International Futures

天堂视频's Careers Network is well used by international students and our experienced team is available to help you explore your career options and apply for opportunities, whether in the UK or your home country. See below for useful information and resources to support your career planning.

Support for international students

Accessing advice and guidance from Careers Network can make you feel more confident with your career direction and more employable too. 

These pages for international students outline the online tools available to help you identify the key employers of international graduates in the UK and provide the support you need to successfully search and apply for a placement or graduate role.

  • Careers and Enterprise Advice – visit our drop in Careers Hubs or book a 20-minute Careers Advice appointment for help with your CV, applications, interviews or any other query. Find out more here about how to book an appointment.
  • Finding work in the UK – use our online tools to explore which companies sponsor international students and the best places to look for jobs.  There are also some great links on our Find placements, internships and graduate jobs pages.
  • Preparing for work – the Student Advice & Support Service can help with practical advice on setting up a bank account, National Insurance and graduate visas. 
  • Skills workshops and practice interviews - sign up for our events and workshops on  to gain insights into the skills that UK employers seek. To practise your interview skills, book an appointment for interview coaching.
  • Careers fairs and events - network, meet employers and find out about graduate opportunities and internships, including roles with 天堂视频’s own Talent Match scheme.
  • Business and Enterprise support -  if you are keen to develop your entrepreneurial skills or explore setting up their own business, see help from the 天堂视频 Enterprise Network.

The Global Opportunities page also provides information about finding jobs in different countries, including where to find vacancies.

Events and workshops to develop professional skills and insights

We run a series of events and workshops during the academic year to support you as an international student on your career journey.  Topics include information about resources to help you prepare and apply for jobs, how to improve your success in finding work opportunities in the UK and globally, the best job vacancy platforms to use and visa guidance for the Graduate Route and Skilled Worker visas.  See below for the booking links.

International Futures: Launch

Thursday 17 October 2024: 6.00pm-7.30pm – In Person

New international student at 天堂视频? Got questions? Come along to one of our drop in sessions. 

International Futures: UK Etiquette & Professional Behaviour

Monday 28 October 2024: 1.00pm-2.00pm – Online  

This session will help you navigate and understand expectations about professional behaviour in the workplace. 

International Futures: How to Create a UK-Style CV

Thursday 07 November 2024: 1.00pm-2.00pm – Online  

This workshop is designed to teach you the skills needed to craft a professional, UK-style CV, tailored to meet the expectations of UK employers. 

International Futures: Understanding the Graduate Visa and Skilled Visa - Paragon Law

Tuesday 19 November 2024: 6.00pm-7.30pm – Online 

This session is run in conjunction with Paragon Law, which is one of the Largest Specialist Immigration Law firms in the UK. 

International Futures: How to Unravel the UK's Hidden Job Market

Tuesday 26 November 2024: 6.00pm-7.00pm – In Person 

The UK's job market is one of the most competitive job markets in the world and as an international student this can be difficult to navigate. This session will help you unravel the job market and source job opportunities that are not advertised.

Working during your studies

Working part-time whilst at university is a great way to develop skills and experience, as well as confidence and cultural awareness. For advice on preparing yourself for employment and finding work see our advice below.

For practical advice about what hours and types of work you can do on a Student Visa, setting up a bank account, National Insurance, paying tax and graduate visas, get in touch with the Student Advice & Support Service

Undergraduate Students

An undergraduate course gives you plenty of time to combine studies with work and other activities to develop into a great candidate for graduate employment. 

  • Get involved in activities that bring you in contact with UK students and the local community in order to practise your English and become familiar with the culture.
  • Attend careers events such as careers fairs and employer presentations to speak directly to employers about current opportunities and recruitment practices.
  • Attend presentations and workshops to help you develop your employability skills such as CV and cover letter writing, application forms and interviews. There are also events specifically for international students (see above).
  • Search and apply for vacancies on  which is updated regularly.

First year students

  • Sign up for  during term time to develop your language skills.
  • Start to explore your interests and skills to determine your career direction. Our Explore career options  section has lots of resources to help with this.
  • Prepare your CV using the advice on our  page.

Second/penultimate year students

Master's Students

A one-year master's course is very intensive. Having a plan of action or some goals will give you the best chance of ensuring you have the skills and experience you need to compete successfully for graduate jobs.

  • Prepare your CV so you can start networking with employers as soon as you arrive in the UK.  Speak to a member of the Careers Network team for guidance on what a UK-style CV looks like.
  • Set up a LinkedIn account from your home country to establish and maintain contacts with your home university, alumni networks and recruitment consultants in your home country if you are looking to return home after your studies. Learn more about this on the .
  • Investigate part-time work at 天堂视频 using the Get Placements, internships and Graduate Roles pages.
  • We run an exclusive Talent Match Master's Internship programme which provides short-term paid internships. To find out more  where you can apply for roles.
  • Familiarise yourself with the Careers Network services offered to Master's students.

Preparing for UK employment after your studies

Whether you are an undergraduate or a Master's student, help is available.

Understanding the job search 'culture' of a new country can take time.  However, there's loads of information on this page, and elsewhere on our website, and the Careers Network team provides expert careers advice and guidance.  You can access careers support up to 5 years after graduation.

