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April 15, 2024
Graduating for Success: Timing Matters
Join us on this insightful journey in "Leap with Japa" as we explore every international grad student's pivotal question: When is the best time to graduate—May or December? This episode is packed with critical information, from the nuances of Optiona...
Join us on this insightful journey in "Leap with Japa" as we explore every international grad student's pivotal question: When is the best time to graduate—May or December? This episode is packed with critical information, from the nuances of Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT to the intricacies of the H-1B visa process. We'll dissect the historical context, the lottery system, and the regulatory changes that impact these programs. Dive into the strategic hiring cycles of American companies and understand the method behind determining headcounts and the ideal times for job hunting. Get equipped with knowledge about the best graduation times, H-1B filing periods, and how to adapt to market conditions and policy shifts. Whether you're a student plotting your graduation, a job seeker planning your entry into the workforce, or just curious about the immigration and employment landscape, this episode is your guide. Tune in and unravel why May might be the magic month for graduation and how it can maximize your professional opportunities, especially under the H-1B visa cap. Don't miss these valuable insights and tips designed to help you leap into success at the right time!
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Transcript
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2s Hello. Good afternoon. Welcome to today's episode of Lipid Jaffa. So today's episode, I am going to be answering a very interesting question that I battled with during grad school. And it's what is the best time to graduate? Is it me or is it December? 1s So so this is going to cover this is like the summary of what we're going to do. We're going to I want to talk about the topic. Um and so just you know put it out there right now. 1s While May is still the preferable day to graduate. But if you want to graduate in December, there are certain conditions to be met and we're going to go over this. So the overview of this episode will include I'm going to discuss the opt. I'm going to discuss the Stem opt. I'm going to also discuss the history of the H-1b, the lottery systems, any changes that have been made. I'm also going to talk about the hiring cycles in American companies, how they do it, how they determine headcounts, what are the various stages at which they hire? 1s And then we're going to be analyzing the graduation times of May versus December. Um, and then we're going to talk about the H-1b filing process and how the advantages of migration aligns with H-1b. 1s And we're going to talk about, you know, how to adapt to market conditions and the policies and things like that. And we're going to end the episode that way. So it gives you an idea of what I'm going to be talking about. So. Let's start. What is the output? I have discussed this in the previous episode, but the opt is the optional practical training. It was first introduced in 1947 under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It basically allows um international students on F-1 visas to work in their field of study for up to 12 months. So you get 12 months automatically after you graduate from your program. Any program. 1s Um, the stem opt. 1s It was introduced in 2008, um, after they realized that they needed more hiring within the Stem fields, which is the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Uh, the DHS, the Department of Homeland Security, introduced a 17 month opt extension for graduates, uh, in in the Stem fields. And this was an effort to retain highly skilled foreign workers who contribute to the technology and R&D sectors in the US. Uh, in 2016, interestingly, when I was here, there was a challenge to the um, Stem opt and they wanted to change it. Um, the fight against that was that it was it didn't go through proper rules, uh, making challenges. So it was increased from 17 months to 24 months under President Obama. 1s And they introduced even more requirements that, um, ensure that there was proper training for the people that were on the OPD and there was, uh, protection of US workers in related fields. Uh, this extension meant that the eligible students can now stay, um, for a maximum of three years after graduation. Uh, and then, you know, the new rule also introduced requirements for formal training plans by employers, additional oversight to ensure the educational benefits of the program, and multiple reporting requirements. Um, so so today, the Opt and statement continues to serve as a critical pathway for international students to gain valuable work. Experience in the US contributed significantly to the American workforce. You know, the the usual, um, talk about the importance, but one of the biggest importance of opt and stability, uh, is the fact that the companies don't pay, um, certain taxes. So it's a tax benefit for us corporations who hire these people, which is why there's a lot of incentive to hire. Um. 1s Um stem and stem opt uh opt unstable beauty graduates. Now let's go on to the H-1b. The H-1b. 1s Who was established in 1990 through another act through the um enacted Immigration Act of 1990. It replaced the H-1 visa, which was a more general visa without a specific focus on skilled workers. The purpose of the H-1b visa is to allow US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields such as IT, finance, engineering, and medicine. So typically, there's an annual cap of 65,000 visas per year. 1s Over time, the demand for H-1b visas have often exceeded the annual cap leading to the implementation of a lottery system. So what happened was when you make an application, you have a maximum of 6 to 5000 visas every year. Um, what happened