Foreign Grad Students Boost Job, English Skills

Jaemin Lee brought stellar qualities to the job interview: an international perspective as a native of Seoul, Korea; academic connections as a Fulbright Scholar; second-year Ph.D. student in sociology at Duke. But he failed in one key area: "I could have shortened my answers," he said afterward, "and I didn't come up with my answer that I memorized yesterday." Learning these and other job-interviewing lessons are why Lee and 22 other foreign graduate students recently gathered for a "Speed Networking Event" at the Language Lab on West Campus. The mock job interviews were part of a collaboration between the Graduate School's Professional Development initiative and the English for International Students (EIS) program. The event was designed to advance the English skills of international students and to help them communicate better in professional settings.  The language and practical skills that students learn can also benefit them during their time at Duke, said Edie Allen, assistant director of EIS.  "They might be interviewed for a lab assignment, or an internship, so many different things," Allen said. "They are very motivated to build their skills."  Some 300 foreign graduate students from countries where English is not the dominant language participate in programs offered by EIS, a number that has doubled in the past five years, said Maria Parker, EIS program director.  After students' English skills are assessed, they participate in a variety of workshops and classes, with the goal of boosting their academic, speaking and writing abilities.  "They need to learn how to function in an academic setting," Parker said in an interview. "What we're doing is giving them the tools they need to succeed academically and professionally." At the "Speed Networking Event," Beijing native Yuan Fang, a first-year graduate student in computer engineering, welcomed the training. Fang hopes to one day work for Lenovo or Apple, and finding such a job will determine whether he seeks to remain in the United States or return to China. "There's opportunity in China to be a professor or researcher, but I think the opportunity in America will be better," he said. "I'll need to consider that in my third year at Duke." Melissa Bostrom, Duke's new assistant dean for Graduate School Professional Development, led the networking session. "Don't spend your time telling them information they already know" from your resume, Bostrom told the students. "Connect the passion for your field with what you do." That's something Lee, the job interviewee from Korea, did well. At the end of his mock interview with Bostrom, who acted as a representative from the National University of Singapore, Lee mentioned that his interest in sociology stems from his concern about a high rate of suicide in his home country.  "I am interested in how social integration affects early life," said Lee, whose graduate work focuses on social networks, deviant behavior and health. The students at this workshop also took turns role-playing as company representative and prospective employee. Handwritten signs on their tables included "Apple," "Bayer," "EPA," "Lenovo," "Fox," "Google" and "NASA." "I understand how to do the research," Fang, playing the role of prospective employee, told China native Kangnan Li, a first-year graduate student in chemistry, who was acting as a representative from Bayer. Yanfitri Pakpahan, a second-year economics graduate student from Bandung, Indonesia, said after the workshop that one of her takeaways was the importance of body language. "The class helped me," she said, noting a simple yet potentially job-killing oversight: "When I talk to somebody, I need to make eye contact."