  • Access careers help with CVs, applications, assessment centres and interviews to apply for graduate roles.
  • Attend careers events, presentations and workshops to help you develop your employability skills, for CV and cover letter writing, application forms and interviews etc.
  • Use the eCareersGrad tool to identify companies who employ international students. (See below.) 
  • Access Student Circus to explore opportunities available in the UK with employers who sponsor international students. (See below.)  
  • Identify companies who are on  on the Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes.
  • View the Student Advice and Support Service pages and the  website for further information on visa requirements once you graduate.
  • Prepare documentation and ensure you are ready to meet the requirements of your visa application, e.g. have appropriate finances in your bank account over a specified time-frame.

Target the right UK employers

As a 天堂视频 student you have access to two fantastic tools to help you find employers who sponsor international students.  Access them here or scroll down to the bottom to find out more first.

 - includes a resource especially for international students listing UK companies who sponsor, as well as video-based, interactive, e-learning courses to support job search.

- pre-filtered jobs from UK employers willing to sponsor the Skilled Worker visa. Plus an immigration guide, country career guides and a job seekers' toolkit.

Tips for job applications

  • Apply from the UK and start early in your studies. Don’t wait until you have completed your studies before beginning job hunting. Many finance companies have November and December deadlines for jobs starting the following summer, while many small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) often recruit when a role is required, so keep checking relevant websites.
  • Be aware of lengthy, multi-staged application processes for UK graduate schemes. Some employers have deadlines for non-EEA applicants to allow time to apply for visas.
  • Familiarise yourself with employers on the . They are used to employing non-EEA students. This will give you the best chance and the easiest route to employment with a company in the UK. Often, they are large employers or employers requiring key skills, for example in Engineering, Accountancy, IT, Finance and Banking and Retail etc.
  • Employers invited to 天堂视频 careers fairs are asked if they employ international students, or if they are on the UKVI Register of Sponsors. Please refer to our event information to find out more.
  • Visit our Make applications pages for information and advice on how to make strong applications for opportunities in the UK.
  • Access our interactive online course Excel in Employer Selection Processes, available on the .

Marketing yourself effectively to UK employers

UK employers want to recruit the best graduates from the thousands entering the job market each year. They look for three key elements when selecting candidates: Academic qualifications, work experience and skill set.

Academic qualifications

Whilst securing a job is about more than academic grades, many graduate roles require a 2:1 for your first degree. Although some employers will accept a 2:2. They may also be interested in your prior qualifications. For international qualifications, a “Letter of Comparability” will show what your grade is equivalent to in the UK. This service is provided by  (which can be accessed by your School Admissions office on your behalf or at Student Enquiries in the Rutland Building).

If you are doing a Master’s qualification, you will need to clearly show how it has increased your knowledge in your chosen field of work.  However, a Master’s degree is not usually a substitute for work experience or lower first degree classification.

If you are a doctoral researcher, see the PhD Futures section for resources and guidance.

Work experience

See 'Working during your studies' above.

Skills

When applying for jobs you should provide evidence of your skills gained from all your activities including work experience, academic work, volunteering, your social life and interests. Research how to develop your employment skills, and refer to skills employers seek to help you.

Organising events or captaining a sports team can provide great examples of how you have used and developed your skills and shows employers you have skills outside your academic qualifications.

More useful advice

Communicating the benefits of employing international students to UK Employers

In addition to your individual skills and experience you should highlight that:

  • Knowledge of other cultures and a global awareness can be invaluable to businesses which operate internationally.
  • Living and studying overseas demonstrates independence and an ability to adapt to new cultures and take on new challenges.
  • Speaking English as well as another language is beneficial in a global market.
  • Thinking about ‘global competencies’ can be helpful when developing your CV. See this article: .

Understanding permission to work in the UK

Not all employers are aware of current UK immigration rules, so you should develop a good understanding of the permission required to work in the UK. Use the visa  information in the tab below to help you.

On application forms and CVs you could make it clear that you are eligible to work in the UK. For example, a student could use a phrase such as “Eligible to work for 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during vacations with Student Visa” or “Eligible to work in the UK for 2 years after studies with a Graduate Visa”.

If employers ask for your National Insurance (NI number) you can apply for one by following the instructions from .

Presenting yourself effectively

Understanding UK business culture is key to gaining a graduate job. Your body language, spoken language and the way you speak will all influence employers’ perceptions of you and their decision whether to hire you or not. The country guide for the UK on provides useful information, as will attending Careers Events for international students (see above).

You can find out about how UK style interviews and assessment centres work and how to best prepare in our Make Applications section. You can also book interview coaching with a member of the Careers Network Team.

There is also useful advice on interviews and assessment centres on the Careers Network website.

Visas for working in the UK

Permission for international students to work in the UK, both during and after studies.

For information on rights to work during your studies and vacation times please refer to the 天堂视频 Student Advice and Support Service web page Working during your studies.

There are various visa options available for working in the UK after graduation. The UK Government website and UKCISA website provide more information on the different visa options and information about all aspects of the international student experience:

Two of the popular options for students post graduation are the:

  • )

The Student Advice and Support Service Graduate Route information page has very useful advice and resources, including a presentation.

