This is part of Das Tor’s ongoing Internship Insights series, in which students write about their internship experiences while at Thunderbird.
Hi, everyone! I am Ka Hung Lee (Brian) from Hong Kong. This is my 7th year in the U.S., and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I have resided in both Arizona and California. I graduated from Foothill College with an Associate degree in Social Sciences and a bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University in Global Studies in 2018 and 2019, respectively. I have always been interested in the fields of global business and management, and becoming a successful entrepreneur is in line with my aspirations. As an international student, I finished my Optional Practical Training (OPT) program in 2020 and fortunately became a T-bird in 2021.
Let me tell you about my path to Thunderbird. After I graduated from ASU and received my approval from the OPT program, I was hired for two part time jobs in March and May 2019. It was a special working experience because the COVID-19 pandemic became pronounced in United Sates and across the world during my first OPT job.
Almost everything was shut down in Arizona when the virus first hit, and that included the casino I was going to work at! This was rather discouraging, so towards the end of the internship, I started to debate going back to Hong Kong or continuing my studies in Arizona. After weighing my options, I decided to stay in the U.S. (after also considering the political situation in Hong Kong) and carry out some research about different U.S. graduate programs.
While engaged in two part time jobs and setting up my personal brand during the OPT in 2019, I decided to apply for the law degree at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU and the Masters of Global Management (MGM) degree at Thunderbird. Without an LSAT score and prior knowledge in the legal field, I did not get into the law school. However, I believe my entrepreneurial pursuits and work experience during my OPT period helped me a lot through the Thunderbird MGM application process, and I am so grateful to have joined the T-bird family. I am thrilled to get to know people from all walks of life!
I got my Summer 2021 internship as a Sales and Marketing Intern at the Valley Management Group through an online job platform called ZipRecruiter. Unexpectedly, I got a reply on the same day I applied and was arranged to have an interview for the next day! I was surprised how effective it was to change the keywords on my resume to target certain jobs, as suggested by Thunderbird’s Career Management Center (CMC).
As an international student, I needed to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) status to participate in my internship. Throughout the CPT application process, I received robust support from my academic advisor, Christina Martin. We all know that the application process for work authorization can be tedious with lots of documents and paperwork. For international students like myself, it can be especially overwhelming due to the handling of large amounts of official documents that may pose a risk to their status in the country. That being the case, I highly recommend students communicate with their academic advisor throughout the internship application process.
Also, I want to take this opportunity to thank Angelique Smith for her strong support in guiding me through the CPT application process as well as giving me valuable suggestions on job interviews. Apart from the aforementioned names, I feel very grateful to have received so much support from professors, friends, family, supervisors, and coworkers throughout my internship search period.
One of the best pieces of advice I received from the CMC was to ‘always tailor your keywords to the job that you are applying for.’ It is a very effective action, as most multinational corporations utilize computer software to screen their job applicants, and properly changing your keywords on your resume can help you increase your chances of getting interviews.
Changing keywords also can change the first impression you give your potential employers because this is the first time that the company gets to know you. Avoid negative descriptive words unless the employers ask you the typical “What is your weakness?” type of questions.
Finally, “Keep calm and carry on” has been my personal motto when I come across demanding situations, interviews, and exams. Staying cool-headed has always been the most effective tactic for me.