Experiencing the UK Graduate route: China, MEng

Date:Jun 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	Anonymous
Nationality / country of origin	China
Current visa	Graduate route
Are your expectations of your Graduate route visa being met?	Strongly agree
University, level of study and programme of study	University of in south-west England Undergraduate degree, including integrated master’s degrees (eg. BA, BSc, MBChB, MEng) Engineering
How many roles have you applied for since leaving university?	Over 50
Current activity	Employed – full time (permanent contract)

Where do you work?

Job title	Sales Coordinator
Employer / organisation	Manufacturing company
Region of your contracted place of work	South-west England
Briefly describe your role and your main responsibilities	I generate new leads and manage existing customers who buy atomic force microscopy probes from our company.
Time between the end of your course and start date for your current role	3-6 months
How did you find your current role?	Through my university careers service

Thoughts on your visa

I expected to have the right to work, and I got the right to work. I did everything online without going through any agents. It’s a bit expensive but everything got done in time.

Support and development

I had a one-to-one appointment with a careers adviser, received CV feedback, practiced interviews and attended assessment centres. I also attended an employer event and a careers fair and accessed job vacancy listings.

Employer knowledge and attitudes

We are a small company, so my manager only had a vague idea of visa options. Many employers tend to find other excuses to reject my applications when I bring up the fact that I’m on a two-year working visa.