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Recruitment in the UK

Working in the UK is becoming increasingly popular for international students and graduates throughout the world. But if you are one of the thousands that are thinking of working in the UK you may ask how you actually go about it.

Theo A. Michaels, European commercial director of BDS Resources gives you some handy advice on the UK market.

To work in the UK you must hold the correct permit / visa or be an EU citizen (anyone who was born in an EU member country) if you are unsure contact the British embassy and they will be able to help.

To help you break into the UK industry below are several steps that if followed should give you a good head-start to securing the career you want.

Know your strengths

Start preparing early by reviewing your strengths and weaknesses – both academically and commercially; what skills do you possess, what experience do you have (placement years, work before university, etc) and what skills do you need? Once you have built up a profile of yourself you should be in a position to identify the type of job or position you not only want but one that is suited to your particular strengths.

At this stage it is worth reviewing / creating your CV to expand on your strengths and for it to tell future employers what job you want and why you will be effective at it. Remember – your CV is usually the first thing your prospective employer will see, so aim for love at first sight! 

UK companies that do take on international students/graduates are willing to commit to possibly a 9-12 month period or longer, but they need to know that you will be flexible to their needs, that you are eager to learn their methods and possibly share a long-term career together in the future.

Focus

By now you should have an idea of what your strengths are and what type of role or career you are suited too. Now you must start identifying the types of companies or institutions that will employ those positions – to find the right job, you must knock on the right doors. So start writing down lists of potential employers, research them on the Internet and collate contact details (if your work is in a specific sector contact its ‘national association’ or governing body as they usually have directories of member companies). At this stage you should also consider other aspects which may affect the employment you take, like specific locations in the UK, do you have friends or family in certain areas?

Sell yourself

This is where the fun begins; you’ve completed your preparation and its time to get into action; there are three main ways of securing employment in the UK, this is either through a graduate recruitment agency, a graduate program or direct employment.

Graduate recruitment agencies - work on behalf of many different employers that are keen to employ graduates and interns. There are many of these types of agencies in the UK and they vary from general recruitment to specific industries, the best place to look for them is by searching the Internet. For best results contact the agencies by sending your CV to them via email and telling them about your situation and what you are looking for.

Graduate programs – are run by the employers themselves; most large organisations and an increasing number of small to medium sized enterprises (SME’s) have their own graduate recruitment program and you should contact them directly. This is the part where you can use the list you created earlier of possible employers and start contacting them (normally they will specify their graduate programs on their website – so start surfing dude or dudette!)

Direct Employment – requires that you contact companies directly and there may or may-not be any formal graduate program; you should ask for their Human Resources (HR) or Personnel departments. Direct employment is normally more successful if you hold a specialist skill or work within a niche sector, but if you don’t – don’t be put off!

Depending on your situation you may favour one route over another; if unsure speak to some graduate recruitment agencies and get a feel for how it works or try a mixture of all three.

The close

After all the work you’ve done so far don’t throw it all away by not following up – you’ll be surprised by how many people send their CV or application forms to companies and never follow them up! Start contacting all the companies, agencies and graduate programs to find out the status on your application and what your next steps are, do not wait to be called - this shows initiative that you are chasing them up and also reflects your commitment to entering employment with them.

Most people are not successful on their first application but don’t be deterred – it is a great opportunity to gain feedback and know what to do or not to do differently next time, i.e. forget the kipper tie!

There are many rewards for international students and graduates starting a career in the UK and there are also many obstacles that you may have to overcome. But, whatever you do, enjoy it and treat it as an adventure.