I needed to have a great personality as well as body language

Well, this thing got me so twisted I am still on the road to self-development. Developing myself every day just so I can become a better version. We all need to change our personality and body language. And it is such a big topic I can take up to 2 days just to write all the tip of the iceberg. But you can look up to many books. here is my recommendation:

1. Body Language:- Alan Pease
2. Without saying a word
3. Spy the lie
4. How to win friends and influence people
5. Rich dad Poor Dad

5. I needed the genuine help of someone with experience in recruitment who can apply to different companies

I needed someone who already has contacts in companies. So, I started looking for different platforms. And started to meet different recruiter agency. See, the agency is doing nothing except looting your money. Instead of this look for online portals, they have a huge network as well as help you get the salary you desire. The platforms that I trust the most are

1. UnitedOPT
2. Monster
3. Indeed
4. Glassdoor
5. zip recruiter

6. I needed to be open to the idea of reallocation

It’s not for sure that you will get a job in your city only. You might need to change your city. It is something that is not in our hands. The earlier we accept this the better it gets. Look at the positive side, you get to network with a bunch of people, a new city means a new start. I think you got my point.

7. I needed to accept a low salary

Well, life does not always work the way want it to be. So sometimes we need to compromise. Sometimes, we need to accept it in order to grow. So be ready if the salary is low but you can get the experience of your field then, it is going to be worth it in the future. As we are freshers, we can’t expect much payroll.

Well, that’s all I have to say in this article. See you in the next story.