Title: International Alumni Insights Panel: Working in the UK after your studies (18/05/22)
Duration: 55:35
Kate Farr: Great good afternoon to those of you that are joining us in the UK in the afternoon, where you are or possibly good morning or good evening depending on where where you are in the world.
Kate Farr: Thank you so much for joining us for this alumni insights panel session today for those of you that don't know me, my name is Kate Farr and I work in their careers in business team so that's the Koreas team, that is.
Kate Farr: dedicated to the Business School but i've also got my colleague, who was also cool Kate caitlin forth here today and Kate is from the for the central characters team Hello okay.
Kate Farr: um so i'm absolutely delighted to be joined by three of our other to be and who are going to be sharing their experiences with you and i'm going to move on and allow them some time to introduce themselves properly and just learn them.
Kate Farr: And, but the way that this session is going to work is we've got about an hour for this session i'm going to start by allowing of the panelists to introduce themselves to you all and to.
Kate Farr: ask them some some questions to kick us off, but we really want this this session to be as useful as possible, to you, so please do.
Kate Farr: Ask your questions, using the Q amp a function, or you can drop them in the chat and we'll make sure that we leave plenty of time to to answer your questions at the end of the session today.
Kate Farr: So the reason that we've decided to run this session is we're aware that that many of you on the on the call today are interested in staying of working in the UK after your studies.
Kate Farr: And I should say that we're joined, not only by current students and some graduates today, but we also have some prospective students on the call as well, so a huge warm welcome to all of you.
Kate Farr: So the reason that we're building this session is obviously to.
Kate Farr: To to introduce you to perhaps some options and that might be available to you which you completed your studies so that you can make as informed choice as possible.
Kate Farr: And i'm really, really delighted that we've got three three excellent elements here with us today, who are going to share their experience with you.
Kate Farr: So I think perhaps if I move across to all of you and allow you to do your your introductions does anyone particularly wants to go first.
Kate Farr: So maybe we'll start with kayla because your first on the first time, my screen calleary you like to introduce yourself a little bit about you and what you're what you're up to now what used to be that you okay.
Kaylin Tan: yeah sure so i'm originally from Singapore and I did my undergrad at Birmingham, so I did international business with a minor in Japanese.
Kaylin Tan: Then I graduated in 2019 and then I went on to do a Grad schema technology great scheme at Midwest so i'm based in Edinburgh right now, so I rolled off the scheme last year me and i'm still with networks but i've moved in a change in project management now so that's where i'm at.
Kate Farr: that's excellent Thank you so much.
Kate Farr: caitlin and.
Kate Farr: I would you like to go next your next screen.
Swetha Balakrishnan: yeah sure.
Swetha Balakrishnan: So hi guys i'm schrader and i'm from India.
Swetha Balakrishnan: I came to study msc marketing at the University of Birmingham on September 20 during the pandemic, it was quite challenging doing both online and offline but I really enjoyed every module and working with the careers in business team and also.
Swetha Balakrishnan: After I finished my studies, I took up certain internship opportunities from to our university and lead to I found a job at Liddle just as a starter, and that I am currently in done humvee it's owned by Tesco, and it does the customer data science for desk yeah.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Nice to meet you guys.
Kate Farr: Thank you so much, and last but by no means least, Sarah.
Kate Farr: you're just on mute Sarah.
Sarah Nantume: Sorry.
Sarah Nantume: Thank you, Kate hi everyone it's good to be here, so my story is a bit long but to cut it short I came to the University of Birmingham in.
Sarah Nantume: 2016 to study alone, and I was in the senior thesis alone be so I graduated just two years later 2810 right after I did the ltc and then went off to get a great job, but I got the great job back home in Uganda, so I worked in Uganda for about a year.
Sarah Nantume: And, before moving back to the UK via the sets of users, so co founded a start up with a former colleague of mine from university so that's what I do right now full time, as well as part of the legal operations team at Google that lt full time as well yeah.
Kate Farr: that's excellent Thank you so much, and I think perhaps what would be useful.
Kate Farr: for everyone on the call is, if you could just give us kind of a brief overview of what your current role is and what you're currently doing and so should we go in reverse order, this time, Sarah would you like to start.
Sarah Nantume: Yes, sure so.
Sarah Nantume: Right now, I.
Sarah Nantume: have just mentioned, I work with the legal operations team at Google, and I say via ld because we are contractors for llc, but we do specifically work with the Google team full time.
Sarah Nantume: And my current role involves using technology to improve legal processes so we work with tech tools to.
Sarah Nantume: sort of assess the risk involved in a contract and assign it to the appropriate lawyers that deal with specific matters so let's start so day to day.
Sarah Nantume: Working with tech tools, improving the processes, making sure our systems are as efficient as possible, making sure lawyers are on top of a work.
Sarah Nantume: So that's different to how I started out I did a deep work as a lawyer straight out of uni and it was 90% legal a 10% operational stuff and now the other way around, so 70% legal 80% operational work.
Sarah Nantume: So the only legal work I do is reviewing contracts and making sure they're saying with the right TIM.
Kate Farr: Excellent, thank you for that overview Sarah and.
Kate Farr: Stephen would you like to go next.
Swetha Balakrishnan: yeah so i'm currently a retail client lead a done home baby, since they do have a lot of clients and, since this is currently owned by Tesco.
Swetha Balakrishnan: My client is desk a home and I currently work with a customer data science platform to build the best customer insights for Tesco, in order to.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Get the space ranging merchandise, for their shelves and coming up with the best pricing and promotions.
