Indian graduates can stay in touch!

International students careers adviser, Andrew Falconer, recently met with the creator of an exciting new social networking site for Indian students who have studied in the UK.

Graduation often means saying goodbye to cherished friends and heading off on separate paths in different places. For Indian students who graduate this year, an excellent way of keeping in touch with fellow classmates and alumni is by becoming part of Indian Student Network in the UK, or INSTUK. INSTUK is a rapidly growing online social network established in April this year to provide Indian students in the UK

Registering is easy – just log on here  fill in your details and start networking!– past, current and aspiring – a platform to keep in touch, exchange useful information regarding student life in the UK and alert them to recruitment and other opportunities in the UK and India. Since April, INSTUK has registered almost 500 members, and is fast emerging as a vibrant and lively online community. Created by Admission Overseas, a leading UK education consultancy in India, INSTUK is the perfect way for Indian students in the UK to keep in touch and provides them, as well as those planning to come here for higher education in the near future, a great virtual support structure in many ways.

UK Malaysia alumni network

The British Council’s alumni network is a web-based portal designed to help Malaysian UK graduates stay in touch with the UK. The launch of the network was inaugurated by HRH, The Duke of York (Prince Andrew) at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on May 21, 2001, and currently has a membership base of 11,000 UK graduates.

One of the chief benefits of joining UKAN is Job Help, an employment avenue established by British Council to help Malaysians with UK qualifications find employment in the country in a faster and more efficient manner.  The Career Guide is the latest complement to our commitment to help UK alumni to better understand the job market in Malaysia, and thus increase their chances of securing better jobs.

Click here to visit the site.

Event – Working in the UK

Many international students want to gain work experience in the UK after graduation. The Post-Study Work visa makes this more accessible. But what is it like in reality?

International Mentoring Scheme

Students from China, India and Pakistan may be eligible to join the new international mentoring scheme offered by the careers service. This is a new innovation that can put current students in touch with experienced professionals back home.

A survey of students from Royal Holloway last year suggested that some 25% of UK and EU students find their first job through their personal network – family, friends, previous employers or other contacts they’ve made. Personal networks are very important internationally as a means to finding work – and perhaps even more so in a recession. In China there are established connections like Guan Xi where people help each other. This is seen in most countries and is often an underused method of finding work.

However developing your personal network when you are studying in the UK can be difficult. I recently organised a “Remote Networking” event that considered different ways to approach this. The new international mentoring scheme is built around that session and the needs of international students. I am not aware of any other college that has developed such a scheme.

OK, so what is it?

This is an opportunity for students from China, India and Pakistan to develop relationships with alumni who are working back in their home country. These are people who are working in business areas that you might be interested in. These are people who know the sector, the job market, the issues facing companies and the different roles within their businesses. These people can give you knowledge as well as advice on how to get to do what they are doing. This is an essential part of developing your network.

The scheme is currently limited to students from China, India and Pakistan because we are just trialling the system. If successful we will try to open it out to other nationalities.

I’m interested. What do I need to do?

First you must tell me that you are interested. You must go in person to the careers centre and sign up for the International Alumni scheme list. You may not do this by email.

Secondly, you must attend the scheme briefing on Monday March 9 at 5.00pm in the careers centre. Only those who have signed up beforehand can attend this event. This session will give an overview of the scheme, how it will work and give you the first steps for making the contact with the alumni.

If you have questions please email me but if you want to be a part of this scheme you must sign up in the careers centre. Places are very limited.