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Employment prospect for international graduates in Oxbridge?

Hi I am interested in knowing the employment prospect for international students in Oxbridge universities in UK. I heard that there is a tight labour market in the UK esp for the international students who aspire to work in the UK, and may I know does the same situation apply for Oxbridge graduates? Or the odds for Oxbridge people will be higher especially for jobs in sectors such as engineering, finance and etc.?

If the employment prospect even for the Oxbridge graduates is not so optimistic where would these foreign students go after they graduate? Will they typically return to their home country or will they go elsewhere to work (say, US, some Asian countries (like Singapore) or other parts of Europe)?

Tons of thanks in advance!! :biggrin:

Reply 1

uniqsummer

Totally depends on what you want to do really. The UK isnt short on jobs but application rates are high, and the recruitment process is becoming tougher. Many big companies still have graduate programmes as they do prove to be beneficial and these companies will often have close links to Universities to ensure they are getting the best candidates regardless of background.

Thats not to say that the process isn't harder if you are an international student, because to be 100% honest it is..
Laws are in place to ensure that companies are considering 'home' students first (Those from within the European Economic Area or Switzerland) before looking at the international cohort, and the government have over the years changed many visas to reflect this.

You do have a few options though.
* You can find a company that is on the registered list for the Employer sponsored work visa. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers You have to pass a points based system and the job must be over a specific amount.

* There is also a visa dedicated to international graduates gaining work experience. It lasts for 2 years but I believe you can only get paid for 6 months total but if your just looking to get some experience before heading back home then its an ideal solution.

Its important to state that students considered as EEA nationals can move between most European countries. This is an often forgotten benefit (but always politically charged) where trade, education and jobs are shared freely among member countries. Its an opportunity not afforded to non-EEA students im afraid but will often be why you hear of people moving between countries for jobs. Most of the other countries you listed have much stricter rules in place especially America and you have to be exceptionally talented to land a job there and the process to do that can often take nearly a year.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 2

stellaris

Original post by uniqsummer

Thanks very much for your valuable insight and information. However I found that most of your response is applicable for graduates from all UK universities in general (correct me if I'm wrong) so my question is will the situation be a bit different for the so-called "elite" schools such as Oxbridge and more broadly speaking, the G5 universities? Specifically in Oxford website it states that more than 90% of the graduates find jobs/further studies within 6 months after graduation so I assume the statistics include international students who constitute a considerable portion of the graduating batch, so I am interested in knowing more details on this, such as where and in what sectors are these students employed. Thank you in advance. :smile:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 3

mishieru07

Original post by stellaris

I would say check out the Careers Services website and see if they have more specific statistics and information. I'm pretty sure they actually collect the information (got a survey asking me to update them about my plans when I graduated), but whether they release it publicly is another matter obviously. Otherwise, you could drop them an email or see if there's any other information available online (eg FOIs).

Also, it's worth bearing in mind that if you're looking strictly at the undergraduates, internationals only constitute 17% of all students (62% of graduates), so any data might be quite sparse for smaller or more niche industries (eg charities).

I think the long story short is that Oxford as a brand name is very well respected in the UK and internationally. Does it guarantee you a job? Absolutely not. You still have to work hard, get good grades, network, and build up a strong CV. That said, it is a good brand name, and very much welcomed by employers from my experience, many of whom come to Oxford for recruitment/ networking events. However, the onus is still on the students to do themselves a credible job. One simply cannot expect to waltz into a job by virtue of being from Oxford alone.

Where international students end up varies quite a bit as well. Some of them stay on to work in London, others will head home, still others will go elsewhere. Part of it is where they want to work and their choice of industry/ job, but a lot of it can also be down to personal factors, like wanting to be closer to family/ friends/ significant other. I would say that the Oxford brand name is well recognized internationally, so you should still be in a decent position regardless.

Reply 4

uniqsummer

Original post by stellaris

will the situation be a bit different for the so-called "elite" schools such as Oxbridge and more broadly speaking, the G5 universities?

Oxford and other top Universities aren't above the law. If you are international then you do have to follow home office regulations and ensure you have the required visa to be in the UK no matter what you are doing. They wont care that you went to Oxford if you cant prove to them that you being in the UK is necessary.

As mishieru07 rightly says, you can help yourself by working hard, researching now the correct visa procedures and also the companies that you may wish to work for one day and using your time at University wisely. Simply attending Oxford is not a free pass to the working world i'm afraid.

Reply 5

stellaris

Original post by uniqsummer

Yes yes I fully understand that regarding the visa requirement. Just asking whether Oxbridge people will be at an advantage when it comes to employment in the UK. Thanks for your patience though.