International Student Career Handbook 2023-24

UK Job Search Handbook For International Students

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. About this handbook 2. Career Support Available

Sample job posting

03

Technology Consulting Graduate Programme 04

Your role

at the University 3. Job-readiness Success

Training, development & rotations Career progression 07

About you

Checklist 4. Working in the UK

Sample Application Cover Letter Types of Interviews 09

Interviewing Tips

Job Market Landscape

Interview Techniques

International Talent in the UK

Common interview questions

Industries Spotlight

Sample Follow-up Email After an Interview

Skills Shortages & Trends

Dress Code

5. Entering the UK Labour

9. Exploring the Entrepreneurship 35

15

Market

& Self-employment Route

Breaking into the UK Labour Market

What is Entrepreneurship?

International Students as an Asset: Highlights

Funds, Accelerators and Bootcamps

Difference between Employment and Employability

Business Model Canvas

Soft Skills and Hard Skills

SWOT Analysis Template

Spotlight: Transferable Skills

Business Terms you should know when

Securing Work Experience

starting out

Standard Application Process at a Glance

Freelancing in the UK

6. CV Writing

21

10. Networking

Action Verbs

What is Networking?

Margins

Reaching out to Alumni

Fonts & sizes

Career Fairs

What should a CV include?

Elevator Pitch

7. Cover Letter & Portfolio

24

Cover Letter

41

Mentorship

11. Leveraging LinkedIn

Cover Letter Template when applying

Setting up Linkedin Profile

for a job

LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts

Portfolio

LinkedIn Message Templates

45

Setting Up Informational Interviews

8. Sample Application

Process

27

12. Success Story: Graduate

Interview

50

About this

Handbook The Career Handbook for international students has been developed by The Education Group London, in partnership with Student Circus, to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of employability in the UK. This useful guide is available to all UWS London students during their studies in London and is a valuable resource to start your professional career once you graduate.

The Education Group London offers a range of support from the admission process, to after you arrive in the UK through TEG Club.

We are committed in helping to empower students and graduates to explore their life and career goals through various resources, so we hope this handbook adds to the vast array of tools already available to you from UWS London.

Service Partner:

The Education Group London 3

Career Support Available at the University UWS has a strong focus on employability and the careers team provides you with the advice you need and directs you to the support and opportunities available.

Students can book a career appointment (online or on campus) and join careers workshops/events. You can reach out to the careers team for guidance on the following: Explore Career Options Guide for International Students Develop Employability Careers Workshop and Events Search and apply for Job & Work-related experience (part-time, internship, volunteer, graduate job, etc.) and application process (CV, Cover letter, psychometric test, assessment centre, interview, etc.)

Resources and tools include:

• CV builder

• Interview360 tool 4

Some specific support services include: UWS London Micro-placement Scheme The Micro-placement programme runs in October and March.

Students can register their interest in applying to the scheme by filling out this form. Once accepted onto the scheme students will be able to take part in a skills development programme. Placements usually involve social media work, website design, or project management of a small project at local businesses and can last anywhere between a week to months.

UWS London Mentoring Scheme The UWS London mentoring scheme matches students with people in industry, public and private sector organisations. It is a great opportunity for our International students to gain professional insights into working in the UK and other countries.

Volunteering

4

Volunteering is a fantastic attribute to add to your CV, as employers can see that you are community-minded, and that you have built up your skills. Volunteering is also a great way to make new friends and also build up a network of contacts. We work with local volunteering teams in Tower Hamlets and Newham to help you find volunteering roles that meet your development needs and help you to engage with the community.

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Employability Reward Scheme The UWS London Employability Award has been designed for our taught postgraduate students, enabling them to gain recognition for their experiences and skills development throughout their studies, extra-curricular activities and work. In completing the award, students are more confidently able to recognise and articulate their skills effectively. It is a way for you to demonstrate the personal and professional development you can gain from your involvement in activities above and beyond your academic studies.

Business Enterprise Scheme Enterprise and Entrepreneurship are supported at the University.

So if you have a business idea, consider applying for the scheme.The UWS London Greenhouse Incubator Programme runs two times a year in September and February. Applications are considered in December and in July.

6

Job-readiness Success Checklist Meet with a career counselor to help identify your interests

Practice online tests (aptitude tests or psychometric tests)

Explore various offerings from career services like CV support, mock interviews, 1:1 career discussions, workshops

Subscribe to Industry Newsletters

Develop/draft a CV

Skills certifications/upskill for the job of your dreams Craft an Elevator Pitch

Attend career fairs and employer talks and events

Join Professional Communities

Network, network, network

Review your online presence

Arrange informational interviews

Ensure you have quality referees Keep upskilling

Research internships/ placements Participate in student bodies, activities clubs or associations Volunteer Seek leadership opportunities Create a LinkedIn profile Register and browse jobs on Student Circus 7

Getting started Career development involves choosing a career, improving your skills and academic credentials, and then advancing further in the chosen career path. This lifelong process starts with a significant step of professional self-discovery.

This involves:

Assessing your strengths and weaknesses, skills, abilities and interests and then aligning that with a career choice

Exploration of options, avenues, opportunities, and alternatives within the career field

Preparation for the job hunt ahead, including CV writing, application tests, interview preparation, among other things

Action in the form of seeking opportunities, job search, and robust networking

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Working in the UK Job market landscape From a jobseeker’s point of view, the UK is a competitive market. Each year a large number of international students come to the UK for higher education. Upon graduating, they are met with the task of kickstarting their professional journey by finding the right jobs and opportunities.