Swetha Balakrishnan: For the seasonal events and also see like, which is a customer profitability and yeah so basically it's just giving them the customer insights the best customer insights and data analytics part they're all yeah and also it involves a bit of client management and a bit of CRM.
Swetha Balakrishnan: But yeah mostly it's data analytics and thanks to my engineering background I can use a bit of our programming also along with data analytics yeah.
Swetha Balakrishnan: that's it.
Kate Farr: Thank you that's great and km, would you like to tell us a little bit about what you're up to at the moment.
Kaylin Tan: Yes, so my official title is business analysts that if you Google i'm not necessarily doing what business analysts are supposed to be doing.
Kaylin Tan: So I would say i'm in change and project management in that West but i'm not customer facing so i'm working internally doing my customers are internal colleagues in networks, so I look after the you can say software that the colleagues use to do their jobs day to day.
Kaylin Tan: The things i'm doing is, for example, I train people how to use the software so, for example, I had a meeting just now just answering some questions.
Kaylin Tan: about the tools people asked how do I use the tool best to work in agile just a tech term so this to some extent it's a bit consulting because i'm helping people use the tool.
Kaylin Tan: it's also a bit of delivery so working with developers, to make sure that any updates that go into the software is updated I write newsletters I do.
Kaylin Tan: each month to communicate changes to the users, so that one's a bit more comms work so it's quite varied at Julian I would best classify that it gets from a Union student point of view as a generic this missy.
Kaylin Tan: Type job that's what i'm currently doing before I was doing various placements in tech but it's more like innovation.
Kaylin Tan: Design type work so wasn't really this this.
Kaylin Tan: is the best way I can summarize what i'm doing at the moment.
Kate Farr: that's great that's really helpful Thank you and, as I think business analyst is one of those job titles that perhaps people see and don't fully understand kind of what was involved that's fantastic, so why don't we take a step back and go back to your time at university.
Kate Farr: So when you when you were at university, did you have any idea what you wanted to do for a career and kind of If not, how did you kind of come to a decision as to what what you wanted to do and and I have to now let you decide who wants to answer that question.
Swetha Balakrishnan: And I go first.
Swetha Balakrishnan: yeah sure cool so before joining the uni actually wanted to do something with retail and currently looking at the European market, I was thinking okay.
Swetha Balakrishnan: If I go to UK i'll be getting a lot of retail opportunities and directly working with retail is going to give me like a lot of experience and a good learning experience, so I was so happy, looking at the retail marketing elective module.
Swetha Balakrishnan: As one of my optional courses during my second semester everybody they're like no we wanted E commerce, or like a digital marketing elective.
Swetha Balakrishnan: But I was, I think I was the only person to be very happy about that, looking at the retail marketing module and but after I joined the Union started with my courses.
Swetha Balakrishnan: I taught of you know, like, I want you to learn more about market research and it interested me and while I was doing my dissertation for like it's about the university was grads influence like how the studies influence them.
Swetha Balakrishnan: to become more sustainable that kind of made me more committed to sustainability.
Swetha Balakrishnan: and
Swetha Balakrishnan: And, to be honest, I was looking for carriers insistent that's what i'm currently doing like i've joined but i'm trying to look for more opportunities there yeah.
Kate Farr: Okay fabulous Thank you Sarah Sarah opponent, did you want to.
Kate Farr: jump in on this at all.
Sarah Nantume: Oh yeah sure, so when I don't do me out a little bit of internship and other legal work experiences and I definitely wanted to be.
Sarah Nantume: A solicitor for businesses, specifically so commercial anything to do with contracts and businesses i've always loved.
Sarah Nantume: Being into what what businesses have to do info how they keep the customer engaged and all everything business.
Sarah Nantume: And I thought i'm touching that, from a legal perspective would be a different way of going about it.
Sarah Nantume: And yes, Sir that's what I wanted to do when I was at uni and I got involved in a lot of experiences which kind of shifting towards what exactly I wanted to do.
Sarah Nantume: We also had a lot of employers sessions, where different employers have come to the Union, and that also helped to locals were able to ask them questions.
Sarah Nantume: And that's when I was a bit more specific about whether it was to do employment law or contract law, for example.
Sarah Nantume: And initially asking for employment, but when I did it at the postgraduate course it was quite contentious and more backstory, and so I dropped it and fully focused on working with businesses private physicians everything commercial.
Kate Farr: Okay interesting that you say that you kind of you did some internships and you attended employer employer sessions, and maybe we can.
Kate Farr: We can expand a little bit on this, the next question see of how you were engaged with with the career services at the university and how about you UK lens you have an idea as to.
Sarah Nantume: What you wanted to do when you when you join me.
Kaylin Tan: Oh no definitely not and I just wanted to get on a grand scheme or job to stay in the UK That was all I thought about.
Kaylin Tan: This funny I did think of doing HR marketing That was my interest, but all the internships and assessment centers I got whenever I teach our marketing.
Kaylin Tan: So I just took that as a sign that just I just wasn't meant to do, I wanted to do.
Kaylin Tan: So my first next I go into tech Grad scheme but I never actually wanted to do technology.
Kaylin Tan: I actually applied for marketing at first, but they had already filled the vacancies and the, as do you want to transfer your application to another stream.
Kaylin Tan: So, at the time, I remember risk, and nor did will options Bible, they were quite dry and boring, so I thought tech I put on a lot of money in the bank to tech.