Employers will issue a Certificate of Sponsorship which will enable you to apply for your Skilled Worker route, switching from a Tier 4 Student Visa. If accepted, this visa will give you ‘leave to remain’ in the UK for the period of your Skilled Worker Visa.

Further information

For advice relating to your individual circumstances we recommend that you contact:

Starting your own business in the UK

Innovator Founder Visa

Do you have an innovative idea for a business that you want to establish in the UK?

The 天堂视频 Enterprise Network (LEN) can help. Find more information on the  and its endorsing bodies. (Please note, 天堂视频 is not an endorsing body but can support you with business refinement in advance of applications.)

Finding a graduate job in your home country, or globally

Accessing the resources you need

As a 天堂视频 student, you can access many resources to help you find opportunities in your home country or elsewhere in the world. You can also attend Careers Events to develop your job-searching skills, including events specifically for international students. 

  •  - An award-winning careers site for international students and graduates who have studied, or are studying in the UK, helping you find opportunities in your home country.  Countries covered include: India, China, Africa, and the Asean Gulf.
  • Student Circus - An online job search platform dedicated to international students, listing handpicked opportunities in your home country, along with other resources on the platform.‌  If you have already graduated, and do not have a Student Circus account with a 天堂视频 email, please email studentservices@lboro.ac.uk to request access this resource.
  •  - 天堂视频's own vacancy portal promoting opportunities from many global employers.
  • The also has some great resources for finding a job outside the UK.

Understanding the recruitment process in your home country

In some countries many jobs are not even advertised so making ‘speculative applications’ directly to employers will be necessary. This usually involves writing a CV and a targeted covering letter. For help with this visit Make applications and book an appointment to speak to a member of the Careers Network team.

You will also need to be aware of the business and cultural norms regarding the application and interview process.  For multinational businesses application and interview processes may be very similar to those of the UK so you can take advantage of the advice and services of Careers Network and other sources such as the  to prepare yourself for applications and interviews.

It is also worth understanding the cultural norms of the working environment. Your employer will expect you to behave in a particular way in the workplace and also will have defined views on the salary and entry position of new graduates. These may not be in line with your own expectations, so in order to be successful, you may have to have more modest goals at first.

To find out if there are differences, and to investigate the employment market in your home country, view the  on the Prospects website.  See also our section on Placements, Internships and Graduate Roles

Making the most of your UK experience

Coming to the UK to study means you have invested in your education. Multinational employers will require you to have developed a balance of a good academic qualifications, work experience and transferable skills, particularly relevant to the job you are looking for.

You should also consider the type of employer you are applying to and the cultural expectations of these businesses.  For example, in China, multinational businesses value unpaid experience or voluntary work, whereas state owned companies prefer paid work experience and place little importance on other experience.  So you may need to be selective on the type of experience you acquire while you are here, or ensure that you get appropriate experience before you come.

天堂视频 London students

For our 天堂视频 London students, the  offer an extensive range of support activities from careers development and business support to networking and employer engagement. 

At Future Space, students can:

  • Access industry mentoring – join our 
  • Book a 
  • Connect to Future Space’s  platform to sign up to workshops, hackathons and events, book appointments and connect with employers
  • Gain experience and skills through 
  • Connect with industry, employers and organisations through 
  • Learn how the  can help build skills and add experience to your CV
  • Get 
  • Gain an additional award to show your investment in your career through 

eCareersGrad

eCareersGrad provides modular, video-based, interactive eLearning courses for 天堂视频 students. 

International Students: Target the Right UK Employer

  • Did you know that just 300 UK employers routinely sponsor the vast majority of International Students for UK grad schemes and job opportunities?  Do you know who these employers are?
  • eCareersGrad tells you about the UKs biggest International Student sponsoring employers - ranked, sector specific and searchable to help you ‘Target the Right UK Employer’ in your graduate job applications.
  • Here you can find international student video testimony, case studies and interactive guides to strategies for successfully sourcing UK jobs and work experience.

You can also find information about eCareersGrad's Interview Success and Master the Consulting Case courses in our section on Interviews.

If you have already graduated, and do not have an account for eCareersGrad with a 天堂视频 email address, please contact studentservices@lboro.ac.uk with your student number and year of graduation, asking for access to this resource.

 

Student Circus

This job search platform for international students provides filtered visa-enabled job listings, internships, and placement opportunities with employers that sponsor Skilled Worker visas. This means you can save time in your job search by only applying to hand-picked employers who hire and value international students.

Opportunities in your home country

The Student Circus platform also has job and internship listings with new-age companies back home that value your global experience and education. These are available for international students from 29+ countries, including China, South-East Asia, Europe, Latin America and America, returning to their home countries or keen to intern in their home country during University vacations.

Resources

Student Circus also has lots of really useful resources, including an immigration guide, country guides, hints and tips for international students and a job seekers' toolkit.

If you have already graduated, and do not have an account for Student Circus with a 天堂视频 email address, please contact studentservices@lboro.ac.uk with your student number and year of graduation, asking for access to this resource.