This means that they either get on the Graduate Route visa which allows them 2 years (3 for PhD students) to stay within the UK without conditions or chase the Skilled Worker visa in which case they need to apply to visa-enabled opportunities.

In light of these facts, here are some highlights from the UK Job market.

The UK saw the highest employment rate (75.7%) at the beginning of 2023, implying that approximately 32.8 million people were working in the United Kingdom.

After some post-pandemic recovery, the UK has seen some slowdown in the hiring landscape, with vacancies fluctuating and decreasing over the quarters. Still, there are plenty of jobs up for grabs: Employee jobs in March 2023 were at a record high of 32.4 million,1.6 million above the pre-pandemic levels.

A plethora of graduate programmes have adopted the hybrid model.

Early careers employees are appreciative of the pros: greater flexibility, increased productivity and financial savings. But there’s a detriment to mental wellbeing.

9

Digital roles are by far the most in-demand across the world. In the UK too, IT, Technology, Telecoms, Communication & Media are leading on the hiring front. (ISE vacancy Survey 2022) Some cities have a concentration of certain industries (for example, London is the financial capital, Scottish cities are cultural hubs, and Manchester and the Midlands are the sporting focal). Post-pandemic, there will also be a growing shift towards location-agnostic or hybrid/remote work setups.

Scottish cities

Manchester Midlands In simple words, the UK has opportunities for those who are adaptable.

Leeds

London

10

International Talent in the UK The UK attracts the best talent from around the world.

In 2021-22 there were 679,970 international students studying in the UK. In the year 2019/20, there were 538,615 international students studying in the UK. This number had jumped to 605,130 in 2020-21.

The competition is only intensifying. (Universities UK) The UK government reports a total of 485,758 sponsored study visas granted to main applicants for the full calendar year 2022. That’s the influx of international talent starting out their UK journey as a student.

(ICEF) 11

International graduates have to compete with domestic graduates as well, in addition to navigating visa restrictions and cultural mores.

Therefore, it’s important to know where you can find jobs and opportunities suitable for your background, immigration status, and sector.

The Graduate Route is a great opportunity for international students. In its first year since the introduction of this post-study work option, 33,682 individuals were granted the new Graduate visa. A total of 92,951 Graduate route extensions were granted to previous students in the year ending March 2023. Indian nationals represented the largest group of students granted leave to remain on the Graduate route, representing 41% of grants.(Home Office) Employer awareness about the Graduate Route remains abysmally low at 3% . So if you are an international student or graduate, stay informed, and in turn, inform the employers. Information truly is power.

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Industries spotlight

The service industries

The UK’s economy is dominated

accounted for 79% of total UK

by service industries. These

economic output (Gross Value

include retail, hospitality,

Added) and 83% of employment

professional services, business

in January–March 2023.

(House of Commons Library)

administration and finance.

(House of Commons Library)

13

Skills Shortages & Trends Among the jobs listed on the list are the following:

Actuaries, economists and statisticians

Quality control and planning engineers

IT business analysts, architects and systems designers

Programmers and software development professionals

Web design and development professionals

Cyber Security Specialists

Architects

Veterinarians

Electrical Engineers

Graphic Designers

Care Workers

Lab technicians

Artists

Why do Skills Shortages matter?

When employers with a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence set out to hire international skilled workers, they need to meet the points requirement.

If an occupation they are hiring for is on the shortage occupation list, it makes it easier for employers to meet these requirements.

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Entering the UK Labour Market Breaking into the UK Labour Market Getting work experience and internships, shadowing opportunities and placements are a great way of breaking into the labour market. Many fresh graduates and students applying for jobs and internships face the challenge of not having enough or adequate work experience. They can start by upskilling themselves through short online courses, using volunteer experience, or even sharing about college projects, leveraging their transferable skills.

International Students as an Asset: Highlights International students and graduates bring a lot to the table. Here are some valuable highlights: Adaptability It refers to the ability to easily adjust to changing circumstances, a soft skill that international students have already mastered when they moved to the UK. In the workplace, this is valuable to keep up with ever-changing priorities, clients, projects and technology.

Diversity Companies benefit by employing people of different ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, cultural backgrounds, etc. International students can be the key to unlocking this diversity.

Multilingual Skills Coming from different parts of the world, international students can often speak multiple languages. Employers can leverage that to navigate new markets.

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Quick learners International students learn to stay away from home with little to no guidance on little details. They learn a lot about the UK culture through osmosis and observation. They can learn quickly and are not afraid of experimenting with new ideas.

Resilient Reslience refers to the ability to withstand and recover from difficult events and challenges. International students live in a strange land without a support system when they first step foot in the UK. This isn’t without challenges that speaks volumes about their resilience.

Solution-oriented A solution-oriented person is able to look beyond the current problems and works towards finding solutions. This approach to problem-solving, exhibited by international students who have learnt to deal with restrictions and challenges, is valuable for employers.

Long-term commitment International graduates usually work with organisations over long-term because of sponsorship needs or stability and even strong work ethic. They are, therefore, preferable over job-hoppers.

Fresh perspective An international student can potentially supply excellent research skills, a wealth of ideas and innovative solutions to everyday problems because, because their lived experience is very different from their domestic peers.

