Experiencing the UK Graduate route: India, undergraduate degree

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?

Where do you work?

Thoughts on your visa

Undecided. This is because my goal was to acquire British Citizenship and Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). I am not sure whether the time I am spending in the UK doing hard work is even counted towards the time to get an ILR.

"I found the cost of the visa unnecessarily expensive."

The application process was simple and easy. I found the cost unnecessarily expensive. The time to acquire the visa was quick.

Support and development

While at university, I did practice recruitment activities, such as interviews and assessment centres. I attended a careers fair and gained access to job vacancy listings.

Employer knowledge and attitudes

As this visa is not displayed with a Tier number, it can be hard to explain what it is. Most employers prefer, and type in their job description, that they are not able to sponsor a visa, even though they clearly are a big company and can easily sponsor graduates who need a visa. This is very wrong and makes life a lot more difficult in getting a job for people who need a visa to work.

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

"Do internships in the summer break to get some work experience."

Do some internships in summer breaks to get some work experience. Don't be disheartened if you apply and get rejected. Practice test interviews and practice doing some situational judgement tests (SJT).

If you feel confident that you will get a job in UK, apply in time to get the graduate visa and meanwhile keep applying for jobs in the UK. Keep smiling and keep trying.