was people exceeded this limit, so they had to start doing it randomly to pick 65,000 people. So there's a lottery system that happens every year. In 1998 and 2000, uh, legislation temporarily increased the cap due to high demand for tech workers during the.com boom. So this was clearly a lot of people. And at that point, the cap was as high as 195,000 people. Um, however, I reverted back to 65,000 in 2004. Um, and also in addition to the 65,000, is an additional 20,000 visas available to graduates with advanced degrees from US universities, making the effective total of 85,000. So aside from the 65,000 general cap of people that apply, there's another 20,000. If you studied in the US, advanced degrees, specifically in the US, you are going to be put in the 20,000 cap. So the way it works, um, the first lottery is run for, they put everyone in a 65,000 cap. And then if you don't get it, if you have a US advanced degree, they run another lottery for you, uh, to try and put you in that category. Uh, the H-1b has seen various regulatory changes aimed at reducing fraud and abuse, uh, improving protections for US workers and assuring the visas, uh, awarded to the most highly skilled applicants. So, um, one of the steps of the. Actually the process is there's a wage based prioritizing for the selected. There's a wage base part, a prioritization for the selection of H-1b visas to favor higher salary offers. So they've also, um, kind of those those are regulations that they're trying to adjust. So there are a couple of more changes to the. 1s Um, to the H-1b system. Uh, right now, the luxury system that they use, you have to pay. Uh, when I did my own, um, uh, lottery, I didn't have to pay back then. I don't think they were doing that back then. But, you know, the visa H-1b visa program has faced, uh, stricter scrutiny and tighter regulations over the period of time, uh, because, you know, different people as presidents want different policies. Um, so the future of the Trump programs continues to be, uh, pivotal as it intersects with broader debates on immigration, economic policy and things like that. So the next thing I wanna talk about is, uh, the hiring cycles in American companies. How do they hire? Um, so typically. 1s They have. American companies have specific periods during the year when they actively recruit. And, um, you know, they go all out to hire new people. Uh, this cycles often coincide with the company's fiscal year, budget allocations and strategic planning periods. And this is how it generally is, you know, in their strategy. It's an early year hiring since January to March. Uh, many companies begin their hiring after the holiday season and at the end of the fiscal year. So that's an actual fiscal year. Different companies have different fiscal year. So different companies would start their hiring at different points in time, coinciding with the end of the fiscal year, according to their calendar. Budgets are typically approved by this time, allowing for new positions to be filled. Um, this year is especially active as companies look to implement new projects, initiatives and new initiatives for the year. So the new year, new actual year, they want to try and fill up space for what they want to do. The next set of hiring is between spring to early summer. So the first one was January to March, which is early year hiring. The next one is spring to early summer, which is April to June hiring. Now, hiring continues as companies seek to fill roles before the vacation season starts. So that's before summer. This is the prime time for new graduates, so this is typically the time I personally would advise people to try to get into the workforce between April and June, and it's typically two sets of graduation times. There is May graduation and then is, um, a December graduation. The May graduation typically favors people who started two years prior and started in the fall. The December graduation usually favors people who got into school in the spring. So those are the two sets of people the first set get in the fall. They typically graduate in in in the spring, which is May. 2s Um, the other sets of people getting in the spring, which is January, and they graduate essentially in the winter, which is the fall. So those are the two sets, however, from all indications and the data. The spring to early summer is the prime time for when companies actively, um, hire people. So it's the it's a timeline that I usually advise that people would aim to try and graduate. But if you're going to aim to try and graduate in, uh, the April to June, um, portion of time, ensure that you also have a job in that period. So if you know your timing properly and you know when you want to graduate, if you know when you got in and if you know where you're going to graduate, ensure you have a job in that period. It is very possible you get in in January, but you graduate in May of another year by delaying your graduation. So that's one thing I would advise the next set of hiring is between July to September, which is late summer to early fall. There's often another spike in hiring after the summer break as companies gear up for the end of the year push. This is also when companies might start to use up the remaining budget for the year, so the July to September is when they probably have extra budget. Um, they probably didn't find enough people in the spring to early summer, and they want to wrap it up. That's another cycle to aim for. So that's typically if you started interviewing, uh, you graduated in May, but you didn't get a job or you're interviewing, you still have one more window between July to September to fill up the gap. So and then the last spike is end of year October to December. However, hiring slows down towards holidays, which is why graduation in December is usually not advisable because if you're looking to graduate at that point, companies are slowing down because holidays are approaching and they and they now