Key to serving a global clientele Companies looking to expand their business rely on international talent to facilitate expansion in different countries due to the obvious advantage of their familiarity with the workplace culture and society.

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Difference between Employment and Employability Employment, simply, refers to the state of being employed in paid work.

Employability is defined as a set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal attributes – that makes graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the 1 community and the economy.

Employability, therefore, is not just about getting a job, it is about a broader set of skills and attributes that will enable a graduate to be successful throughout their working life.

To seek gainful employment, you should aim at enhancing your employability.

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Soft Skills and Hard Skills Soft Skills

Hard Skills

Soft skills are interpersonal skills and attributes that enable you to interact with others and promote productivity in the workplace. They are nontechnical skills and may include how employees interact and communicate with colleagues.

Hard skills are skills that you’ve developed with the help of specific knowledge or training. If it’s a skill you learnt at school or through a course, something you can get tested for, or get better at with practice, it’s a hard skill.

Employers value soft skills because they are transferable, and are not related to one specific job. Instead, they are general characteristics that help employees thrive in the workplace, regardless of the role or industry.

While hard skills are all about what you can do at work, soft skills tend to be the personality traits and qualities that determine how you approach that work.

Spotlight: Transferable Skills Transferable skills are general abilities you’ll have gained and learned during your experiences that can be applied to a variety of different sectors and jobs.

Knowing about and applying your transferable skills to match a company’s needs is essential, especially for international students applying for various graduate opportunities in different industries.

Examples of transferable/soft skills - teamwork, communication skills, interpersonal skills, time management etc.

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Securing Work Experience As an international student, you can secure experience in many forms:

Internships These are often voluntary opportunities you undertake because you want to gain professional experience in a role.

Student Bodies Taking up leadership roles in student societies or student unions can be a great addition to your CV, network, and skills.

Work Experience Programmes Such schemes or programmes are usually in the nature of traineeships or apprenticeship schemes.

Placements Placements are up to year-long programmes that take place between the penultimate and final years of your degree.

They are often a part of your course and also referred to as “sandwich year” or “year in industry.”

Volunteer Work Volunteering is offering your skills or undertaking unskilled work with no expectation of remuneration.

Shadowing opportunities It involves accompanying and observing the schedule or “day in the life” of a professional to understand their work profile and role.

Part-time Jobs Any job that you work in for a few hours a week, ranging from retail stores to assistantships and on-campus student jobs.

Ambassador Programmes Companies and brands hire students to be their faces on campus and promote their products or services. It can be a great learning and networking experience.

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Standard Application Process at a Glance

Arrive in the UK Get your CV reviewed Network Find placement, graduate scheme or jobs

Apply Online Give online psychometric tests Prepare for video interview or assessment centers Go For It!

For guidance on what you can/cannot do under your Student Visa, please visit the International Student Advice office.

They offer weekly drop-ins and workshops and students also can book an appointment to get support about their concerns/questions relating to their visa and about settling into their life in the UK. 20

CV Writing CV Support at UWS 1. CV Builder and CV360: These tools help you make CVs and align them with the British standard and get instant feedback for improvement for different styles of CV like Graduate CV, Part-time CV, Skill-based CV, Academic CV. 2. Interview360: A tool to help set up a Mock interview with instant feedback.

Action Verbs Resume Power words or Action verbs are often recommended as a substitute for worn-out buzzwords. Action verbs convey a combination of skill, action and outcome and therefore, stand out from the rest of the page.

Action Verbs will help you convey your skills and qualifications faster so that you can be assured of an opportunity to expand on the bullet points of your CV later in an interview.

If you led or managed a project

If you helped to achieve tangible outcomes

If you were integral behind-the-scenes of a project

Coordinated

Accelerated

Analysed

Executed

Advanced

Assessed

Headed

Amplified

Evaluated

Operated

Boosted

Examined

Oversaw Planned

Enhanced Expanded

Explored Identified

Produced

Generated

Mapped

Directed

Improved

Reviewed

Facilitated

Maximised

Researched 21

If you applied for grants/funds and secured them

If you want to share milestones or achievements

If you took initiative for improvements

Acquired

Awarded

Conserved

Forged

Completed

Consolidated

Navigated

Demonstrated

Decreased

Negotiated

Earned

Improved efficiency

Partnered

Showcased Succeeded

Reduced Streamlined

Secured

Surpassed

Margins Recruiters are known to spend 7 seconds on your CV or resume. When the window to make an impression is so small, you need to get the formatting right. Margins, i.e the border between the text and the document page, are crucial in making your resume look professional.

Additionally, resumes and CVs are often run through ‘Applicant Tracking Systems’ (ATS), so the margins should be kept a standard 1” on each side.

Often, students decide to trim down the margins in order to fit everything on one page. Our advice is that you should not sacrifice clean spaces in favour of resume/CV length.

Fonts & sizes The most acceptable, professional fonts are as follows:

• Arial

• Cambria

• Calibri

• Garamond

• Georgia

• Helvetica

• Times New Roman

• Veranda

Do not use a font that is hard to read!

Font size for the above-mentioned fonts should be a standard 10 to 12.

You can choose bigger sizes for headings and subheadings.

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What should a CV include?

Employers typically expect to see your education, any relevant work experience section and your personal skills. Remember, no two CVs should be exactly the same, think about how you can tailor each one to match the requirements of the role you’re applying for.

