We know that your future career will very much be part of your decision about where to study in the UK. At RGU, we believe that from the moment you hold an offer to study with us, we should help you prepare for starting (or continuing) your career.
Aberdeen, as the oil and gas capital of Europe, benefits from having many major employers who offer a constant supply of graduate jobs and placements for our students. However, it is your responsibility to make sure you are thoroughly prepared to look for graduate jobs. This should begin as soon as you join us on campus and we recommend you visit the Careers Centre as part of your orientation.
The Careers Centre has created this pre-arrival guide (PDF 2MB) with lots of helpful information you can use before you leave your home country. Early in the first semester each year, the Careers Centre organises the Graduate Careers Fair which invites employers to the university to promote their vacancies for the following year.
Many students may wish to return to their own country, or start their career in another country. The Careers Centre guides you on how to prepare your job search overseas, as well as advising on employer expectation from around the world. The National Association of Student Employment Services (NASES) also has a range of employment country profiles you can access.
From April 2012, new regulations by the UK Borders Agency means that the automatic Post Study Work Visa (PSWV) for international students will be closed.
However, it will be possible for an international student to transfer onto a Tier 2 (General Workers) visa if they meet requirements set out by the UKBA. These requirements include securing a graduate level position, with a salary of £20000 or above, within four months of completing their studies.
We encourage all our international students to think about their graduate job search from day one at RGU rather than wait until they finish studying. This is even more important now with the time limit imposed by the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) to transfer from a Tier 4 to a Tier 2 visa.
Your Tier 4 student visa allows you to work part time for a maximum of 20 hours each week during term time.
Many of our students, home and international, successfully balance a part time job and their studies. The Careers Centre can inform you of vacancies (via the Part Time Jobs Board) and help you prepare your applications and for any interviews. They host a Part Time Jobs Fair at the start of the first semester and conduct sessions on finding part time jobs through the year.
There are other non traditional ways to get relevant experience which might boost your profile with employers; these include volunteering in university or community projects, or perhaps taking part in a placement or work shadowing opportunity. There are a range of volunteering projects our students can get involved in.
The Scottish Government has also set up an initiative to give international students exposure to Scottish work environments whilst studying here, either through a placement, projects, work shadowing or mentoring. There is a similar project funded by the Scottish Government that is also open to international graduates to apply to which offers work place internships from 3 to 18 months.
“Aberdeen Business School has an outstanding international reputation for high quality education and welcomes students from over fifty countries.”
Career Opportunities – The Indian Experience.
“Robert Gordon University have been the most impressive Careers service and have set the standards for a lot of other universities.”
Careers Centre Standard Life
Get Adobe Reader
