Beyond the Negativity: The Real Truth About Finding a Graduate Job When You Study in UK
People often worry about the job market and the perceived restrictions of the 18-month graduate route when they decide to study in the UK. But the "real truth" about getting a job in the UK is far better for people who take the initiative.
This blog uses expert advice from Katy Gordon, the Director of Employability at the University of Southampton, to explain why you are the brand and not your university rating. We go beyond the clichés to look at how 60% of graduate jobs are open to people with any degree, as long as they can show that they have important abilities like critical thinking, adaptability, and business sense.
This blog covers a list of important questions that answer how to become an internationally employable graduate, whether you're a STEM student looking for a data analytics job or a business-minded entrepreneur looking for help starting a business.
Some of the most important points are:
The Three-Stage Strategy: How to use your studies and the 18-month graduate visa to get internships and short-term positions that will help you get long-term sponsorship.
Skills Mapping: Using programs like Successful Futures to help you connect what you learn in school with what top employers like Mercedes-Benz, JP Morgan, and Accenture need.
The Global Reach Method: A closer look at the Career Advantage India program, which offers help for every stage of a person's life, from preparing to move to India to specific career teams for people who are going back home.
To help improve student understanding of these important questions, Somnath Nandy, the Global Reach Vertical Head–UK, talked to Katy Gordon, the Director of Careers, Employability & Student Enterprise at the University of Southampton.
Together they gave insight into the reality of UK employer employment practices and their expectations for UK college graduates when it comes to turning your UK-college-educated experience into an international career with long-term benefits.
Somnath Nandy
He has worked for Global Reach for over 7+ years and has over 30+ years of experience as Vertically Head - UK at Global Reach, with more than 20 years of that experienced in international higher education. He has worked with the British Council and other institutions, including leading the operations of Manchester Metropolitan University, Cardiff University and Durham University in India. As a Global Associate of Advance HE, Somnath Nandy provides advice to international institutions on student recruitment, academic partnerships and research collaboration. He has extensive experience in developing industry/academia partnerships, strategic partnerships and supporting business development opportunities.
Katy Gordon
She is the Director of Careers and Employability at the University of Southampton, a leading Russell Group University. Katy has been in senior roles for more than 26 years across many sectors, including public sector and education, and has a well-established reputation for being strategic, engaging stakeholders and thinking innovatively about developing careers. At Southampton, she leads projects to integrate employability into the curricula, create and increase work-related learning opportunities and help students be successful in the global labour market.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uosMh9GMGgQ
Here is the complete podcast of Somanth Nandy in conversation with Katy Gordon on UK job market for the International graduates.
1. Does the 18-month graduate visa provide sufficient time to find a skilled job and be sponsored?
Yes, you can do it, but you must do it in 3 steps: firstly gain some experience by doing part-time work or volunteering while studying, then use your 18 months to look for short-term contracts or graduate internships, this gives the employers time to, 'get a feel for you,' and then after the 18 months or so of accumulating experience, aim for longer-term skilled employment.
2. When to start applying for graduate jobs?
Graduate recruitment in the UK generally begins in September or October for jobs starting the next September. If you are applying for an 'experienced hire' role, you need to apply at least 3 to 4 months prior to your course ending and have experience. As a new graduate without experience, you need to aim to use the 18-month graduate visa to establish your portfolio of experience first.
3. How will the increase in skilled worker salary threshold affect your potential to remain in the UK?
For new graduate job seekers, the salary threshold is often a barrier, to overcome this barrier you need to gain some experience while you are studying and in the 18-month post-study graduate visa period in order to target yourself for experienced hire roles which will generally have a higher salary than new graduates.
4. Are there certain subjects likely to lead to sponsorship from employers?
STEM and data analytics seem to be the strongest opportunities for sponsorship right now. It's difficult to determine exactly what the market will need in the future. It's important to note that around 60% of graduate jobs do not require any degree discipline, as employers want proactive graduates who showcase key skills irrespective of what degree they hold.
5. Within STEM sectors, are companies more likely to sponsor people in specific sectors?
Sources indicate that data analytics is a top area for employer sponsorship, and while it's difficult to predict employers' future needs, overall STEM fields are among the best opportunities for grants following graduation.