Kaylin Tan: But that now, because I am actually still figuring out what I want to do, because one of the things I realized is even if you apply for gretzky more row.
Kaylin Tan: After uni it doesn't necessarily mean you will actually like your job or you will find what you want, because the world is to actually quite big and even if I do something marketing, for example, there's still a lot of things you could be doing so yeah.
Kate Farr: yeah that's that's really interesting and very true as well, I think.
Kaylin Tan: You know.
Kate Farr: it's rare to find someone who you jumped into a job and it's completely happy and stayed in that job for the rest of their their career.
Kate Farr: And so, in terms of when you when you moment university, then what did you find was sort of most useful to you.
Kate Farr: In terms of kind of searching for internships or work experience or kind of speaking to career advisors what What did you all do to help kind of help you to reach your decision as to what to do after university and i'll open that out that similar to he wants to jump in.
Kaylin Tan: For me, the career services was quite good so actually having someone look over my CV I actually got really good tips also someone.
Kaylin Tan: When I applied for a scholarship, for example, someone did look out over my cover letter, so that was quite useful and also, I think, even just applying for.
Kaylin Tan: me but I apply for some summer school program I didn't get it, but when I reached out and just ask for.
Kaylin Tan: Some advice some feedback I did get good advice, so I guess the courier service at Birmingham, I have to say, is quite good getting that feedback I think did help us well built my confidence in applying for rules.
that's good to hear.
Kate Farr: Either if you got.
Kate Farr: comments on that or.
Swetha Balakrishnan: I have, so I think I can I can confidently say that i've interacted with the carriers in the city more than my professors.
Swetha Balakrishnan: At the uni and they've been very helpful, from start to end of it, but I would just say like it would have been like much, much better if I had known them like even during my application.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Like you said, like I I did not know about grand schemes and if I had known you all like anyone in the carrier's business team, it would have been much, much, much useful and even even though, like I didn't know you then.
Swetha Balakrishnan: All the activities that we had with the future leadership program and, like the sessions with you have been absolutely helpful.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Starting from practice interview which gave me so much confidence going to my interviews and.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Like practicing what questions they ask, especially the competency questions like having to like just trying out with you first and then going for my interviews gave me so much confidence in talking to them.
Swetha Balakrishnan: and also with the interview task like doing the presentation before you just you know, like Okay, what are questions i'm going to be getting.
Swetha Balakrishnan: and to be able to present this confidently to my audience and how's my body language and stuff like that.
Swetha Balakrishnan: So it was very helpful, it is still helpful i'm still sitting on the carries in business team for further like any skill set that I want you to improve or like anything that I can improve on with practice interviews or like my future career opportunities it's it's very helpful yeah.
Kate Farr: that's an interesting point in there, even though you've left university you still have access to.
Swetha Balakrishnan: career support yes.
Kate Farr: It is.
Swetha Balakrishnan: A lifetime opportunity yeah.
yeah.
Kate Farr: If you have anything to add the actual.
Sarah Nantume: On yeah definitely i'll say everything was kind of thrown at us in.
Sarah Nantume: terms of those little anything, there was mentorship opportunities, I mean to mentor other students and also get mentored.
Sarah Nantume: So.
Sarah Nantume: take advantage of those because I also went to one on one career advisory and don't be like all follow your passion like, how do you know what your passion is i'm not even worked.
Sarah Nantume: In a specific law firm is something that I want to do specifically.
Sarah Nantume: And so it was a lot but definitely you can employ sessions help because you've got to speak to people who are actually working then they'll tell you what it's like but it doesn't stop there, you have to follow them up, maybe on linkedin.
Sarah Nantume: And you can always open to ask a few more questions so they give you the real insights into what the work life is like.
Sarah Nantume: As all as besides just that out also say that I got involved in working, which was specifically for like casual walk around you.
Sarah Nantume: But because when I was it working and worked and administrative role and so resection is true and frank escrow.
Sarah Nantume: I use that to apply for some opportunity just a summer job within the Birmingham City Council.
Sarah Nantume: And that sort of opened a lot of doors for me in that is that experience is to speak about interviews and when I worked in one of the roles they offered me a full time job but, at the time.
Sarah Nantume: Because of visa restrictions as an able to take it on but you never know where anything could take you because they are little prospective students here so be open minded to all opportunities through yeah that's really good.
Kate Farr: really good advice and and in terms of kind of your your sort of when you are applying for jobs.
Kate Farr: After kind of your do finished or sort of jury your your final year did you notice any differences in into the application processes in in your home countries to in the UK and because I think I know caledon that's a huge explicitly said that you wanted to stay.
Kate Farr: Did you notice any differences in terms of recruitment processes or what was expected of you.
Swetha Balakrishnan: So, say, for example, I was looking for retail opportunities in India before before joining my uni and.
Swetha Balakrishnan: When I used to apply for any marketing roles, or even like an admin role nothing this the always wanted like a good amount of experience.
Swetha Balakrishnan: But I did not have that much experience it was just like two years of experience, but the UK, the opportunities are so much and thanks to the graduate trophies I can apply for any.
Swetha Balakrishnan: type of fool that I want or something to learn, you have lots of internship opportunities so after studying at you will be my application opportunities have increased.
Swetha Balakrishnan: And the way I start, I did my application process was also different because once vile I started the Union did not have any sessions with you guys before.
Swetha Balakrishnan: I did not know what I wanted and I knew that it was something in retail that I was not able to tie down to a specific role that I wanted.
