It is part of a three-blog series that explores how to find work as an international early-career employee.
“Do you need sponsorship now or in the future?” We all need to answer this question in a job application. If your answer is yes, there is a good chance that the company will discard your application. If you answer no but need sponsorship, you are lying. But you can get a job.
This simple question has terrified thousands of international students across the United States, including myself — an early Burmese career professional who has lived in Myanmar my entire life. Many companies in the U.S. don’t have the resources or willingness to bring in international talent into early careers, which means fewer job opportunities for people in my position.
Let’s explore why that is and its impact on international students.
Social and time barriers
Bhavana S., a third year student majoring in business and communications at Northeastern University, jumped of faith as an international student from India by applying to the ServiceNow co-op program. He was hired and works on the Americas campaign team, which helps drive and grow the company’s integrated global marketing campaigns.
Unlike ServiceNow, many companies “weren’t willing to give me the opportunity from the start,” Bhavana said, due to the implication of his name that he was not a U.S. citizen. When a company detects that he is from India and will require sponsorship to work, the system used by the company for filtering job applications can automatically remove him from the process.
“ServiceNow never judged me before I was recognized,” he shares.
Dena R., a communications and communication employee co-op at ServiceNow, faced similar challenges in her job search. As a Thai citizen, Dena, like other internationals, has 12 months to work in the US during her college years.
Restricting this time means that international students must be selective and careful with the work experiences they seek. Dena searched with “hope that the six-month co-op I chose would lead to more open doors in the future,” she said.
The same sentiment applies to the thousands of international students looking for job opportunities each year.
The importance of inclusion
“There are outside companies, like ServiceNow, that value your unique talents and don’t discriminate or look down on internationals,” Bhavana said. Despite having fewer opportunities than her peers as an international student, she was able to stay positive because of that — and people in her life who believed in her and were willing to push for her.
ServiceNow’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging caught Dena’s attention in her job search. He discovered the Multiple Owned ServiceNow Group and he hopes one day he will meet Asian and Pacific Islander leaders in the Now community. “I knew right away that I wanted to work in a place where everyone was welcomed and celebrated,” he said.
After joining ServiceNow, Dena got her request. “API members greeted me with open arms,” he added.
Professional development
Six months of work experience at ServiceNow has helped Bhavana and Dena develop their leadership skills. It also paved the way for their personal growth. Find out more about personal and professional growth in the next blog in this series.
We are tenants. Explore early careers with ServiceNow.
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