Experiencing the UK Graduate route: Thailand, master's degree

Date:Feb 2023

Topic(s): Graduate route, Recruitment, Student employability, Transition

Type(s): AGCAS Case study

The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), a member of UKCISA’s International Student Employability Group (ISEG), has captured the experiences of international graduates seeking employment in the UK after graduation in a series of case studies.

Who are you?

Name	Nathalie Kaewpruek
Nationality / country of origin	Thailand
Current visa	Graduate route
Are your expectations of your Graduate route visa being met?	Undecided
University, level of study and programme of study	Lancaster University Higher degree, mainly by taught course (e.g. MA, MSc, MBA) Sociology, social policy and anthropology
How many roles have you applied for since leaving university?	Over 50. I mainly used totaljobs to look for jobs. I sent my resume to almost any company that opened a marketing or content creator role. I only got 5 interviews from more than 50 jobs I applied for.
Current activity	Employed - full time (more than 35 hours a week) (permanent contract)

Where do you work?

Job title	Marketing Executive
Employer / organisation	School Property Masters
Region of your contracted place of work	North West England
Briefly describe your role and your main responsibilities	Create marketing content on both online and offline media. Coordinate with event organiser
Time between the end of your course and start date for your current role	Less than 3 months
How did you find your current job?	Through a general recruitment website (e.g. Indeed, Totaljobs)

Thoughts on your visa

It wasn't easy to apply for this visa because the app didn't work. Also the visa doesn't count towards the permanent resident scheme so it's like I pay almost £2000 for almost nothing. The only good thing is I don't have the great pressure on finding work right after I graduate.

"The only good thing is I don't have the great pressure on finding work right after I graduate."

I applied for the visa early so the waiting process was very short. I got the answer a week after I had submitted my application. However, the application process was a nightmare for me. I couldn't use the app to scan my biometric residence permit (BRP), therefore I had to pay an extra £125 to go and get my fingerprints and photo taken in Manchester.

"It wasn't easy to apply for this visa because the app didn't work... I had to pay extra to get my fingerprints and photo taken in Manchester."

Support and development

Through the university careers service, I've had a one-to-one appointment with a careers advisor and received CV feedback. I'm currently taking a Google online course.

"My employer is open to the idea of sponsoring me after this. However, because of the graduate visa, I told them that they didn't have to sponsor me right away."

Employer knowledge and attitudes

My employer has no knowledge of post-study work visas, I’m the first foreigner working in the company.

They're open to the idea of sponsoring me after this. However, because of the graduate visa, I told them that they didn't have to sponsor me right away. That's fair for both sides since they have more time to assess my value to the team.

What advice would you give to current international students seeking graduate employment in the UK?

Find job-related skills and experiences in the UK and put them on your CV. As an international graduate student, having the job experience from outside the country that barely relates to your job is not going to make you stand out from other British graduates. Find an internship – it will help you adapt to work culture in the UK as well. I still believe that I got this job because I decided to do an internship with my faculty during my last term.

"Find job-related skills and experiences in the UK and put them on your CV."

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