Swetha Balakrishnan: But like after I had sessions with you, I was a I was clear of like what I actually want and with my previous experience like how it would correlate to my new role with my studies as well included, so it greatly helped me, and it also.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Like I wouldn't say hands my profile to the recruiter yeah.
Kate Farr: Okay that's about.
Kate Farr: painting.
Kaylin Tan: yeah for me it wasn't the process because back in Singapore, I also like four grand scheme type rules.
Kaylin Tan: To the process was similar, but it was either cultures, different so like in Singapore, if you want to detect you must have done an accounting and finance degree.
Kaylin Tan: They were quite specific on that, whereas in the UK, it was quite open because, like I did a text internship and they're like you can study the history Okay, so I guess that's one of the good things about the UK.
Kaylin Tan: thing also I know in Singapore, they like ghosting us so.
Kaylin Tan: And these here that they.
Kaylin Tan: Even if I get rejected they still send an email at some point, like I don't have to wait too long, but I know in Singapore, the they don't contact you, the only contact you if you have an interview, but if not I wouldn't know it was rejected on not.
Kaylin Tan: Think, so I think that they have in terms of process.
Kaylin Tan: I know in Singapore, they also like to ask a lot of accomplishments like what leadership positions do you have in your society, you must have done oh so other internships before in the UK internships and is optional parody was like oh that's Nice.
Kaylin Tan: So I guess it's more culture, rather than the process yeah.
Kate Farr: Interesting Thank you, and so did you have anything to add here, I know that you're in slightly different position now that you kind of started your own company, but did you make it other applications.
Sarah Nantume: Oh yeah definitely actually because you asked how the application process is different back home and here.
Sarah Nantume: So, because my first job was back home application process was different because I did a couple of other interviews and those kind of a disconnect like.
Sarah Nantume: Killing as mentioned in culture and other different aspects of sticky about such a unique experiences of the phone reading amazing here, but when I went back, they just really couldn't understand and the interviews have be like, but he had another example.
Sarah Nantume: So that kind of disconnect back home, and when I came here and as applying for pros, for example, the legal person full time.
Sarah Nantume: And i'll say it's very important to be able to nail, the Culture fit and just be yourself, because all the interviews are was overly prepared, I think the interviews could not.
Sarah Nantume: Something was off and and the one where it just say, let me just go don't prepare enough to just say it as it is and just you know, we had to laugh, and it was really good.
Sarah Nantume: And I reflected on that because i've recently been interviewing for the business i've been interviewing interns and all i'm looking for is just someone who I can easily.
Sarah Nantume: get along with because the training will be provided the resources in there, most of the applications that come from the University of Birmingham are.
Sarah Nantume: From the academic side they're highly excellent so it's so hard, and the only differentiating factor that i'm looking for now.
Sarah Nantume: is someone that I can easily talk to, or that we can easily get along or just a culture fit, basically, I think, feel like it's 60% of into If not, at least an obscure people do apply yeah.
Kate Farr: Okay fantastic, and I think probably a lot of our attendees are going to have questions around.
Kate Farr: I guess the various species of routes and I know that you've all stayed in the UK, using a slightly different visa route so maybe we could move move on to that.
Kate Farr: And could you maybe tell us kind of which really you applied for, and the process of applying for that visa i'm not sure if you'd like to go go first.
Swetha Balakrishnan: I can go first.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Okay, after.
Swetha Balakrishnan: So first and then I joined the uni I applied for a student visa just on August and within a month I did oh super priorities and I got it very fast.
Swetha Balakrishnan: And so that I was just right in time for my classes, then when it started on September but.
Swetha Balakrishnan: So, once you pass your course and by sector, so I joined in September 2020 and in September 2020 when I handed my dissertation and it was all over and.
Swetha Balakrishnan: I got a new CES number telling that i've passed my calls and I can use this for applying for my graduate trout visa.
Swetha Balakrishnan: I think that was by November end and I use that as the visa process the application process is all very self explanatory and even though it's self explanatory we do have a lot of tutorials from the ICT, so they have a lot of webinars like during before September from June until September.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Just for us to learn like how the processes so make sure not to miss that.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Cover people they missed it and.
Swetha Balakrishnan: they've found it a bit later, but it's even though, if you miss it it's it's very self explanatory to apply for the visa and.
Swetha Balakrishnan: within a week or two like I received my new the bio residence permit loving me to stay in the UK for the next two years, so it's a very simple and easy process does that used to release it gets converted to a graduate trout now that's all.
Kate Farr: Okay that's that's interesting and good luck sort of current students on the on the call.
Kate Farr: The International students to do one regular workshops on the.
Kate Farr: feeder and I think we're going to try and put the link into the chat and honor on a slide at the end.
Kate Farr: And caleb or Sarah would.
Kaylin Tan: You like to go next yeah yeah so I was a graduate in 2019 so that was before that you graduate route visa kicked in so my visa the time I think expired in October.
Kaylin Tan: But i've got an offer of the role in January, but then you can only apply for a new visa usually I think three months before the start date.
Kaylin Tan: So for me what happened was because it's still the visa application depends, I guess, on which company you work for so with net West What happened was that wes hired P wc.
Kaylin Tan: to handle all of the are overseas students basis, so I didn't really need to do anything and I did not have to pay for the the application features like 800 pounds or something really expensive.
Kaylin Tan: And so, all I did was just send them some passport photos they asked me to fill in a form the visa application form but they would check for me.