In addition, approximately 60% of jobs completed by recent graduates do not require a specific degree discipline and centre on skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and adaptability. So, although STEM/data analytics are some of the biggest areas for obtaining grants from employers, it is imperative that you take a proactive approach and market yourself using your skills.
What are some of the skills that UK employers are looking for and why do they matter?
The skills mentioned above are valued more than university prestige in the eyes of employers. The most sought after core skills are:
- Teamwork
- Critical Thinking
- Adaptability
- Commercial Awareness
Do rankings of universities have any relevance to UK employers?
Not really. When it comes to graduate recruitment, employers place more emphasis on your skillset, your qualifications, and how well you can demonstrate your experience to match their needs. In the current UK recruitment landscape, you are your brand, not the school you graduated from.
8. What is the work culture like for searching for jobs in the UK?
Unlike in many cultures where jobs are offered to students after they graduate, the UK has a more defensive approach. It is up to you to identify and seek out job opportunities yourself; they are not offered to you on a silver platter. Networking is an important part of job searching in the UK, including going to career fairs for "labour market intelligence," and connecting with alumni who have successfully made the transition from university into the workforce.
9. What are the main differences between CVS from the UK and those from India?
The UK has CVs which are mostly 2 pages long, but they take a lot of time with specific skills searching for where you have developed each skill. It is also important that you tailor your CV to each individual company and job; Katy Gordon stated that she had 56 different versions of her CV to apply for 56 different jobs.
10. What significant UK employment companies employ students who live international?
There are over 100 major UK employers who are known to take international students for internships and skilled positions, such as Mercedes-Benz, JP Morgan, and Accenture.
11. What kind of support do universities offer me to help me create my own company?
Some universities provide varying degrees of incubation support that includes, but are not limited to, testing your idea in the marketplace, creating prototype versions of your product(s), and attracting funding in the initial stages of development. Many universities also provide training on how to be "pitch ready" when you approach external investors. Please note that if you are a student visa holder, then establishing your own business is illegal; however, you would be able to make plans for starting when you relocate to another country or return to your home country due to the end of your course.
If I move back to India after my education, how do I get help to make sure that I can find job all around the world?
There are people at the University of Southampton that work only with students who want to come back home to India and require assistance with transitioning their experience and CV from the UK into a way that is suited for employment in the Indian job market.
13. How do I start receiving career support?
Career support usually begins before students' arrival to the UK. Career Advantage India is a program specifically developed to help students understand the UK job market and develop their personal brand while they are still in India.
What is included in Career Advantage India along with support for students both before their arrival to the UK and after they return home to India?
There are a number of different resources and components to this program including:
- Job Market Familiarization: Career Advantage prepares students to understand the UK job market prior to getting to the UK.
- CV Writing Support: Career Advantage will develop an individualised CV for every job role you will be looking for, whether you are seeking work in the UK, India or around the world.
- Career Support in India: Career Advantage's in-country team will assist you with how to communicate your UK work experience to Indian employers.
- Startup & Business Support: Career Advantage will support students who have startup ideas or want to validate their ideas with prototype development. Career Advantage also provides students with access to funding for their start-up and provides mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs.
- Skills & Experience Development: Students will develop and market (to potential employers) their employability skills through verified work experience.
By helping students present themself as a globally branded individual, the Career Advantage Team is creating opportunities for students to gain employment in worldwide markets.
15. What is "skills mapping" and how does it help me?
The University of Southampton uses a program called Successful Futures to help students identify exactly which skills (like teamwork or critical thinking) are embedded in their academic curriculum. This allows students to see which skills they are gaining through their degree and which ones they need to find through extracurricular activities to fill the gaps.
16. What is the Successful Futures program at Southampton?
Successful Futures is a well-known program created to assist students in closing the gap between their education and their career objectives.
The program achieves this by mapping out a student's core skills associated with employability throughout their degree program; linking extracurricular activities to skill development; assisting in identifying gaps in a student's existing skills; encouraging specific extracurricular activities to develop the skills that are missing; and coaching a student in how to effectively communicate those skills to prospective employers.
The ultimate goal of Successful Futures is for students from any discipline, to be able to highlight the results of their experiences and increase their chances of being hired.
