Careers Support for International students – the truth is out there!

Have you ever been asked to play the ‘two truths and a lie’ game? It’s quite a popular ice breaker activity in the UK designed to get groups of people to learn more about each other. Often used at assessment centres by graduate employers it’s a good idea to think of what you might say in advance.

I’ve played this game a few times over the years and got my answers down to fine art. My two truths reveal a little bit about my life outside of work and my lie is closely linked to a truth that often catches people out.

 

It’s not a game you usually play on your own but let’s have a go. I recently read an article aimed at international graduates who were looking to get a job in the UK. See if you can spot the two truths and the one lie below:

1. International graduates face an enormous challenge in securing graduate-level employment in the UK. 
2. Universities are not in the business of helping you get a job.
3. A 2021 report from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport predicts that data analysis will be the fastest-growing skill requirement, increasing by 33% in the next 5 years.

Did you spot the lie?

It’s number 2:  The article I’m referring to is from a website that offers to support international students to get well-paid jobs in the UK. To do this they ask you to sign up for a mentoring scheme which costs in excess of £24,000! This website wants you to believe that your university won’t support you to get a job. This is not true! In fact, there is a whole team of people at ARU who are dedicated to helping all our students gain the kind of skills and experiences they need to help them achieve their career goals.

Number 3 is true; data analysis skills are in huge demand. If you are a student who enjoys handling data, then there will be opportunities out there for you! It is predicted that while not every worker needs to become a data scientist, everyone will need a basic level of data literacy to operate and thrive in increasingly ‘data-rich’ environments. If you want to improve your data literacy, then you can check out the ARUCPD programme which has some data modules to help you build your skills.

Unfortunately, answer 1 can also be true, it can be tough out there for international students. There are many reasons for this but there are jobs out there for international graduates. Luckily at ARU, there is a team of experts working in the Employability & Careers Team who can support you.

You’re not on your own

We can support you in finding part-time work while you study, help you improve your CV, and prepare for interviews. If you have opted for a placement year, we can support you in finding and applying for opportunities. We want all our graduates, UK and international, to succeed in their chosen career paths.

You can access our great range of careers resources anytime online by accessing the Careers Centre through the My ARU app.

Try uploading your CV to our CV Checker, read the feedback, and make a follow-up appointment with an adviser to finalise it for the role you want.

Want to practice interviews? Try the Interview 360 tool, you will be asked a range of common interview questions and get feedback on your answers. You can also book a mock interview for more practice.

You can make an appointment to see your Employability & Careers Adviser using the Handshake app. We offer online and in-person appointments and can support you with career options, CVs, searching for, and applying for jobs, interview preparation, and placement support.

We have so many great tools and people working hard to support our students. All you need to do is ask us. We promise to only tell you the truth and we won’t charge you a penny!

Jennie Grove, Employability & Careers Adviser

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Our Employability Service works with students throughout their time at ARU and after they graduate. The Service offers careers advice, online resources, and help with job searches, applications and interview preparation. Our Employability & Careers Advisers may mention some of these resources and services in their blogs, to give you an idea of the careers support that's on offer at ARU. Some of these resources sit behind a log in and can only be accessed by current students.