The bottleneck that makes good international students still unable to find jobs

(Dan Tri) - "Currently, universities in general often provide specialized knowledge but lack skills. This is the point that makes students "stuck", even though they study very well but cannot find a job".

The above is the sharing of strategic consultant Duong Van Linh at the workshop "Journey to apply and succeed in the US", held on the afternoon of January 5 in Hanoi .

Excellent grades still can't find a job

Mr. Duong Van Linh has 10 years of experience as a strategic consultant at many of the world's leading auditing companies such as PwC, Ernst & Young (New York), KPMG...

Sharing with reporters, Mr. Linh said that currently, universities in general often provide specialized knowledge to international students, but they still lack skills - something that employers often appreciate in interviews.

Mr. Duong Van Linh has 10 years of experience as a strategic consultant at many large companies (Photo: Bao Ha).

"This is the point that makes students "stuck", many candidates, despite being very good students, possessing good or excellent GPAs, still fail and cannot find a job. Or simply put, finding a job means finding the employer's itch", Mr. Linh said.

According to this expert, many international students in the US believe that a good GPA will convince employers. Most students do not know what companies value. Even he himself, after taking on the position of a recruiter, learned that in the US market, employers value experience more than grades.

"When employers interview, candidates often say what they like or what they are most proud of, but that is not always what employers appreciate.

Experience shows that, depending on the industry, the basic skills that are often highly valued by employers include: communication skills (can present or write), leadership skills, problem solving, etc.

It's a waste to come back right after studying abroad.

Faced with such challenges, Mr. Duong Van Linh shares his experiences to help candidates find good jobs in the US after graduation.

According to this expert, instead of waiting until year 3-4 to find a job, students can start looking for a job right from their first year.

Study abroad information consultants to parents of students (Photo: My Ha).

It is a waste for parents to invest a large amount of money in their children and then return home right after graduation. They may lose the opportunity to work at multinational corporations in the US.

Just like planning a study abroad application, you should have a plan to find a job, gain work experience in the US for a few years to accumulate experience, then decide whether to return or stay. It's not too late.

"In the US, the most important internship period is from year 3 to year 4. Internships in the US are very difficult to find because candidates work as real employees and receive very high salaries. Some corporations tend to recruit interns, and after 3-4 months they will know whether the candidate is good or not to accept him as an official employee," said Mr. Linh.

According to this expert, in the first year it is very difficult for students to find an internship in the US, but they can return to Vietnam and intern at prestigious, multinational corporations. After about 3 years, candidates will have enough capacity and experience to apply to large companies in the US.

"The weakness of international students when applying for jobs in the US is that the candidates have tried hard but have not reached the evaluation standards of the employer. To do this, they need to connect, create relationships, know what the company needs to prepare early.

The school rankings are very advantageous for candidates and easily attract employers, but for me, middle-ranking schools are fine because what matters most is the spirit and motivation of the students.

Many candidates come to us from less prestigious schools, but they know how to motivate themselves, are eager to learn, and have an open and growth mindset. In general, they have to be "tough" because on that path they will encounter many challenges and failures," Mr. Linh affirmed.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/diem-nghen-khien-du-hoc-sinh-gioi-van-khong-tim-duoc-viec-20250106003325340.htm