Think carefully about how you format your CV. Make sure that all the key information you want the employer to see is on the first page and that it is most directly relevant to the job.

Each section in your CV should contain the following information; remember that these sections can be in any order depending on what you want the employer to see first, but you should always start with your contact details and profile.

Personal Profile - Contact Details - Profile - Education - Work Experience (Relevant experience, volunteering etc) - Skills - Interests/hobbies - References Contact details should include: - Your full name - Home address - Mobile number - Email address - make sure it’s professional sounding - LinkedIn or other social media/portfolio/blog links (if appropriate)

Don't include:

- Photo - Date of birth or Nationality or Father's occupation - Marital, sexual, gender, religion, race status 23

Cover Letter & Portfolio Cover Letter A cover letter is a document that serves as an introduction to your resume. It's a short piece where you elaborate on your skills, highlight your qualities and describe what makes you a perfect fit for the job. A good cover letter complements your resume, and is unique to every job role.

You may wonder that when a resume covers all your previous experience and your qualifications, then how can a cover letter add value? While your resume will give the employer a peek into your professional learnings and educational background, a cover letter will serve as an opportunity to define what makes you an exceptional or better candidate than the others.

Defining your passion for the job and your ambition will create an excellent first impression on the employer. And a CV cannot fully reflect this qualitative aspect. A cover letter for an entry-level job will reflect the confidence, curiosity and commitment you have to excel at the position, and it'll add more value to your resume/application.

Do I need a cover letter if I have no experience?

Short answer: Yes. Graduates may not have "job" experience, but international students are often proactive in their career journey, having acquired enough knowledge and skills through internships, volunteering opportunities, student leadership work, that overlap with your skillset to get an entry-level job. In other words, if you have no experience, you need a cover letter more than any other candidate. It’s your space to convey your suitability for a company or a role.

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Cover Letter Template when applying for a job

Dear <find the name of the hiring manager> I came across the job listing for <position> on <platform where you found the job listing>.

I am excited to apply for [job title]. <Company name> has become a leader in <sector>.

[Insert one sentence about the company’s work and why you identify with it] Currently, I am a student at [University Name], graduating class of 20xx. I am also the [position] at [student body/society name]. As [job title], I was responsible for [Task 1, Task 2, and Task 3]. [Any achievement you want to draw attention to.

Remember: add links to showcase evidence for your claims if possible/applicable].

If given a chance to work for [company], I would love to [ways in which you’ll contribute].

Thanks for considering my application. I hope to hear from you soon.

Best Regards, [Name]

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Portfolio A portfolio is simply a comprehensive collection of your work samples that showcase your skills, experience and expertise for potential employers to see.

In most creative industries, a portfolio is important to showcase your previous work, vision, and style.

It is common for students and graduates to include projects they worked on as a part of their degree, so feel free to include that work. It’s an opportunity for you to show how you have put theory into practice.

A portfolio can simply be a collection of documents, links, or a website.

You can build a portfolio on one of the following sites:

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Sample Application Process

SAMPLE JOB POSTING Job Title:

Technology Consulting Graduate Programme

Location:

ABC UK, London

About Us:

ABC UK's Technology Consulting Graduate Programme solves a broad mix of challenges for ABC’s clients.

Your Role:

As a graduate at ABC, you'll learn the skills to analyse, advise and deliver digital solutions for some of the firm's clients’ most pressing business issues. ABC looks to recruit those with existing technical skills, as well as those keen to develop a career in technology and looking to solve business issues innovatively and sustainably.

During the Technology Consulting graduate scheme, you’ll follow a structured programme working with various clients and technologies. Your work will typically span the technology delivery lifecycle; shaping a project from requirements definition through to technical delivery. During the programme, you’ll also benefit from several training modules designed to develop your productivity, interpersonal and technical skills.

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Training, The training and development of ABC’s people are development critical to the future success of ABC’s business. The & rotations: firm wants all its trainees to embrace a growth mindset of learning every day, which is why the company has created a rich curriculum and learning community to help trainees build their skills and fulfil their potential.

This ranges from an immersive 5-day induction experience, formal training courses, leadership knowledge bites, learning journals, online courses and networking events.

Career As you progress, your Performance Manager will work Pregression: with you to identify your goals and tailor any additional training you might need. ABC will provide plenty of support and development opportunities to help you achieve your potential – primarily based on client work with the chance to gain technical qualifications specifically suited to the work you will deliver. You'll have every opportunity to make your mark.

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About You:

As a general rule, you’ll be expected to meet the following requirements (*or equivalents) Minimum Grade 6 GCSE* Maths Minimum Grade 6 GCSE* English Language Minimum of 120 UCAS points* under the 2017 tariff point system at A Level or equivalent qualifications Minimum 2:1 degree in any discipline At ABC, the management looks at more than just your academic results. The firm will review your application and your assessment performance to ensure that you have the best opportunity to demonstrate your potential. ABC will be considering your strengths and achievements against ABC’s capabilities alongside several other metrics, including technical background and/or experience, to ensure you have the skills to succeed at ABC.

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Sample Application Cover Letter

Dear Hiring Manager, As a technology enthusiast, I am excited to apply for the Technology Consulting Graduate Programme at ABC UK. With two years of business analysis experience and a Business Management Master's from the University of the West of Scotland, I am eager to contribute my skills to ABC's innovative consulting solutions.

