digital career
All you need to create magic is a laptop? You could be in demand in the UK. Here are some tips to kickstart your digital career in the UK. Source: Sabel Infantes/ AFP

As an international student, you might have decided that you want to extend your time in the UK and get a job here after graduation. That’s great! If you’re considering a career in the digital sector, there has never been a better time to get started. 

The digital sector is one of the biggest and most exciting industries in the world right now, particularly in the UK. So if you’re hoping to kickstart your digital career, we’re here to help. Below we share our top five tips for international graduates who are looking to get a job in the UK’s digital sector. 

1. Get some voluntary experience

One of the best ways to boost your employability is to get some relevant voluntary work experience with a UK employer. This could be a work placement through university, a part-time position or an internship — either way, it will look great on your CV. 

digital career

Your local high street could be where your next volunteering opportunity is. Source: Justin Tallis/AFP

Alternatively, you could volunteer your services to a local charity or initiative. Digital natives are very in demand right now, no matter what the industry, so there are plenty of businesses and charities that would be happy to have you on board. 

2. Use a career or graduate service to help you

It’s likely that your university will have some sort of careers guidance service that can help you with writing applications and finding jobs, so make the most of these resources! This should give you access to career advice and your placement/careers officer will be able to point you in the right direction for finding jobs in the digital sector. They might even be aware of any great opportunities that you can apply for or be able to put you in touch with relevant contacts.

3. Create a killer CV

To give yourself the best chance of landing a job in the digital sector, you need to write a strong CV. This needs to include any relevant work experience, information about your educational background (your degree) and outline all your key transferable and technical skills. Ideally you should tailor it towards a junior digital marketing role to stand the best chance of getting your foot in the door of a good firm.

The great news is, digital skills are really in-demand, so as long as you can demonstrate these clearly on your application, you’re already ahead of the competition. Remember, CVs tend to differ from country to country. For example, in the UK it is not necessary to include a picture like it is in some other places, so just ensure you are sticking to the UK CV format before you begin. 

4. Find a graduate employer or get sponsored

Each year as a fresh group of graduates hit the job market, many employers begin to advertise graduate roles. This can be particularly true in forward-thinking tech companies and those in the digital sector who want to employ innovative, young workers. 

digital career

When at the park, keep an eye out for pigeons and open roles for graduates. Source: Carl Court/AFP

As such, applying for graduate roles or looking for sponsorship can be the best way to get your foot on the ladder and begin your career in the UK’s digital sector. There are plenty of websites and job boards where you can find graduate roles advertised, so use these to your advantage. 

5. Make sure you’ve got the right visa

Not specific to the digital sector but a very important part of landing any job, you need to be able to show the employer you have the right visa and the right to work in the UK. You can find all the information you need about work visas on the UK government website, hereYou might also wish to add your visa status to your CV so employers can quickly see that you’re an eligible candidate. 

Now is a really exciting time to get involved in the UK’s digital sector and there are lots of great opportunities out there. Make the most of any university or graduate services to help you find a job and continue to look out for work experience opportunities that could help you to boost your CV in the meantime. 

Andrew Fennell is the founder of CV writing advice website StandOut CV — he is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to publications like Business Insider, The Guardian, and The Independent.

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