Happy Thanksgiving to all our American students! Here LSE alum Lauren Maffeo (MSc Gender, Media and Culture), who is now Content Editor for GetApp.com, shares some insights about her job search process as an American student at LSE:

What was the process like of finding a job for you back home in the US once you finished at LSE?

I lived and worked in London for the first year following my graduation from LSE. I worked as a freelance journalist and media consultant for London-based tech and digital startups. I did start looking and applying for permanent roles back in the States while living in London. However, I was not successful until I moved back to the States. I received job offers at two separate companies about seven weeks after moving back to the States; meanwhile, I had searched from London for permanent roles within the UK and US without success before that.

What was the key to your success of securing a job in the US (having studied here in London)?

The key to my success securing a job in the US was to explain how my LSE education prepared me to work independently and with global teams. My MSc education at LSE also raised my critical thinking and researching/writing/editing skills to another level. My career – including my current role – are all based on this skill set first and foremost.

What advice do you have for students currently embarking on a search for work in the US?

I would prioritise questions about processes and workflow at each company you interview with. You can score your dream job, but it’s just as important to love how you work as much as what you work on. Sometimes it takes trial and error to learn which way you work most effectively; for example, you might not thrive in equal measure working from home and in an open office. You also might not be equally productive in environments with a lot of autonomy and a lot of oversight. Try to find patterns that show you when you work most productively. Then, show up to your interviews with a strong understanding of how you work best and ask questions that show interest in how each team gets their own work done.