Looking for Graduate Work in The Uk - Introduction - Part 1/4

Welcome to this online workshop on looking for graduate work in the UK from the University of Edinburgh Careers Service. My name is Kirsten Roche, I am one of the Careers Consultants at the Service and I will be running through this workshop. This workshop is for non UK students from both the EU and the rest of the world. We will look at what employers in the UK look for, how the graduate market in the UK operates and how the Careers Service can help you. First though we will look at some basic points to keep in mind when applying for graduate work in the UK. Here we have a lovely picture of the Forth Road Bridge – just outside Edinburgh. This represents the long road that international students often face when finding work in the UK. However if you are tenacious and start early there is no reason you can’t succeed in finding a job here in the UK. One of the most important messages to consider is that it is vital that all students start planning for their career after graduation as early as possible – this is especially true for international students. Graduate training schemes, which are how big corporations recruit graduates, tend to open their recruitment in around August of the year before you start work and schemes will start to close from November onwards. This takes many students by surprise and can be especially challenging if you are here for a postgraduate course lasting only a year. You will need to apply for these schemes at the same time as you are just settling in to Edinburgh. If you have missed the deadlines for these schemes then don’t panic there are other jobs out there – we will discuss this in section 3. However the key most important message is to not leave it too late. In particular, if you are here on a Tier 4 visa you will need to be applying for jobs with lots of time to allow the employer to apply for the necessary work permit for you to remain when your Tier 4 visa expires. One of the first things to consider before you start applying for jobs in the UK is what makes you stand out from all of the other graduates applying. Identifying this will really help your application to stand out. It could be a particular piece of work you have done, some expert knowledge you have or even your passion for particular area of work. Keep in mind too that what makes you stand out for one job may change if you are applying for something different. One of the things that is likely to make you stand out is the fact that you have international experience. One good way to think about this is to think about what you were like when you first arrived in Edinburgh and think about how you might have changed. You may have developed your understanding of other cultures or your own culture, your English language skills, your problem solving skills or communication skills. These are very desirable qualities to employers and I would encourage you to use these as much as possible in your applications to make you stand out.