Business Development Representative Jobs for OPT Students
Business Development Representative jobs are widely available to F-1 OPT students, but cap-exempt status and a clear connection between your degree and the role are what employers actually screen for. Most BDR roles qualify under business or communications fields, and your 12-month OPT window is enough to clear probationary periods at most companies.
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Get Access To All JobsAbout Bland
At Bland.com, our goal is to empower enterprises to make AI-phone agents at scale. Based out of San Francisco, we're a quickly growing team striving to change the way customers interact with businesses. We've raised $65 million from Silicon Valley's finest; Including Emergence Capital, Scale Venture Partners, YC, the founders of Twilio, Affirm, ElevenLabs, and many more.
About the Role
This is a full-time role located in San Francisco, CA. As a Business Development Representative (BDR) at Bland, your primary responsibility will be driving pipeline and growing net-new business. You'll actively prospect, qualify, and pass meetings to our AEs to move deals forward.
We're a startup, and we need people who understand what that means. We aren't a super traditional team, but we are an extremely effective one. We love unique backgrounds, hardworkers, and intelligent people who take pride in everything they do.
What Makes You a Great Fit
- Preferably 1+ year of SaaS BDR experience
- Startup experience is a plus, especially in Enterprise SaaS
- Comfortable understanding and communicating around complex technical problems
- Experience in business development and customer relationship management
- High level of agency—able to figure things out, build new processes, and just get it done
- Bachelor's degree is preferred but not required
- Comfortable with cold outreach (calls, emails, LinkedIn, etc.)
Benefits and Pay:
- Healthcare, dental, vision, all the good stuff
- Meaningful equity in a fast-growing company
- Every tool you need to succeed
- Beautiful office in Jackson Square, SF with rooftop views
If you don't have the perfect experience that is fine! We're a bunch of drop-outs and hackers. Working at a start-up is really hard. We work a lot and we figure things out on the fly.
OTE: $100,000
About Bland
At Bland.com, our goal is to empower enterprises to make AI-phone agents at scale. Based out of San Francisco, we're a quickly growing team striving to change the way customers interact with businesses. We've raised $65 million from Silicon Valley's finest; Including Emergence Capital, Scale Venture Partners, YC, the founders of Twilio, Affirm, ElevenLabs, and many more.
About the Role
This is a full-time role located in San Francisco, CA. As a Business Development Representative (BDR) at Bland, your primary responsibility will be driving pipeline and growing net-new business. You'll actively prospect, qualify, and pass meetings to our AEs to move deals forward.
We're a startup, and we need people who understand what that means. We aren't a super traditional team, but we are an extremely effective one. We love unique backgrounds, hardworkers, and intelligent people who take pride in everything they do.
What Makes You a Great Fit
- Preferably 1+ year of SaaS BDR experience
- Startup experience is a plus, especially in Enterprise SaaS
- Comfortable understanding and communicating around complex technical problems
- Experience in business development and customer relationship management
- High level of agency—able to figure things out, build new processes, and just get it done
- Bachelor's degree is preferred but not required
- Comfortable with cold outreach (calls, emails, LinkedIn, etc.)
Benefits and Pay:
- Healthcare, dental, vision, all the good stuff
- Meaningful equity in a fast-growing company
- Every tool you need to succeed
- Beautiful office in Jackson Square, SF with rooftop views
If you don't have the perfect experience that is fine! We're a bunch of drop-outs and hackers. Working at a start-up is really hard. We work a lot and we figure things out on the fly.
OTE: $100,000
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Business Development Representative
Lead with your OPT authorization upfront
Mention your OPT status and end date in your cover letter or email outreach. BDR hiring managers move fast and want to know your work authorization before scheduling a call. Proactive clarity prevents you from being screened out early.
Connect your degree to the BDR role explicitly
USCIS requires a logical connection between your field of study and your job. Business, marketing, communications, and economics degrees align cleanly with BDR responsibilities. Name that connection in your resume summary and application materials.
Apply early relative to your OPT start date
BDR hiring cycles typically run two to six weeks from application to offer. If your OPT starts in May, begin applying in March. Starting late compresses your runway and forces you to explain gaps before you have authorization.
Quantify your pipeline contributions before interviewing
BDR roles are metrics-driven. Prepare specific numbers from internships, projects, or any sales-adjacent work: calls made, meetings booked, or conversion rates. Concrete performance data makes you a lower-risk hire for a sponsoring employer.
Ask about sponsorship intent before accepting an offer
Raise H-1B sponsorship before signing. A tactful question during the offer stage, such as whether the company has sponsored BDRs for H-1B in the past, saves you from accepting a role with no long-term path.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do Business Development Representative jobs qualify for F-1 OPT?
Yes, BDR roles qualify for OPT as long as the work is directly related to your field of study. Degrees in business administration, marketing, communications, or economics align well with BDR responsibilities. If your degree is in an unrelated field, you'll need to document the connection carefully on your OPT application and with your DSO.
Can I work as a BDR while on STEM OPT extension?
Only if your employer is E-Verify enrolled and your degree qualifies as a STEM field. Most business and marketing degrees do not qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Computer science or data-focused graduates moving into technical BDR roles at enrolled companies may qualify, but verify your specific major against the official STEM Designated Degree Program List before assuming eligibility.
How do I find BDR jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for visa-sponsoring employers, making it easier to identify BDR openings where OPT work authorization is welcome. Generic job boards surface thousands of results without filtering for sponsorship intent, which wastes application cycles during your limited OPT window. Browsing Migrate Mate lets you focus on companies already familiar with international hiring.
Will a BDR employer sponsor me for an H-1B after my OPT ends?
It depends on the company size, budget, and whether your performance justifies the cost. Large SaaS companies and enterprise tech firms have sponsored BDRs who moved into account executive or sales operations roles. Smaller companies often lack the legal infrastructure to sponsor. Raise sponsorship intent during the offer stage rather than after you've already started, so expectations are clear on both sides.
Does commission-based pay affect my OPT eligibility as a BDR?
No, commission or variable pay structures do not affect OPT eligibility on their own. What matters is that the role is a genuine employer-employee relationship in a field related to your degree, not whether compensation includes commissions. However, fully independent contractor arrangements may raise USCIS scrutiny around whether true employment exists, so confirm your employment classification with your DSO if the offer is 1099-based.
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