International Career Advice

When I moved to the U.S. as an international student to pursue my Master’s in Data Science at Columbia University, I knew it would be an expensive and intense journey. But by the time I graduated, I wasn’t just debt-free—I had actually earned money during my program. How? I strategically combined research assistantships, internships, and scholarships throughout my Master’s. From the very beginning, I sought out research assistant positions, and by my second semester, I secured one that fully covered my tuition and provided a generous stipend. During my summer break, I balanced two internships—one at Columbia and another at IBM —while continuing to work on impactful projects and research. By graduation, I wasn’t just financially ahead, but I had also built a portfolio of high-impact work that propelled my career. Here’s my advice for anyone looking to do the same: 1️⃣ Be proactive about research assistantships: Most professors don’t advertise openings. Reach out directly, express interest in their work, and show how your skills can contribute to their projects. 2️⃣ Ask about scholarships, always: Even at private universities, scholarships and tuition waivers exist. Make it a point to ask professors or program coordinators and negotiate whenever possible. 3️⃣ Never skip negotiations: Whether it’s a stipend or internship salary, don’t settle for the first offer. Many positions are negotiable, and advocating for yourself can significantly increase your earnings. 4️⃣ Choose long-term value over short-term gains: Focus on projects, internships, and assistantships that align with your career goals. While jobs like working in a library or cafeteria might provide instant money, they don’t contribute to long-term success. To my fellow immigrants and international students: I know how overwhelming it can feel to chase your dreams in a new country, often with limited resources and endless challenges. But trust me, every opportunity is out there waiting—you just have to go after it. Be resourceful, stay persistent, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or put yourself out there. Your Master’s program isn’t just about earning a degree; it’s about building a foundation for your future, creating opportunities, and proving to yourself just how far you can go. You’ve got this—let’s make it count! What strategies or lessons have shaped your journey? I’d love to hear your story. 👇👇👇 Share this with your network ♻️ Follow me (Aishwarya Srinivasan) for AI insights, news, and educational resources.

“She’s great, but…” Still the most dangerous phrase in too many boardrooms. This morning, we had a sharp and stirring session at The Marketing Society part of our Think Equal** initiative, and it reminded me (again) why these conversations need to move off the breakfast panel circuit and into everyday decision-making. We talked bias. The conscious. The unconscious. And the conveniently overlooked. A few observations: - Many of the challenges women face in career progression are real. - Some are deeply systemic. - And yes, some - brace yourselves - are now deeply internalized. The ‘victim mindset’ showed up more than once today, and it made me pause. Are we spending too much time asking the system to change, and not enough time learning how to navigate it? Because here’s the hard truth: most managers aren’t going to wake up tomorrow and suddenly rewire their thinking. But we can outsmart the wiring. So, in the spirit of ToughLove, here are 5 ways we can push past unconscious bias in the workplace: 1. Own the Room. Don’t wait to be invited. Stop asking for permission to lead. Start acting like it’s already yours, and let them catch up. 2. Ditch the “I’m Not Ready” Script. No one feels fully ready. Not men. Not women. Not even CEOs with three assistants and a mindfulness coach. The difference? Men often say ‘YES’ when they tick some of the boxes. Women wait until they tick all of them - twice. 3. Speak Money. Speak Strategy. Stop underselling. Start framing your value in commercial terms. Results beat likability on any spreadsheet. 4. Build a Power Network, Not a Support Group. Empathy is great. But ambition needs allies, not just shoulders to cry on. 5. Flip the Bias Back. Turn “too emotional” into “emotionally intelligent.” Turn “aggressive” into “decisive.” Turn “bossy” into “boss.” Bias won’t vanish overnight. But that doesn’t mean we wait politely in the hallway. We build our own rooms, our own rules, and our own results. To all the women navigating this system daily: I see you, and WE ALL have some work to do. To the men reading this: if you’re not part of the solution, you might be the bias. Let’s talk less about awareness, and more about action. #ThinkEqual #Leadership #ToughLove #BiasInTheWorkplace #WomenInBusiness #MarketingSociety TOUGHLOVE Advisors ** P.S. Think Equal is The Marketing Society’s initiative aimed at driving real inclusion across the Marcomms industry in the GCC.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰👇 Breaking down the UK Graduate Job Market, 2024 complete summary After diving deep into the latest Highfliers Graduate Market Report and market trends, I've uncovered some fascinating insights that every international student needs to know. Here's the complete picture. 📊 Market Reality Check: 2023 threw us a curveball: -6.4% graduate roles (against predicted +6.3%) 2024 showed green shoots: +1.5% vacancy increase Applications up by a staggering 27% Median starting salary: £34,000 (£500 increase from 2023) 💼 Sector-by-Sector Breakdown: Booming Sectors: Engineering & Industrials (+20% growth!) Consumer Goods (substantial growth) Public Sector (especially NHS) 🔄 Transforming Sectors: Accounting & Professional Services (-8.2%, but still hiring) Technology (slight reduction but remains strong) 💰 Top Paying Industries: Investment Banking: £55,000 Law: £50,000 Consulting: £47,500 🌟 Golden Opportunities for International Students: Key Players Still Actively Sponsoring Visas - Financial Services: HSBC, Barclays, JP Morgan Engineering: Arup, WSP, Mott MacDonald Healthcare: NHS (continuous recruitment) Professional Services: Big Four (reduced but ongoing) 🎯Game-Changing Insight: Most of these sectors welcome graduates from ANY degree background. Your degree doesn't limit your options - your skills and potential matter more! 📌 Strategic Application Timeline: September-October: Peak hiring season Early applications show serious intent Most visa sponsorship decisions made during this period 🔑 Success Strategy for 2024-25: Start Early: Research and network before peak season Cast a Wide Net: Apply across sponsorship-friendly sectors Skills Focus: Highlight transferable skills, not just academic achievements Digital Presence: Optimize LinkedIn and professional profiles Network Smart: Connect with alumni and industry professionals ⚡️ Power Move: Despite market fluctuations, companies are still competing fiercely for top international talent. Your unique perspective and global mindset can be your biggest differentiator. <70 days remaining in 2024 Make this info count and get straight up on to your goal 💪 Your timer starts now

