In September 2023, I arrived in the United States. During my first month, I started participating in student-run business organizations on campus. Unlike universities in China, many U.S. colleges have hands-on clubs tied to each major or school—such as finance clubs, entrepreneurship societies, fraternities and sororities, and consulting clubs. These clubs offer crucial networking and professional development opportunities.
My school held a club recruitment fair in early September. I came across a consulting club where the president had interned at BlackRock, and most of the leadership team had experience at major companies. They hosted frequent case study events. After attending one, I decided to apply.
The club had two rounds of interviews. Although my English wasn’t strong at the time, I was confident. I had taken a leadership role during their case event, and I became the only international student accepted into the club.
In the U.S., “Greek life” refers to fraternities and sororities—a common part of student culture. These organizations offer members support in academics, networking, and sometimes even job referrals. I had a brief experience with Greek life. Our consulting club held at least one formal social event each month. Dress codes were formal—suits and gowns were common. While it didn’t help me make close friends (as local students already had their own circles), it gave me cultural insight. After mingling in these groups, I became more aware of subtle discrimination and could better tell who was genuinely welcoming to international students.
Back in the consulting club, we also worked on real consulting projects for startup companies. As a senior student, I participated in creating project deliverables and even pitch presentations. From my experience, if you haven’t found an internship yet, joining a business club can be a great substitute. For local students, the club was a goldmine of resume tips, referral support, and peer help. For international students like me, while I couldn’t fully tap into those resources, I learned a lot about the system.
Around the same time, I updated my LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is the biggest professional networking platform in the U.S. Our club even organized a photoshoot for everyone to get proper profile headshots and offered resume support.
By October, I landed my first unpaid remote internship with a Texas-based startup as a marketing intern. My goal has never been to reach the top right away. Back in China, my first-year experience also started with unpaid volunteer roles. Likewise, my first U.S. internship was a volunteer role with a startup.
Although the position wasn’t prestigious, it gave me something valuable—my first U.S.-based experience on my resume.
During this unpaid internship, I gained insight into American work culture: how to format emails, how to handle small talk in phone calls, and most importantly, how to improve my communication skills in English. This was the foundation that prepared me for my first full-time job in the U.S.
Always be prepared.
My Interview Strategy
One major difference between job hunting in China and the U.S. is storytelling. While Chinese interviews often focus on hard credentials, U.S. interviewers want to hear your personal stories. Degrees are important, but they’re not everything.
My “interview toolkit” consists of three things:
- Authenticity
- Confidence
- Storytelling
In China, I was often rejected for reasons like not having a master’s degree or lacking the right experience. Some even said I was overqualified.
But I kept telling myself: in the U.S., once I get the interview, the only thing that can stop me is my visa status—not my ability. I knew if I applied to enough places, I’d eventually land interviews. My goal was to make sure I never lost an offer due to poor interview performance.
Now, I’d like to share two interviews where I successfully received offers—and one where I was the interviewer.
My First Offer — A Small Consulting Firm in LA
This came right after I finished my undergraduate studies. The position was for a business consultant role focused on marketing plans and business analysis. There were two rounds: a group interview followed by a 1-on-1.
In the group interview, it was just me and another candidate. She had 7 years of HR experience and wanted to pivot to a more challenging role. When I heard that, I quickly adjusted my strategy—I knew competing on experience wasn’t the best idea. Instead, I focused on passion and potential.
I said:
“Before I go straight to my introduction, I want to share why I came to America. Back in China, I read books about U.S. companies—stories of Nike, Disney, Apple, and Blackstone. I admired their creativity and wanted to learn entrepreneurship here. I interned at an American company in Shanghai, then came to UCR for an exchange program. At UCR, I joined a consulting club and interned remotely as a marketing intern at a startup.
I’m applying for this job because I’m passionate about consulting and marketing. I also looked up your company and was impressed by your young, dynamic team. I’d love to join. I’m graduating in June and ready to work full-time.”
I knew I needed to highlight my energy and vision as a fresh graduate. Later, during behavioral questions, she focused on wanting stability and remote flexibility. I, on the other hand, said I cared most about team culture and learning opportunities, and I shared my long-term goal of starting my own company.
During the final 1-on-1 round, the manager asked why they should give me an offer. My response:
“First, I’m passionate—interest is the best teacher. I’ll bring energy and seriousness to the role.
Second, I’m young and eager to earn. I’ll try my best to bring value to the company.
Third, I’m from China, which gives me an international background. If your company expands globally, I could help bring in international clients.”
I received the offer on the second business day.
My Current Job — Internal Auditor at a Trucking Company
This is my third job after two previous roles in Missouri. My first job was in sales at a furniture company. The second was as an Account Manager at an ad agency—both were Chinese-run companies. My current employer is American, with many Uzbek colleagues; I’m the only Chinese team member.
After moving from California to Missouri—a place with far fewer Asians—I realized being part of a minority group can be a disadvantage in social settings. But in interviews, if you’re competent and the interviewer isn’t biased, your chances can actually increase.
After being hired, I saw the resumes of all other candidates. There were over 100 applicants on Indeed, about 10 made it to interviews. Most were Americans aged 22 to 45. Salary expectations ranged from $48K to $75K. One candidate, an Indian PhD in Finance from WashU, asked for just $1,000/month. Another, a local bank analyst, wanted $125K.
I asked for $60K. I ended up with $52K, or $25/hour.
The interview focused heavily on accounting knowledge—I had to complete journal entries on the spot. What made a difference, though, was my analysis of the company’s structure.
I noticed the hiring manager was the only person in that office and would also serve as my direct supervisor. He had plans to grow the office into the company’s HQ. I figured he would want one strong auditor with a higher salary and another flexible one with a lower salary who could help with miscellaneous tasks. I offered myself as the latter.
I knew my salary ask was reasonable—comparable to other international students in California but with a lower cost of living in Missouri.
My First Time as an Interviewer
We recently interviewed a graduate student majoring in supply chain from Saint Louis University. She’s an international student with three internships and a semester exchange at Cornell.
She called an hour before the interview to let us know she’d be 10 minutes late due to her current internship running over. It was pouring rain that day, and her honesty was appreciated.
During the interview, I noticed something new from the interviewer’s perspective: body language matters. She often swiveled in her chair while speaking, which made it harder to stay focused. My tip: minimize physical movement during in-person interviews.
Her resume said she handled customs clearance at her internship, but when asked, she admitted she hadn’t done it herself. My manager considered this resume dishonesty. I, however, empathized. When I first graduated, I too had copied phrases from similar job descriptions. I didn’t even fully understand some of the English words I used.
Later, my manager joked that I had lied too—my resume said I was “professional” at Python, but when asked to build a database months 6 months later, I said it was beyond my capability. I explained that I used Python in college but hadn’t touched it since starting work.
The term “professional” can mean different things. For me, it meant scoring well in school. For my manager, it meant expert-level industry skills. If you’re not in a technical field, it’s better to clarify your real proficiency during the interview.
Back to the girl—we’re short on time and couldn’t post a new hiring ad. Despite some issues, my manager appreciated her communication and we extended an offer. She asked for 48 hours to decide and may start next Monday.
This post is my summary of one year on OPT. Funny enough, I have another interview tonight—but this one is in Dubai. My old manager from Shanghai referred me to a financial due diligence project at a family office. I took the written test last Saturday and got invited to interview today.
It’s 9 AM in Dubai—12 AM in St. Louis. I’ll do my best to get this one too!
A Wanderer’s Reflection 
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