University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations

Hailing from Canada, China, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Taiwan, International Students made up approximately 35% of total enrollment and added to the diverse student body at LER in the 2018-2019 academic year. We are extremely proud of our international students as they come to us as high achievers from the respective universities in their home countries and leave us as tomorrow’s HR leaders across the globe.

LER continues to adapt to the specialized needs of international students entering the job market. While placement reporting is still on the rise, career services staff recently reworked the process of collecting these vital data while also offering an opportunity for international students to provide feedback on how we can better serve them in meeting their goals. While it is still a work in progress, 60% of international students in the MHRIR program reported placement for both fulltime and internship roles for the 2018 – 2019 year.

As part of LER’s efforts to continuously build relationships with international employers and alumni, Associate Director Jason Boys visited Beijing and Shanghai, China this summer to attend carrier fairs, visit companies, and hold alumni gathering. That American University China Association Career Fairs hosted over 120 employers and offered a great opportunity to make connections. Jason also visited LER alumni at Dow Chemical, Roche Pharmaceutical, and Honeywell and had close to 20 in attendance at the alumni gatherings in both cities.

Assistant Professor Eunmi Mun is currently conducting research on how work-family policies are implemented in the workplace in Japan and investigating why (or why not) those policies may help increase women’s employment opportunities. She has collected both qualitative and quantitative data and has interviewed HR managers in large Japanese companies about their views on work-family policies. Also, she has collected and analyzed a large-scale company panel data to trace how women’s usage of parental leave and their representation in managerial positions changed over time in large Japanese companies.

LER’s International Peer Advisor Rebecca Cuccurullo has had a busy year coordinating gatherings and helping students with resumes, mock interviews, and job search strategies. To advise students, Rebecca holds office hours throughout the week and also makes time to connect with students by setting up appointments. Every Monday, she sends out a newsletter that contains events on campus such as information sessions, professional development workshops, and general events in the Champaign/ Urbana area. Additionally, Rebecca plans events to help get both Domestic, International students, and Faculty to network with one another. Some examples include potlucks, apple picking at a local orchard, ice skating, and lunch and learn gatherings. The 2018-2019 saw in increasing in engagement with this role as we continually monitor and adapt to the needs of our international students.