Questions about employment:
Q: Will the university find an internship job for me?
A: The school will help students find a job through job fairs,
networking events and other events but it is still the student’s
responsibility to obtain their job positions. The university has
made a commitment to give students the best service possible and
will assist students in various aspects of their stay in the US.
Q: What is my chance of obtaining my internship employment?
A: Currently, by the end of the first term, most students get
their first job. However, the type of job will depend on your
experience, your English ability, your skills and other personal
factors.
Q: How long will it take for me to obtain my internship
employment?
A: This is different from one student to another, there are some
interviewing skills as well as refining your resume and preparing for
job interview. It also depends on how well you structure your job
search. Having that in mind, some students obtain employment in the
first month while others require a couple of months to find employment.
Q. Can you help me find my internship job before I come to the
U.S.?
A. No, the school does not assist students in that way.
Q: How do I get authorization to work off-campus in the first
year?
A: Upon entering the university, you will be enrolled as a “regular”
student and will begin your classes, during this time you can begin
searching and interviewing for internship employment. When you have
found a prospective employer who is willing to hire you, you will
contact the university coop office and provide the application
documents. A Co-Op office staff member, who will explain the INS
regulations and will arrange the details enabling you to begin your
employment,
Q: How much can I earn if I get a Co-Op job?
A: Salaries are higher in this area but so is the standard of living.
Some entry level jobs will pay approximately $8 per hour, but more
highly skilled positions may pay up to $12 or more per hour. Students
may work up to 40 hours per week, with overtime also possible, depending
on the job. Many of our students work in position that pays salaries not
just an hourly pay.
Q: Can I find an internship job only in the field related to my
major or is any field OK?A: Yes, the job must be related to the field of
study but the condition is very broad. You need to consult with your
Co-Op advisor to check if the position is related or not. Manual labor
cannot be acceptable under any conditions.
Q: How many working hours will I probably work each week?
A: Your employment can be as a regular full time employee with the same
benefits as are granted to all other employees. Most employees work 40
hours per week. Part-time employment is also acceptable if it is related
to your field of study.
Q: Do I have to work overtime? Can I keep the overtime bonus?
A: many companies want the co-op students to work overtime, while others
do not have overtime available. However, you keep any income that you
may earn.
Q. What kind of employment is allowed?
A. Students are authorized for any employment which is related to an
"integral part" of your Master's degree curriculum i.e. must be
"curriculum related". The kind of job allowed for an intern is based
upon his/her major.
Q. What if I can't find employment?
A. Because there are many minimum wage jobs available, it is highly
unlikely that an intern would not be able to find some type of
employment. If it were to happen, the student is advised to approach
the Co-Op office for assistance.
Q: Do I have to have a social security card?
A: The University will be able to assist you get your social security
card when you have enrolled in classes by connecting you with some of
the employers who hire our students.
Q. How much will I make at my Internship job?
A. Salaries are very comparative in the area; some students earn $40000
a year of higher while some get $ 10 per hour. It all depends on your
skills, relevant experience as well as your field of study..
Q: Will I have to pay taxes?
A: Your employer will be required to hold back from your monthly
earnings a little bit of money to cover any taxes that you might owe.
Students do not need to pay social security taxes and if it is deducted
by the employer, students can apply for a refund at the end of the year.
Q: Is there a way for me to work before actually starting to
attend classes in order for me to save more money and add it to my
current savings?
A: No. You will be able to enroll in school and begin working
immediately. Students are not allowed to work unless they are enrolled
at school.
Q: Can I get a job that is a few hours away from campus, for
example in another city?
A: It is possible that you could do your internship at a location out
of the city limits. As long as it is not so far away that you cannot
attend your classes. However, if your work is so far from the
university that you could not commute to the school once a week for your
class, and if the only job you wanted or could obtain is the far away
job---then you would need to wait to take that distant job until you
have been there at school for at least three quarters. And after those
three quarters of school, you could apply for a break from school to go
to a job that is too far away to commute to each week.
Q: Could the work authorization be possibly converted into a full
time work permit upon completion of the Masters program?
A: Converting the internship job into a full time job, such as under an
H-1B, is possible. But, it all depends upon whether the company you find
to work for during the internship is willing to sponsor you for an H1-b.
Many of our students have found companies which sponsored their H-1B
visa them.
Q: Is it possible to work on a regular type of job or is it
strictly necessary that the type of job you apply to is an Internship.
A: It is technically called an "intern" job, but in fact it is a regular
job with regular pay scale, the same as for domestic employees.
|
