Timeline for International Postgraduate Taught Students

Please note that the timeline provided below is designed to help you maximise your chances of meeting a wide range of application deadlines. However, we understand that each student's journey is unique, and you may choose to complete activities earlier or later than suggested, based on your individual circumstances.

There may be words below that you aren’t yet familiar with. You can find out their meanings in our list of Common vocabulary used in the UK job market

Semester 1

Use this semester to focus on building experience and research potential graduate jobs and schemes. There's loads you can be getting involved with, including Careers' events, workshops and fairs. This would also be a good time to make a Careers advice or guidance appointment to discuss career planning, such as PhD opportunities or applying for graduate roles inside and outside of the UK.

Gain experience

  • Part-time jobs Explore part-time work opportunities on CareerConnect and student jobsites. This is an excellent way to earn money and gain useful experience while you study, providing practical experience that can add value to your CV even if its’ not related to your degree.

  • Volunteering Build skills through supporting a local organisation or at a volunteering day. Visit the Volunteering hub for opportunities by the Volunteering and Community Engagement team.

Prepare and Build Connections

  • Research employers and jobs Get started by researching your target employers or PhD research groups and prepare your application documents. This may include a separate strategy for part-time jobs alongside studies.

  • Research opportunities outside of the UK Thinking about returning home or working abroad? Use our resources on international jobs to assist you in your job search. Our GoinGlobal resource has useful country guides to help you to understand recruitment processes in different countries.

  • Research the UK job market Learn about navigating the UK job market including what UK employers are looking for, recruitment practices and types of work available to graduates.

  • Take part in the mentoring programme The programme aims to match you up with a mentor who will be able to aid you with your career readiness, increasing your understanding of your options and improving your employability.

  • Applications, CVs and Cover letters We have useful guides on our website to help you in crafting an effective application, whether that be in academia and research or in non-academic professions.

  • Attend events Attend Developing confidence workshops, as well as our Autumn and STEM Careers’ Fairs. If you have any visa related questions, you could also watch our previous Latitude Law visa sessions.

Apply

  • Graduate schemes Now is the time when companies will start hiring onto their rotational programmes. We recommend considering graduate schemes and experienced hire roles

  • PhD opportunities These may be available early in the year, so check to see if they’re open.

  • Book an appointment Before you send off an application, why not have it checked by an advisor in our CV & Application review meetings?

Semester 2

As you begin your second semester, balancing your studies with career planning becomes increasingly important as deadlines approach. Use this time to develop your skills through virtual work experience, connect with employers and start preparing applications for graduate jobs, PhD opportunities or international careers.

Gain experience

  • Virtual work experience Sample real life work at leading companies and try out different ypes of work to discover which career path is right for you. This is a great way to build confidence and gain skills to get you ready for the workplace.

  • Work through some online training resources Complete short modules, hearing from employees about the skills need for different roles and what different jobs are like. There are a range of free and low-cost training courses you can take to boost your skills and your CV.

Prepare and Build Connections

  • Job search strategies Research how to adapt your strategy to looking for employment for different opportunities as some are advertised more widely than others.

  • Research international jobs Are you thinking about working abroad or thinking about returning home? We have resources to support you, with specific webpages for working in India and China.

  • Make use of GoinGlobal Access Career guides, a job search portal, events and an employment directory for jobs in different countries across the globe.

  • Careers appointments Get advice on career planning, looking for opportunities and building your skills. Longer appointments are available to discuss the impact of a disability or health concern on career planning.

  • Events Explore a range of events on CareerConnect including employer events, workshops and Careers fairs. There are also events specifically tailored to international students navigating employment so keep an eye out for these!

  • Watch a Latitude Law visa session If you have any visa related questions, you could watch the the Latitude Law visa sessions available on our YouTube channel. For any questions related to your student visa, you should contact the student immigration team.

Apply

  • PhD opportunities More may be advertised during this time. Contact potential PhD supervisors so you have their insight when you are invited to interview.

  • Graduate jobs Only a small proportion of the UK job market is made up of graduate schemes so its’ a good idea to also focus on entry level roles where you may be the only person employed in that role and there may not be a formal training scheme.

Summer

The summertime is likely when you will be writing up your dissertation. This can be a quiet time for recruitment, but we are available throughout the summer to support you. Support from the Careers' Service continues up to 2 years after your course completion date.

  • Appointments If you have received any rejections from your applications, now could be a good time to reflect on these. You can do this by either having your application reviewed to see what you could improve for next time or discussing your job search and application strategy with an advisor or consultant

  • Virtual work experience Balance your studies with building experiences that can make you stand out from other applicants.

  • Graduate CareerConnect account Once you have completed your course, your student CareerConnect account will be deactivated. To ensure you can access our support, you will need to apply to a graduate CareerConnect account once this happens.

Need someone to discuss your plans with?

The Careers Service provides various bookable appointments and drop-in sessions throughout the year to help with your career planning, concerns, and questions. Visit our Support page for a full overview of our services.