International students from UWE Bristol have some of the best facilities available to help boost their employment, and at the last count, a large number of international students who had finished their first degree at UWE Bristol had found full-time employment within six months of graduating or had moved on to further study.
So which services being offered at UWE Bristol help such a high proportion of international students find full-time work, how is such a high level of employability for international students achieved at UWE and what can international students do themselves to help make the most of all the opportunities offered?
David Gee, the founder of the GradLink UK programme based at UWE Bristol, says the changes in post-study work visas in the UK around April 2013 had made “working in the UK much more of a challenge for international students” International students faced having to have a job confirmation with a UK employer before their student visa expired, which could be four months before the end of their course.
Also, some of the largest UK online resources for international students had been withdrawn. So David’s aim was to provide a new online resource for international students. David managed to make a successful bid for UK government funding to set up a site for Malaysian students, but once he had analysed the data from his new website he realised that the demand from international students was much larger than he had anticipated. “There was increased traffic and more and more employers.” It showed that all international students in the UK needed better resources to help them find employment after graduating.
There are now thousands of graduates from China, India, Canada and Bangladesh on the site. Plus whole areas of the globe such as ASEAN and Africa with over five hundred employers of all sizes looking to employ international students with a skillset gained from a UK university education. David says that the site now hosts students from all of the Top 50 universities in the UK.
Partly as a result of the successful GradLink project, UWE Bristol won the ‘Best Careers Service’ award at the National Undergraduate Employability Awards and GradLink itself was shortlisted for The Times Higher Education Award in 2014, was runner-up at The Guardian Awards in 2015 and in the same year won The Times Higher Education Award. David Gee describes UWE Bristol’s achievements and expertise with international students as setting the university apart from other institutions in the UK.
International students can offer skills, such as their native language and cultural awareness which are incredibly valuable to UK employers wishing to expand their business globally from their UK base. The programme enables international students to experience workplace culture in the UK, helping them to settle into their UK offices but also UK companies overseas offices.
Interns can have a great impact if they can demonstrate their individual skills and show how they add value to the business. If you’re successful in gaining a placement through the International Talent Scheme, you’ve already been chosen for your unique skills and this provides a great platform to impress potential future employers.
So far, UK employers who have recruited international students from the scheme have described the impact of UWE Bristol recruits as, “invaluable.”
Maria Martinez from Colombia completed her MSc in Construction Project Management at UWE Bristol and was successful in securing a role working for a multinational engineering firm, Aecom. She says that international graduates need to be proactive in applying for roles that could launch their careers: “No matter what people tell you, it’s never too early to start job hunting. Get a head start as soon as you can.”
Maria also recommends networking as much as possible and especially making the most of the employer events at your university. “Try to make new contacts wherever you can. Networking is great for building your relationships to help you find a job. LinkedIn is a great tool. The director of my company told me ‘your LinkedIn profile is important as it confirms you are the person you say you are.”
Finally, Maria thinks that your CV could hold the key to getting noticed by employers - after all, it's likely to be your first introduction to an employer when you make your application: “Long CVs are the worst, so keep it short. Mine is one page. If your personal profile at the top is not engaging, people will ditch it! Be sure to include the correct company name, especially if you’re applying for lots of jobs!”
This editorial was sponsored by UWE Bristol.
