Tier 4 student?

How to make the most of your 20 hours!

I am writing this article because I am so frustrated with seeing highly capable, ambitious and talented international students accept part time jobs which do nothing to develop their graduate attributes, employability skills or knowledge of UK business and work place culture. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying there is anything wrong with a part time job stacking shelves, working in a fast food restaurant run by a family friend, care home assistant or as a delivery driver. All these jobs develop a whole range of valuable skills, including interpersonal, communication, time management etc, which are all transferrable to other jobs and workplaces.  However what I am saying is that these aren’t necessarily the types of jobs which will help you to gain the relevant UK industry experience and knowledge you need to secure a graduate role in the UK. It’s tough out there but for many reasons, it’s tougher for international students as you already start at a disadvantage of not being familiar with the UK recruitment practices, lack local connections and have restrictions placed on you in terms of the types of part time work you can do and how many hours a week are allowed to work so it is vital you utilise your 20 hours wisely. 

You’re probably thinking I sound very harsh, and well yes because I care and I have witnessed too many international students settle for part time jobs, which aren’t remotely related to their chosen industry, degree subject or their career goal. This includes MBA students, who are often told it’s too hard to get a part time job, and think their work experience gained in their home country isn’t relevant.  Both of these assumptions are not true and if people do tell you this, set out to prove them wrong like others have. I have witnessed the negative consequences for students who haven’t made the most of their 20 hours, where it results in them not being able to secure a UK graduate job before their Tier 4 visa expires, having to return home where they put all their time and energy into desperately seeking jobs to get back into the UK and of course their sense of desperation forces them to apply for jobs which they are overqualified for, and ones which don’t meet the criteria for visa sponsorship. It quickly becomes a downward spiral, and the once hopeful and enthusiastic graduate becomes overwhelmed, disheartened, disappointed from rejection after rejection and ultimately feels like they have ‘failed’. In fact, they haven’t failed, they just weren’t prepared. So I beg you, please do not let this be you! 

On the other hand, international students who are able to get offers and sponsored jobs have been proactive, productive and taken time and effort to build on their experience in a number of ways. They have also taken steps to consistently put themselves out of their comfort zone. They take up opportunities to get involved in clubs / societies and events on and off their university campus and explore ways to build connections within their local community. 

There are a number of ways you can gain industry experience. So, to make things easier for you, I have put together a list of things to inspire you to get started. The list has been collated from my professional experience of what has benefited previous international students and also feedback I often receive from international graduates.  You don’t need to do every single one of these things, and certainly not all at the same time. However if you are going to do even one of them, don’t just do them to include on your CV, do it because you are genuinely committed to and interested in your own career development. This means you will be more motivated to engage with the  experience in a more meaningful way, and able to talk about it with authenticity and enthusiasm in interviews and in conversations with professionals. 

1.    Volunteering

This doesn’t count as part of your 20 hours, and it doesn’t have to be a huge amount of your time or last the duration of your whole student life, however it is a fantastic way to gain exposure, develop your knowledge and establish a network. If you are studying in Edinburgh, Volunteer Edinburgh has a range of online and presential volunteering roles available. Other regions will have similar websites. Quite often, students approach specific organisations they are interested in gaining experience with to seek our volunteering opportunities. Nothing to lose. Worst they can say is no. 

2.    Work placements and internships

Find out if your academic programme has a placement option and if so, sign up and do a placement. If the thought terrifies you, feel the fear and do it anyway! This is often how students get a foot in the door with graduate roles. It also provides you with the opportunity to do types of work which you are otherwise restricted to based on your visa. Internships are often done in your penultimate year of study. Again, these can be a highly valuable opportunity to gain experience with an employer/organisation you want to work with when you graduate. Even if a work placement or internship doesn’t lead you to a graduate job, or they help to change your mind about what you want to do when you graduate, they provide you with an insight and understanding of UK recruitment practices and workplace culture. To search for internships, LinkedIn, Student Circus, Rate my Placement and Target Jobs are good places to start. 

3.    Get a part time job that will challenge and upskill you

If you are going to get a part time job, get one which will at least challenge you, where you will acquire new skills, and have the opportunity to apply knowledge from your course. As a Tier 4 student, there are a number of part time work and employment activities you aren’t able to do so it is important that you are up to date on this and don’t breach your visa conditions. For example, if you earn more than £15,000 a year, the Home Office have the right to question this on the basis that they suspect you are working more than your 20 hours. Additionally, self-employment and ‘business activities’ are not permitted.

The UKCISA websites provides a list of some jobs you cannot do as a tier 4 student:

• professional sportsperson including sports coach, though there is an exception from 1 October 2019 for students at higher education providers doing work placements on a degree-level course
• entertainer, which includes actors, musicians, dancers and other performers, though there is an exception for students doing work placements on degree-level dance, drama and music courses 
• permanent full-time job, unless you have applied under a work route - see Work when you are no longer studying
• doctor or dentist in training, unless you are on the foundation programme - if you apply for Student permission on or after 1 December 2020, you will not be subject to this restriction 

To get more information on the above, you can contact the visa team at your university or check your BRP for your specific visa conditions.  Alternatively the UKCISA website has a blog around working conditions for international students. 

4.    Get involved in  Extra - Curricular activities

UK employers really value all-rounders and graduates who have engaged in extra -curricular activities, alongside their studies, as it shows your willingness to develop yourself in many ways, not only academically. Join university clubs or societies which interest you, or local sports clubs, or something else which appeals to you.   

5.    Network to establish and expand your UK network

LinkedIn is a fantastic global platform, which brings together recruiters, employers and candidates. Make sure your profile is professional looking, up to date, and that you have a consistent online presence by, commenting on posts, sharing articles or writing regular things on your status. It’s doing small things, but consistently which will get you noticed. Don’t forget that even after you graduate, you will most likely use the platform as a professional too so it’s a fantastic learning curve for how you present yourself and show up as a professional. 

Eventbrite is another great website with a range of online and face to face events you can sign up for. A lot are free and some you have to pay for, but it is a great way to stay up to date with what is happening in your industry, local area and again establishing and building professional relationships. If your subject area has a membership body, sign up to their newsletter or student section (if they have one) as they often provide online information sessions and events for students. For example, if you are studying Law, the Law Society of Scotland has a news and events section with blogs, webinars and other information relevant for students. 

6.    Familiarise yourself with UK recruitment practices

I cannot emphasise this enough! I have supported hundreds of international students in the UK, up to MBA level, who have fantastic skills, experience and educational qualifications, but because they don’t know how to write and format a UK CV, don’t even get offered interviews.  Make sure your CV is in UK format and structure. You can email your CV for a free review to if you want some feedback to careers@praino.co.uk . 

As an international student, it is vital that you start applying for graduate jobs earlier - around 6 months before your visa expires. This is something that most international graduates I have worked with wish they had done looking back. Have a read of the Praino Careers international voices blog to learn about other tier 4 students experiences. 

Essentially, the key message in the above is to GET INVOLVED and please use your 20 hours wisely! If you want to work in the UK after your studies, then you need to be able to compete in your chosen field and that means taking ownership and accountability of your career development now!  Having a degree isn’t enough, and the regardless of whether you qualify for the post study work route, you still have to show that you are an all-rounder and that you have taken the time and commitment to invest in your own career from day one! 

Being proactive, productive and persevering does get results and is a tried and tested strategy other international students use and these are the ones who are successful with securing a graduate job in the UK. 

So, what ONE thing can you do today for your career planning?

Thanks for reading and ciao for now!