Prospective international students

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What career activities can I get started with before my course starts?

It’s great to get started with career planning and thinking about your career goals as soon as possible.

The online course “Preparing for work” designed by Study UK, British Council aims to equip international students with the skills and understanding needed in order to navigate and enter the employment market. It supports you to identify your skills, and how to communicate these effectively to potential employers, as well as building an understanding of organisational and workplace culture. 

The course covers topics including identifying skills, planning career, finding jobs/work experiences, preparing applications and interviews, and eventually, starting a new job in the UK. 

The course is free of charge. You need to register on the Futurelearn platform to access the course. 

• Preparing for work - Identifying and building employability skills for international students (online course)

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I want to work part-time during my studies

International students wanting to work in the UK as part of their studies should refer to the Working in the UK on a Student Visa webpage. It is important to check when you can work in term time and during vacation (this varies by level of course), and what sort of work you can do.

International students can usually work for up to 20 hours per week during term-time (it is important to check your visa for your individual entitlement). 

The University recommends that all students (both international and home) work no more than a maximum of 16 hours a week during term time to ensure that their studies do not suffer.

You will need a National Insurance Number (NINO) in order to work in the UK. Find out how to apply.

Once you have registered with us, take a look at our part-time jobs page and the range of local part-time vacancies throughout the year advertised on our online platform, Career Connect.

Volunteering, clubs and societies can be a way to make new friends, as well as develop new skills or build on existing ones.

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I want to do a year-long work placement as part of my studies

Whatever your goals, work placements can help you develop new skills, build contacts and prepare for your future career. Placement years are accessible to international students studying at degree level (RQF6). The majority of our undergraduate courses give you the choice to undertake a placement year as part of your degree.

A placement year is:

• A year of work experience with an organisation, which is integrated into your course.
• Self-sourced by students with support from your department and the Careers & Employability Service. 
• A recognised part of your programme and will be included in your award title. 
• Typically undertaken in your penultimate year of study and usually lasting at least approximately 38 weeks.
• Paid, in most instances

A placement year will help you to:

• gain valuable work experience for your CV
• discover what you do and don’t like doing
• develop a range of transferable skills 
• get an insight into possible careers
• build a professional network
• apply elements of academic learning in the workplace

While doing a placement, you will:

• Remain a registered student whilst employed by the placement provider; 
• Continue to have access to student support services;
• Pay a substantially reduced tuition fee;

If you are adding a placement year to your degree, you may need to apply for a visa extension. Please see this webpage for further information.

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I want to work in the UK after my studies

Over two thirds of graduates from UK universities go on to work in a job area not related to their degree. This means that you have lots of choices for your career development and progression.

You might be studying for a vocational qualification (training towards a particular job) or your study may be more general. Either way, there are opportunities available to you.

The UK is a highly competitive job market and you will need to develop high quality CVs or application forms to maximise your chances. 

• International students' guide to job hunting in the UK - Targetjobs

Once you are registered with us, you will have full access to the  resources available from the Careers & Employability Service and be able to attend our webinars/workshops or book an appointment through Career Connect to ensure your applications are as strong as possible.

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Post-study visa information

International students wanting to stay in the UK to work after graduation will need to make sure they have an appropriate work visa. The regulations concerning the 'right to work' in the UK are complex and can change frequently. You can find up-to-date information here:

• The University of Sheffield’s After your studies webpage
• UKCISA - UK Council for International Student Affairs
• Home Office

The university regularly offers webinars on visa information for international students, so look for upcoming events once you are in Sheffield.

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I want to return to my home country to work after graduation or work in another country

The Careers & Employability Service works with overseas employers  to find out what skills they are looking for in graduates, along with the Labour Market Information to support our graduates looking to work outside of the UK. Our subscription to GoinGlobal (accessible once you start your course) for registered students provides you with useful information on over 190 locations worldwide, including useful country-specific information on recruitment practices, insider tips from local experts and global job search resources.

The University has recently joined the Global University Central Career Union (GUCCU). The GUCCU China job portal provides students with vacancies and events advertised by Chinese employers who specifically target students from the University of Sheffield.