Working in the UK : Getting work experience

Gaining work experience in the UK will strengthen your CV and increase your attractiveness to employers in the UK or in your home country. It will enable you to develop your skills, giving you experience of a professional environment and also the opportunity to apply your academic knowledge.

UK employers value different types of experience available during your studies. These include:

• part-time work, e.g. in a shop or a bar;
• vacation work either in the UK or in your home country;
• projects with organisations as part of your academic degree or outside it;
• voluntary work, usually unpaid for a company or charitable organisation;
• summer placements, usually degree-related and lasting two to three months;
• industrial placements, one year long and part of an undergraduate degree.

Placements will enable you to confirm whether your chosen career area is suitable for you. For some careers, e.g. teaching and law, work placements demonstrate commitment and are vital for entry on to training courses.

Recruitment for some work placements is nearly identical to the graduate scheme recruitment process, as employers use it to evaluate your capabilities, which may then lead to a graduate job offer.

If you can’t get relevant experience, or are unsure of your career direction, any workplace experience will be valuable as it can help develop skills that can be transferred to any job. It also demonstrates that you are motivated and hard working.

For more information and to search for a work placement, see work experience and internships.

Working while studying

Students come under Tier 4 of the points-based system of UK immigration. Your passport or identity card will have information on your eligibility to work in the UK and companies are required to check this if they wish to employ you. It is important that you understand your permission to work during your studies and that you do not breach these conditions as it will affect your ability to secure further permission.

Students on a Tier 4 (general) visa on a foundation degree or degree level course are entitled to:

• work part time for up to 20 hours per week during term time as defined by your university;
• work full time during vacation periods and after studies before leave expires if an application for further immigration permission has been submitted;
• work as a postgraduate doctor or dentist on a recognised Foundation Programme;
• work as a student union sabbatical officer for up to two years;
• do a work placement as part of the course.

For work placements, your university must be a Highly Trusted Sponsor, which you can check by looking at the UK Border Agency Register of Sponsors (Tier 4)  (approved education providers), and the placement must not exceed 50% of the total length of the course, unless there is a legal requirement for it to do so.

You may not fill a full-time permanent vacancy and you must not be self-employed, employed as a doctor in training (except on a recognised Foundation Programme) or as a professional sportsperson, coach or entertainer.

If the course is not a foundation degree and is below degree level, different rules will apply and you should seek further information.

UKCISA: UK Council for International Student Affairs  represents the interests of international students in the UK and has current information on work permission and also a telephone advice line. Your university will also have international student advisers giving individual advice on permission to work during studies.

See the UK Border Agency (UKBA)  for the latest information.

Developing your skills

When undertaking work experience you should look for ways to demonstrate general skills that are required by employers, such as:

• commercial awareness;
• teamwork;
• communication, which can be written or verbal and includes presentation skills;
• organisation, including planning and time management;
• initiative - having ideas and implementing new ways of doing things;
• problem-solving;
• IT.

See types of jobs for information on the specific skills needed for particular jobs.

By being proactive at work your experiences will:

• tell an employer something about your personality - in particular attributes like enthusiasm and motivation;
• demonstrate your practical work skills as well as academic ability;
• develop your English language skills and confidence;
• help you identify your career preferences.

Finding part-time work

Visit your university careers service for advice as soon as you arrive. Check the following resources for vacancies:

• your careers centre’s vacancy list;
• the students’ union;
• your university job shop or temporary work agency;
• local businesses, which may advertise directly or in local newspapers;
• recruitment agencies, for temporary work;
• business organisations’ membership directories, e.g. Chambers of Commerce;
• graduate job search, which also lists internship and placement opportunities.

The National Association of Student Employment Services (NASES)  has further information on part-time work and employment rights.

Paying tax

International students will pay tax on earnings above the tax free personal allowance granted by the UK Government. If you earn less than your personal allowance in a tax year, you will be able to reclaim any tax paid.

You must also pay National Insurance, which you cannot reclaim, and will need to obtain a National Insurance Number (NINo). You can obtain this from a local Jobcentre Plus office as soon as you start seeking work. You need to contact 0845 600 0643 to arrange an appointment. More information on tax and National Insurance can be obtained from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)  and Directgov - Applying for a National Insurance number .