How To Get Tier 2 Sponsorship Jobs In The UK For International Students

7 Steps To Get Tier 2 Sponsorship Jobs In The UK For International Students

I am going to tell you how to get a tier 2 sponsorship job so you can remain in the UK to build your career after graduation, a few years ago I graduated from University and I managed to get a Tier 2 sponsorship job in a top investment bank now I also advise other students on how to get hired in the UK, so I share my strategy in seven easy steps, all are pretty simple actionable techniques anyone can follow to make sure they increase their chances of getting hired in the UK.

when I was applying for graduate scheme jobs I did not have any perfect grades, did not have a 1st, I did not have any connections, I did not have any experience in a sector and I do not speak perfect English! But what I did, was I invested a LOT of time into my job search strategy! So, let me tell you about what I did.

be specific about the role and the sector you applying for

what I mean by that is that you have to decide approximately which role and sector you’re going to go for it is not efficient to apply to all the jobs you can find on the internet, to be honest, I have to admit, at first what I did I looked at the companies that I knew sponsored Tier 2 visas and I just applied for all the roles they had available, I didn’t think about which skills I had, which experience I had, and which roles I would be naturally more suited for.

I think it is more strategic to think about which roles and sectors you will go for and then start with job applications I’m not saying you have to decide very specifically but you have to think about whether you’re going to be a front office investment banker or a finance specialist. this is because your CV, your Cover Letter, and your application questions, are all going to be different depending on the role and sector you applying for.

Another point about the sector and field you aim for, in certain roles and sectors there going to be more Tier 2 sponsorship jobs available and more graduate schemes for international students, I’m not saying that the jobs from another sector will not be available for you but it’ll be harder to find it’ll be more competitive and riskier to invest all your time pursuing and job in a sector that doesn’t have that many tier 2 sponsorship jobs available.

so you might be wondering then, which sectors should I aim for? where are the jobs for international students? according to real numbers and research and also based on my experience, there are six main sectors you should aim for: the first one is the investment banking and asset management, then finance accounting audit and professional services, consulting, IT and technology, and engineering. these sectors are not in any particular order I’m just giving you the areas where the jobs are more available for international students and by jobs I mean the jobs that are going to give you a tier 2 work visa!

only apply for companies that going to sponsor your Tier 2 visa

Some firms, even large ones, do not sponsor work visas, and I know some people propose applying to companies and then if they pick you or after you have already gone through the application process, suggesting that they sponsor you, yes it is possible but I think it is a bit of a waste of time because you don’t have that much energy and time to waste your application time when applying for companies that don’t sponsor and don’t have the system to sponsor you for a work visa, what you should do is only apply for companies that for 100 % can sponsor!

there are lots of ways to find out whether that company has tier 2 sponsorship in place so please don’t waste your time applying to all the random companies because you don’t have that much time to invest in your job search you have to be very smart about it!

Start applying for jobs as early as possible

there are two things that I mean by that first of all you have to apply early within your education so I recommend applying for an internship in your second year and applying for a graduate scheme in your third year, don’t wait until you graduate to start looking for a job!

and secondly what I mean by early is that if you want an internship or a graduate scheme you have to apply to start from August the previous year so if you want to work in June 2023 have to start applying in August 2022, most applications open in August but you have till the end of the year I think to apply for most schemes.

apply for as many roles as you can

and by a lot, I mean at least twenty or thirty, and of course quality should always beat quantity, but you need to have a lot of applications to make sure you get the job! it is like a lottery you have to play, play, play, to make sure you win!

I applied for at least sixty different jobs before getting my first interview, which sounds like an insane number of applications, and it was! and it was mainly my mistake because I didn’t follow the seven steps I’m sharing with you today… you have to apply and apply and APPLY!

I know some people who applied for two jobs, didn't hear back and then claimed that the UK didn't want them to sponsor them. You also need to set aside some real time to apply for these jobs. In my third year, I honestly spent more time applying than learning. I don’t recommend that but I do want to emphasize that you have to allocate a significant portion of your time in your final year for job applications beginning of the year, not the end of the year.

get all the help that is available to you

talk to people that already have good jobs, talk to people you know in a sector, go to career talks, go to a career consultant at your University, and dive into deep research on the internet, also you can work with a career consultant or a coach.

the more you prepare, the more you invest in researching the information, the more you study the questions you have in mind, and the more you prepare for the interview, the better the chance of getting a job!

clearly understand each step of a job application process

make sure you know how to create a perfect CV and Cover Letter, you have to also understand how to answer your application questions, how to pass assessment tests, how to pass telephone interviews and assessment centers and in-person interviews, I know it seems like a lot of things to worry about and to think about but trust me, there are lots of students who go through this process every year and they manage to get the job and the career they want!

so don’t stress out just make sure you know what you’re doing and think about each step and prepare for each step so you don’t miss a great opportunity just because you haven’t researched how to write a perfect cover letter or you haven’t prepared for an interview on the phone.

Get 2:1 in your bachelor’s degree

it is to get a 2:1 in your undergraduate degree and why it is important? unfortunately, it is a requirement for many graduate schemes in the UK, it is not the top grade as you know it’s not a 1st and it’s not 100% in all your courses but 2:1 shows that you have a decent understanding of your degree. my employee has checked that when I applied for my job, and my visa, they made sure I have a 2:1 in my degree also.