5 Top Tips to Finding A Job

The UK job market is one of the most competitive in the world, and is particularly difficult at the moment with hundreds of candidates applying for every job. You only have to look at the list of graduate jobs UK -wide presented by experts like reed.co.uk to know that there aren't enough jobs for all the applicants. However, that's not to say that you can't get ahead of the competition if you write a clever application and present yourself well at interview.

Here are a few tips:

1. Play Up Your Language Skills
Many British students only ever learn to speak English and do not have the advantage of learning another language. Having an extra language is a great benefit - if you do speak more than one, make sure that you draw attention to it

2. Have a Reason
Why do you want to live and work in the UK? Simply because it's a good place to live and most jobs pay quite well will not be enough. Make sure that you think hard about why in particular you've decided to come to the UK. One idea might be to try to tie it to your future plans. Do you always want to stay in the UK, or one day will you want to move back home and apply the skills you've learned in your country of origin? Signs of ambition and long term thinking can only help.

3. Use Your Perspective
Recent research suggested that the vast majority of UK graduates are only focussed on jobs within the UK. By the simple nature of being a foreign student you will have a different perspective, an understanding of how markets and life in general works in another country, and these experiences should give you a different perspective that you may want to highlight. Of course, you also want to show that you understand how business works in the UK, so getting the right mix is important.

4. Give Context to Your Qualifications
Every country has a different education system, and many of them are not easily convertible. Make sure to establish the similarities in what you have learnt, alongside those factors that will stand you apart from the rest.

5. Perfect Your English
The most important element of all is to communicate clearly. CVs have different layouts in different countries, so it may be worth investing in professional help for your CV. If you write a cover letter, get someone to double check it, preferably a native English speaker if you know any (remember that "British English" is sometimes different to "American English"). When it comes to interviews, take it slow, and never be afraid to politely ask your interviewer to repeat the question - it's best to be sure of the question and give a clear, well thought out answer, than to rush it and get it completely wrong.

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