begin to close their books for the year. However, some industries may hire seasonal workers during the period. That's especially in retail. But most of the people we're talking about here are not in retail. So, uh, be aware of how the circle works. Um, so, so that you understand that my advice right now is aim to graduate in May or, you know, in April or May, which is spring, um, which is spring forward for most of the sessions. Uh, the reason being the conferences that I usually advise people to, to, to go to, which is the Naseby conference, holds their conferences in March for that reason. So they hold their conferences in March, the job fairs in March. You go in knowing you're going to graduate in May so that you can coincide getting an offer, saying, hey, you know what? I'm going to graduate in May. You guys are nuts when hiring spikes so that there will be an intersection of interests. Your graduation intersects with a new offer. So that's the advice. Make sure you aim to get a job in that period and aim to graduate in that period. For people that are probably going to graduate in December. You can delay your graduation. You can ask to do your last class in the fall in the, uh, that would be in the January, which is the, the the spring. So you graduate in the spring. You can delay that so you can look for work, because the moment you graduate, the time starts taking for your opt because, uh, think about it this way. You start your opt, you graduate in April, May, which is typically May. Your opportunity will start in June 1s and it's going to be June to June. That's how your output will run. Um, before I discuss the strategic importance on how graduating in May aligns with your H-1b, let me tell you about how Headcounts are determined in the office. So typically every hiring has to do with determining, um, headcount. So headcount is a is a strategic planning process, um, integral to the organization's overall budgeting and strategic planning. Um, and this is how they determine it. So first of all, budget constraints budget is usually the primary factor. Departments submit their staffing needs, which are then vetted against available financial resources. Often, hiring priorities may shift based on budget allocations. So if people are aiming if the prime time to hire is in, you know, April to June, they will make sure that the. Figure out what your budget is towards that period. So budget constraints is one big factor. The next one is business goals. So what exactly is the goal of the business. What are they trying to, uh, determine at that point? 1s You know. So if a company plans to launch new products or expand into new markets, it will likely increase headcount in areas of R&D, sales and operations. Another thing is the turnover rates. So how many people have left the company? 100 people have looked have gone to look for greener pastures and people will probably quit. Towards the end of the year to start a new job in January, which leaves openings for people. So that's another thing. Another thing is skills gaps, identifying skill shortages within the current workforce, and then a critical factor which they then go out to try and hire people for, to then bring them in. Another one is a reason for determining headcount is regulatory compliance. And that means, you know, they need to adjust headcount to comply with regulation. Um, so things like fire and things like industrial like and finance or education and healthcare or pharmaceuticals. You know, do we need to get more people that have PhDs to do more research for us in order to meet our deadline of our deadline to gain some form of approval? So. And then the last one is the external economic factors. So in a booming economy, companies may expand more aggressively, as we've seen in the US. And the downturn, they might freeze hiring or reduce our headcount. So those are the factors for determining headcount. And the factors again are budget constraints, business goals, turnover rates, skills gaps, regulatory compliance and external economic factors. Now, 1s another thing I want to talk about is the H-1b filing timelines and how it can help, and why it helps May graduates over the December graduates. So typically, April 1st is when US employers can begin submitting petitions for the fiscal year H-1b visa allotment. This doesn't change every year. And you will notice it says April 1st. Remember the hiring alignment, 1s um, that I provided earlier the spring to early summer is April to June. So what does that tell you? April 1st is when the employers are thinking about, hey, we need to start filing for H-1b. Um, so they need to plan towards that. Again. Like I said, there's an 85,000, um, annual cap. Again, remember, they have made the headcount requirement. So they know that they need these people. They have gone out to hire at the peak of April to May. So when they're doing the H-1b, they're definitely planning for it, because every April of every year the H-1b opens up. So there's always, um, a need for a company to file. So there's always going to be openings in that year. Um, now, you know, so usually what happens is once they do the April 1st filing, there's an annual cap. They do the lottery. If selected in the lottery. The H-1b visa allows the beneficiaries to start working from October 1st. 1s Of that year. October 1st is the beginning of the US government fiscal year, so the government of the US runs their own budget from October 1st to October 1st of the next year. So anybody that gets picked on the lottery, which is run in April, will start working on the H-1b in October. So notice that if you were graduating in December, you would miss that window. But if you are graduating in May. So let me tell you how the strategic advantage of my graduation helps students graduating. In May, I entered a job market just as companies are preparing for H-1b submissions. This allows the employers to file H-1b petitions with the student's pending degree credentials, assuming