I am currently pursuing my MBA degree at the University of the West of Scotland, London, where I am also the head of the Data Society. Prior to this, I worked with a startup in India in the Founder’s office, assisting in business analysis and go-to-market (GTM) functions. I collaborated closely with project managers and senior executives to analyse market trends, consumer behaviour, and competitive landscapes. I helped prepare comprehensive reports and delivered insightful presentations that supported data-driven decision-making for clients. We developed a launch strategy for an HR Tech solution.

Along with technical skills, I learned important lessons in clear communication and onboarding operations. As an international student in the UK, I also now have enhanced adaptability and crosscultural collaboration, aligning well with ABC's global focus. I am passionate about continuous learning and possess strong technical and interpersonal skills.

I would be thrilled at the opportunity to share my expertise to help ABC continue to deliver industry-leading solutions.Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, Manish Khanna

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Types of Interviews Phone Interviews A screening call to assess the suitability and availability of the candidate.

Video Interviews Initial interview conversation, either with a person or an automated system.

Face-to-face Interviews Traditional face-to-face formats where interviewer and interviewee sit across from each other.

Panel Interviews Traditional face-to-face formats where the interviewee faces a panel of interviewers.

Interviewing Tips Research about the organisation Browse through the company website, current news, competitors, company’s profile as an employer, etc. Your research should help you answer two questions: Are you the right fit for the company?

How are you going to demonstrate that in your application?

Practice Mock Interview Career Service provides sessions for mock interviews. Book a session and practice before you head out for the actual interview.

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Interviewing Techniques S.T.A.R. TECHNIQUE The STAR method is a helpful acronym to remember when answering behavioural questions. Your anecdotes should be concise - remember to have a beginning, middle and end, and they should always be positive, even if the end result may not have been favourable. Here’s a template you can follow.

S

Situation: The situation you had to deal with

T

Task: The task you were given to do

A

Action: The action you took

R

Result: What happened as a result of your action and what you learned from the experience

C.A.R. TECHNIQUE Similar to the S.T.A.R technique, this technique also offers you a template to follow.

CAR

C

Context/Challenge: This is the set-up for your story.

Set the context and give all relevant details of the challenge you were facing.

A

Action: How did you react to the challenge? Share your big hero moment and show that you are solution-oriented.

R

Result: What was the payoff of your efforts? Did your ideas and actions help solve the problem and effectively address the challenge? Share both quantitative and qualitative results.

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Common Interview Questions Describe A Challenge or Conflict You Overcame

Highlight your strengths: Pick your words appropriately to showcase your strong points. You could say: “In case of a conflict situation, I actively attempt to readjust my attitude. I also listen to the other person’s viewpoint and take their comments on board. I have learned that moving a challenging situation to a private space helps avoid complications.”

Explain the context & process: Take the interviewer behind the scenes. Explain how you recognised the problem. Then illustrate your proactiveness and creative thinking. Present a case for your solution and what it achieved.

Give An Example Of A Time You Showed Initiative

Share experiences: Try to recall instances from your previous jobs, internships, or even during any college event. You can talk about a new project that you started or solved a problem even if it was not your responsibility.

Provide context and details: Clearly outline your skills and strengths. Use this answer to highlight the qualities that you think are not mentioned in your CV. Use this question as a space to explore the routine as well as creative activities where you demonstrated initiative.

Give me an example of a time when you weren’t able to meet a deadline

Share why you missed it: Talk about a specific situation where you missed a deadline due to unforeseen or unplanned circumstances. What steps did you take to manage expectations about the task not being delivered on time?

Own it: Take personal responsibility for the shortcoming and talk about how you ensured that such a situation can be prevented in the future.

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Sample Follow-up Email After an Interview Dear Anna, Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me about the position of Business Analyst this morning. It was really interesting to learn more about your organisation and how I could contribute if given the opportunity.

You mentioned you’re still interviewing candidates so I just wanted to share that I am very keen on the role and believe that I could make a valuable contribution with my skills and experience in the sector where the majority of your clients operate.

Finally, attached you will find the details of some of the projects we talked about. Please feel free to contact me if you find you need any more information. I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Thank you once again.

Yours Sincerely, Manish Khanna

Dress Codes Rule of thumb when choosing how to dress up for an interview: The default dress code for interviews in the UK is formal or smart casual. Depending on the seniority of the role as well as your interviewer, you can attend your interview wearing a suit or a formal dress.

For interviews at startups or creative organisations, a blouse/shirt and a smart pair of trousers or jeans should do the trick. Make sure you look clean and presentable.

The devil is in the detail, i.e. tidy nails, clean shoes, minimise body odour, well-fitted clothes and minimal make-up.

If you spoke with a recruiter or hiring manager on the phone or via email to set up the interview, you can simply ask them what the dress code is ahead of your interview. Don’t hesitate, as it only shows your dedication to the company culture. At the same time, you should consider doing your own research by looking up the company social profiles and other photographs on the website.

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Exploring the Entrepreneurship & Self-employment Route

What is Entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship is a common choice among international students. In fact, 57% of UK university startups have an international founder. For graduates who have a viable business idea and business acumen, this can be a fruitful path to pursue.

Funds, Accelerators and Bootcamps As an entrepreneur starting out, you will benefit from support of an ecosystem of mentors, fellow entrepreneurs, network of VCs. Accelerators, incubators and bootcamps provide exactly that.

