I’m relocating to Austin in the near future because of family reasons and could use some guidance about finding work there. I finished my graduate degree at Columbia last year and have been working at the United Nations for about 12 months. Before that role, I worked for around 4-5 years as a Product Manager and Product Owner at a large international bank where I focused on payment systems, digital transformation, fintech solutions, and expanding financial access.
Right now I’m looking for opportunities in product management, digital strategy, and consulting roles. I’m especially interested in finance, banking, or fintech companies.
I’m hoping to get some advice about:
What companies in Austin (whether large corporations or smaller local firms) might be good fits for someone with my experience
How challenging it is currently for international professionals who need work visa sponsorship - is the situation manageable or extremely difficult?
What networking groups, professional meetups, or industry events in Austin would be worth attending for tech, consulting, or innovation professionals
I’d be grateful for any suggestions, insights, or positive thoughts you can offer!
Your Columbia degree plus UN experience will open doors here. Austin’s market is growing fast. Beyond the obvious fintech companies, look at Vrbo (HomeAway’s parent) and RetailMeNot - both local with major payment infrastructure needs. Tesla’s Gigafactory needs financial systems people for their expansion too. For sponsorship, I’ve been in Austin tech for seven years and companies with international operations are way more open to it. Think AMD, NXP Semiconductors, Samsung’s research division. Skip the usual networking events. Austin Technology Council’s quarterly executive forums get actual decision-makers, not just recruiters. SXSW Interactive is gold for connecting with VCs who’ll intro you to their portfolio companies looking for product leaders. Your international financial inclusion background? That’s exactly what Austin companies need as they expand globally.
Your UN experience plus banking background? That’s actually a killer combo for Austin. Dell’s got major fintech projects going, and Oracle’s financial services team loves hiring PMs with your background. Charles Schwab’s big here too. For visas, it depends on company size - big players like IBM and Indeed sponsor regularly, but mid-size companies are pickier. Skip the formal networking events and check out Capital Factory instead - tons of fintech startups work out of there. Austin’s “Silicon Hills” thing means Deloitte and PwC are growing their local tech teams fast. Your international background could be huge since Austin’s becoming way more global.
the visa situation isn’t as rough as people claim - you just need to be smart about it. fidelity’s austin office is exploding right now and they’re hungry for product people with banking background. don’t overlook bumble either (they’re based here) - it’s fintech-adjacent with solid pm opportunities. hit up austin startup week when it rolls around. way better networking than those regular meetups.
Welcome to Austin! I made a similar move from NYC about 3 years ago (different field though). Visa sponsorship is definitely trickier now - not gonna lie - but Austin’s still more open than most markets. For fintech, check out Q2 Holdings and Visa’s local operations - they’re constantly hiring product people. Don’t overlook the smaller fintech startups either. They’re often more flexible with sponsorship if you’ve got solid experience. Austin Tech Alliance runs great networking events, and there’s a monthly FinTech meetup downtown. Good luck!
Oh great, another Ivy League grad wanting the royal treatment lol. But honestly, your timing’s not bad - Austin’s starving for product talent even though the visa situation makes employers nervous. Everyone hit the usual suspects but forgot about Spiceworks and HomeAway’s old teams who spread out into smaller fintechs. Here’s a tip: don’t beg for sponsorship. Target companies that already handle international compliance - they understand visas. And join Austin Digital Jobs on Facebook. It’s better than most ‘professional’ networking events.