Kaylin Tan: So, in that sense, I didn't really have to do much I just couldn't leave the country, while I was applying for the visa.
Kaylin Tan: I had an offer from Deloitte this one, they were different so with the noise, I had to pay the application fee first on my own, so I had to cough up like 800 pounds.
Kaylin Tan: You want super priority I didn't like thousand five, I think, in total, it is, it is quite expensive, so you have to pay first and the form, you have to do everything on your own.
Kaylin Tan: And then, once you get your visa, then they reimburse so different companies will do it differently, but I would say you don't have to worry too much about visa, because it is.
Kaylin Tan: What I, in my opinion admin what's more important is you secure a role first you get a company that is willing to sponsor you and they say they can give you.
Kaylin Tan: A visa, because actually the process usually even if you have to do it on your own the company will guide you.
Kaylin Tan: They are immigration departments usually will give you very clear instructions on what to do, and if you don't know what to do, you can email them, so I would say don't worry too much about how to do the visa and that sort of thing.
Kaylin Tan: But I guess just make sure you have enough money to pay for the visa in case the company wants you to pay first and they reimburse you later on, that would be my advice Oh, and then that that visa those tier two that expired last year.
Kaylin Tan: yeah, then I got a role, after the grass user nine one skilled work visa.
Kaylin Tan: But the process was similar it was just three months before now well it's not P wc anymore that was his height, the law now they've changed firms so, but the people this do everything for me they paid for the renewal, so I did not have to pay for my visa.
Kaylin Tan: The company will pay.
Kaylin Tan: Unless you lose your VIP which are done right you want to have to go through the night to pick for replacement visa, so that when they won't cover but.
Kaylin Tan: Again, if you're gonna if you're a visa ends and you need to be new it or converted usually that company will either do it for you or they give you instructions on what to do so again, you don't have to worry too much about visa get the job it's more important.
Kate Farr: Okay that's really interesting point in there, I think it's important to be informed about kind of what the process is.
Kate Farr: But if you are with your inner company, then perhaps that there will be some advice and guidance back from the company I kind of the steps and so Sarah obviously your your visa process was slightly different and you want to tell us a little bit bit more about that.
Sarah Nantume: Oh yeah definitely so I came to the UK through the stats visa and mine was different because there's no it's not.
Sarah Nantume: attached to a uni or an employee so everything's kind of yourself but it's a two part process, the first part is making sure you get in dose for the visa and then actually applying for the visa so.
Sarah Nantume: Back then, when we started up with a business idea and we're looking at what the stats of these eligibility criteria is.
Sarah Nantume: It was a bit confusing because we're talking about your business has to be innovative, it has to be scalable and all these requirements that we quite didn't understand but.
Sarah Nantume: As you mentioned, but you need did have a session where that we attended me and my co founder they told us everything that we needed to not have like Oh, as long as you meet this, and so they actually booking dot for us.
Sarah Nantume: what to expect there's a little bit of research on YouTube about either businesses i'd been in does tourist visa some people had only created a spa that offers like.
Sarah Nantume: I think it was like in specific Indian shipment so as fast, we thought it has to be like something heavy taking for, but it really wasn't.
Sarah Nantume: So it just has to be innovative and unique and different and is everything for everyone in the market.
Sarah Nantume: So, as long as you have something that's innovative or you feel might meet their criteria it's better to run it through the Koreas team, they have specific people that deal with that.
Sarah Nantume: And so we did that was attended the workshops and then we started our application, but would go back and forth with the in with the Koreas team with a few questions that we had.
Sarah Nantume: And then, once we to get endorsed, we had to do an interview with the careers to it, I think it's twice a year, I don't know if it's changed but.
Sarah Nantume: It was twice a year, so we did ours in June and they got back to us within a month, can we do in June or July, so we started We submitted an application they invited us for an interview.
Sarah Nantume: And then we got in doors and the whole process took about maybe eight weeks oxy and after they got endorsed, they give us the Net and then we had to do everything we did everything.
Sarah Nantume: Everything after by ourselves, so we had to create a budget because you do still have to pay for the ihs yourself the visa fee yourself.
Sarah Nantume: i'm supposed to have a such an amount in your account so there's a lot of financial requirements that may have to be fulfilled, for these fields, and you have to do that.
Sarah Nantume: So, but yeah lucky for our uni.
Sarah Nantume: The endorsement is free, I know some unity pay for the endorsements so if you're going to be investing for me.
Sarah Nantume: there's a lot that you get you can easily take for granted, but yeah everything was all the support that we need a prior to applying there.
Sarah Nantume: and the rest of it as long as we had the interest minutes or just not sure that anything everything up to a straightforward so i'm just going to be mindful of time.
Kate Farr: Now that that I mean this is this is really, really useful, and I know that we have lots of students who are interested in starting their own business, so that was.
Kate Farr: That was really useful, thank you, Sarah and we're lucky to have them carry actually carry Brian has joined joined us session.
Kate Farr: he's listening in and she is running that section on the stuff that he does tomorrow we've got we've got a link.
Kate Farr: To that, which will will pop up at the end of the session and a mindful that we might have some questions that have come in already Okay, are you able to let us know if anything's come in as yes.
Cate Linforth: Yes, so and we've had one question already.
Cate Linforth: From one of the attendees asking if there are any opportunities for msc graduates to have internship experience and the research Center agency in the UK, then they've gone on to do, for example as a future msc and applied meteorology and climatology they really hope to have experience.