17. What are the common mistakes to avoid on a UK CV?
- Using a generic CV - always tailor it to each role
- Using the wrong format - UK CV differs from India/other countries
- Relying on university ranking instead of showcasing skills
- Not highlighting transferable skills (teamwork, critical thinking, etc.)
- Applying without experience (internships, part-time, volunteering matter)
- Being passive - you must actively search and apply
18. What is the purpose of a career fair at the university?
Career fairs are less about finding job vacancies and more about “labour market information” in the UK. You can use a career fair to speak with recruiters who may then become valuable references in your application for a job at their company.
19. What is my professors' involvement in my search for employment?
Professors are an important source of networking due to their many connections with industry. Interacting with your professors and the career cell is a key component of finding a job in the UK.
20. What is the process to find a mentor?
Students can use global e-mentoring platforms to connect with mentor alumni. Mentors, who may be successful entrepreneurs, can assist you in navigating the UK and worldwide business environment.
21. How do I demonstrate "soft skills" to potential employers?
You can gain skills-based work by volunteering or being involved with a student society. The university will provide you with digital badges and certificates for the hours worked, as well as the skills developed during your time at university to give you valid proof for potential employers.
22. How many job applications should I expect to submit?
The job market is competitive - a significant number of applications and customization are necessary to ensure success. Katy Gordon has highlighted her experience with applying for jobs where she had 56 versions of her CV to apply for 56 different companies.
23. How do I start a business if I am a student?
You cannot start your own business while you have a student visa as an international student. However, while you are in school you can test your product market, create prototypes, and create your business pitch for the time when you get your proper working visa after graduation or when you return home.
24. What funding options are available for startups?
In addition to training, universities may provide students with small amounts of seed money, which students can compete to receive, and provide funding options on how to apply for external funding.
Final thoughts:
Obtaining a degree in the UK can lead to many great jobs abroad, but to succeed students need to prepare well and be proactive in developing their skills.
While getting relevant work experience throughout their studies is an option, students also need to think about using the Graduate Route to get work in the UK; they need to create their CV with a specific objective in mind; they need to effectively network with people they meet while at university; and they must build skills that are in demand.
UK companies look for flexibility, team spirit and practical experience as opposed to university ranking.
Therefore, it is important that students take active steps towards developing their career path. Finally, universities provide structured support, such as Career Advantage, and complementary initiatives, such as Successful Futures, which will help students make a successful transition from study to work both in the UK, India or anywhere else in the world.
Transcription
Interviewer: Hi everybody, welcome to this podcast hosted by Global Reach. We are delighted to welcome with us today Miss Katy Gordon, who is the director of the employability and career guidance cell at the University of Southampton. She has huge experience in guiding students over the last 26 years, and we are delighted to have her discuss various issues around employability currently in the air. Katy, welcome to our session. We have a few questions from our students and counsellors who often hear negativity about the UK employability scenario. Students considering the UK for higher studies are often apprehensive about the job market and the graduate immigration route being 18 months. In your opinion, is an 18-month graduate route enough to secure a skilled job and sponsorship in the UK?
Katy Gordon: I think students have to think about it in two or three stages. One is spending your time studying and gaining experience through part-time work, internships, and volunteering. The next thing is applying for the 18-month visa and concentrating on short-term contracts or graduate internships, because employers really want to "get a feel of you" before committing to sponsorship. The third stage is aiming for longer-term skilled work. You must build up your experience first and always think in terms of a global approach, ensuring you can translate your skills back to your home market in India or any third country. Eighteen months is enough time to get those short-term contracts and build the experience needed for longer-term aspirations in the UK.
Interviewer: That is a very positive response. Now, what role do university career services, employer partnerships, and alumni networks play in actual job outcomes? We often hear that UK students are preferred over international students.
Katy Gordon: I wouldn't say they are preferred. In fact, international students are heavy users of the career service, and we have designed a whole new approach to international employability specifically for them. For India, we have a specific program called Career Advantage India, designed to prepare students before they arrive and while they are in the UK. We provide work experience like volunteering and internships and help them learn how to market their skills. We even recruited a new in-country team in India to support students if they return home, ensuring a "whole life cycle approach" to making students career-ready.
Interviewer: That is a brilliant approach, supporting them even if they return to their home country. Another question students ask is: which UK degrees and subject areas are most likely to lead to employer sponsorship after graduation?
