It is a very exciting experience to work in a foreign country as an international student. I’ve worked three different on-campus positions so far, and I feel that experience has changed and helped me a lot. With that in mind, I wanted to share some tips to help international students understand what working on campus is like — and how to make it a successful experience.

1. Find out about on-campus jobs: My university has a website that lists all the available jobs on campus and describes the minimum requirements that students have to satisfy in order to be eligible. Most positions are open to international students, and otherwise, it would be specified in the job requirements.

If prospective international students expect to work on campus, they should check schools’ websites beforehand and pay close attention to the job requirements. It is probably not necessary to check with the international students office about campus jobs, but if you need help on preparing for getting the job, that office is a good resource.

Some departments on campus may particularly need international students as student staff members, and once you get to campus, those departments will send out emails targeted to international students only. At my university, being an orientation leader is an example of this, because the department needed students with different backgrounds to make the orientation team diverse.

[Find out how international students can gain job skills with volunteer work.]

2. Take the first step: During the second quarter I was on campus, I heard that my university was recruiting students to be on the staff for orientation. I liked that idea and felt that I should try something new.

However, taking that first step is hard for me, because I was shy and didn’t feel confident enough to apply for the job. But I decided that at least if gave it a try, I could get some interview experience.

The result turned out good. I got the job and tried my best to fulfill my responsibility as an orientation leader, and the next year I got recruited again. It felt like a miracle — I would never have believed that I would be able to give presentations in front of 500 U.S. students in English.

As an international student, you really have to have a try things you have never done before and not to look down on yourself. You are better than you think you are.

[Read these four internship tips for international students in the U.S.]

3. Have a positive attitude: Having a positive attitude toward your job is essential to success. At the beginning of a job, international students may think, “I’m an international student and my English is not as good as others, so it is OK for me to do worse and others will understand why I’m not performing well.”

I’ve found these kinds of thoughts are rather common among international students when they start working. It’s good to realize that you may have a disadvantage as far as language goes, but the right attitude is to be aware of all the drawbacks you have and work harder to overcome them.

If you know other international students who work on campus, they would be another great resource to ask questions about what working is like and how to address problems.

4. Keep improving: The thing I liked the most about working on campus as an international student is that working is a process of learning. I worked as an academic peer adviser in my sophomore year.

At the beginning, I felt I was not very prepared to be a peer adviser and got nervous offering advice to students. However, I was able to improve and work on my weaknesses.

This was because of the great supervision system we have on campus. We have a staff meeting every week to talk over things to improve, and we also have one-on-one meeting with a supervisor. I was given a lot of feedback and suggestions from coworkers and supervisors. With those drawbacks pointed out, I was able to improve effectively. After the first month, I felt much more comfortable of being a peer adviser.

I also got help from the international students office. International students who work on campus often need to go through some complicated processes in order to be legally paid, and can struggle when working with other students if they are not proficient in the language. At my school, the international students office often holds special sessions to assist international students with overcoming those two difficulties.

[Learn how international students can explore job opportunities.]

5. Work as a team with your coworkers: When I first started my job, I thought that my coworkers might look down on me, as I might mess things up. After a while, I realized I was wrong. They were totally unbiased and treated me as a normal student staff member.

In the first week of my job, I tended to be quiet because I was afraid of making mistakes. However, my coworkers still asked me questions about things. This little interaction made me feel a lot more comfortable. I noticed that we were working as a team, and my coworkers will back me up. If I encounter a problem, we will get through it together. After realizing this, I became braver and more active.

I hope my personal experience gives you a rough idea of what working on campus can be like as an international student. It’s a beneficial experience to have while studying abroad, because you can learn so many things, such as leadership and communication skills.

However, it is also very important to remember that since there are specific rules for international students that govern employment, even on campus, applicants and students should check with the international students office to find out what they need to do to be able to work on campus.

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Work on Campus as an International Student originally appeared on usnews.com