that they've completed all degree requirements and are merely awaiting official graduation, there's a high probability you're probably just waiting to graduate in May. Because you finished all your course requirements so they can make that application for you. Another advantage is you can immediately start working on the Opt, so the graduates can start working on the Opt immediately after graduation while the H-1b petition is being processed. This seamless transition is crucial as it allows them to remain in the US under the Opt status until the H-1b visa takes effect October 1st. Assuming they win the lottery. Now, if the H-1b is not selected in that lottery, May graduates will still have time to remain in the US on the Opt and potentially reapply the next year without having to leave the country. This effectively gives them, if you know multiple chances, that they won't be lottery under a single degrees. Opt eligible eligibility now for graduates that are leaving. Sorry for people that that decide to graduate in December. If they apply for the H-1b immediately after graduation, they are using their first H-1b lottery attempt right away without the advantage of potentially qualifying for a cap gap extension that aligns their opt expiration with the H-1b start date in October. Let me explain. So. 2s There's a rule called the cap gap. So when you apply. For opt you. Let's say you graduate in May. So follow this carefully. You graduate in May. Use your stats in June. 1s And you were selected in a lottery. So remember, you're supposed to start your. 1s Um H-1b in October of that year. If you selected a lottery, you automatically qualify for cap gap. What that means is that your Opt is automatically, you know, pushed. Um, to October 1st. 1s Um, so usually you would get that, you know, not cap gap. So that's the advantage, um, for, for for forgetting that. So I hope you understand what that means. Um, if they fail to get the H-1b visa lottery, which is till December graduates, they face a more immediate challenge in maintaining their employment and visa status in the US. So you would typically have to you you've essentially. So let's let's let's look at the calculation this way. You graduated in December. Let's see you graduate in December of 2024. The next lottery runs April of 2025, which is April. What that means is that you are already on opt. You've already done six, you've already done like four months on your Opt. And what that means is that if you do not qualify, if you don't get the, uh, H-1b, you would have to wait. You you would have to wait the entire year till 2026 before you can do the lottery again. If you get traded in May of 2024. However, it is very possible that they've already put in your name into the lottery. But if you didn't get the lottery, it would mean from June of 2024 you would not try again or June of 2024 to the following year. Which you mean by the time you try next year, you would be on your first lottery trial, not your second. If you graduated in December, however, you'll be doing your second lottery. So the advantage of graduating in May is the number of lottery tries you get. Is one more than those that graduated in December. So I hope that explains it. I mean, if you don't understand, you can always reach out to me through, um, the website and I can give you a one on one explanation of how that works. 1s So, um. 1s One of the things I also mentioned is the economic and and industry trends play a crucial role in shaping, um, the hiring cycles of companies across various sectors. So you need to also kind of be aware of things like economic growth and recession. It changes the dynamics of hiring. So during periods of economic growth, companies tend to expand. And during economic downturns hiring may slow. So put that in your your calculations. Um, global events also can change things. So Covid 19 um. You know, change the hiring circle and things like that. 1s Uh, one advice I would give on staying adaptable is you keep learning. Make sure that you, um, keep learning, keep studying. Uh, keep a whole great network of people that you can always reach out to to find out, you know, how to keep up with, you know, things going on. Stay informed. Um, be flexible in your job roles. So that's another thing. Um, people that traditionally do things like, oh, I have a PhD in machine learning, or I have a PhD in crypto. I wrote something some very vertical oriented course. You would face a downturn when, you know. 1s Things change when when technological advancements change. So a lot of people that are enjoying the likes of AI today and machine learning probably have traditional computer science background. They didn't do a PhD in a particular field like ML or AI. They they took it very seriously and did traditional generic courses that can make them flexible in the role that they take. Also be geographically flexible. Um, as a grad student, don't say I have to work in Texas or I have to work in California. If Alaska comes up, please take it. You know, if Wisconsin or any Atlanta, Florida, a job is a job. Take it. So, you know, consider relocation if you have to. Some regions may have a higher demand for certain professions based on the local economic activities and the presence of the companies in those areas. Also develop, you know, soft skills, automation is increasing. A lot of things learn to do things like critical thinking, communication, leadership. They are becoming more valuable because these skills can make you adaptable across various roles and industries. So I hope this has been very helpful to you. I am grateful for everyone who has given their comments about this podcast. I hope this would continue to help students, international students, um, to foster, um, better experiences. Uh, please share this episode with everyone that you know that might benefit from this. Uh, thank you very much for listening, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. Thank you. Goodbye.