Katy Gordon: It is difficult to predict what employers will look for in a few years, but strong areas typically include data analytics and STEM subjects. However, it really depends on the student being proactive. About 60% of graduate jobs do not require a specific discipline. Employers are looking for core skills like teamwork, critical thinking, adaptability, and commercial awareness. At the University of Southampton, we have an award-winning program called Successful Futures that helps students map the skills in their curriculum and extracurricular activities so they can market them effectively. This is the best way, whether studying humanities or any other subject, to make yourself attractive to employers.
Interviewer: How early should international students start applying for graduate roles to realistically convert to a skilled worker visa? Sometimes students wait until the end of their course, and it takes longer to find a job.
Katy Gordon: If you want to work in the UK, you need to have experience as well as your degree. For experienced hire roles, applying three or four months before the end of your course is fine. For standard graduate recruitment, the cycle in the UK is about a year; recruitment often starts in September or October for a start the following September. If you don't have experience yet, you will likely need to go through the 18-month graduate visa route first to build that extra experience.
Interviewer: We often hear that Indian students' CVs are not accepted in the UK. What should one focus on regarding UK CV writing?
Katy Gordon: A UK-focused CV is typically a couple of pages, covering education but really breaking down "skills, skills, skills." You must be specific about where you achieved or succeeded in developing these skills. We help students with their CVs and LinkedIn profiles to ensure they are in the right format for the UK, but you really need different versions—a UK version, an Indian version, and perhaps a third-country version. Our team in India also ensures CVs are appropriate for the Indian market. You must tailor your CV to every specific company and role.
Interviewer: In India, there is a cultural expectation that once you finish a course, someone will be waiting to offer you a job. How different is the culture in the UK?
Katy Gordon: It is quite different; you need to be much more proactive. You must go out, search, and identify opportunities yourself; jobs are not automatically offered. Careers fairs are more about getting labor market insight into a company, which you then use during their recruitment process. Our team in India mirrors what is happening in the Indian labor market, but we still instill that culture of proactivity.
Interviewer: Networking is a critical aspect as well. Approaching the career cell and professors with intent seems important.
Katy Gordon: Networking is really important. Part of our offer includes bringing international companies to events to meet students, and hosting mixers with Indian alumni who have secured jobs in the UK. This provides informal networking opportunities to understand how to be successful.
Interviewer: Which UK employers are likely to actively hire and sponsor international students going forward?
Katy Gordon: I have a list of well over 100 employers who have hired international students recently for everything from internships to skilled work. To name a few, Mercedes-Benz, JP Morgan, and Accenture are companies where our international students have secured employment. However, students must understand that employers want to "try before they buy." Getting an internship or short-term contract is key. Through Career Advantage India, we offer skills-based work experience through volunteering that is verified with a digital badge and certificate, proving your specific experience to future employers.
Interviewer: Do university rankings matter when employers look at candidates?
Katy Gordon: No. It’s as simple as that. Graduate recruiters are primarily interested in skills, qualifications, and how effectively you market your experience. While the status of an institution might have mattered 30 or 40 years ago, today, you have real opportunities regardless of where you study. You are the brand.
Interviewer: How will the rising skilled worker salary threshold impact international graduates' chances of staying in the UK?
Katy Gordon: The salary threshold can be a challenge. This is why building experience during university and the 18-month post-study visa is vital; it gives you the best chance at the experienced hire level. You must think of yourself as a global brand and be ready to translate your skills into the Indian labor market or elsewhere if needed.
Interviewer: For students from a business family background who want to have a startup of their own, what incubation support is available?
Katy Gordon: Our enterprise support is very strong; the University of Southampton has been ranked top in the UK for knowledge exchange and enterprise. We support students from the initial idea through market testing, building prototypes, and even providing small pots of seed funding. We also help students become "pitch ready" for external funding. International students cannot start a business on a student visa, but we can get them to that point and then provide a seamless handover to our international team in India if they wish to launch there. We also provide access to alumni mentors who are entrepreneurs through our e-mentoring platform.
Interviewer: Thank you so much for your insight on the UK employability market.
Katy Gordon: Thank you for having me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uosMh9GMGgQ
