adminThis article will be divided into two parts:
- Study In United Kingdom: Scholarships and funding
- Work in United Kingdom: All You Need To Know About United Kingdom Jobs
Scholarships And Funding
Do you want to make your dream of studying in the United Kingdom a reality?
Choosing to study in the United Kingdom is an investment in your future. A prestigious degree from the United Kingdom is a valuable and transformative experience that will propel your education – and your employability – to new heights.
There are numerous funding options available to international students who wish to study in the United Kingdom. They range from part-funding (paying a portion of your fees) to full-funding (covering program fees, living expenses, and return flights to the UK).
You can search for the right scholarship for you on the course and scholarships finder here.
Postgraduate Funding
The UK government runs a variety of scholarship programmes to financially support international students who are looking for help funding their studies in the UK.
The three main UK government scholarships on offer are:
- Commonwealth Scholarships
- Chevening scholarship
- GREAT scholarship
Wider UK Government Funding
The UK government provides hundreds of scholarships, bursaries, and other financial aid to students from a variety of countries.
You can visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website to find out more about the funding available if you are studying in the UK as a postgraduate student, including whether or not you are eligible to apply for a scholarship. Just scroll down to the relevant section of the webpage.
UKCISA is the UK’s national advisory body serving the interests of international students and those who work with them.
Many universities offer fully-funded postgraduate studentships for PhD programmes. Find out more.
Institution-Specific Scholarships
Many universities in the United Kingdom have their own scholarship programs.
These are provided based on a variety of factors, which can be broadly classified as follows:
- Academic, merit and excellence scholarships – These are usually awarded to students with a strong academic background, including achieving strong grades in their school exams.
- Performance-based scholarships – These are usually awarded to those who have exceptional ability in an extracurricular activity such as sports, music or performing arts like drama or dance.
- Subject-specific scholarships – These are often offered by individual departments for students studying a particular course or subject.
- Equal access or sanctuary scholarships – These scholarships can take the form of a tuition fee reduction or waiver or maintenance award and are offered to refugees and asylum seekers who have fled persecution from their home countries.
- Disability scholarships – These scholarships support international students with a disability, long-term mental health condition, learning difficulty or other special needs.
Always check out different institutions’ websites to discover what is available, and take a look at specialist websites like Postgraduate Studentships and Prospects for curated information that covers different institutions.
Undergraduate Funding
Undergraduate scholarships and bursaries for EU and international students studying in the UK are less common than postgraduate scholarships and bursaries, but they do exist. You simply need to know where to look.
Funding for EU and international undergraduate students in the UK is generally divided into two categories: funding provided by UK universities and funding provided by third parties, typically governments or organizations in your home country.
You can visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website to find out more about the funding available if you are studying in the UK as an undergraduate student, including whether or not you are eligible to apply for a scholarship. Just scroll down to the relevant section of the webpage.
You can also visit the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service in the UK (UCAS)’s page about scholarships, grants, and bursaries: EU and international students for more detailed information on what to look out for and where.
Work In United Kingdom
The UK is highly globalised, which means that the job market is competitive. Major industries in the UK include:
- accounting, banking and finance
- education
- engineering
- healthcare
- marketing
- recruitment and HR.
The services sector dominates the UK economy, with banking, insurance, and business services all playing important roles in the country’s expansion. Metals, chemicals, aerospace, shipbuilding, motor vehicles, food processing, textiles and clothing, design, the arts, and electronic and communications equipment are also important industries.
The manufacturing industry has declined in recent years, but it is important to note that this sector still employs a large number of people.
Many of the UK’s large and multinational corporations offer graduate programs in industries such as:
- finance
- HR
- marketing
- retail
- sales
To find out more, see graduate schemes.
Google, Cancer Research UK, Amazon, MI6, and GlaxoSmithKline are among the most popular graduate employers, according to The Guardian UK 300 2019/20.
Our job sectors have more information on specific industries.