If you’re a senior international student starting your final year, here’s the reality: graduating is not the finish line. The real test begins now. With the new H-1B fee changes announced this week, the path to sponsorship is getting narrower and more competitive. That makes what you do in the next 6–12 months absolutely critical. Here’s where I’d focus if I were in your shoes: → Build proof of work early: Projects on GitHub, research, or even self-driven case studies show more credibility than a GPA line on your resume. Employers want to de-risk their sponsorship decision. → Target the right employers: Not every company will sponsor. Learn to identify who has historically filed H-1Bs (there are databases for this) and prioritize them. → Maximize OPT and STEM OPT: Treat these as your bridge years. Secure a role aligned with your long-term career so that when your employer considers H-1B sponsorship, you’re already indispensable. → Leverage your network: Referrals still outperform online applications. Start engaging with alumni, professors, and industry professionals who understand the sponsorship landscape. → Stay informed: Regulations are shifting fast. Being proactive means adjusting your timeline, not waiting until deadlines close in on you. I was once in your seat, unsure of how the visa system would play out. What changed everything was building visibility and proving value before sponsorship was on the table. Your degree gets you to the door. The strategy you apply this year will decide if the door stays open.

"You’ll never be on the same level. You’re a woman—and from India!" Almost a decade ago, someone told me this, thinking they were just stating the facts. No offence intended, of course—just a reality check, right? Well, spoiler alert: they were wrong😏 🟢 A little backstory: ~ English isn’t my first language. ~ Coming from India often means fighting for opportunities. ~ My name is familiar back home, but not so much elsewhere. ~ Despite my global work, I’m still sometimes pegged as that “local talent.” ~ Working in India? Let’s just say it’s a jungle out here, with barriers to growth and respect that would make you want to reenact The Matrix to dodge them all. 🟢 The real deal: ~ I’ve contributed to over 40 impactful research publications. ~ I’ve worked on climate and sustainability projects across 3 continents. ~ I’ve presented at the United Nations and led global climate campaigns. ~ Been a TEDX fellow and an IPCC expert reviewer, and yes, I’ve even managed to dodge a few stereotypical "Simpsons" jokes along the way. 🟢 What I’ve learned: ~ Was the journey smooth? Far from it. ~ Did I face setbacks? More than I can count. ~ Did I have to prove myself repeatedly? Absolutely. ~ Did I have to work harder to overcome biases? Without a doubt. But here’s what I discovered: The barriers don’t define you—your work does. That quote from years ago? Couldn’t have been more off-track! 💛 When you consistently deliver exceptional results: ~ Your roots add flavour to your work, not obstacles. ~ Your accent becomes just another tune in the symphony of your skills. ~ Your value is determined by your impact, not your coordinates on a map. Whether you're from India, Singapore, the US, or anywhere else—we all have to put in the work🎉 💛 Here’s the real truth: ~ EVERYONE has their wild path. ~ EVERYONE has the potential to shine. ~ EVERYONE deserves to be valued for what they bring to the table. There’s enough room for all of us, whether you’re tackling challenges in India or breaking new ground abroad. And that old comment? It just fueled my determination and made me appreciate every step of my journey even more—from pursuing a second master's at Columbia | SIPA and moving continents at the peak of the pandemic to choosing to move back home to India, close to where the real action is. Keep growing, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Yours truly (who’s not half bad at dancing either), Mahak Agrawal✌️ 💛 P.S. Ever been underestimated because of where you’re from or what you sound like? Let’s swap stories—hit me up! #WomeninSTEM #Science #India #Storytelling