Accelerators Accelerators provide support to early-stage, growth-driven companies through education, mentorship, and financing. Startups are usually admitted in batches and accelerators run for a fixed period, during which intensive training and education are imparted to the founders.

Incubato Often run by VC firms, angel investors, government entities, and other types of funding agencies, incubators are hubs where startups are given a space to work on the business idea, build a business plan, execute a product-market fit, and network in the startup ecosystem. It is a thoroughly guided process and space.

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Bootcamps Bootcamps are often a series of intensive workshops that help translate an innovative idea into a business. Bootcamps often help with getting the fundamentals of running a business right.

Some such opportunities include: The Mayor's Entrepreneur Programme: If you have a viable, sustainable business idea, you can apply to the programme. There are five awards each with a £20,000 prize fund. They even have a separate segment for Creative Industries businesses.

If your business idea is about sustainable social change, The Stephen Lloyd Awards are open to early-stage projects that could bring about practical, sustainable social change. Ten shortlisted applicants will receive up to £2,000, along with expert support to help them further develop their ideas. The winner will be awarded up to £20,000.

Business Model Canvas The Business Model Canvas can help you get clarity on your business model and needs. Use this template to lay out all the aspects of your business-in-making.

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SWOT Analysis Template SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Businesses operate in an environment that is defined by many external and internal factors that keep changing. Knowing how each of these factors impact your business and plans is important. This way you can minimise the negative impact of a threat and optimize the use of a positive change in the environment.

A SWOT analysis is a technique for assessing these four aspects of your business. Strengths and Weaknesses pertain to your businesses, while Opportunities and Threats come in from the external environment that you’re operating in.

Strengths • What do you do well?

• What are the resources uniquely available to you?

Weaknesses • What could you improve?

• Where do you have fewer resources than others?

SWOT

Threats • What actions of your competition can harm your growth?

• What threats do your weaknesses expose?

Opportunities • What trends could you take advantage of?

• How can you turn your strengths into opportunities?

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Business Terms you should know when starting out

MVP:

MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product. It refers to the basic version of a product with functional features so that early customers can test it out and provide feedback.

Product Roadmap:

A product roadmap is a visual summary that maps out the vision, direction, and progress of your product offering over time.

Assets:

An asset is something that provides a current, future or potential economic benefit for your business.

Liabilities:

These are financial obligations of a business, usually debt or money owed, that results in the company's future sacrifices of economic benefits.

Revenue:

It refers to the income generated by the sale of goods or services.

Expenses:

This is the money spent, or costs incurred, by a business in order to generate revenues.

Balance Sheet:

It is a financial statement that reports a company's assets, liabilities, and shareholder equity at a given point in time.

Profit Margin:

It refers to the amount by which revenue from sales exceeds costs in your business.

B2B/B2C:

Depending on the type of business model, your company can be “business-to-business” that provides services or products to other businesses. Or, it can be a B2C, or “business-to-consumer” company that sells directly to individual consumers.

Resource: UWS London Business Incubator Programme runs two times a year in April and September.

Students can find detail via: https://www.uwslondon.ac.uk/about-uws/careers-and-employability/ 38

Freelancing in the UK If you want to work for a variety of clients as an independent contractor, on a retainer or a project basis, you should consider freelancing if you have a Graduate Route Visa. Think of freelancing as running a business.

You are selling your skills — writing, design, coding, etc — to clients. To be successful in your career, you will, therefore, need both creative skills as well as hard business skills.

Here are some things you should know about freelancing in the UK: Client management and project management constitutes a big part of your work as a freelancer. This involves, among other things, handling emails, meetings and agreeing on working hours, and invoicing.

You are not allowed to freelance on a student visa. On your Student Visa, it mentions that you’re allowed to work up to 20 hours for an employer during term time, but self-employment is not allowed.

As a freelancer, you are responsible for your own taxes. You should also have a basic understanding of the IRS 35 rules. 2These rules are applicable for workers (sometimes known as contractors) who offer their services through their own limited company or another type of intermediary to the client.

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How to find your first client?

The following platforms are worth bookmarking to check if there are opportunities that suit your skillset.

Also keep an eye out for calls and applications invited over social media and share about the services you are offering with peers and mentors. Word of mouth is a powerful tool. Cold outreach is another business skill you should develop.

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What is Networking?

Networking, in very simple words, is the process of making professional contacts. It can serve multiple purposes: You can meet people from the profession you're headed into, who can guide you on matters of finding a job in the field.

Great ice-breakers for potential partnerships, job opportunities, work experience, shadowing opportunities etc.

Professional networking helps you learn and stay current.

Creating trusted interpersonal connections helps you gain self-knowledge and confidence, which simulates a feeling of being valued.

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Reaching out to Alumni Usually, alumni from your University are very keen to offer guidance to current students, they are a good network to tap into because they have been in your position and you can use their advice and career paths as inspiration for your next steps in your career. To find out which alumni are working in your industry of choice or if you want to see where alumni from your course are working now, head over to LinkedIn.

Go to the University of the West of Scotland, LinkedIn page.

Select the Alumni Tab on the University of the West of Scotland page.

Use appropriate filters to target alumni in your field.

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Career Fairs Career Fairs provide the opportunity to network with recruiters, employers and hiring managers from a variety of fields.

Come Prepared Research companies in advance and prepare your questions for hiring managers.

