You are an international student hoping to secure employment in the United States. As you continue to prospect employers and create a target company list, what is your strategy? Would it be helpful to know which company has previously hired international students–especially UB students and alumni?
The following table summarized the top employers, located in Buffalo, NY, that have hired UB international students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) between 2015-2021. The list of employers is organized in alphabetical order.
| ACV Auctions | Albany Molecular Research / AMRI Global | AZTech Technologies, LLC |
| BAK USA | Buffalo State College | Citi |
| Codersdata, LLC | Delaware North | Dream Chase Technology* |
| Ernst & Young / EY | Esensors Inc | First Niagara Bank / Keybank |
| Health Research Inc. | HSBC | Kforce* |
| Lactalis American Group, Inc. | Liazon / Willis Towers Watson | Loung Construction |
| M&T Bank | Peeva | Roswell Park Cancer Institute |
| Russell Tobin & Associates* | SitusAMC | Synacor |
| Third Estate Ventures | Transportation and Consolidation Services / Sonwil Logistics | University at Buffalo |
| You First Services |
* – Companies that are identified as third-party recruiters and/or staffing agencies.
The data above is provided by UB International Student Services (ISS).
Please note that although companies listed above have previously employed UB international students over the years, their recruiting policies may change due to internal and external factors. Do not limit your job search to these companies.
Aside from the list above, you may also prospect top US employers who have hired international students on OPT over the years by utilizing the U.S. Visa Insights feature on Interstride. Select “OPT” or “STEM OPT” to begin your search. Create an Interstride account with your UB email address now.
Alternatively, you may also review the national Employer Data on the SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) Data Library. You may look for the following datasets from the data library as you continue to narrow down your search:
- Top 200 Employers for OPT and STEM OPT Students
- Top 200 Employers for Pre- and Post-Completion OPT Students
- Top 200 Employers for STEM OPT Students
Similar to the advice given above, please note that although the companies listed have previously hired international students on OPT, their recruiting policies may change due to internal and external factors. Do not limit your job search to these companies; these resources provide a good starting point for you to begin your prospecting process and strategically think about your target company list.
To begin your prospecting process and start creating your target list, I’d recommend taking the following approaches, as proposed by Marcelo Barros, an International Student Career Expert in his book, The International Advantage: Get Noticed. Get Hired!:
- Create your target list strategically. Consider starting with the following:
- 1-2 start-ups and/or small firms
- 5-6 mid-size companies
- 7-10 companies that are known for hiring internationals
- Spend some time to consider the following:
- Cap-exempt employers (Employers who may file H-1B petitions for employers without going through the lottery selection process)
- Companies doing businesses in your home country and/or region (looking into Chamber of Commerce in the respective country and/or region would be a great start. e.g. USA-India Chamber of Commerce, U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce, Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry in USA, The American Chamber of Commerce in Canada, French-American Chamber of Commerce, The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore)
- Go local or beyond the big cities (Do you have a preferred geographical location? If not, would you be willing to explore opportunities outside of big cities?)
Need any additional assistance? Feel free to reach out to Vicky Lee, Global Career Consultant at the UB Career Design Center.
