There is a common mistake international students make every fall.

They wait.

They tell themselves they'll update their resume once classes settle down. They'll start looking at internships in October. They'll go to the career fair "next time." They'll focus on classes for the first few weeks and worry about jobs later.

Then October arrives.

The best employers have already started talking to candidates. Applications are already moving. Career fairs have come and gone. Other students have been attending employer events, meeting recruiters, having coffee chats, and putting their names in front of companies for weeks.

And suddenly, you're trying to catch up.

Here's the reality I want you to understand, recruiting season starts now. Not when you're closer to graduation. Not when your professor assigns your final project. And definitely not when you start feeling like you "really need a job."

For many students, especially those pursuing competitive internships and full-time opportunities, the work that leads to an offer begins months before the position actually starts. Current recruiting data from Handshake shows internship recruiting has been moving earlier, with activity peaking in early fall. Fall is also one of the busiest periods for campus recruiting, career fairs, employer events, and interviews.

So, if you've just returned to campus, think of this semester differently.

You're not just starting another semester of classes. You're starting your job search.

Start With Your Resume

Before you walk into a career fair, apply for a position, or message a recruiter, make sure your resume is ready. And "ready" doesn't mean perfect. It means current, easy to read, and targeted toward the kind of work you want.

If you're an international student, pay particular attention to how your experience translates to the U.S. job market. You may have excellent academic or professional experience from India or another country, but a recruiter shouldn't have to work to understand what you accomplished.

Focus on results rather than responsibilities.

Instead of simply saying that you "worked on a project," explain what you contributed, what tools you used, what problem you solved, or what changed because of your work.

This is also a good time to mention not to create one resume and send it unchanged to fifty companies. Read the job description. Look at the skills and terminology the employer uses. Then make sure your relevant experience is easy to find.

Your resume gets you considered. But your resume is only one part of the process.

Your LinkedIn Profile Is Part of Your Application

Think about what happens after you submit a resume. A recruiter, or someone you met at a career fair, may look you up. What will they find? Your LinkedIn profile should tell the same story as your resume, but with a little more personality and context.

Make sure your headline clearly communicates what you're studying or what type of role you're pursuing. Add your education, experience, projects, skills, certifications, and relevant accomplishments.

Then start behaving like someone who is already part of the professional community you're trying to enter. Do things like:

• Follow companies you're interested in.
• Follow people in your industry.
• Comment thoughtfully on relevant posts.
• Share projects or insights when you have something useful to say.

You do not need to become a LinkedIn influencer. You simply need to be visible.

This all matters because familiarity matters. Handshake's 2026 internship research found that students become more likely to apply to employers after repeated exposure and engagement, which means consistent visibility can matter more than simply being a large or recognizable company.

Go to the Career Fair

Yes, even if career fairs make you nervous. Yes, even if you don't think you're "qualified enough." And yes, even if you don't know what to say.

Career fairs are one of the few places where you can walk up to an employer, introduce yourself, and have an actual conversation before submitting an application.

That is valuable. But don't treat a career fair like speed dating. Don't walk up, hand over your resume, and say, "Are you hiring?" Do some research first. Look at the list of employers attending. Identify the companies that interest you. Learn what they do. Find out what positions they're recruiting for.

Then prepare a short introduction. Something like:

"Hi, I'm Arjun. I'm a second-year master's student studying data analytics. I've been working on several projects involving Python and SQL, and I'm especially interested in your company's data science internship opportunities. I'd love to hear what you're looking for in this year's candidates."

You don't need a perfect speech. You need a starting point. And remember, the purpose of the conversation isn't always to get an interview on the spot. It's to become a person they remember.

Networking Isn't an Event. It's a Process.

This is where many international students get stuck.

They think networking means asking someone they don't know for a job.

It doesn't.

Networking is building professional relationships over time.

Start with people who already have a connection to you.

Alumni are a great example.

Someone who attended your university understands the environment you're navigating. They may have taken the same classes, worked with the same professors, attended the same career fairs, and gone through a similar recruiting process.

Send a thoughtful message.

"Hi Priya, I noticed we both attended the University of Iowa. I'm currently pursuing my master's in computer science and exploring opportunities in product analytics. I came across your profile and would really value hearing about how you made the transition from university into your current role. Would you be open to a short coffee chat sometime in the next few weeks?"

Notice what isn't in that message.

"Can you refer me?"

That comes later if the relationship develops naturally. This leads into my next point:

Start Talking to Recruiters Before You Need Them

Recruiters aren't just people you meet when you're applying for a job. They're people you can build professional familiarity with. If you meet a recruiter at a career fair, connect with them on LinkedIn afterward. Thank them for their time. Mention something specific from your conversation. Then continue following the company and staying informed.

