Making yourself employable as an International Student

Making yourself employable as an International Student No one can argue how much the UK Education sector is enriched and enhanced by the contribution of international students. International students often feel frustrated when they come to seek work in the UK post-studies but there are still many opportunitiesto develop employability whilst studying.   Yes it will be harder because of visa regulations but it is not impossible.  Some companies will be quite clear on whether they can recruit an international student but regulations can and will change so nothing can be taken for granted in this situation. Seek advice from within the University or from an excellent source such as the  UK Council for International Student Affairs   Why not start to put the following ideas into practical use from now on to help develop your employability? It is never too late to get started on making yourself more employable but early starts yield the most results. Have a career plan Do you have a clear idea in terms of your career or is are you still trying to find out what you want to do? Consider what it is that you want to do, what sector you want to work in. If you don’t know then use a reflective tool like the  Prospects career quiz and reflect on the results with a Careers Consultant. Do your research on sector and companies: This is important, many recruiters feel that applicants apply for jobs without knowing why they are. Don’t be someone who applies to everything and anything just to get a job. Demonstrating that you know what a company does, why you have selected a particular company and why you are motivated to work for them makes you more likely to stay and therefore be a good investment to the organisation. This is feedback not just from UK companies but worldwide recruiters. To be successful you must be commercially aware  . Demonstrate your motivation! Get work experience and get relevant work experience: All work experience is good but some will be seen as being more desirable to a recruiter. Do get part-time work as this will help you develop customer service skills and team working but also think about internships. If you can do a placement year then do! This is excellent experience that links to the area you want to work in. Also, consider volunteering and work shadowing. Reflect on your skills Often we take our skill set for granted. Few of us take the time to stop, pause and reflect on the skills we have, the skills we need to get or enhance. Don’t just think of skills as being what you do at work. You develop skills during assignments, volunteering or as part of our university societies. Understanding the skills we have and being able to explain them on an application form is vital. It is never enough to state we have a skill,  give evidence of it and how you have used it. Use a skills audit and use it regularly and see how you are developing. It is always better to do ten focused applications than a hundred unfocused It sounds obvious but quality will always win over sheer quantity every time. Avoid wasting yours and the employer’s time and energy. Avoid non-tailored, generic CVs and covering letters. Instead create bespoke versions that give clear evidence to a recruiter. Attend Careers workshops for help.   Maintain your ‘home networks’ whilst you are in the UK and network. Networking is important in both the UK and at home. Utilise the links that you have and develop new ones. Don’t be frightened by networking; it is a conversation with a careers focus. People will be open to helping you (where they can) if they can see you have a clear goal. Join LinkedIn to help you make contacts and become a contact for others. Make your profile effective and professional.   If you want to connect with others personalise your email to explain the benefits of connecting to you and why you are contacting them. Practise your English Language skills at all times and have a wide circle of friends from all backgrounds. Practice your English skills both verbal and written. Use your time in the UK to develop your English skills. Many international alumni often say they wish they had made more friends from different cultures to them. They regretted speaking too much in their mother tongue. Practice by talking to people you meet. Get involved in extracurricular activities Recruiters value the worth of such activity.   For Masters’ students they often feel they don’t have the time to get involved in clubs in their first term. Ultimately it is important to balance your workload. Undergraduates may get carried away by the social aspect and it can be a shock at the end of the year when you get your results! You may want to join societies when you have more times but make sure that you are active in them. or consider volunteering. Don’t see your Careers Service as only being there for CV checks and events Your careers team offers a variety of support and they are full of people who are highly knowledgeable of the UK graduate labour market. Use us! Additionally and importantly, we are impartial so it is your choice. Good luck and do not be frightened to ask for help. Enjoy your time in the UK. Making yourself employable as an international student Often I meet very concerned international students worried about how hard it will be to get a job post study in the UK. Yes, there are opportunities out there for international students but it does feel much harder because of visa regulations. It may not help that these visa regulations change with little notice and the impact on Brexit could add further complications to an already complex process. If you are an international student here are some tips to help you. By putting these into action you will be improving your chances of landing your graduate job. Remember that is never too late to get started on making yourself more employable! 1. Know what you want to do. Do you have a clear idea in terms of your career or is it still rather vague? Consider what it is that you want to do, what sector you want to work in. If you don’t know then use a reflective tool like the    Prospects quiz  and reflect on the results with a careers consultant. Reflect on the skills you have, the things you know and the things relating to careers you want to find out about. Know your values and needs. Know what you need to learn more about or to develop. 2. Do your research on sectors and companies â€" this is a key skill known as commercial awareness and you need it as much as any other skill. Indeed, many graduate recruiters feel that many students and graduates lack this ability, or the ability to demonstrate it! That also includes UK students! Remember that you need to know about 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. To be successful you will need to be commercially aware and demonstrate this awareness. . 3. Get work experience and get relevant work experience â€" all work experience is good but there is definitely some that is 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 as part of your course. Placements are usually part of a course so do speak to your department staff. By doing a placement year you will gain excellent experience that links to the area you want to work in and develop your networks further. Once you have completed work experience it is vital to reflect on the skills that you have developed. 4. Remember, it is quality rather than quantity in the number of applications you make. It is better to do 10 focused applications than 100 unfocused and untargeted ones. Rather than sending off non-tailored CVs and covering letters create bespoke versions that give clear evidence to a recruiter to help. Attend workshops on effective applications and any other workshops that can help. Check My Advantage for details. 5. Maintain your home networks whilst you are in the UK â€" networking is important in the UK and at home so utilise those that you have. You can develop new networks but don’t neglect others. So, join LinkedIn if you are not already a member. This can help you make contacts and become a contact for others. Attend workshops on developing your social media profile and make sure you make your profile effective and professional. If you want to connect to others always personalise your contact message to explain the benefits of connecting to you and why you want to contact to them. Connect to people in the areas that interest you and with academics and see who of their contacts can help you. 6. Practise your English language skillsâ€" 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. Highlight this as many employers will be interested in your other language skills. Don’t down play these but talk about them where they are part of the criteria of a role. Sometimes English skills can fall by the wayside if a lot of your friends are also from the same country as you and you find yourself speaking in your mother language. Try to practice your language skills as much as you can. Be aware of slang used by friends from the UK too and if they use an expression or reference you don’t understand then ask about it. This helps to strengthen your cultural awareness. 7. Get involved in extra-curricular activities recruiters tell us that they really value the worth of such activity. So, join the clubs and societies that interest you and be active in them! Yes, it is a fine line in balancing your work with academic studies. Sometimes in the first year you can be tempted to get carried away by the social aspect but if it isn’t impacting on your studies have fun and keep developing those skill sets. Follow these simple steps to help you to develop your employability skills. Don’t forget to use your Careers Centre to help you throughout your time at university as well! Check out the Warwick Worldwide Careers Moodle and the  Office for Global Engagement