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2s Hello. Good afternoon. Welcome to today's episode of Lipid Jaffa. So today's episode, I am going to be answering a very interesting question that I battled with during grad school. And it's what is the best time to graduate? Is it me or is it December? 1s So so this is going to cover this is like the summary of what we're going to do. We're going to I want to talk about the topic. Um and so just you know put it out there right now. 1s While May is still the preferable day to graduate. But if you want to graduate in December, there are certain conditions to be met and we're going to go over this. So the overview of this episode will include I'm going to discuss the opt. I'm going to discuss the Stem opt. I'm going to also discuss the history of the H-1b, the lottery systems, any changes that have been made. I'm also going to talk about the hiring cycles in American companies, how they do it, how they determine headcounts, what are the various stages at which they hire? 1s And then we're going to be analyzing the graduation times of May versus December. Um, and then we're going to talk about the H-1b filing process and how the advantages of migration aligns with H-1b. 1s And we're going to talk about, you know, how to adapt to market conditions and the policies and things like that. And we're going to end the episode that way. So it gives you an idea of what I'm going to be talking about. So. Let's start. What is the output? I have discussed this in the previous episode, but the opt is the optional practical training. It was first introduced in 1947 under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It basically allows um international students on F-1 visas to work in their field of study for up to 12 months. So you get 12 months automatically after you graduate from your program. Any program. 1s Um, the stem opt. 1s It was introduced in 2008, um, after they realized that they needed more hiring within the Stem fields, which is the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Uh, the DHS, the Department of Homeland Security, introduced a 17 month opt extension for graduates, uh, in in the Stem fields. And this was an effort to retain highly skilled foreign workers who contribute to the technology and R&D sectors in the US. Uh, in 2016, interestingly, when I was here, there was a challenge to the um, Stem opt and they wanted to change it. Um, the fight against that was that it was it didn't go through proper rules, uh, making challenges. So it was increased from 17 months to 24 months under President Obama. 1s And they introduced even more requirements that, um, ensure that there was proper training for the people that were on the OPD and there was, uh, protection of US workers in related fields. Uh, this extension meant that the eligible students can now stay, um, for a maximum of three years after graduation. Uh, and then, you know, the new rule also introduced requirements for formal training plans by employers, additional oversight to ensure the educational benefits of the program, and multiple reporting requirements. Um, so so today, the Opt and statement continues to serve as a critical pathway for international students to gain valuable work. Experience in the US contributed significantly to the American workforce. You know, the the usual, um, talk about the importance, but one of the biggest importance of opt and stability, uh, is the fact that the companies don't pay, um, certain taxes. So it's a tax benefit for us corporations who hire these people, which is why there's a lot of incentive to hire. Um. 1s Um stem and stem opt uh opt unstable beauty graduates. Now let's go on to the H-1b. The H-1b. 1s Who was established in 1990 through another act through the um enacted Immigration Act of 1990. It replaced the H-1 visa, which was a more general visa without a specific focus on skilled workers. The purpose of the H-1b visa is to allow US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields such as IT, finance, engineering, and medicine. So typically, there's an annual cap of 65,000 visas per year. 1s Over time, the demand for H-1b visas have often exceeded the annual cap leading to the implementation of a lottery system. So what happened was when you make an application, you have a maximum of 6 to 5000 visas every year. Um, what happened was people exceeded this limit, so they had to start doing it randomly to pick 65,000 people. So there's a lottery system that happens every year. In 1998 and 2000, uh, legislation temporarily increased the cap due to high demand for tech workers during the.com boom. So this was clearly a lot of people. And at that point, the cap was as high as 195,000 people. Um, however, I reverted back to 65,000 in 2004. Um, and also in addition to the 65,000, is an additional 20,000 visas available to graduates with advanced degrees from US universities, making the effective total of 85,000. So aside from the 65,000 general cap of people that apply, there's another 20,000. If you studied in the US, advanced degrees, specifically in the US, you are going to be put in the 20,000 cap. So the way it works, um, the first lottery is run for, they put everyone in a 65,000 cap. And then if you don't get it, if you have a US advanced degree, they run another lottery for you, uh, to try and put you in that category. Uh, the H-1b has seen various regulatory changes aimed at reducing fraud and abuse, uh, improving protections for US workers and assuring the visas, uh, awarded to the most highly skilled applicants. So, um, one of the steps