What You Need To Secure A Tier 2 Job As An International Student In The UK

What You Need To Get A Job As An International Student In The UK

what will improve your chances of securing a tier 2 job in the UK after graduating from a British university? if you are interested to find out more then keep reading because in today’s post I’m going to tell you exactly what you need to secure a tier 2 job as an international student.

a few years ago I managed to get a tier 2 job for myself when I graduated from university and now I work as an independent consultant for many international students, with my experience applying for jobs and also helping other international students apply and secure jobs I have noticed that there are certain characteristics all the successful candidates possess, and the good news is that you’re actually in control of all these things and you can acquire all of these qualities if you prepare in advance, so anyone can improve their chances of security Tier 2 job.

Advanced level of English

the first thing you need to secure a Tier 2 job as an international student is an advanced level of English and that does not mean high scores in IELTS or TOEFL what I mean by the advanced level of English is your fluency and your ability to deliver complex ideas and speak in business professional English.

there are many ways to improve your communication skills you can either take a course at university or do a lot of courses online or you can do it for free if you put enough effort if your English is just OK you’re not going to progress the next stage of the application process unless it is a super technical role that does not require you speaking or communicating to another team member.

a lot of international students struggle with the phone interview stage that is because you have to sound professional and clear on the phone and it could be really hard if it’s not your first language so please make sure you spend enough time to become an effective communicator otherwise you’re going to struggle to stand out amongst other candidates.

At least a 2:1 in your degree

the second quality or thing that you need to secure a job in the UK or improve your chances of securing a Tier 2 job and education is having at least a 2:1 in your degree what does it mean, it means having at least 60% in your course or another name for it is upper second-class honours or for master sometimes it’s called the merit. When I tell prospective students or people who looking for a job that you need at least 2:1 to improve your chances they get defensive and upset, I am NOT saying you’re not gonna get a job but you’re gonna be way harder.

first of all, a lot of companies directly state on the application page or entry requirements that you need to have at least 2:1, when I applied for my visa once I got my job it checked that I have a 2:1 in my degree before issuing an offer letter, you might say it’s a bit strict but think about it these companies are going to invest a lot of money in your visa, your training and so on how can they sue the candidate, it’s not asking for hundred percent and all your courses not asking for you know all top marks they’re just asking you for a general achievement of 60% which is an average grade and people get in the UK, so in conclusion, if you want to make sure you can apply to all the jobs available in the market make sure you get a 2:1.

Strong candidate profile

the third thing you need to secure a tier 2 job as an international student is having a very strong candidate profile or CV, you are selling yourself to an employer so you need to have a very strong personal brand or candidate profile but what does it mean, it’s a combination of many factors it could be amazing personal achievements, academic achievements, work experience, volunteering and so on, so imagine an employer look through 100 CVs and they have to choose some candidate that attracts the attention if, you don’t have anything that is going to spark interest, you’re not going to have anything who’s gonna attract them to you personally why would they pick you.

so let me give you an example of a weak candidate profile would look like that average grades, no book experience, no volunteering, no extracurricular activities, no positions of responsibility maybe like a part-time job that is not very relevant, and you know no particular hobbies.

let me give you some examples of how my CV looked when I applied for my first graduate job when I was 21. I had position responsibilities, I was a president of the society and I was a treasurer at another Society then I had average grades but actually, very strong grades for high school and a lot of banks and other financial firms scan for this information. I had work experience it’s not what it wasn’t relevant experience but it was impressive, I had two part-time jobs or maybe three and I also had volunteering experience.

as you can see it’s a combination of different things you don’t have to have all of them to become a strong candidate but you do have to have something to help you stand out from other candidates.

Strong interview skills

the fourth thing you need to secure a tier 2 job in the UK after graduating is having a strong interview skills and that is the thing that is so easy to improve as long as you practice and prepare in advance, that is separate from having advanced English you can have advanced English but have very poor interview skills.

what does it mean to have strong interview skills, you have to deliver your thoughts and ideas clearly and in a very structured manner, you also need to be personable relatable enthusiastic friendly and so on, you need to learn how to build a connection with an interior that is not rocket science you can practice and learn these skills if you dedicate your time also you have to prepare in advance of your interview, you have to study the company, study the possible questions, study the role, the sector, the industry.

let me give you a personal story when I applied for a graduate job in an investment bank I went to an interview and there were other candidates as well, I have prepared so much in advance because I wanted that job and I found out about their website they have said here is a list of questions we might ask you in an interview, I have studied all these questions and one of the questions was what is the share price of the company? I have learned everything by heart and this question came up during an interview, after the interview was finished another candidate came up to me and said can you imagine they asked me for a share price I was surprised to hear that.

I mean it is the first thing you should do you should prepare the questions they tell you to prepare they ask me other questions outside of the questions they told me that would be on an interview but it’s the first thing you need and prepare in advance is 50% of success.

Having a lot of time

the fifth thing you need to get a tier 2 job in the UK is having a lot of time what does it mean by time, time hope is a very philosophical abstract concept but in this particular situation I mean you have to apply way in advance, you should not start applying for jobs in the last month’s of your degree, it has to be at least one year in advance.

so if you just arrived in the UK and you start your master’s, hello that’s when you should start buying for jobs it’s gonna take you so much time to research the positions, to research companies, the requirements, improve your profile, improve your CV, improve your interview skills, I go on about time and applying advanced and starting early but it is so important unless you start in advance you’re gonna be struggling a lot when it comes to securing a job in the UK.

Clear direction

the sixth quality to secure a tier 2 job is having a direction in your career, you need to have a clear motivation or direction in your career before applying for a job, you can’t just apply for all the jobs and positions you can find on the internet if you have not thought in advance about what kind of career you should have.

also when you know what kind of role or position you want to have, you would have taken to extracurricular activities in a similar field or probably have done similar qualifications will help you achieve success in that role, but if you are just applying to all the jobs your CV is gonna look irrelevant to the job you’re applying to.

the second point that I want to highlight when talking about a direction career you need to pick a career that is going to help you secure a sponsorship job I have talked about this in detail Here, and I have highlighted which sectors are more likely to sponsor a job, I’m not saying you should pick a job just because of sponsorship but be strategic about what kind of jobs and companies you apply for.

yes in an ideal situation all types of jobs can get spotted and probably that is true if you’re super talented and driven you can find a job in any sector and secures a tier 2 job but if you want to improve your chances and that is the point of this article you have to try a career that is more widely sports.

that’s what I have done I applied for a graduate scheme in human resources in the finance sector and other types of sectors that sponsor because I knew that’s where they can sponsor students like me on that topic.