Dress to Impress Make sure you wear professional attire to the fair, in accordance with the job roles you are considering.

Elevator Pitch Keep an elevator pitch ready, because career fairs can be very busy days and you need to convince an employer to engage you further.

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Elevator Pitch An elevator pitch is a short overview of who you are which aims to introduce you to the person you’re talking to.

As a student, an elevator pitch is a brief summary of you, your experience, and your goals. This is likely to be what degree you’re studying, any relevant work experience or extracurriculars, and what you’d like to do in the (near) future. You can briefly mention any particular interests or unique skills here as well.

Here’s a sample to help you out with one:

Hello, my name is John Rogers. I’m a third-year business undergraduate student at the University of the West of Scotland, London. I am also the Secretary of the Business Club at the University, and have a keen interest in exploring how tech start-ups and scale-ups grow their business after achieving success with their MVPs. In fact, that’s what my dissertation is about. Upon graduating, I hope to find practical use of my interests in an actual start-up or scale-up, where I can bring my theoretical knowledge and findings. I know you work at ABC, which is developing a SaaS tool, I would love to contribute to the business development and growth.

Mentorship Mentorship is an excellent way to both network and receive continuous guidance from professionals already working in the field that you are exploring.

The UWS London mentoring scheme matches students with people in industry, public and private sector organisations. It is an excellent opportunity for our International students to gain professional insights into working in the UK and other countries.

If you choose to take part in our mentoring programme, you will be matched with a mentor who can help you to reach your full potential and provide you with a positive role model.

Applications will open in Sept and January for all masters’ students.

While traditionally mentoring is on a 1:1 basis, at UWS London a group mentoring approach will be taken and enable you to develop a strong network of peers that you can also seek support from.

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Leveraging LinkedIn Setting up LinkedIn Profile LinkedIn Profile Picture Your profile picture is the first thing people see on your profile and the most visible part of your profile when you comment or engage with others, so make sure you have a professional photo. Make sure the photo is well-lit. Remove the background or give it a simple background colour, to reduce the clutter. A profile photo that is pixelated or dim-lit will not get noticed.

#OpenToWork When you are actively looking for a job, make use of the #OpenToWork badge on your profile.

Background Banner This is a good place to visually summarise your profile in a few words for your LinkedIn student profile. Introduce yourself + tell what you are studying + share your skills + what roles you are looking for.

About Section Expand on your elevator pitch here. Offer more details about your background, context, and any highlights of your academic or professional life.

Experience Section Share any previous work experience you have. Even if you are a complete fresher, it’s good practice to not leave this space blank. You can substitute any part-time job experience or experience working for a student society as professional experience.

Education List down your educational degrees, and academic achievements like scholarships, badges, awards, leadership positions, projects and publications.

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Tip: Customise your LinkedIn URL Your LinkedIn URL is your personal address on the platform. You might want to be easily searchable and accessible, so we suggest you customise your URL. You can do this on your profile by clicking on “Edit Public Profile & URL” and “Edit your custom URL” to something very simple.

LinkedIn Do’s and Dont's Profile: Fill out every section of your profile, and use keywords (more on them later!) that employers are likely to search for across your headline, summary and experience sections.

Testimonial: Have testimonial proof. Ask your peers, managers, advisors, and supervisors to give you a recommendation. Nothing like a glowing recommendation from a former manager, that supports your claims and skills.

Profile Photo: Don’t keep your profile photo section empty. Also don’t use a photo with poor lighting or a selfie.

Get a professional headshot if you can.

Customised URL: Make sure you have a customised LinkedIn profile URL. It is much easier to share your LinkedIn profile with a customised URL, not to mention the professional impression it leaves. Ideally, the URL should be linkedin.com/yourname.

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LinkedIn Message Sample messages for reaching out to hiring managers/recruiters on LinkedIn Sample 1

“Hi __________, I noticed that you are a recruiter in the _______ sector. I wanted to reach out to discuss potentially working together. I’m a student at the University of the West of Scotland, London with a proven track record of ________________ (share your value proposition and any experience) and currently seeking new opportunities.

Would be grateful to connect and chat, _________”

Sample 2

“Hi __________, I noticed that you are hiring for ABC role at your company XYZ. I wanted to reach out to discuss my qualifications and fit for the role.

I’m a student at the University of the West of Scotland, London with a proven track record of ________________ (share your value proposition and any experience) and currently seeking new opportunities.

Would be grateful to connect and chat, _________”

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Sample messages for reaching out to alumni on LinkedIn SAMPLE 1

Hi Simi, I'm currently a third-year Management student at the University of the West of Scotland, London, and I came across your profile via the alumni tab on the University of the West of Scotland, London LinkedIn page.

I'm very interested in pursuing filmmaking in the social sector and would love to get your input on how I can best position myself in the industry.

I know you must be busy, but I’d be really grateful if you could spare any time at all to give me some advice, either via phone/video call or if you have time to grab a coffee.

I am available Monday-Wednesday next week between 11 AM and 5 PM GMT. I would be truly grateful for any advice you could offer.

Thanks, ABC

SAMPLE 2

Dear Simi, I’m a current student at University of the West of Scotland, London studying Management. I found your contact information via LinkedIn. I have had experience in HR management during my 6-month internship at ABC communications, and I am currently looking for a HR internship in London next summer.