of the. Actually the process is there's a wage based prioritizing for the selected. There's a wage base part, a prioritization for the selection of H-1b visas to favor higher salary offers. So they've also, um, kind of those those are regulations that they're trying to adjust. So there are a couple of more changes to the. 1s Um, to the H-1b system. Uh, right now, the luxury system that they use, you have to pay. Uh, when I did my own, um, uh, lottery, I didn't have to pay back then. I don't think they were doing that back then. But, you know, the visa H-1b visa program has faced, uh, stricter scrutiny and tighter regulations over the period of time, uh, because, you know, different people as presidents want different policies. Um, so the future of the Trump programs continues to be, uh, pivotal as it intersects with broader debates on immigration, economic policy and things like that. So the next thing I wanna talk about is, uh, the hiring cycles in American companies. How do they hire? Um, so typically. 1s They have. American companies have specific periods during the year when they actively recruit. And, um, you know, they go all out to hire new people. Uh, this cycles often coincide with the company's fiscal year, budget allocations and strategic planning periods. And this is how it generally is, you know, in their strategy. It's an early year hiring since January to March. Uh, many companies begin their hiring after the holiday season and at the end of the fiscal year. So that's an actual fiscal year. Different companies have different fiscal year. So different companies would start their hiring at different points in time, coinciding with the end of the fiscal year, according to their calendar. Budgets are typically approved by this time, allowing for new positions to be filled. Um, this year is especially active as companies look to implement new projects, initiatives and new initiatives for the year. So the new year, new actual year, they want to try and fill up space for what they want to do. The next set of hiring is between spring to early summer. So the first one was January to March, which is early year hiring. The next one is spring to early summer, which is April to June hiring. Now, hiring continues as companies seek to fill roles before the vacation season starts. So that's before summer. This is the prime time for new graduates, so this is typically the time I personally would advise people to try to get into the workforce between April and June, and it's typically two sets of graduation times. There is May graduation and then is, um, a December graduation. The May graduation typically favors people who started two years prior and started in the fall. The December graduation usually favors people who got into school in the spring. So those are the two sets of people the first set get in the fall. They typically graduate in in in the spring, which is May. 2s Um, the other sets of people getting in the spring, which is January, and they graduate essentially in the winter, which is the fall. So those are the two sets, however, from all indications and the data. The spring to early summer is the prime time for when companies actively, um, hire people. So it's the it's a timeline that I usually advise that people would aim to try and graduate. But if you're going to aim to try and graduate in, uh, the April to June, um, portion of time, ensure that you also have a job in that period. So if you know your timing properly and you know when you want to graduate, if you know when you got in and if you know where you're going to graduate, ensure you have a job in that period. It is very possible you get in in January, but you graduate in May of another year by delaying your graduation. So that's one thing I would advise the next set of hiring is between July to September, which is late summer to early fall. There's often another spike in hiring after the summer break as companies gear up for the end of the year push. This is also when companies might start to use up the remaining budget for the year, so the July to September is when they probably have extra budget. Um, they probably didn't find enough people in the spring to early summer, and they want to wrap it up. That's another cycle to aim for. So that's typically if you started interviewing, uh, you graduated in May, but you didn't get a job or you're interviewing, you still have one more window between July to September to fill up the gap. So and then the last spike is end of year October to December. However, hiring slows down towards holidays, which is why graduation in December is usually not advisable because if you're looking to graduate at that point, companies are slowing down because holidays are approaching and they and they now begin to close their books for the year. However, some industries may hire seasonal workers during the period. That's especially in retail. But most of the people we're talking about here are not in retail. So, uh, be aware of how the circle works. Um, so, so that you understand that my advice right now is aim to graduate in May or, you know, in April or May, which is spring, um, which is spring forward for most of the sessions. Uh, the reason being the conferences that I usually advise people to, to, to go to, which is the Naseby conference, holds their conferences in March for that reason. So they hold their conferences in March, the job fairs in March. You go in knowing you're going to graduate in May so that you can coincide getting an offer, saying, hey, you know what? I'm going to graduate in May. You guys are nuts when hiring