International Student Career Boot Camp Program 2020

Check in and review the agenda and learning outcomes for the day.

JEET BASU

Chief Information and Digital Officer at Future Plans

Originally from India, Jeet Basu is a seasoned IT executive with 20+ years of demonstrated success. As the Chief Information and Digital Officer at Future Plans, Jeet oversees the company’s IT operations including digital innovation and technology transformation, planning and strategy, information security and compliance, infrastructure, and networking. Prior to joining Future Plans, Jeet was part of Cargo IT Leadership at United Airlines, overseeing Cargo ECommerce and digital strategy, Salesforce CRM, Case Management, PetSafe Program and Contact Center technology solutions.

During his time at Signet, he established and led the enterprise architecture and governance team. As an entrepreneur, he founded AdvanceCOM Technologies Inc., an IT Consulting firm, which he sold after successfully managing it for fourteen years.

In addition, he held key positions at Progressive Insurance, Key Bank and Roadway Express. His IT experience and leadership have been focused on developing and delivering technology-driven business services and solutions, providing outstanding customer experience to drive business growth.

A former international student, Jeet earned his Executive MBA degree and B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Kent State University. He is passionate towards using innovation and technology to help the growing community.

PLEASE SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS BELOW TO ATTEND ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT:

Resume Writing Basics

Presented by Allison Smolinski from Career Exploration and Development

Session Description:  Employers initially spend less than 30 seconds on a resume, but this session will help yours stand out! We will cover formatting, content, and what to emphasize to maximize your chances of earning an interview. Learn about how to change the format of your international format CV to an American resume for domestic employment opportunities.

Writing a Curriculum Vitae

Presented by Evan Faidley from Graduate Studies

Session Description:  A curriculum vitae, or CV, is more detailed and longer than a traditional resume, commonly used for academic and research purposes in the US. This session will cover how to draft and design this document and what fields typically require a CV.

Crafting a Cover Letter

Presented by Julie Paskiet from Career Exploration and Development

Session Description:  Sent to an employer along with a resume or CV, a cover letter includes an opportunity to showcase soft, yet essential, skills, writing ability, and personality, along with knowledge of the company, self and the industry. This session will cover strategies to make yours as strong as possible!

PLEASE SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS BELOW TO ATTEND ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT:

Job Search Strategies for On and Off-Campus Employment

Presented by Anh Pham and Daniel Issac from Career Exploration and Development

Session Description:  From KSU’s Handshake platform to career fairs, there are so many ways to find your next job! This session will explore strategies for defining your goals, targeting and researching employers, networking, and generating interviews.

Interviewing Dos and Don'ts

Presented by Tracy Montgomery from Career Exploration and Development

Session Description:  United States business etiquette may be different than what you’re used to. However, we’re here to help! In this session, you’ll learn what to expect in an interview, how to best respond, and what not to do.

Using LinkedIn for Your Job Search

Presented by LuAnn Coldwell from Career Exploration and Development

Session Description:  Worried about creating and managing another social media presence? Unsure of how to use LinkedIn for research and expanding your network? Discover how to get the most out of your LinkedIn account at this session.

This time will be used to take a lunch break.  Please note since this event is virtual that no lunch will be provided to you.

Ask the panelists anything that is on your mind – from how they found employment related success in the United States to how they were able to balance academics and friendships in a foreign country given the diverse cultural differences. They are here to share their stories, successes, and challenges.

PANELISTS

Sonia Liang

Associate Director & MSBA Career Coach at Brandeis International Business School

As the Associate Director/MSBA Career Coach at Brandeis International Business School, Sonia advises, teaches, designs programs and builds community for students and alumni's career development. For four years, she spearheaded a host of programs and services to support international students' career development at Brandeis University. In 2019, she led the office to win the Service to International Students Award by the National Career Development Association. 

Born and raised in Guangzhou China, Sonia was an English major graduate from Sun Yat-sen University with four years of experience in education consulting, marketing, and sales. In 2014, she pursued her graduate studies at Kent State University and graduated in 2016 with a Master's degree in Higher Education Administration. 

Amit Borwankar

Analytics Lead of Google Cloud Security at Google

Amit is the Analytics Lead for Google Cloud Security at Google. He is originally from Mumbai, India, and received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Mumbai and his Master of Science in Computer Science from Kent State University.