I see that you made a similar transition into HR Management, so I was hoping that you might be willing to speak with me for a few minutes to discuss how you made this move successfully.

Thanks, and I look forward to connecting with you soon.

Kind regards, ABC

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Setting Up Informational Interviews Informational interviews, as the name suggests, are conversations with experienced professionals who can share insights about their career trajectory, job roles, and the industry in which they are working.

Template: Request for Information Interview While it is recommended that you build a relationship with a professional before asking for an interview, there’s nothing wrong in transparently sharing your intentions the first time you connect with them, either over email or on LinkedIn. Dear [First Name] [Last Name] I hope you’re well.

I noticed on LinkedIn that you are working at [Company Name] as [Job Title]. I’ve been interested in transitioning into the role and would like to learn more about your journey. I’m currently a graduate student at [University Name], so understanding your career trajectory would help me plan my next steps.

If you’re open to it, I could set up a 20-minute call depending on your availability.

Let me know what works best for you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Your Name/Signature]

Sample Questions to Ask in an Informational Interview Once you receive a positive response and set up an interview, make sure you keep the conversation lively and authentic, but cover the most important points. Below are some sample questions you can ask.

How did you enter this industry?

What are your major responsibilities in the current role?

What was the first role you started in? How did it progress to your current role?

What are the challenges facing the industry today?

How would you describe your work environment?

What skills would you say are the most important ones for someone willing to work in this industry?

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Success Story: Graduate Interview

effective strategies to achieve my goals and inspire my students with my love of learning. In the long run, I want to establish a reputation as an expert in this sector. I would also appreciate coaching aspiring entrepreneurs and innovative business specialists as they start their careers.

How did UWS help you find your current job or careerrelated skills?

Dr Tharwat Khalil First of all, please tell us what you currently do in the UK for work and how did you decide this career path?

Since obtaining my doctorate in Business Administration in 2022, I have worked as an MBA supervisor and business lecturer at the UWS London campus. In a position like this, I am excited to advance my understanding of the higher education sector and build fresh approaches and methods. I intend to seize any leadership positions that allow me to use

I was overjoyed when the DBA programme director suggested a teaching position once I finished.

Through its cutting-edge courses, contemporary pedagogy, and practical knowledge, the UWS allowed me to experience the enjoyment of learning, teaching, research, and innovation while also allowing me to put my skills to serve others.

Why did you want to work in the UK and what has your journey been like?

Since this is London, the world's financial centre, it most closely reflects my ideals, and I have already suggested working here to many friends and will continue 50

to do so. I love the city's general vibes, career, which I did for about a openness, forward-thinking approach, year. and overall ethos.

Then, to strengthen my cultural I am originally from Cairo, Egypt; integrity, I transitioned to various getting out of my comfort zone and volunteer positions, including realising the most excellent version of three years as a student myself were two challenges I had to ambassador and working with overcome on my journey. My degree BHF and Octavia. These two was crucial to me, so I quit my prior charities support the local work to return to school and finish it. communities. So, my journey has Despite having a tonne of managerial- been fantastic, and I am grateful level professional experience, this was for the opportunities I have been my first time doing this. I earned a given because they are utilising degree in business administration, all the skills I have from previous and I recall being overwhelmed by jobs, such as team-working and how warmly everyone welcomed me communication skills. I have had a on my first day, expecting that I would learning journey over the last four fit in nicely with the academic years, and I feel fortunate to have community. I also remember how been so involved in all aspects of professional and personable the the services offered by the UWS. training was; it was well-organised by How did you find work the UWS. I advanced from student to opportunities and how did you London Executive officer using my manage to find time looking prior would fit in nicely with the for jobs whilst studying? academic community. I also Students may explore job remember how professional and prospects offered by the UWS personable the training was; it was with a strong career development well-organised by the UWS. I plan. Because of this, I was able to advanced from student to London create solid strategies that have Executive officer using my prior helped me at every stage of my managerial and networking expertise. academic and professional career.

I was happy with my new position and A potential source of employment grateful for the chance to further my 51

for students that I investigated was the Student Circus. Also, if you are studying in a major city like London, there are conference halls and many seasonal events. Festivals and other events regularly call for the attendance of temporary workers.

What was the job searching process like and how did you navigate the interview process?

Please take advantage of the UWS career services, add regional recruiters on LinkedIn, and ask them to assist you in finding employment.

Ask members of your professional network whether their employer is hiring for your position. Ask your close friends if they can recommend you for a position if one becomes available at their firm, visit career fairs, and look at websites like Reed and Indeed. Concerning the interviewing procedure: Interview anxiety may be lessened by being prepared. Most job interviews may be divided into Introduction, getting to know you, and closing; you can practice using Google interview warmup services.

Academic criterion English language proficiency is a requirement for all degrees, whether you are an international student or not. Writing well is essential for coursework tasks like dissertations and examinations, replying to lengthy written responses, and addressing essay questions. Professional competencies include cultural awareness, intercultural communication abilities, adaptability, creativity, and practical skills.

Anything about the UK job market that surprised you?

In 2020, during the first nationwide lockdown brought on by the pandemic, there was a catastrophic recession with a historic decline in GDP. However, from April 2023, the UK employment rate was projected to be 76.0%. The number of people in the labour force reached a record high in the most recent quarter, with rises in both the number of employees and selfIn your opinion, what skills should employed workers. international students focus on and put value on?

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