Oregon State University Career Guide - Flipbook - Page 12
Navigating Your Culture and Identity
Your background and life experiences have shaped who you are, and they are an asset in the workplace.
Our goal is to empower students with historically marginalized identities on their paths from college to
career. The ways you choose to share your culture and your unique identities in the professional realm are
a complex topic. Visit career.oregonstate.edu/identity-and-culture for more detailed resource guides.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
STUDENTS OF COLOR
STUDENT VETERANS
International students bring many
strengths to the workplace. These include
speaking multiple languages, navigating
other cultures and adapting to new
situations.
Black, Indigenous and students of
color must navigate the inequities,
opportunities, cultures, expectations and
hurdles of employment pathways that
often normalize and perpetuate dominant
cultures centered in whiteness. We
encourage you to embrace who you are
and be your authentic, unapologetic self.
Veterans have diverse life experiences,
often including traveling the world and
managing tremendous responsibilities.
Many skills developed during military
service are transferable to civilian careers.
» Use our online guide to navigate
immigration regulations, ond
information about which employers
hire international students and
understand cultural diferences in
hiring processes: beav.es/TdX.
» For information on Curricular
Practical Training, Optional Practical
Training or visa status, contact the
Ooce of International Services:
internationalservices.
oregonstate.edu.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with either physical disabilities
or nonapparent disabilities such as
chronic illnesses, neurodivergent
disabilities or mental health needs have
choices about what information to
disclose in an academic or employment
setting. Know that you are entitled to
reasonable accommodations and have
protections in the workplace.
» Use our online guide for tips on how
to speak about your disability in a way
that is clear, concise, unapologetic and
connected to your work tasks.
» Find options for managing your job
search, thinking through how and when
to disclose a disability and seeking
workplace accommodations:
beav.es/TdB.
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OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
» Use our online guide for tips on
evaluating potential employers and
onding a supportive workplace, as well
as help navigating interview situations
and information about your legal
protections from discrimination:
beav.es/Td2.
LGBTQ+ STUDENTS
Queer and trans students have much to
consider when navigating their careers.
You must determine which workplaces
and work cultures will aorm your
gender and sexual identity and how
to authentically represent yourself to
employers. Know that your experiences
are shared by many others and that you
ofer a unique set of skills based on your
major, background and lived experiences.
» Know that you do not have to disclose
your LGBTQ+ identity at any point
in the hiring process. This decision is
entirely up to you and how comfortable
you feel talking about your sexual
orientation, sex or gender expression
in a workplace context. Either choice
whether or not to disclose is normal
and acceptable.
» Use our online guide to help you in
this decision process and learn about
workplace protections for LGBTQ+
people: beav.es/Td6.
» Use our online guide to help you
build on and talk about your military
experiences and move toward your
next career: beav.es/Tdu.
STUDENTS WITHOUT
PERMANENT LEGAL STATUS
It can be diocult to decide when and
with whom to share immigration status,
including if you are enrolled in DACA, the
federal Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals program. Be sure to understand
your rights so that you can make wellinformed decisions for your career.
» Use our online guide to help navigate
the unique opportunities and
challenges of job seeking without
having permanent legal status:
beav.es/TdL.
These are a small subset of identity-based
resources. If you have an identity that is not
listed here and would like to talk with an
advisor about workplace-related questions,
contact the Career Development Center.