Cate Linforth: With an internship opportunity in the met office and i've just replied to say for anyone who's interested.
Cate Linforth: And within careers network i'm cruising business, we have an experienced team of internship officers, as well as a post graduate careers team who can help source internships within your areas study area of study, excuse me or your area of interest so.
Cate Linforth: we've got a whole team that will help and then within the way that we work kind of within careers network and careers and businesses, and we have our central teams and but then we also have many careers teams for each of our academic colleges and areas.
Cate Linforth: as well, so you can get some really tailored career advice and help with interviews applications internships and all of that and we've also just had another question and.
Cate Linforth: from seeing foo saying hi guys, I wonder.
Cate Linforth: If we should apply for top four companies in one industry like P wc and Tesco, as a first job, considering the difficulty of applying.
Cate Linforth: Or should we apply for some relatively small companies that they don't have sponsorship to gain experience.
Cate Linforth: And i'm happy to answer that one as well, I think it really just depends on the type of experience that you're looking for there are benefits to.
Cate Linforth: kind of both methods of working for the smaller and SME or working for one of the larger kind of multinational or big for companies, I think um whether you choose to do a graduate scheme or graduate scheme or obviously give you a wide array of experience, usually in a few different.
Cate Linforth: areas within an organization, but similarly working with a smaller company will also give you a varied experience as well, so I think it just depends on.
Cate Linforth: The cultural fit of the company, as well as and what you're looking for out of a job.
Cate Linforth: and on top of that, and the UK Government website has a whole list of companies that will sponsor so it isn't just huge companies that are able to sponsor students.
Cate Linforth: For work so it's worth keeping an eye on that as well.
Cate Linforth: And someone else's asked and they'd like to ask about the opportunity to join an internship program and from the turing institute as a post Grad student.
Cate Linforth: Because msc data science has partnerships with the Institute and they have taken embark, their experience in excel in the skill set as a data scientist and again, that would be a question for.
Cate Linforth: The College teams and the post graduate careers consultants, but like I said, we have lots of opportunities for.
Cate Linforth: getting involved in internships with a wide variety of organizations and each of our colleges has links to lots of different kind of course and skill set specific opportunities as well.
Swetha Balakrishnan: sorry to interrupt you.
Swetha Balakrishnan: yeah and like this the the University of Birmingham who's lots of internships, based on the varied interests.
Swetha Balakrishnan: And I got my internship to the University of Birmingham like this, so I was able to find one in digital marketing trudy and me, so if not like if if it's up to a specified on like the research Center agency is something.
Swetha Balakrishnan: That i'm not sure, but you do have like internship opportunities, based on your course of study or something that you're interested in yeah.
Cate Linforth: Exactly, thank you for that so much I think it's really it's just really key to point out that.
Cate Linforth: There are a huge amount of internship opportunities available and which kind of brings us up to the next student question is.
Cate Linforth: Can I do an internship along with my dissertation because I think you can't do more than 20 hours per week so you're right if you're on a tear for student visa you'll be able to do 20 hours per week during term time outside of turn time you'll be able to work full time and.
Cate Linforth: One thing.
Cate Linforth: Sorry go ahead.
Swetha Balakrishnan: You can request a letter from the uni for you during your dissertation to work for more than 20 hours per week.
Cate Linforth: Exactly, so there are opportunities to kind of work with the international student team.
Cate Linforth: On that and typically those are those are the parameters of your visa, however, the university also has lots of different links with companies for, for instance virtual internships for students that want to do.
Cate Linforth: Internships kind of that are a little bit more spread out where you would do them over a longer amount of time, but fewer hours per week.
Cate Linforth: And so we have we have a variety of different types of internships they aren't only just the standard full time per week internships available and they run throughout the whole year and, as well as your traditional kind of summer internship schemes as well.
Kaylin Tan: So can I just jump in to answer a simple.
Kaylin Tan: question about the big companies as a small company, so I have tried to apply for small companies in my final year.
Kaylin Tan: My experiences if they're not going to sponsor you you they usually won't let you pass certain interview stages, because they can't hire you anyway, so your best bet.
Kaylin Tan: It would be the grand schemes, I know they are small companies will sponsor you but, in general, usually gretzky's from big companies have a higher chance of sponsoring you.
Kaylin Tan: Also, if you're looking for your first job I recommend a big MC one, because when you have a grand scheme and you're at a blue chip company.
Kaylin Tan: A lot of recruiters will come to find you, because what happens is that's what happened to me they see your linkedin they see you're working already at a big company.
Kaylin Tan: and other companies already paying for your training and development, they want to steal you away so that's one thing.
Kaylin Tan: The other thing is, I think, for your first job, the benefits of a great scheme or at a big company is you get a lot of structure.
Kaylin Tan: And a good environment to learn how to work in a corporate environment and that's quite important, because from my experience when you go off to a small company.
Kaylin Tan: Often, you there's a lot of independence, but if you're still very new and very young inexperienced a lot of things, you are not going to know.
Kaylin Tan: You might not learn that, at a small company, it depends, if you get a very good manager, who will teach you that that's fine.
Kaylin Tan: But, in general, if you work in a corporate environment, first, I think that's better in general, because you learn.
Kaylin Tan: How to behave in the meeting you learn how to arrange meetings, you know how to present to senior leaders, and I think for someone who's still young and inexperienced, that is quite important that kind of structure, so I would say don't worry too much about whether or not it's difficult.