spikes so that there will be an intersection of interests. Your graduation intersects with a new offer. So that's the advice. Make sure you aim to get a job in that period and aim to graduate in that period. For people that are probably going to graduate in December. You can delay your graduation. You can ask to do your last class in the fall in the, uh, that would be in the January, which is the, the the spring. So you graduate in the spring. You can delay that so you can look for work, because the moment you graduate, the time starts taking for your opt because, uh, think about it this way. You start your opt, you graduate in April, May, which is typically May. Your opportunity will start in June 1s and it's going to be June to June. That's how your output will run. Um, before I discuss the strategic importance on how graduating in May aligns with your H-1b, let me tell you about how Headcounts are determined in the office. So typically every hiring has to do with determining, um, headcount. So headcount is a is a strategic planning process, um, integral to the organization's overall budgeting and strategic planning. Um, and this is how they determine it. So first of all, budget constraints budget is usually the primary factor. Departments submit their staffing needs, which are then vetted against available financial resources. Often, hiring priorities may shift based on budget allocations. So if people are aiming if the prime time to hire is in, you know, April to June, they will make sure that the. Figure out what your budget is towards that period. So budget constraints is one big factor. The next one is business goals. So what exactly is the goal of the business. What are they trying to, uh, determine at that point? 1s You know. So if a company plans to launch new products or expand into new markets, it will likely increase headcount in areas of R&D, sales and operations. Another thing is the turnover rates. So how many people have left the company? 100 people have looked have gone to look for greener pastures and people will probably quit. Towards the end of the year to start a new job in January, which leaves openings for people. So that's another thing. Another thing is skills gaps, identifying skill shortages within the current workforce, and then a critical factor which they then go out to try and hire people for, to then bring them in. Another one is a reason for determining headcount is regulatory compliance. And that means, you know, they need to adjust headcount to comply with regulation. Um, so things like fire and things like industrial like and finance or education and healthcare or pharmaceuticals. You know, do we need to get more people that have PhDs to do more research for us in order to meet our deadline of our deadline to gain some form of approval? So. And then the last one is the external economic factors. So in a booming economy, companies may expand more aggressively, as we've seen in the US. And the downturn, they might freeze hiring or reduce our headcount. So those are the factors for determining headcount. And the factors again are budget constraints, business goals, turnover rates, skills gaps, regulatory compliance and external economic factors. Now, 1s another thing I want to talk about is the H-1b filing timelines and how it can help, and why it helps May graduates over the December graduates. So typically, April 1st is when US employers can begin submitting petitions for the fiscal year H-1b visa allotment. This doesn't change every year. And you will notice it says April 1st. Remember the hiring alignment, 1s um, that I provided earlier the spring to early summer is April to June. So what does that tell you? April 1st is when the employers are thinking about, hey, we need to start filing for H-1b. Um, so they need to plan towards that. Again. Like I said, there's an 85,000, um, annual cap. Again, remember, they have made the headcount requirement. So they know that they need these people. They have gone out to hire at the peak of April to May. So when they're doing the H-1b, they're definitely planning for it, because every April of every year the H-1b opens up. So there's always, um, a need for a company to file. So there's always going to be openings in that year. Um, now, you know, so usually what happens is once they do the April 1st filing, there's an annual cap. They do the lottery. If selected in the lottery. The H-1b visa allows the beneficiaries to start working from October 1st. 1s Of that year. October 1st is the beginning of the US government fiscal year, so the government of the US runs their own budget from October 1st to October 1st of the next year. So anybody that gets picked on the lottery, which is run in April, will start working on the H-1b in October. So notice that if you were graduating in December, you would miss that window. But if you are graduating in May. So let me tell you how the strategic advantage of my graduation helps students graduating. In May, I entered a job market just as companies are preparing for H-1b submissions. This allows the employers to file H-1b petitions with the student's pending degree credentials, assuming that they've completed all degree requirements and are merely awaiting official graduation, there's a high probability you're probably just waiting to graduate in May. Because you finished all your course requirements so they can make that application for you. Another advantage is you can immediately start working on the Opt, so the graduates can start working on the Opt immediately after graduation while the H-1b petition is being