JOIN USJim Campbell outlines how Indian students can go about finding part-time work while studying in the UK and a job after graduating.
Those considering studying in the UK often share similar concerns in relation to their career prospects afterwards; What do graduates from my intended course go on to do? Do UK employers recruit international students? And another popular query is; Will I be able to find part-time work whilst I study?
In assessing your own prospects following a particular course of study you could begin by studying publicly available graduate destination information. All universities in the UK survey their graduates on this matter 6-months after graduation. Results are broken down by subjects and publicised on websites such as Unistats (www.unistats.ac.uk) and often too on the careers service pages of university websites.
As part of the exercise of gathering destination information graduates are contacted by email and telephone. The response rate from international students has traditionally been quite low (normally around 30%) and so unfortunately few universities have a detailed picture at present on their level of success in the job market.
Anecdotally, we do know however, that some international students are still managing to find employment in the UK. To find examples you can check university websites for alumni case studies. You might also conduct advanced people searches on sites like LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) using the name of your chosen course and institution as key words.
Immigration routes
The most likely immigration route for graduates wishing to work in the UK after their studies is the Tier 2 (general) visa.
This scheme enables employers to recruit non-EEA nationals to work in the UK, but in graduate level jobs only. Applicants for this visa need to accumulate a certain number of qualifying points, the bulk of which will be awarded for the possession of a suitable job offer and a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a registered employer.
There are a number of other visa routes that may be of interest to a more select band of international students. These include the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) scheme and the Tier 4 (Doctorate extension) scheme. More detailed information on routes to immigration can be found at the United Kingdom Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website (http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/working_after.php).
Sourcing job vacancies
Whilst there are never any guarantees in the UK graduate labour market, there is a lot you can do to maximise your chances of finding employment:
Source job vacancies not only from conventional channels such as websites and newspapers but also from people from within target sectors who can assist with access to the hidden jobs market. Only 50% of vacancies are advertised! Social networking platforms such as LinkedIn represent an excellent way of extending your list of professional contacts.
English proficiency will of course be a factor for employers in the UK and you should take every opportunity to develop your fluency. Joining student clubs and societies provides an excellent opportunity to interact with native speakers.
Gaining work experience during your studies will enhance your CV. Normally international students can work for up to 20 hours during semester and full time outside of semester time. Most university towns are teeming with shops, bars, restaurants, call centres and other staple employers of part time staff. However, competition can be tough – part time work that fits in with a degree is highly desirable.
Careers services post adverts for part-time and graduate opportunities and can advise on job search strategies. They can also help you to produce high quality CVs and application forms and improve performance in face-to-face selection procedures such as interviews and assessment centres.
Of course, many international students will return home after their studies to take the next step in their career path.
In recent times, careers services in the UK have internationalised provision and now offer information on most popular job markets around the world. Many services also actively source details of job vacancies from employers across the globe.
To summarise all of this in one sentence you might say that your job prospects, either in the UK or elsewhere will improve significantly if you become a careers service user early in your time at university.
(The writer is an international careers adviser at the University of Glasgow.)