Everyone’s romanticising “nap culture” in Japan. Let’s slow down. Yes, in many Japanese workplaces, short office naps are acceptable. Yes, a large percentage of adults sleep less than 6 hours a night. But here’s the uncomfortable truth. When half your workforce is sleep deprived, A nap isn’t a perk. It’s damage control. People see an employee resting at their desk and think, “Wow, progressive culture.” But Japan also has one of the most intense work environments in the world. Long hours. Commutes. Social pressure to stay visible. The nap exists because the deficit exists. And here’s the part leaders should care about. Sleep deprivation isn’t just about feeling tired. It reduces focus, decision quality, creativity, and emotional control. It quietly drains productivity at scale. If your team needs naps daily to function, The real problem isn’t energy. It’s workload design. A healthy work culture isn’t about allowing people to collapse at their desks. It’s about building systems where they don’t need to. Rest should be recovery. Not survival mode in corporate form. #WorkCulture #Leadership #WorkplaceWellbeing #EmployeeWellbeing #FutureOfWork #OrganizationalBehavior #Productivity

One of the earliest pieces of career advice I received – and followed for almost 20 years – was: 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀. As a woman in the corporate world, and later as someone operating at the intersection of race and gender in Europe, bias was not an abstract concept. It showed up in meetings, in hiring decisions, in promotion discussions, in “harmless” comments. I became very intentional about calling it out – naming unconscious bias, speaking up when I saw it, and working with organizations on policies to reduce it. But here is the hard truth after 24 years in corporate life: 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀. It is not disappearing at the pace any of us would like. And if you sit at the intersection of race, gender, and limited financial privilege, bias can actively slow you down in ways that make your version of “success” feel almost unreachable. The problem with “break the bias” as the only strategy is this: you are essentially betting your future on changing someone else’s mindset, someone else’s mental model, someone else’s behavior. And as with any kind of change, it is always harder to change others than to change yourself. So here is the complete career advice I would give today: 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗹, 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀. For me, education became a huge privilege. Being strong academically and getting into premier institutes opened doors that would never have opened otherwise. I also built visibility – showing up in rooms I was not initially invited to, even when it came with mental pain and emotional cost. That visibility created its own form of privilege and accelerated my career in ways that “calling out bias” alone never could. So as you navigate your own journey, ask yourself: •How can I build privilege through education and continuous learning? •How can I increase my financial independence? •How can I strengthen my personal brand and visibility? •How can I expand my network and invest in language skills and upskilling? Many of these levers are, at least partially, in your control. They require hard work and consistency, but they compound over time. And as you intentionally build your own privileges, breaking the bias – while still necessary – becomes just a bit easier. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? #careeradvice ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have learned a lot during my 2 decades in the corporate world, mostly the hard way. Every Sunday, I share some of my learnings and what has helped me climb the corporate ladder while staying true to my values

