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?
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Name
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Parth Nilkanth Kulkarni
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Nationality / country of origin
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India
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Current visa
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Graduate route
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Are your expectations of your Graduate Route visa being met?
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Yes
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University, level of study and programme of study
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University of Bristol
Higher degree, mainly taught course (eg. MA, MSc, MBA)
Nuclear Science and Engineering
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How many roles have you applied for since leaving university?
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25-50
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Current activity
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Employed – Full time (permanent contract)
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Where do you work?
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Job title
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Consultant Mechanical Engineer
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Employer / organisation
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Alten, UK
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Region of your contracted place of work
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West Midlands
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Briefly describe your role and your main responsibilities
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Heat transfer analysis, GD&T, 3D drawings, material testing and simulation
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Time between the end of your course and start date for your current role
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3-6 months
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How did you find your current job?
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Through social media (e.g. Linkedin, Twitter)
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Thoughts on your visa
The brief description and the actual visa process and terms are very coherent. It is a lengthy application, but the process is very smooth and systematic. The only problem I think is the lack of awareness of the UKVI employees about the visa process.
"It is a lengthy application, but the process is very smooth and systematic."
Support and development
While at university, I had a one-to-one appointment with a careers adviser and received CV feedback. I attended an employer event, skills enhancement sessions and a careers fair.
Since leaving university, I have developed my skills with a short course of Siemens NX, Matlab and Simulink.
Employer knowledge and attitudes
My impression is that employers are very aware of the Graduate route visa.
The only thing that bothers me is that, at the moment, I do have a secure permanent job, but in the future when my Graduate route visa expires, I don’t have the guarantee that I will get a sponsorship from my current employers. This is a minimum thing anyone would ask, because after all, acquiring a sponsorship represents a turning point for an individual.
“After the two years, I don’t have the guarantee that I will be sponsored by my current employer… This uncertainty is what bothers me the most.”
Most international students come here on a bank loan which has to be re-paid, and over the course of the two years on the Graduate route visa, an individual only earns enough money to sustain themselves, repay some part of the loan and live a normal life, but won’t be able to save any money for the future. This uncertainty is what bothers me the most.
What advice would you give to current international students seeking graduate employment in the UK?
Apply for a lot of jobs. Don’t wait for the right time. Start getting in contact with professors, personal tutors, and mentors if they have any connections in the relevant industry. A recommendation from a professor does help.
Stay focused on your studies, but at the same time, make sure to enjoy life outside of your studies, because that will help you make a lot of connections, shape your personality, and mould yourself according to British culture. The moulded person is what any recruiter is looking for.
My last suggestion would be to remain calm while attending an interview, which is only possible if you have a good amount of knowledge and willpower in the respective field. The recruiter must know that you are a person who is interested in a lot of things and can balance every aspect of life.
2023 update
Since providing this case study in 2022, Parth has moved from this role to a fully funded PhD at the Open University under the Imperial College London Nuclear Energy Futures CDT programme, researching materials for nuclear fusion.
