How to hire an international first officer

How to hire an international first officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step international first officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an international first officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new international first officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The international first officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect international first officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of international first officers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of International First Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   International First Officer	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$23-77
   Work Study Student	Work-study students are students who do part-time jobs to support their living and educational expenses. Usually, they offer their services in an organization related to their field of study... Show more	$7-17
   Room Clerk	A room clerk is responsible for receiving guests and assigning them to their respective rooms, typically in a hotel setting. Room clerks manage guests' reservations, explain the policies of the premises, and process their payments for staying at the hotel... Show more	$12-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • International Relations
   • Business Plan
   • Business Development
   • International Business
   • Government Agencies
   • FAA
   • International Trade
   • Financial Institutions
   • Client Relations
   • Conference Calls
   • EU
   • Foreign Exchange
   • Press Releases
   • Documentary Collections

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage import and export projects, reviewing documentation to identify potential risks and make recommendations for mitigation to upper management.
   • Interact with company executives to provide information about export procedures, export regulatory requirements, and U.S. Government resources for exporters.
   • Develop and deliver training collateral material for PowerPoint presentation (s).

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the international first officer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An international first officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an international first officer in Kansas may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level international first officer. Additionally, an international first officer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average international first officer salary

   $88,898yearly

   $42.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level international first officer salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average international first officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$118,466	$57
   2	Virginia	$114,718	$55
   3	Pennsylvania	$107,455	$52
   4	New Jersey	$105,905	$51
   5	Pennsylvania	$103,307	$50
   6	Illinois	$102,735	$49
   7	Ohio	$102,254	$49
   8	Colorado	$88,713	$43
   9	Texas	$88,324	$42
   10	Texas	$87,916	$42
   11	Texas	$87,777	$42
   12	Texas	$86,771	$42
   13	Florida	$86,206	$41
   14	New York	$84,926	$41
   15	New York	$84,775	$41
   16	Wisconsin	$83,271	$40
   17	Texas	$80,645	$39

   Average international first officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Holland & Knight	$130,298	$62.64
   2	AIG	$125,712	$60.44	8
   3	CIT Group	$111,510	$53.61
   4	Banco Itaú	$100,894	$48.51
   5	HP	$96,766	$46.52	3
   6	U.S. International Development Finance Corp	$89,091	$42.83
   7	IBC Bank	$88,074	$42.34
   8	Forms+Surfaces	$80,349	$38.63
   9	International Business-Government Counsellors	$79,074	$38.02
   10	International Student Exchange	$77,685	$37.35
   11	Air Wisconsin Airlines	$61,898	$29.76
   12	Inter National Bank	$45,853	$22.04

4. Writing an international first officer job description

   An international first officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an international first officer job description:

   International first officer job description example

   Since 1992, Ciena has been driven by a relentless pursuit of network innovation. We believe in a network that grows smarter, more agile, and more responsive every day. This means that when you digitally interact in your world - picking up the phone, streaming video, texting a friend or loved one - your interactions are being enabled by Ciena technologies. Ciena makes your social / entertainment / business existence REAL.
   
   No candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified below and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!
   International SE Enablement Specialist:
   (Can be remote UK Europe or India)
   What will you do at Ciena?
   This position is responsible for driving SE enablement and collaboration across the international region. The selected individual will direct and facilitate a range of key initiatives for the International SE community. The initiatives cover programs like the New Grad Program, Know your customer program. The role also involves identifying and driving training needs, bootcamps, control distribution and sharing of lab inventory across regions. The role covers initiatives involving creating, structuring and simplifying the consumption of information and tools across the SE community. This may be in the form of ppts, documents, videos or other repositories like SharePoint or teams.
   The position involves direct management fresh graduates and EIC (early in career) teams, close peering/liaising with regional and global teams.
   Responsibilities
   Run the New Grad Program:
   Get involved in the hiring, management, and training program for New GradsDesign and implement the program working with regional and global teams.
   Know Your Customer Program:
   Track market direction in terms of Customer and Technology trends Keep track of Market Size | TAM / CAM / Market share trends Get industry reports and maintain a repository.Have a regular touch point with Marketing to keep track of market events
   Enablement & Process Related
   Co-ordinate with Global team on SE Trainings / Bootcamps / Power hours etc Drive collaboration & information sharing across business verticals and functions Identify external trainings for strategic focus areas and bring these up to SE Leadership team Keep track of SE Labs across the regions and facilitate sharing and efficient use of inventory Maintain an information repository and drive awareness across SE teams
   Experience
   Engineering Degree or equivalent.Sound command of English language is mandatory, other languages a bonus8+ years of solid telecommunications industry experience Good knowledge of key networking technologies (Optical, OTN, Ethernet, MPLS-TP, IP, SDN & NFV) and applications (Mobility, Data Center Networking, IP/Optical architectures, Ethernet services, Automation & Virtualization, OSS) Established track record of working within a cross-functional teams Professionalism in attitude, conduct, and appearance.
   About Ciena, Our People Promise & Employee benefits
   Ciena is a networking systems, services and software company that besides being a Global leader in Optical Networking technology, is an evolved market player in IP/Packet technology and Software Automation domain (BluePlanet).
   Being globally recognised as a Great Place To Work company, Ciena continues to build upon its legacy of providing an open, flexible and cohesive work environment.
   Our people promise
   Our success is Rooted in People, as together, we Make a Difference, Are Empowered and Feel Included to create a culture of belonging, vibrancy and happiness.
   Ciena is rooted in people, from the individuals who work here, to customers, partners, suppliers and the communities we live and work in - everyone!
   We get that our everyday interactions shape who and what we are. So, whilst we build technology, we also build relationships!
   Benefits
   At Ciena, we value the commitment, skill, and dedication of all our employees. We know how much work goes into making the company a success. We strive to provide our employees with competitive benefits. Ciena is concerned with the overall health and well-being of employees and will continue to offer benefits that meet your needs.
   *LI-CN
   
   At Ciena, we are committed to building and fostering an environment in which our employees feel respected, valued, and heard. Ciena values the diversity of its workforce and respects its employees as individuals. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination.
   
   If contacted in relation to a job opportunity, please advise Ciena of any accommodation measures you may require.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find international first officers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your international first officer job on Zippia to find and recruit international first officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with international first officer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new international first officer

   Once you've selected the best international first officer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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