Careers support for international students

Support for international students

Before you graduate

Engaging with Careers and Employability whilst at UAL can help you to decide what you want to do after you graduate.

You might be considering:

• Working in the UK, your home country, or another country altogether
• Applying for further study

Whatever route you decide to take, we’d suggest you take the following steps:

• Make a list of contacts and networks that you have made whilst studying and working in the UK.
• Contact potential referees, asking them for permission to provide their details to potential job or further study offers.
• Look at the Register of Licensed Sponsors in the UK to find out what companies can sponsor you on the Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes.

Working on a visa

As an international student you may have a visa, and depending on the type of visa, there may be working restrictions on this. It’s important that you refer to your visa or biometric residency permit (BRP) card to check what this limit is. If you don’t understand these limitations, you can contact the International Office at your college

Working whilst studying can be a great way to build skills, knowledge, experience and relationships with others.

Make the most of your job by:

• Networking with colleagues
• Keeping a copy of the job description for roles you have worked in – you can use this on your next CV or cover letter
• Asking current employers about their sponsorship policy for future graduate opportunities.

Make sure you also understand the visa options available to you once you complete your course. Take a look at some of the following pages to familiarise yourself with the types of visas available to you in the UK:

• General work visa information from the UK government website
• Your visa options for remaining in the country
• UKCISA website
• Visa information from UAL

Support for international graduates

As an international graduate there are many options available to you once you complete your course. You might want to consider further study or starting your own business. Careers and Employability can support in you in your next steps. Some of the options available to you are:

Finding work in the UK

If you’ve finished your course and are looking for work in the UK, UAL has two dedicated services that can help you to find a job:

• Creative Opportunities
• Arts Temps

If you are considering self-employment, explore our range of freelance and business resources.

Finding work in your country

If you’re planning to return to your home country when you finish your course we’re still here to support you and you can continue to access our resources and events.

It’s important to appreciate that each individual country will have its own recruitment practices, some of which will differ from finding work in the UK.

Tips for looking for work in your home country

• Our industry jobs board Creative Opportunities advertises paid jobs and voluntary roles in the UK and internationally.
• Start by building an understanding of the local job market and consider the sectors in which you wish to work. Take a look at the network of alumni around the world. Developing contacts and networks will help you gain valuable insights into jobs and sectors. You might also gain advice and secure work through these networks.
• Research how recruitment works in your country. Do you need some form of resume or CV? Are jobs secured via online platforms or through personal connections? This knowledge will help you to be better prepared when searching for work.

Resources for finding work outside of the UK:

• Target jobs - the working abroad series offers useful insights into key locations around the world.
• Prospects – 30+ country profiles covering visas, language requirements and where to look for jobs.
• Gradlink - provides details of job opportunity for graduates globally, roles relate to business functions including marketing, finance and IT.
• General work visa information from the UK government website
• Your visa options for remaining in the country