After graduating from Kent State, Amit got his first opportunity in San Diego, CA to work for a startup of 30 people. After that, he joined Esurance in the Bay Area as a Data Analyst. According to Amit, this was really a valuable experience professionally because he got an opportunity to build and lead teams. After Esurance, he worked for the global company Visa to build Marketing Analytics. Following his work at Visa, he got an amazing opportunity to be the early member of a startup and build an analytics team from scratch. After working at a startup for a year, he made his way to Google, where he has currently been working since 2019. In his spare time, Amit enjoys playing Badminton, table tennis; spending time with his family; and being a mentor to others.

Kwan Segal

Human Capital Consultant, Career Coach, and Founder of ICAway

Kwan is an experienced human-capital consultant and a career coach for International Students. Originally from Thailand, Kwan moved to the U.S. and joined one of the world's top consulting firms in Chicago. With 15+ years of experience at global companies like BMW, Accenture, and Deloitte, she helped companies develop L&D initiatives that impacted employees from 16K to 200K worldwide. 

Today, as the Founder of ICAway /i-see-a-way/, her mission is to empower International Students for employability & serve International Educators as a trusted advisor. Kwan holds an Executive MBA through a Sasin/Kellogg School of Management Global Partnership and certification of Senior Professional in HR by HRCI.

Kwame Botchway

Writer, Urban Development Professional, and Founder of Citadel Impact Consulting

Originally from Ghana, Kwame Botchway is a writer and urban development professional with previous work experience spanning academia, journalism and corporate affairs in both Ghana and the United States. He currently works as a capital development and impact manager with a community development financial institution, Village Capital Corporation. Kwame is also founder and principal consultant at Citadel Impact Consulting. He holds a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University where he was awarded both the Mandel Leadership Fellowship. He sits on the board of a number of organizations both in Ghana and the United States.

Kwame is an avid writer and has written for the Huffington Post UK and other media outlets on topics around race and equity, social justice, sustainable development, environmental sustainability, poverty, and politics. Over the last decade, he has been professionally engaged in academia, media/journalism, non-profit organizations, and corporate affairs.

Gustavo Santamaria

Graduate Assistant, Kent State University & Current Master's Student in Higher Education Administration

Gustavo is a Fulbright scholar from Panama, and a full-time student at the Higher Education Administration program. In his country, he used to work as a counseling psychologist orienting students in their career choices for studying abroad, as well as supporting students from other Latin American countries such as Ecuador and El Salvador. He pursues to become an expert in international education and deepen his academic training to combine it with career counseling. Gustavo loves traveling and learning languages, being able to communicate in five and having visited 40 countries.

PLEASE SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS BELOW TO ATTEND ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT:

FINDING CO-OPS AND INTERNSHIPS

Presented by Allison Smolinski from Career Exploration and Development

Session Description:  Many employers prefer to hire students who have relevant experiences in their field. Come to this session to learn about all the benefits of co-ops and internships and how to secure great opportunities!

FINDING RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES ON AND OFF CAMPUS

Presented by Evan Faidley from Graduate Studies and Ann Gosky from the Office of Student Research

Session Description:  Research experience, whether through the university or an outside organization, can be extremely valuable to an employer. But how can you find these opportunities? This panel discussion will show you!

PLEASE SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS BELOW TO ATTEND ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT:

NETWORKING ONLINE AND IN-PERSON

Presented by Julie Paskiet from Career Exploration and Development

Session Description:  You’ve probably heard the phrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”—but what does that mean, and how can it help you as you begin your career? Demystify the networking process at this session by learning how to make your contacts count.

CRAFTING AND PERFECTING AN ELEVATOR PITCH

Presented by Tabitha Messmore and Zach Mikrut from LaunchNet

Session Description:  Your elevator pitch is a statement to “sell” you as a candidate, short enough to give in the length of an elevator ride. This session will help you decide what information to include and help you understand the many applications of your pitch!

PLEASE SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS BELOW TO ATTEND ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT:

OPT AND CPT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Presented by Deanna Laubis from the Office of Global Education

Session Description:  This session will help students understand the planning and application process for Optional Practical Training and Curricular Practical Training, two programs that allow for work outside of the university setting in fields related to your academic disciplines.

UNDERSTANDING H1B VISA BASICS

Presented by Mike Pfahl from the Office of General Counsel

Session Description:  This session will provide basic information about the H1B visa, a work visa for international students looking for employment in the US after graduation. It is not intended to answer specific questions about individual immigration circumstances, but instead outlines the visa’s purpose, what it allows a new graduate to do, and what the current regulations mean for students currently in the US.