Written by: Yasir Kurt and Stacey Mitchell, PhD
The International Career Summit 3.0, hosted by the International Career Collective (ICC) from November 11-15 under the exceptional leadership of Jane Sitter and Hal Matthews, was the most successful Summit to date! Thanks to the hard work of Jane, Hal, and the ICC Professional Development (Pro-Devo) Team – which includes Daniel Pack, Kelly Graham, Stacey Mitchell, PhD, Gaeun (Gwenn) Seo, Ph.D., Farhan Nadeem, and Jana Jaffa, D.Ed. – this year’s Summit featured an outstanding lineup of speakers and sessions that delivered a transformative experience for international students. Being the largest online conference of its kind in the US, it is no wonder that Soundarya Balasubramani, this year’s closing keynote speaker, called it “Coachella for students,” an exciting and dynamic event that brings people together like no other! Below, we present a special retrospective look at the Summit with reflections from the Pro-Devo Team, underscoring the power of collaboration, the value of our dynamic sessions, and the importance of building community.
The ICC was thrilled to host the largest and most dynamic audience in Summit history with more than 3,500 attendees over the five-day event including students and staff from the ICC’s 25 partner/member institutions. Special thanks goes to the 37 industry experts – including authors, CEOs, founders, recruiters, attorneys, alumni, and career practitioners – who generously shared their expertise and global insights tailored for international students across 19 impactful sessions: Rajika Bhandari, Ph.D. Miriam Feldblum Soundarya Balasubramani Jessica Drucker Noel S. Paul
Blythe Kladney Darrell Clack Andrew Lewis Chasity Douyon Aaron Blumberg Rebecca Gard Silver
Patrick Brugh, PhD Joseph Ianiero Gaeun (Gwenn) Seo, Ph.D. Adi Soloducho Yael T. Marzena Ermler Laura Heilman Stacey Mitchell, PhD Danila Blanco Travnicek Pedro de Almeida Courtney Kantoski Sammie Walker Herrera Rebecca Zoshak Daniel Pack David Correira Tessa Spek Jonas auf dem Kampe A. Sumejja Handzo Jane Sitter, MA Monica Alejandra Sellers Arjun Athipathi Rosemary Xu Alfredo Serrano Figueroa Jess Dress Mark Macdonald
Just days before the Summit began, our opening keynote speaker Dr. Rajika Bhandari wrote on LinkedIn: “One of the greatest gaps on US campuses is effectively connecting international students and career options. It is about time that we began to take very seriously the careers and employment success of international students. The International Career Collective is doing exactly that.” The Summit lived up to this praise by introducing new, much-needed topics of interest and adjusting the delivery of content (testing out 1.5-2 hour workshop blocks, for instance) to enable deeper exploration, more active engagement, and development of actionable takeaways. From keynote talks to panel presentations to interactive workshops, session topics included:
🎫 Visa pathways and work authorization
💼 Global Employability and Skills Development
🌐 International Talent and Cultural Competency
📊 Industry Trends and the Future of Work
🤝 Networking and Building Professional Connections
🧭 Career/Life Design and International Job Market Insights
While a variety of concepts were discussed at the Summit, COMMUNITY emerged as the week’s most evident and impactful theme. As Hal Matthews (Duke University) puts it, “this summit went beyond career advice—it was about building community, sharing diverse perspectives, and inspiring students to approach their career goals with confidence. The Summit was a true team effort.” To be sure, the collaborative spirit was palpable throughout, and it fostered an environment where diverse perspectives were welcomed and celebrated, contributing not only to the overall success of the event, but also the ICC’s broader goal of standing in support of and in solidarity with international students. All in all, the Summit opened a crucial space for togetherness and bonding, where instead of alone we felt seen, heard, and valued.
Day 1 – Communicate with Confidence
Keynote, author- international ed expert Dr. Rajika Bhandari; networking/communication workshops
In her opening keynote, Dr. Rajika Bhandari shared personal stories and insights from her own experience as an international student and professional. She discussed the many challenges that international students like those in attendance face as jobseekers and learners in the US while also empowering them to build supportive networks, adapt productively to cultural differences, and take pride in their identities. International students must learn to advocate for themselves, she noted, especially coming from cultures where modesty and group-first mentality are privileged to the US where the opposite is often true. Her words inspired confidence and stirred curiosity in students – as evidenced by active engagement in the digital space via chat and Q & A – setting the stage for much more to come.
Another standout session on this day, notes Hal Matthews, was the interactive (and fun!) “Communicate with Confidence” workshop led by Sammie Walker Herrera. This engaging session provided students with practical tips to enhance their speaking confidence, including Sammie’s P-R-P framework (Point, Reason, Point) for structuring conversations. At Johns Hopkins, we (Yasir & Stacey) prioritize confidence-building as a cornerstone of success, especially for international students. Hosting Sammie, who is one of our strongest advocates, to address the challenges of speaking and presenting was a meaningful way to support our students’ growth in this critical area.
Day 2 – Search for Jobs
Recruiter panel; workshops on job search, interviewing, and AI.
Farhan Nadeem (University of Maryland – Baltimore County) presented a session on Day 1 that explored strategies for effectively building professional connections as international students. We know how important networking is when it comes to searching for jobs (Day 2’s theme) and for Farhan, “one insight that resonated deeply was, connections are not just about what you know or who you know; they’re about how you make others feel seen and valued. This encapsulates the heart of networking and the broader goal of fostering inclusive environments through the amazing work at ICC.” A professional recruiter panel, together with workshops on interviewing and the future of work provided valuable insights for current or soon-to-be jobseekers while continuing the message, community is key.
