WholeRen Education Group and JobUpper were honored to attend 2018 PITT CSSA (Pitt Chinese Students and Scholars Association) Career Forum on March 17, an annual event which aims to give Chinese students studying at the University of Pittsburgh the opportunity to learn job experience from both academia and industry as well as receive advice from fellow Chinese alumni with work experience. Because this career forum was tailored for Chinese students, we were able to see how international students prepare for job markets before graduating from college.
PITTCSSA invited keynote speakers from the University of Pittsburgh as well the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center. In addition, several Chinese Ph.D. students were also invited to share their experiences at the University of Pittsburgh.
WholeRen Education Group and JobUpper assisted with the career workshop session which was divided into three parts: mock interview and resume editing and career discussion. Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Xi represented WholeRen Education Group at the event and acted as mock interviewers to give attendants a chance to improve on their interview skills. In addition to the interview, each participant was also given specific advice on how to improve on everything from body language and professional appearance to tips for developing confidence and answering difficult questions. In each session, we helped participants assess their strengths and weaknesses as well as see things from the employer’s perspective so that they might be more prepared for their future interviews.
Roozbeh Aliabadi represented WholeRen Education Group at the event, acting as a career advisor and consultant.
It is essential for students, especially international students to start building their careers at an early stage in their college education. It is difficult and time-consuming to choose a career – even after a major has been selected, there are still many branches of study in each major. Therefore, receiving professional career advice can help give international students the headstart they need in today’s competitive job market.
Mr. Aliabadi met with students to discuss their professional and educational backgrounds, their passions, and how they relate to current market trends. In each conversation, Mr. Aliabadi gave students generally and tailored advice based on each student’s situation in order to help them reflect on and better understand their own career path. Also, finding a career does not happen overnight. It is an investment and will take time. If you invest the time, you will see the results
Building a career takes more than just finding a job, also the focus for international students should be more on developing a long-term career other than finding a quick job. We can work from any countries if we have built a successful career. Sometimes visa issue is something we can not control. But can make sure we built a successful career.