Kaylin Tan: Because honestly, you could be doing the same tests, like the assessments for many different companies, but you pass one and you feel the others it's a bit based on luck in the way, so I would say just apply don't think so much about the difficulty.
Kate Farr: I think it's worth saying as well that perhaps some of the bigger companies that bigger brands.
Kate Farr: They probably use to sort of the requirements of the graduate route be so they probably have a good understanding of it but smaller companies may may not so.
Kate Farr: You as a student or graduate might need to educate the company on you know, the fact that you are, you are able to work in the UK for a certain length of time.
Kate Farr: On that visa so maybe be prepared for that as well, and I think about your yourself and your own kind of.
Kate Farr: Working style and what would you get to do you want to join a big company, where you might be sort of one of 50 graduates.
Kate Farr: And you know you might want that that sort of sense of community and you might want to join with other people you're at your level.
Kate Farr: And for some people that might be a bit daunting and then the idea of joining a smaller company, where you might be, you know, the only graduate or one of the very small of the might be more appealing to think about your time as well if.
Kaylin Tan: I could just add to that so just about experience in progress scheme.
Kaylin Tan: Does as an international student I think when you start working a lot of your colleagues are not going to be your age range.
Kaylin Tan: So a lot of them are kind of be in the 30s or 40s there are married and have kids so it's very hard to actually find someone your age.
Kaylin Tan: The good thing about the grand scheme is because you're all part of the same cohort.
Kaylin Tan: you're the same age or going through the same things it's easier to make friends actually.
Kaylin Tan: Especially on the grand scheme, so if you have so shows, and everything you can go out what you find is when you start working.
Kaylin Tan: Like I guarantee you 90% of them are kind of be adults like click 40s and they have kids but they're not going to go out.
Kaylin Tan: So that's one reason I recommend the grand scheme of that that kind of training schemes, because it is easier to get friends, especially if you move to a new city like if you lived in London or another big city.
Swetha Balakrishnan: And I would like to add on to that and it's just like an important reminder few.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Grand schemes like please try to apply as soon as you join the uni because by November, or like some companies.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Do have deadlines until December, because you're a graduate trout visa is only for two years and goes to the grand schemes run for either one or two years or some for three years.
Swetha Balakrishnan: So when you have the visa sponsorship like it's it's better to do that, like your graduate trout visa because.
Swetha Balakrishnan: You may get your application could get rejected because of the right to work, questions that come up initially during your application process so it's better to do that first yeah.
Kaylin Tan: yeah usually applications open September, you could get assessment centers in November, they do on a rolling basis, it will be very quick.
Kaylin Tan: So I would say the minute applications open don't rush into it too much, but try to get it done within that first month because it is very competitive.
Kaylin Tan: don't leave it they set a deadline could be December, but what happens is as the applications come in, they take the people with the highest scores they invite him to assessment centers as long as they pass they meet the minimum criteria they will hire them.
Kaylin Tan: So that's why it's best if you even have an assessment Center tried to go to the earliest date possible because they tend to just pick those that have already made it.
Kate Farr: Okay, so so really, really good advice, and I think.
Kate Farr: i'll move on to a question that I wanted to ask just to give all of our attendees a chance to type their their last sort of questions in conscious of time.
Kate Farr: So my last question to you all, is what recommended recommendations, do you have for making the most of your time studying in the UK, what what advice would you give to students and prospective students on the call today.
Kaylin Tan: I guess the one for me is don't hang out with people from your home.
Kaylin Tan: Now i'm not saying it's a bad thing, I mean feel free to hang out with them, but what I see from my experience, is there any single points of the call sorry but.
Kaylin Tan: What I see is they tend to just stick to people from their home country.
Kaylin Tan: And they they have TEAM members like group projects with students from other countries, but they don't really hang out with them.
Kaylin Tan: What I would say, is, I know it is difficult, sometimes to locals don't want to be friends with you, but I would say, if possible, just don't.
Kaylin Tan: Stick too much to your group, because in general you're only at uni once you're doing undergrad ones or masters or PhD wants like just try to enjoy your time as a student so just try to.
Kaylin Tan: If you don't like to travel it's fine because I like traveling, but I would say just try to be friends with diverse people to sign up for things sign up for society so just just make your life fun because you'll be at uni wants, I think.
Kate Farr: Excellent advice, and you know, particularly if you are keen to.
Kate Farr: stay in the UK after your studies, you know you're going to be working with people from all different backgrounds different nationalities, so that that's that's really good advice, thank you and so let's say I see you unmuted if you got something to add there.
Swetha Balakrishnan: So my biggest recommendation would be to whatever caused it is studying in any subject that you're studying like try to look at any transferable skills.
Swetha Balakrishnan: That you can you know add to your resume me and also like always have sessions, with the carriers and business people, they are very helpful.
Swetha Balakrishnan: And even before you start the unit did Latina like what are the important things.
Swetha Balakrishnan: That you need to know and like once you once they've been like talking to you for.
Swetha Balakrishnan: Some time they'll get to know you like, and that could actually help you, with your job search and stuff like that.
Kate Farr: Thank you and Sarah and the advice, you have to ask.
Sarah Nantume: will definitely be.
Sarah Nantume: The same you call for any opportunities and don't just attend try to take as much advantage, as you can always follow up and in and just like can say work life balance is very important event throughout work sweat just keeps your floor.
Sarah Nantume: Work life is difference on the bottom bills, but you still want to be able to have fun and the attic advantage of all the opportunities, you can find this all the support that you need and yeah I think will be the same thing.