You don't need to message them every week. You're simply staying on their radar.

And remember, recruiters are managing a tremendous amount of information. Make their job easier by being clear about who you are, what you're interested in, and what you're qualified to do.

Learn to Have Coffee Chats

A coffee chat is simply a short, informal conversation with a professional. It may be over actual coffee, or it may be a 20-minute Zoom call. The goal isn't to ask someone to hire you. The goal is to learn.

• Ask them about their career.
• Ask how they got into their field.
• Ask what skills matter most in their role.
• Ask what they wish they had known when they were a student.
• Listen.
• Take notes.
• Then follow up afterward and thank them for their time.

One conversation may not change your career. But ten meaningful conversations over a semester can completely change your understanding of an industry, and who knows you within it.

Don't Underestimate Referrals

There is a reason referrals matter so much. Think about the difference between two resumes arriving in a recruiter's inbox. One comes from an applicant they've never heard of.

The other comes with a note from someone inside the company: "I worked with this student and think they'd be a strong fit for the role."

The second person now has context.

A referral doesn't guarantee an interview or an offer. But a strong recommendation can help your application get attention in a crowded process. That's why networking needs to begin before you need the referral. Don't wait until a job posting appears and then start messaging people you've never spoken to. Build relationships now. Then, when the right opportunity appears, you may already have someone who knows your work.

Use Handshake—Regularly

If your university uses Handshake, don't think of it as "the website where the career center posts jobs." It can be much more useful than that.

Handshake allows students to find job and internship opportunities, career fairs, employer events, networking opportunities, workshops, and other career resources. Its event tools also allow students to filter opportunities by category, employer, date, format, and other criteria.

Check it consistently. Not once a semester. Not only when your professor reminds you about the career fair. Set aside time each week to search for opportunities and events.

Some internships are posted months before they begin, while others appear later. Internship opportunities also exist outside the traditional summer cycle. The student who checks once every few months is simply going to see fewer opportunities than the student who stays engaged.

Don't Wait Until Your Last Year

This is perhaps the most important point in this entire newsletter.

Waiting until graduation to start building your career is too late. Not because you can't find a job after graduation (you absolutely can), but because the strongest opportunities are usually the result of work that started earlier.

By senior year, the student who has spent several semesters building a network, refining a resume, completing projects, attending career fairs, practicing interviews, and learning how recruiting works has a significant advantage over the student who is just beginning to figure it out.

And for international students, there is an additional layer of complexity. You're learning the U.S. hiring system while also navigating work authorization, internship timing, academic requirements, and often a completely different professional culture.

Give yourself time. You don't want your first serious job search to be the moment you start learning how all of this works.

Your Goal This Fall Isn't "Get a Job"

That might sound strange coming from a newsletter encouraging you to start recruiting now.

But hear me out.

Your goal this semester should be to build momentum.

• Get your resume into shape.
• Strengthen your LinkedIn profile.
• Attend career fairs.
• Go to employer events.
• Have coffee chats.
• Meet alumni.
• Apply to roles.
• Practice interviews.
• Learn what recruiters in your industry actually want.
• Get comfortable introducing yourself.
• Get comfortable hearing "no."

Every one of those experiences makes the next one easier. And eventually, those small actions start connecting.

• A recruiter recognizes your name.
• An alum responds to your message.
• A professor introduces you to someone.
• A company you've been following posts a position.
• Someone you met at a career fair tells a colleague about you.

That's how opportunities often happen. Not in one magical moment. Through months of preparation and relationships.

Please don't look around campus this fall and assume everyone else has it figured out. Some students started preparing last year. Some have parents, mentors, or older siblings who taught them how recruiting works. Some had internships before they ever came to the U.S. And some are just as uncertain as you are (they're simply better at hiding it).

You don't need to have everything figured out today. You just need to start.

Your future employer may not be hiring you today. But someone who can help you get there may be sitting across from you at a coffee shop, standing behind a career-fair table, responding to a LinkedIn message, or working one floor down from you on campus.

Go meet them.

Your Fall Recruiting Checklist (Screenshot This!)

Before September gets away from you, make sure you have:

• Resume: Updated, targeted, and ready to send.
• LinkedIn: Complete, professional, and consistent with your resume.
• Career fairs: Find the dates, research employers, and register.
• Networking: Identify alumni and professionals you'd like to meet.
• Coffee chats: Schedule your first few conversations.
• Referrals: Build relationships before asking for one.
• Handshake: Complete your profile and check it regularly.
• Applications: Start now, even if graduation feels far away.

Because recruiting season isn't waiting for you to feel ready.

It's already here.

Cheers ☕