Look for job openings at:
- graduate job search – for the latest graduate schemes, placements and jobs
- Guardian Jobs – national news site advertising UK and international jobs
- Indeed – job site listing vacancies throughout the UK
- Reed – lists vacancies in a range of sectors throughout the UK.
How To Get A Job In The UK
Most jobs in the UK can be applied for online by sending a short CV and cover letter or by filling out an application form. CVs should be no more than two sides of A4 and cover letters no more than one page. Find out more about CVs and cover letters.
Networking is essential, and word of mouth fills many vacancies. Make use of any pre-existing UK contacts to inquire about job openings and inform them that you are actively looking for work in the country.
Speculative applications are also accepted and can be useful when applying to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which do not always advertise vacancies.
Apply for jobs as soon as possible, as many companies have lengthy hiring processes. Apply in your home country and then relocate once you have a job offer.
Because of the high turnover of employees, the hospitality and retail industries frequently recruit all year. The creative arts and design sector frequently hires in London, whereas marketing and public relations thrive in cities such as Birmingham and Manchester.
If you are chosen for a job, you may be required to attend a series of interviews. These could be one-on-one interviews with your prospective line manager or a panel interview.
interviews with managers and human resources personnel To select successful candidates, larger companies and graduate programs frequently use a combination of psychometric testing, assessment centers, and interviews.
Summer Jobs
The majority of summer, seasonal, and temporary jobs available in the UK are in the tourism, hospitality, and retail industries. Working at summer or holiday camps, outdoor adventure and water sport parks, campsites, and a variety of UK festivals are all examples of summer jobs.
Casual workers are needed all year in hotels, bars, and restaurants; opportunities abound in large cities and tourist areas. The retail industry also hires temporary workers to cover the busy Christmas season.
There are numerous volunteer opportunities in the UK that can help you improve your English while also allowing you to give back to a charitable organization. If you can afford to work unpaid in order to gain experience, a voluntary placement will be beneficial to your CV.
- Do-it is the UK’s national volunteering database, listing opportunities from thousands of charities and social groups.
- Volunteering England is part of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).
- Volunteering Matters works in partnership with UK organisations to deliver programmes that enable people of all ages and backgrounds to put something back into the community.
Check local newspapers and notice boards to find out about volunteer opportunities. Before you commit to a scheme, make sure you research all volunteering opportunities and read the terms and conditions.
UK Visas
According to the European Commission, European Union (EU) citizens have the right to:
- move to another EU country to work without a work permit
- enjoy equal treatment with nationals in access to employment, working conditions and all other social and tax advantages
- stay in the country even after employment has finished.
If you are not from the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA), you will need to obtain a work permit in order to work in the UK. Non-European migrants must carefully research their category requirements before applying for visas because immigration categories are based on a points-based system. GOV.UK – Work Visas has more information.
For more information and to check what conditions and restrictions apply, see:
Language Requirements
If you want to work in the UK, you must be able to communicate in English.
If you are over the age of 18 and wish to settle in the country, you may be required to demonstrate your English proficiency through a language qualification or a degree taught or researched in English.
Certain nationalities are exempt from having to prove their proficiency as are those with a long-term physical or mental condition. GOV.UK has details on language requirements, recognised English Language tests and other specifications for people wishing to live in the UK at GOV.UK – Settle in the UK.
How To Explain Your Qualifications To Employers
Higher education qualifications in certain countries around the world are directly comparable to those in the UK. Because of the Bologna Process, if you are an EU national who studied in your home country, your degree should be recognized by UK employers.
However, before applying for a job check with potential employers.
To learn more about the recognition of qualifications, see UK NARIC.
What It’s Like To Work In The UK
The typical working week in the United Kingdom is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Work hours should be specified in your employment contract, and you should not be required to work more than 48 hours per week unless you choose to.
Employees have the legal right to request flexible and part-time work schedules.
Adult employees are entitled to at least one day off per week, four weeks of paid annual leave, sick pay, maternity and paternity leave, and parental leave. Employers are not required by law to provide days off for bank or public holidays, though many do.
In England and Wales, there are eight bank/public holidays per year, nine in Scotland, and ten in Northern Ireland.
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