Kate Farr: that's fantastic Thank you.
Kate Farr: Any other questions come up.
Kate Farr: that we need to get in before the end of the session
Cate Linforth: And nope we haven't had any other questions i've just been doing a couple of polls during, and so it looks like we've had 30 responses.
Cate Linforth: i've just been asking about what type of visa and most of you are interested in most people seem to be interested in the graduate route visa, but then there's also a healthy amount.
Cate Linforth: undecided and a few for the startup visa as well, so I would say that, and anyone interested in the startup visa i've just put a link in the chat to the event that Kerry.
Cate Linforth: And is running tomorrow the startup visa workshop as well, and so make sure you don't miss out on that if you're a current student and we also have.
Cate Linforth: The International Student team regularly and will run graduate graduate excuse me visa sessions as well, and so, those are usually on the website, but we do have.
Cate Linforth: We do have more information on that kind of coming out the end in the form of some qr codes and some some slides and things.
Cate Linforth: And it looks like we've just had one more question coming through in the Q amp a and so rough few is just said.
Cate Linforth: That they're interested in a work visa so and again that's something.
Cate Linforth: That you can have a look at carrie is just also said that she'll be just discussing the self employed element of the graduate route, which is super helpful as well, so.
Cate Linforth: If you're looking at starting your own company or you're looking at going self employed and make sure that you don't miss tomorrow's session as well.
Kaylin Tan: So Would you mind if I helped on so one of the.
Kaylin Tan: question was more about.
Kaylin Tan: known for firms offer the visa so yeah so Kate spot on it's there is a list of sponsor firms, I have taken a look at that this before, is quite long, but if you're let's see browsing careers net worth know target connect is it I forgot what the internal.
Kaylin Tan: Yes, korea's connect yeah if you're browsing that I would say, usually the banks will offer the consultancy firms will offer so like I said I.
Kaylin Tan: Think i'm not sure about big for because sometimes some of the questions they they will offer you but usually, when you apply to ask that question, and if they reject you they don't so you won't waste too much time.
Kaylin Tan: So, usually the big well known brands will, I think supermarkets will as well, so if you're let's say just browsing on like the Koreas connect.
Kaylin Tan: website, I would say just them, the ones who usually will offer visas will tend to be those companies that you have heard off so like the banks.
Kaylin Tan: They will supermarkets, they will I don't think I see clothing companies usually but if that's a good starting point but that's for great schemes, I have to say I don't know much about non grand schemes.
Kaylin Tan: But not just hopefully that helps it that's a you want to narrow down your choices, thank you.
Thank you.
Kate Farr: So I think if we if we don't have any other questions at this stage i'm going to share the slide that Kate was talking about, with the qr codes so just bear with me.
Kate Farr: Can everyone see this Okay, in order to kind of take a picture of the qr code perhaps popping up in the chat that's not not clear for you.
Kate Farr: Okay, but I think I mean i'd like to personally thank caleb.
Kate Farr: And Sarah for such a fantastic insights into your own experience, all of the information that you gave especially around the visa process, and you know when human to be looking and the deadlines to be aware off was so important.
Kate Farr: For me and i'm sure that everybody on the call as really found that so useful and Kate was there anything that you wanted to carbs.
Kate Farr: or anything that's coming last minute, but I can't see what i've got my screen share.
Cate Linforth: And not no more questions have come in, but I just wanted to echo your sentiments, Kate and say thank you so much to our panelists.
Cate Linforth: it's been really nice hearing your insight and kind of hearing your different experiences and although.
Cate Linforth: Some of you may have kind of shared experiences it's nice to get kind of a wide variety, to see that.
Cate Linforth: No matter how you're planning on staying in the UK, or if you are if you're just looking at exploring your options right now there are lots of different.
Cate Linforth: pathways that you can go down and it isn't necessarily a one size fits all approach, so there are lots of different opportunities for you just need to kind of look into them and do your research, so thank you so much for our panelists it's been really nice to hear from you.
Kate Farr: and
Swetha Balakrishnan: Thank you so much.
Swetha Balakrishnan: caitlin for the key for for having us here, and if anyone wants to talk, you can always reach me on linkedin and my name is schrader balakrishnan if you just type in you can find me there.
Kate Farr: Thank you for that.
Kaylin Tan: yeah same can reach out on linkedin if anyone needs more help like to talk about the visas.
Sarah Nantume: Also, just say that we do as part of the stuff that we're doing we're helping students who are trying to relocate to the UK permanently, so we do offer writes about different visa updates.
Sarah Nantume: So we do have a blog that we publish every month if anyone's interested.
Sarah Nantume: They also doing then it's also running an interview segment where we also interview people who have gone through different experiences trying to settle post the student visa.
Sarah Nantume: And there's some interesting stories is one where they had a prp error by the Home Office and they almost lost their job.
Sarah Nantume: So there's a lot of interesting stories that we get through, so you can just follow me on linkedin and i'll put you as part of the Community, where we share all these tips and Bart port city location so.
Kate Farr: That that sounds so helpful Thank you and thank you to all of you for offering.
Sarah Nantume: to connect with with.
Kate Farr: Students on linkedin as well, and then we really, really grateful that Thank you so much again for your valuable advice and you're you're really interesting insights Thank you and thank you to everybody that's joined us on the call today as well.
Kate Farr: goodbye everyone.
Sarah Nantume: Thanks katie fine.
Cate Linforth: hi everyone, thank you.