careers

  1. Jump to content
  2. Jump to this page's menu
  3. Jump to main menu
  4. Go to accessibility options
  5. Go to Glasgow Caledonian University Homepage
  >   Student   >   Careers Skip navigation | Accessibility
Careers service - home page
Home | Students | Graduates | Employers | Staff | Vacancies| Events | Resources | About us | Contact us

Current students

blog

International Students

Ni hao! Czesc! Sannu! Marhaba! Hi! Kedu! Nei ho! Namaste! Salam! Salut! Tag! Vanakkam! Ago o!

A Guide to GCU Careers Service

The Careers Service offers a wide range of support to international students, whether you intend to find employment or further study in Scotland or if you are planning to return home.

Career Planning

While you are studying at Glasgow Caledonian University it is important to plan ahead and research your career options. The Careers Service offers all students the opportunity to:

  • Discuss your career plans and study options, including postgraduate study
  • Get advice on applying for jobs and courses
  • Get advice on preparing CVs and covering letters. Use our leaflets
  • Access extensive information on the Careers Service website

Useful websites for graduate career options are, Prospects (the UK's offical graduate careers website), PlanIT Plus (a resource for careers or further study in Scotland) and AGCAS Scotland Graduates. You can also visit Sorted for interactive exercises to help you assess your skills and prepare for job applications.

 

Careers Service

The Careers Service offers a professional, confidential and impartial service and you can get information and advice in the following ways:

  • Careers interview
  • Drop-in lunchtime interview
  • Careers activities arranged with us by your programme organiser
  • Mini career fairs in association with individual Schools
  • Careers Information Resource area (level 0 Saltire Centre, next to café)

Drop-in times are available on the Drop-in page.  

 

Working in Scotland

A good introduction for international students thinking about working in Scotland can be found here. To find out more about industries in Scotland, visit Talent Scotland, which has jobs, news, events and information on four of the largest industry sectors in Scotland: Electronic Technologies, Life Sciences, Financial Services and Energy. If you are not from an EEA (European Economic Area) you MUST check your eligibility with the International Student Support Service who will advise you on all related issues. The Careers Service does not give advice on these matters. Your may also find the following sites useful. UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides further information on working in the UK after your studies. For questions about your national insurance number, go to HM Revenue & Customs. For more on international qualifications, visit UK NARIC.

 

Cultural Awareness

There will be a number of differences about working and studying in Scotland and you may want to think about the following:

  • English Language: Take every opportunity to practice your spoken and written English.
  • Work Experience: Employers value any work experience that you have, even if it is not directly related to your course. Work experience is often valued just as much as academic learning. A part-time job is a good way of learning English, earning money and gaining the ‘soft skills’ that employers are looking for, such as communication, team work, leadership and problem solving. Part-time jobs are advertised on our vacancy system, and in our Resources pages we have a PDF on how to find part-time work.
  • Appointments and Timekeeping: If an appointment is made for 10.30 am, then you must attend at 10.30 am. For careers appointments, we ask that you arrive five minutes in advance. Go to the waiting area beside the consulting rooms. If you register or sign up for a seminar or activity, this means that you will attend at the stated time. It is a definite commitment.

Kwintessential explains cultural differences between countries, including the UK.

 

Jobseeking

The Careers Service supports you in your efforts to prepare and develop your job search strategy. We do not directly find you employment or complete applications or CVs for you, but we do have an online vacancy database that is shared with all other Scottish universities. This is the largest source of graduate vacancies in Scotland. You can select and apply for vacancies through this vacancy database as well as using more traditional methods of applying for jobs. Prospects is another good source of graduate jobs. Our International Labour Market Information page has links to international vacancies.

 

Other Useful Websites

Further Study

Useful information

 

 

Last reviewed: 14 May, 2010 | Careers Service | Legal