International Student Opportunities

Hello,

I am an incoming international student from the USA. I will be attending the UOE to get my masters in Public Policy. I was wondering about something though. I see on the UOE website they say they have a 89% rate at which graduates either pursue further education or are employed. However, I do not know if this includes international students as well. I would honestly love to live and work in the UK however when I tried looking up this figure myself I found that only a paltry 7% of international students find work in the UK. So as an international student, what do I need to do to make sure I get enough knowledge, networking, experience etc. to get a job after I finish my program? Also if there are more updated figures I would appreciate the information.

Hey 👋

What did you study for your undergrad in the USA?

We do have a fantastic Careers department, and there are so many resources available on careerhub regarding internships, work placements, voluntary work, help with applications and interview techniques, etc.
https://www.essex.ac.uk/student/careers

I'd recommend going to conferences and attending seminars which will also help boost your networking skills. Once you build a rapport with your lecturers, you can offer to help with research or any projects that they're working on if there is anything available.

The figures sound low for international students because many will be here on a visa that brings a certain time constraint to having a job lined up as soon as the degree is complete. Some may also be here on a study visa that does not allow them to work more than a certain number of hours per week/month. The employability figures for UK students will be higher as there is less pressure to have a job immediately after graduation as they have permanent residency, so that provides more flexibility. I know some international students who mainly are here to complete their postgrad and to do a little travelling around Europe before going back to pursue a career in their home country which is totally fine too if that's what they want to do.

Basically the opportunities are here if your visa allows it, and you make the most of your time while studying to get careers advice from the team and utilise all the resources they can offer 😊

Best wishes
Essex Student Rep - Hayley