International in the US with Henry & Haruka Henry Li

We wanted to give a post-graduation update on what we're up to, the immigration processes we've seen, and everything else that comes with leaving college and adulting independently. We delve into our early-career experiences (benefits, onboarding, day in the life) and housing search process. 

*** Note: As you know, we are neither lawyers or financial advisors, and all the information we share is from our personal experience and for informational purposes only! 

We draw on our experience researching and applying for credit cards in the US as international students. We talk through why getting a credit card as a student is beneficial, what features to assess - particularly in student credit cards - , and what to keep in mind to start building a strong credit score. 

We sat down with Chris Di Fronzo, Director of Tufts Financial Initiative and Associate Director at the Tufts Career Center, to discuss everything personal finance. From mutual funds to retirement planning, Chris laid out the foundations of investment and budgeting, particularly what college students should keep in mind as we look to enter the workforce in the coming years. 

David Massart walked us through how he grew interested in working in tech, his internship interview preparation strategy, and campus experiences he has taken on over the past four years. He shared with us his career aspirations, how he builds his network, and the leadership approach he takes on when managing project teams. 

Andrew Shiotani, Director of the Tufts International Center, shares detailed insights into all the immigration and work authorization-related processes that international students need to know about, from the CPT, OPT to STEM extension requirements and steps to follow. We also discussed the impact of the pandemic on the job search, maintaining optimism while studying remotely, and travel limitations while awaiting the Employment Authorization Document. 

Follow this link for further Tufts-specific resources: https://icenter.tufts.edu/

Today we sat down with Arjun Padalkar, who shared his experience navigating the consulting job search first as international student on an F1 visa, and later, on a green card status. Listen on to hear about his sense of home, the power of alumni networks, and casing interview tips.