Campus talk: Debra Barr

The college has invited Debra Barr to speak to staff and students on Tuesday from 6.00pm in the Windsor Auditorium.  This event is expected to be in great demand so come early to make sure you get in.

So what’s all the fuss about?

Less than one week to go…

It is less than one week to the start of the new term. Over the summer we have been working hard in the careers service to ensure the Autumn term is packed with exciting and relevent careers activities for you.

If this is your first time in the UK and at Royal Holloway it may take you a little time to adjust, but there is plenty of support out there to help you fit in. The International team are on top of logistics and everyone who has arranged for an airport pick-up will be met and escorted directly to the college. From the moment you land we are there to help.

The first week can be a bit daunting. There are lots of events going on including departmental, student union and other campus events. This year you can attend a video giving you a “survival guide” to University. This will take place in the Windsor Auditorium on Wednesday 23r September from 5.00pm – details and free tickets can be obtained on campus from Founders West 170.

Until next week, the careers service wishes all who are travelling a safe trip to the UK and a great start to your time at Royal Holloway.

Immigration Advice

Some useful resources just in case you had forgotten them:

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) is an essential resource for finding out about visa and immigration issues.  They have a helpline where you can get one-to-one advice based on your own circumstances. You can call 020 7107 9922  Monday – Friday 13.00 – 16.00 hrs

The UK Borders Agency website has lots of information about immigration but it isn’t always the easiest to navigate through or to read.  This part tells you about post-study work visa applications and this about your right of appeal if your post-study work visa application is rejected.

Some students who have more complicated circumstances may prefer to seek legal advice through an immigration lawyer. Vicash Ramkissoon of Duncan Lewis & Co came onto campus a couple of times over the past year. There are however lots of other immigration lawyers.

Sue Silk and Denise Keeble can also help with information on campus. They are based in Founders Building (West) 139.  However they may not be able to provide detailed personal advice.

Graduation – some hints!

PIR Graduation

This blog wasn’t published in time for last summer’s graduation ceremonies so this year I think it would be useful to give some useful hints for what to expect if you haven’t attended one before. Academic gowns are very much a tradition. In some Universities and indeed some schools they still play a significant role.

First ever international careers fair!

The Careers Service at Royal Holloway, University of London hosted the first ever International Careers Fair at the College on Tuesday 2 June 2009.

The purpose of the event was to give international students ideas for career options throughout the world. In attendance were a range of global multinational companies with diverse career routes as well as smaller businesses interested in recruiting international students for positions in the UK. These companies included Gartner, JP Morgan, Proctor and Gamble and Wilkins Kennedy.

The event was the culmination of extensive careers activities for international students throughout the academic year. The Careers Service has developed its bespoke international student careers programme, established online resources including the highly successful blog and piloted an international mentoring scheme.

Adrian Glynn, Director of Human Resources at Wilkins Kennedy, says, ‘The event gave me the opportunity to communicate the advantages of modern professional training within the UK. It also gave me the chance to meet high calibre candidates, which is what we are looking for’.

Juan Sun, an MSc Information Security student who attended the event, comments, ‘I had the chance to meet some prospective employers who have a need for my specific qualifications. It was really helpful and a brilliant opportunity’.

‘I am pleased to have had such a positive response from employers’, adds Andrew Falconer, Careers Adviser at the College. ‘Given the economic situation, many companies have limited their campus activity but Royal Holloway bucked that trend with the companies that attended our International Careers Fair. The Careers Service hopes to organise another fair next spring term and for it to become a key part of the student calendar’.

The end of the academic year

For undergraduates, this is the end of the academic year.

Over the past year we have run a comprehensive set of events for international students including over 20 specialist seminars and workshops on immigration, job hunting in the UK, finding jobs in China and India, remote networking, career options for Psychology students and UK CV styles.  Compared with comparable institutions, Royal Holloway is very much leading the way in careers support for international students. If I may say so myself!

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?

Hours of work paid off

Jiafeng Li is a former Royal Holloway student who currently works in the careers centre as an assistant. Jiafeng has put in many hours of work to develop our first international careers fair. She writes for the blog below:

Under the circumstances of the global credit crunch, employment is at the top of governments’ agendas. For overseas students in UK, it is an even severer challenge to excel over local students and successfully secure a job back in their home countries.

Like film? Win cinema tickets!

As the international student careers programme draws to a close (its ok, we have some fabulous events planned for post-finals!) we want your feedback on what was useful and what wasn’t.  The online suvey has twenty questions and will take about five minutes to complete.

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.