A highlight of Day 2 was a presentation by Daniel Pack (Syracuse University) entitled “Career Hacking with AI,” in which he discussed the power of AI in the job search process and how actually it enhances applications. As Daniel reminded us, “AI is not your ghostwriter; it is your career co-pilot,” we believe this is a crucial point for attendees! Another session of note was “The Future of Work” in which Patrick Brugh (Johns Hopkins University) and Blythe Kladney (Deloitte) offered a highly interactive session to explore trends shaping the future of work: 1) technology is reshaping work boundaries, enabling flexible and global career trajectories; 2) the “follow-the-sun” model showed how cross-continental teams maximize efficiency; 3) shifting to gigs and global networks is essential for navigating evolving work dynamics.
The trends noted across sessions on Day 2 underscore the need for curiosity, resilience, and collaboration to thrive in the future workplace. “It was wonderful to interact with experts and students across the country, gaining an understanding of the challenges they share,” reflected Daniel, “the relationships I built have already provided me with valuable resources and information to enhance my work.” Indeed, efforts to build community throughout the Summit have nurtured connections across different sectors and regions, laying key foundations for future partnerships and continued growth moving forward.
Day 3 – Find Your Global Path
Info on visas and global careers; workshops on entrepreneurship
The concept of community took on another dimension on Day 3 when the theme turned to global paths and possibilities, mirroring of the international spirit of the Summit itself: “What made this Summit truly special was the global reach, with students and professionals tuning in from across the world to share insights and perspectives. The sense of shared purpose was truly energizing” (Farhan Nadeem). The “Global Pathways Panel,” for example, provided students with “valuable insights on immigration options for Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands, helping students explore opportunities beyond the U.S.” as Hal Matthew summarized.
Of course, the complexities of immigration policies and possibilities are squarely on the minds of international students pursuing a career here in the US, especially in these present times of transition and uncertainty. We were privileged to host immigration attorney Aaron Blumberg and Miriam Feldblum of the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, whose joint session detailed non-immigrant work visa options in the US including those less commonly known. These panels, together with engaging workshops on entrepreneurship, empowered students to arm themselves with knowledge, think boldly about the possibilities for their lives, and take charge of their futures.
Day 4 – Design Your Life
Life design and wellness workshops; alumni panel
Day 4 invited students to imagine and design their own lives. Though primarily introspective, the holistic practices of life design and radical self-care truly shined thanks to the ICC’s dedication to dynamic collaboration. “Alone we have strong networks,” said Jane Sitter (University of Minnesota), “but by collaborating with all of the schools in our collective our access to speakers and resources is truly out of this world!” This was the case in “Life Design for International Students” a collaborative session led by Stacey Mitchell (Johns Hopkins University), Laura Heilman (New York University), and Marzena Ermler (University of Minnesota). This interactive workshop introduced key life design activities to help attendees identify what is important to them (values sort), imagine possibilities for the future (life design sketches), and devise effective decision-making strategies (decision matrix).
Key takeaways from the life design session included: 1) understanding our values can bring clarity to decision-making processes; 2) our path forward in life/work is not linear nor prescribed; 3) decision-making is about exploring options, clarifying priorities, and choosing what reflects our values and unique experiences. These and other points were also articulated in our international alumni panel, which Hal Matthews called “inspiring, with alumni sharing real-world advice about working in the U.S. and emphasizing how personal branding and content creation can drive career success.” Without a doubt, this day proved that “the ICC truly exemplifies how we achieve more together” (Jane Sitter).
Day-5- Take Action
Keynote, author-entrepreneur Soundarya Balasubramani; Career Expo prep and advisor panel
Take Action was the theme of Day 5. What better way to inspire action than a prep session in advance of the International Career Expo? Jess Dress and Mark Macdonald helped students get ready – and excited! – for the second annual Career Expo, a virtual career fair with employers open to CPT/OPT and interested in hiring international talent. The fair, held on November 19th, saw about 700 students take advantage of an exclusive chance at 1:1 informational chats or group info sessions with 95 employers including this year’s highlight employers Tesla and UNICEF.
Over the years, the ICC Summit has become a transformative event for fostering innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity in career development for international students. In her closing keynote, Soundarya Balasubramani emphasized and embodied this ethos as she spoke about why she quit her $200k job, the 2.5-year journey to her O-1A talent visa, the challenges and thrills of changing careers, the power of writing, returning to India, and her commitment to empowering international students through innovative initiatives. Soundarya’s story – and those of all the other speakers for whom the ICC is immeasurably grateful – is unique, but now, it also intertwines with the stories of all Summit attendees, especially our remarkably talented and resilient international students. It is our hope that now, equipped with greater knowledge and inspired by such stories, students heed the call to take action beyond the Day 5 theme and into the rest of their lives.
Ellen Goldman (Northeastern University) reflected on the breadth and impact of the event: “The ICC Career Summit’s student-centered approach was incredible, [it] created an amazing sense of community and showcased the power of inclusion and belonging.” While the ICC now endeavors to add professional training for higher-education staff to its repertoire, we remain fully focused on our students for whom we do what we do and love what we do. The powerful feedback from student attendees flooding social media proves how transformative the ICC and Summit have been, which is the best outcome we could hope for. It is a testament to the hard work and passion we poured into this event, and the positive impact it is having! To conclude our retrospective, we share two student posts:
“It was truly an amazing experience! A huge thank you to the ICC for organizing such an inspiring and impactful day!”
“This summit was a reminder of the power of community and self-advocacy for international students”
