How to make yourself employable if you are an international student

Welcome to the UK and the University of Warwick! To help you the British Council has designed a course ‘Prepare to study and live in the UK’. and for advice on working after studying please see here.

Often we meet concerned international students worried about how hard it will be to get a job post study in the UK. It can feel much harder because of visa regulations but there are plenty of opportunities out there for international students.

Here are some tips that you can put into action that will improve your chances of landing that graduate job. Start putting these suggestions into practical use from your very first day at university and you will develop your employability but It is never too late.

Get involved in extracurricular activities

Recruiters value the worth of extracurricular activity.  So join the clubs and societies that interest you but be active in them! Ultimately it is important to balance your work with academic studies. Sometimes in the first year you can get carried away by the social aspect and it can be a shock at the end of the year! However this will also give you access to a broad range of the Warwick community including native English speakers.

Practise your English Language skills at all times

If English isn’t your first language you can find your English skills can easily fall by the wayside if a lot of your friends are also from the same country as you and you find yourself sticking with them and speaking in your mother tongue. Try to use English daily and get the English experience as much as you can. It will strengthen your cultural awareness if you practice it regularly. Look at this good resource to learn more.

But remember that If English is not your first language you are truly amazing to be able to study in another language at degree or post graduate level. Don’t down play these skills but talk about them where they are part of the criteria of a role, many employers will be interested in your other language skills.

Work out what it is that you want to do?

Do you have a clear idea in terms of your career ideas or is it still quite vague? You need to consider what it is that you want to do, what sector that you want to work in. If you don’t know then use a reflective tool like Prospects Planner and reflect on the results with a Careers Consultant. Or you can use the Self Awareness Moodle and its excellent resources.

Do your research on sector and companies

It is important to do your research as many recruiters feel that many students and graduates lack this knowledge, referred to as ‘commercial awareness’. You need to know what is out there and also who is out there. The idea is that you have as much information to help you see what suits you. You can explore job sectors here.

Maintain Home networks whilst you are in the UK

Networking is important in the UK and at home so utilise those that you have and constantly develop new ones (clubs and Societies are useful for this also). It is worth joining LinkedIn if you are not already a member as this can help you make contacts and become a contact for others. Make sure you make your profile effective and professional.  If you want to connect personalise your email to explain the benefits of connecting to you and why you want to contact to them. To help you use the Network Moodle.

Get work experience and get relevant work experience

All work experience is good but there are definitely some that are more desirable to a recruiter. So, yes do get part time work as this will help you but think about internships and if you can do a placement year then you will have some excellent experience that links to the area you want to work in. You can search information on getting work experience here.

It is better to do ten focused applications than a hundred unfocused ones

It is quality rather than quantity every time. So rather than sending off non tailored CVs and covering letters create bespoke versions that give clear evidence to a recruiter to help. Attend the effective applications workshop and any other workshops that can help. Check My Advantage for details and get feedback from the Job Search Advisers and book here

Additionally, there is the new The Careers Chat | Podcast on Spotify that is especially designed for international postgrads and do not forget to use Careers! There are many opportunities out there for International Students but it can be harder because of previous visa regulations and employers not being aware of the changes

Most importantly enjoy your time as a student and the opportunity for exploration and development that this bring!