processed. This seamless transition is crucial as it allows them to remain in the US under the Opt status until the H-1b visa takes effect October 1st. Assuming they win the lottery. Now, if the H-1b is not selected in that lottery, May graduates will still have time to remain in the US on the Opt and potentially reapply the next year without having to leave the country. This effectively gives them, if you know multiple chances, that they won't be lottery under a single degrees. Opt eligible eligibility now for graduates that are leaving. Sorry for people that that decide to graduate in December. If they apply for the H-1b immediately after graduation, they are using their first H-1b lottery attempt right away without the advantage of potentially qualifying for a cap gap extension that aligns their opt expiration with the H-1b start date in October. Let me explain. So. 2s There's a rule called the cap gap. So when you apply. For opt you. Let's say you graduate in May. So follow this carefully. You graduate in May. Use your stats in June. 1s And you were selected in a lottery. So remember, you're supposed to start your. 1s Um H-1b in October of that year. If you selected a lottery, you automatically qualify for cap gap. What that means is that your Opt is automatically, you know, pushed. Um, to October 1st. 1s Um, so usually you would get that, you know, not cap gap. So that's the advantage, um, for, for for forgetting that. So I hope you understand what that means. Um, if they fail to get the H-1b visa lottery, which is till December graduates, they face a more immediate challenge in maintaining their employment and visa status in the US. So you would typically have to you you've essentially. So let's let's let's look at the calculation this way. You graduated in December. Let's see you graduate in December of 2024. The next lottery runs April of 2025, which is April. What that means is that you are already on opt. You've already done six, you've already done like four months on your Opt. And what that means is that if you do not qualify, if you don't get the, uh, H-1b, you would have to wait. You you would have to wait the entire year till 2026 before you can do the lottery again. If you get traded in May of 2024. However, it is very possible that they've already put in your name into the lottery. But if you didn't get the lottery, it would mean from June of 2024 you would not try again or June of 2024 to the following year. Which you mean by the time you try next year, you would be on your first lottery trial, not your second. If you graduated in December, however, you'll be doing your second lottery. So the advantage of graduating in May is the number of lottery tries you get. Is one more than those that graduated in December. So I hope that explains it. I mean, if you don't understand, you can always reach out to me through, um, the website and I can give you a one on one explanation of how that works. 1s So, um. 1s One of the things I also mentioned is the economic and and industry trends play a crucial role in shaping, um, the hiring cycles of companies across various sectors. So you need to also kind of be aware of things like economic growth and recession. It changes the dynamics of hiring. So during periods of economic growth, companies tend to expand. And during economic downturns hiring may slow. So put that in your your calculations. Um, global events also can change things. So Covid 19 um. You know, change the hiring circle and things like that. 1s Uh, one advice I would give on staying adaptable is you keep learning. Make sure that you, um, keep learning, keep studying. Uh, keep a whole great network of people that you can always reach out to to find out, you know, how to keep up with, you know, things going on. Stay informed. Um, be flexible in your job roles. So that's another thing. Um, people that traditionally do things like, oh, I have a PhD in machine learning, or I have a PhD in crypto. I wrote something some very vertical oriented course. You would face a downturn when, you know. 1s Things change when when technological advancements change. So a lot of people that are enjoying the likes of AI today and machine learning probably have traditional computer science background. They didn't do a PhD in a particular field like ML or AI. They they took it very seriously and did traditional generic courses that can make them flexible in the role that they take. Also be geographically flexible. Um, as a grad student, don't say I have to work in Texas or I have to work in California. If Alaska comes up, please take it. You know, if Wisconsin or any Atlanta, Florida, a job is a job. Take it. So, you know, consider relocation if you have to. Some regions may have a higher demand for certain professions based on the local economic activities and the presence of the companies in those areas. Also develop, you know, soft skills, automation is increasing. A lot of things learn to do things like critical thinking, communication, leadership. They are becoming more valuable because these skills can make you adaptable across various roles and industries. So I hope this has been very helpful to you. I am grateful for everyone who has given their comments about this podcast. I hope this would continue to help students, international students, um, to foster, um, better experiences. Uh, please share this episode with everyone that you know that might benefit from this. Uh, thank you very much for listening, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. Thank you. Goodbye.
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