Too many young people are being misled about education and job opportunities in Japan. Unscrupulous language teachers, admission counselors, and job agents are exploiting their dreams. They sell visions of instant success. They promise 高収入の仕事 (high-paying jobs) and 簡単な入学 (easy admissions). But the reality is very different. 日本は「一夜の成功の国」ではありません (Japan is not a land of overnight success). → You need 日本語力 (Japanese language skills). → You need 文化への適応 (cultural adjustment). → You need 本物の資格 (genuine qualifications). Without these, students face years of frustration, debt, and disappointment. What makes it worse is the blind trust many students place in agents who exaggerate and misrepresent the truth. The cost of this trust is not just financial. It is 失われた時間 (lost time). It is 失われた尊厳 (lost dignity). It is 遅れた未来 (a future delayed). Students must start treating every promise with caution. 必ず確認してください (Always verify). 必ず信頼できる情報源をチェックしてください (Always check trusted sources). 必ず信頼できる機関から助言を受けてください (Always seek advice from trusted institutions). Do not let your future be built on someone else's false promises. Because once those years are gone, you cannot get them back.

“A brilliant VP offended a Japanese client without realizing it.” The meeting room in Tokyo was a masterpiece of minimalism—soft tatami mats, the faint scent of green tea, walls so silent you could hear the gentle hum of the air conditioner. The Vice President, sharp suit, confident smile, walked in ready to impress. His presentation was flawless, numbers airtight, strategy compelling. But then came the smallest of gestures—the moment that shifted everything. He pulled out his business card… and handed it to the Japanese client with one hand. The client froze. His lips curved into a polite smile, but his eyes flickered. He accepted the card quickly, almost stiffly. A silence, subtle but heavy, filled the room. The VP thought nothing of it. But what he didn’t know was this: in Japanese culture, a business card isn’t just paper. It’s an extension of the person. Offering it casually, with one hand, is seen as careless—even disrespectful. By the end of the meeting, the energy had shifted. The strategy was strong, but the connection was fractured. Later, over coffee, the VP turned to me and said quietly: “I don’t get it. The meeting started well… why did it feel like I lost them halfway?” That was his vulnerability—brilliance in business, but blind spots in culture. So, I stepped in. I trained him and his leadership team on cross-cultural etiquette—the invisible codes that make or break global deals. • In Japan: exchange business cards with both hands, take a moment to read the card, and treat it with respect. • In the Middle East: never use your left hand for greetings. • In Europe: being two minutes late might be forgiven in Paris, but never in Zurich. These aren’t trivial details. They are currencies of respect. The next time he met the client, he bowed slightly, held the business card with both hands, and said: “It’s an honor to work with you.” The client’s smile was different this time—warm, genuine, approving. The deal, once slipping away, was back on track. 🌟 Lesson: In a global world, etiquette is not optional—it’s currency. You can have the best strategy, the sharpest numbers, the brightest slides—but if you don’t understand the human and cultural nuances, you’ll lose the room before you know it. Great leaders don’t just speak the language of business. They speak the language of respect. #CrossCulturalCommunication #ExecutivePresence #SoftSkills #GlobalLeadership #Fortune500 #CulturalIntelligence #Boardroom #BusinessEtiquette #LeadershipDevelopment #Respect

Japan, a nation so hardworking it has a literal term for 'working oneself to death', is encouraging the 4-day work week. In Japan, long hours are the norm. Although: • most companies give their people a weekend, and • there are legal restrictions on overtime hours The concept of “service overtime” is common, resulting in unreported and un-compensated overtime. There is such a strong culture of identifying with your workplace that there is a Japanese word for "death from overwork": Karoshi And Japan has at least 54 related fatalities a year, including from heart attacks. There are other impacts, too. An annual Gallup survey on engagement showed only 6% of Japanese respondents described themselves as engaged at work, compared to the global average of 23%. The government is encouraging a shift for companies to the 4-day work week for a range of reasons they believe are crucial, such as maintaining a viable workforce amid Japan’s nosediving birth rate. At the current rate, which is partly attributed to the country’s job-focused culture, the working age population is expected to decline 40% to 45 million people in 2065, from the current 74 million, according to government data. Posing a severe labour shortage, too. The shift to a 4-day work week is believed to deliver solutions to this societal issues. There are other benefits, too, with proponents saying the three-day-off model encourages many more into the workforce, and for longer, by providing greater flexibility, including: • People raising children, • Those caring for older relatives, • Retirees living on pensions and others looking for flexibility or additional income. What do you think, is this a good move by Japan, and would it work in your country?