The United Kingdom has been a trendy destination among international students for as long as the process of getting an education abroad started. The main reason behind this is that education in the UK is recognized worldwide; secondly, the atmosphere and opportunities available for international students are unmatched. The British government has thus worked hard towards making their education sector a thriving one. International students are thus offered great courses, scholarships, and post-study working opportunities. Read ahead as in this article, we will take you through everything you need to know about how to work while studying in the UK for international students.
Is there A Work-Study Program in the United Kingdom?
Unfortunately, the UK does not offer work-study programs to international students. However, students are allowed to work at most 20 hours per week during their semesters. The week is defined as consisting of seven days, starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday. This has driven more and more students through the borders of the UK which has had a great impact on their economy.
What are the Benefits of Working While Studying in the United Kingdom?
The biggest benefit of working and studying at the same time in the United Kingdom is that through this way you can be independent and pay for your education. These programs are designed to help students in the best way possible. The other benefits include interaction and experience in the working sector, the experience of working and balancing life together, making new friends and colleagues, and most importantly, this offers you a chance to become acquainted with jobs and interviews which prepares you for your professional career.
5 Ways to Work While Studying in the United Kingdom
1. University Placements and Internships
The United Kingdom is a hub of opportunities for everyone. If you are looking to work in the UK on a work-study program, you can opt for university placements or internships that can help you financially and with your visa as well. Each university has a dedicated office for student placements and internships. These offices are in contact with the industries and whenever they need interns or have a job opening for fresh graduates or studying individuals they reach out to these offices and these offices then advertise and send their students forward.
This is why it is of utmost importance here that you remain in contact with such offices so that when an opportunity arises, they know very well who to approach and send forward. These placements will also reflect in a great manner on your professional CV and career so make sure not to miss this chance.
2. Part-Time Work Opportunities
As students, you will have a lot of opportunities to work part-time in any of the available positions in the UK. You can take part-time work in a cafe as a barista, in a library, in a convenience store, in a mall, or in various other places. The best way to look for such opportunities is by going to your preferred place of work and asking them. By making contact, they will either try to make a position for you if possible or keep you in case some of their full-time employees go on a break.
These part-time opportunities teach you a lot of skills and a whole lot about the community you are living in. Here you can make ever-lasting friendships and a group of moral support that will only help you out in the future.
3. Full-Time Work
Full-time work is another great opportunity to take while studying in the UK. For this, you will need a very decently made CV that will help you land interviews. The only catch here is that students can work 20 hours a week so make sure to discuss the possibility of working 20 hours with your employer. You can look for opportunities matching your CV on Linkedin, Glassdoor, Seek, or Indeed. Do not be discouraged if you do not land an interview on your first try because the job market is very dense everywhere. After an interview, ask them to give you feedback so you know where you can improve and make yourself efficiently ready for the next interview.
4. Self Employment or Freelancing
This is one of the easiest ways for you to work and study in the UK. Freelancing and self-employment require you to come up with a skill that you are good at and then you can use it to generate revenue and sales. The best websites to showcase your freelancing abilities are Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour. Here it is important to mention that the students on tier 4 visas cannot be self-employed or work as freelancers so you will have to make use of the other options available.
We hope that this article on Ways to Work in the UK While Studying for International Students was helpful. Feel free to also check out the UK Scholarships Page for more information about studying in the UK!
