International students in the US, how do you get experience?
I’m a junior in the NJ/NY area and I’m just starting to build my resume. I’m an international student and honestly it has been horrible trying to get any kind of experience.
I’m looking for VOLUNTEERING opportunities, literally unpaid work, and somehow I can’t even be exploited for that because they’re asking for an SSN for a “background check.” I’ve already had a background check done for something else using my fingerprints so I genuinely don’t understand why this has to be another barrier.
As an international student I try to look at other successful students and use them as motivation but sometimes I genuinely feel like I can’t even get to where they are. There are so many barriers. Even when I try to find shadowing opportunities I run into the same issues. I can barely find research positions either.
I’m honestly just so done and discouraged. It has gotten to the point where I’m seriously considering transferring out of the US because I feel like I’m fighting an uphill battle just to get basic experiences that other students can easily access.
And the worst part is that my undergraduate education here has already been so expensive. Sometimes I just feel stupid for even coming here in the first place.
HOW DO YALL DO IT?