The work experience in the UK helps to be noticeable in an international job market and offers great opportunities. No wonder so many international students are eager to get job in the UK after graduation. The competition among candidates is enormous and it is not a secret that finding a job might take some time and efforts.
While it is difficult enough to find a job in the UK in general, the limited time for doing it makes the task even more challenging for international students. It is better to think through the job hunting plan in advance. If you do not even know how to start, follow these tips.
Choose a Way to Go
An international student has two main ways to get a job in the UK. The options are using graduate schemes or a direct entry. The duration of a graduate scheme is usually from eighteen months to three years.
The large organizations offer a period of paid training and a further job. This way of getting hired is quite appealing but the competition is enormous. It makes a lot of students to look for a job through direct entry. Smaller companies also look for educated workers with good skills. They often give a chance to graduates.
When Do They Hire?
The jobs in graduate schemes are usually advertised in autumn of the last year of studies and the employment starts next autumn. Some specialties have certain limits and the recruiting time might be from September until November. There are companies who employ the whole year.
As for a direct entry, it is possible to apply throughout the year, when the vacancies appear. Keep in mind that in this case the employers might to expect you to start work immediately or in the nearest future. It might not be convenient if you have not got your degree yet.
The Recruitment Process
A multiple-stage process is common for large organizations and graduate schemes. It is very likely that you will need an application form, a CV, a cover letter, a psychometric test and an interview by phone. Consider consulting CV writing services in London that might help you to keep up with all the resume writing requirements. An application form might be found on a company’s website.
Smaller organizations usually have a less complicated two-step process. That includes a written application and an interview.
How to Increase Chances of Hiring?
The level of requirements on the UK job market is quite high. Excellent academic results and good English language skills are obligatory. Apart from that, it is essential to show employers that you have necessary personal qualities and professional skills.
To increase your chances of getting hired it might be a good idea to get some work-related experience. It could be a part-time job, an internship or volunteering. The impressive list of extracurricular activities is another way to stand out. Think about participation in sports clubs, student societies, and committees.
Where to Hunt?
An inseparable part of a job-seeking process is a job market research. The university career center can help you with this and recommend some resources. Career fairs, workshops, employer presentations are good places to find the information about job opportunities. Another option is to use an online database of vacancies.
Consider checking LinkedIn networks and websites dedicated to vacancies for graduates. An internship or volunteering could also help you find a job as it helps you networking with other people in this sector.
Make Your Internationalization an Advantage
Being a foreigner is considered to be a disadvantage when it comes to a job searching. However, try to look at it differently and this may become a bonus. At least, it means that you have another language knowledge that might be needed for a company’s affairs. This detail will help you to stand out from a list of home graduates. It is possible that you had interesting job-related experiences in your country or obtained other skills that local students do not have.
Other Options to Consider
No matter how sure you are of success, it is still recommended to think through some backup variants. Postgraduate courses might be a nice solution if you have difficulties with finding a work in time and still want to continue your career in this country. It is suitable only if the course is related to your career goals.
A lot of specialties do not require further education. In this case, you may lower the expectations a bit. It does not mean that you have to give up your dreams.
However, if you have a possibility to get any job it is better than nothing. It might be a temporary job that could give you some experience and will lead you to other job perspectives.
Hello M Nirmal Anandh,
I am finishing my college this year, I am pursuing my goals further in UK, I want to do a part time job please suggest me.
Great article, I agree with you on many points. I think social media has evolved to the point where it transcends international borders so knowing your market and where the jobs are likely to be in your native country will be a great place to start in your destination country.
Once you have begun networking and asking around then you will get more of an idea of the lay of the land so you can then focus your searches more precisely.
Thanks for this article. One of the things that help graduates out is to start the job hunt in advance. It gives you the time period to try out multiple options, and the pressure is well reduced.