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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Anonymous
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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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Undecided
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University, level of study and programme of study
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University in Yorkshire and the Humber
Higher degree, mainly by taught course (eg MA, MSc, MBA)
Industrial Engineering
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How many roles have you applied for since leaving university?
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Over 50
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Current activity
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Employed – full time (temporary contract)
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Where do you work?
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Job title
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Logistics Engineer
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Employer / organisation
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Agricultural machinery company
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Region of your contracted place of work
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London
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Time between the end of your course and start date for your current role
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More than 6 months
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How did you find your current job?
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Through social media (eg. LinkedIn, Twitter)
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Thoughts on your visa
“The visa was expensive.”
International students have a hard time getting their first jobs, primarily because having a driving licence is a requirement for most jobs. International students also need to look for Tier 2 sponsors, which is difficult unless they have a driving licence or are willing to keep searching, often for upwards of six months.
Although the visa is expensive, most companies don’t offer graduate roles. They are more willing to cater to UK nationals, who don’t require Tier 2 sponsorship.
I was fortunate enough to land a temporary contract from a multinational corporation six months after graduation, which leaves me 1.5 years to look for sponsorship to get the Tier 2 visa. In a nutshell, if you are willing to accept rejections, you are one step closer to getting an offer, but generally, it can take around six months.
I am undecided about whether my expectations are being met. Most of my friends who are international graduates are yet to be employed. But here’s the deal, employers do not have a preference of one nationality over another in terms of employment. It’s completely skills-based. My friend who is a UK citizen of Indian origin also struggled to find a job for six months. So, on a positive note, patience was key.
The visa was expensive for an international student at nearly £2,500. The application process was easy. I got mine relatively quicker than my peers in 4-5 weeks.
Support and development
While at university, I had a one-to-one appointment with a careers adviser and received CV feedback. I had practice interviews and attended assessment centres. I attended an employer event, skills enhancement sessions and a careers fair and gained access to job vacancy listings.
Employer knowledge and attitudes
“Some employers are naïve about visas, some are aware… it’s all on the candidate’s strength to excel.”
Some are naïve about the Graduate route visa, some are aware. If it’s a Tier 2 sponsored company, then it’s all on the candidate’s strength to excel. If not, no matter how talented or skilful a candidate is, the company won’t be interested in spending money as they have limited resources. These companies won’t hire you even for graduate roles, even when your visa expiration date is after the end date of the contract.
