This article was written using information from Expertise in Labour Mobility. For more information about living and working in Europe and to order your invaluable ‘Looking for work in…’ guide, visit www.labourmobility.com

United Kingdom

When you picture working for a British company, do you see a formal, organised business structure, or a relaxed, friendly environment? It’s true to say that either scenario could be the case. So If you have excellent language skills and a global outlook, why not consider working in the UK?

From travel to fund management, from the media to technology, there are opportunities to work in various sectors in the United Kingdom.

Work experience

Sarah van de Velde, European Graduate Recruitment at ICI, stresses the importance of work-related skills when applying for jobs in the UK. She says, ‘The sectors offering the best opportunities for foreign graduates are chemistry and chemical engineering. At ICI, we want the best. Our standards are high, and we want graduates with a strong academic record together with a wide range of qualities and skills, including drive and initiative, strategic thinking, excellent teamworking skills, ability to cope under pressure and excellent communication skills.

‘For international positions, the knowledge of a language other than English is beneficial. My advice to graduates looking for work in the UK is: think carefully about all the skills you have learnt through work experience, be it paid or voluntary.’

Management culture

• The traditional British organisational structure is a pyramid, consisting of many layers and a strong vertical hierarchy.
• It is important that employers are fair and just, and that they have a good relationship with their employees.
• Meetings are a very important management instrument. All issues under consideration will be raised, discussed, negotiated and hopefully resolved during the meeting.
• At meetings, British people are always on time. However, in social life, they are almost always ten minutes late!
• Humour is very important, and is present at every level and on almost every occasion.

Making applications

• Careers advisory services are well-established in all British universities. They provide a wealth of information for jobseekers.
• Speculative applications in Britain are only worth the effort if they are well researched in advance, and carefully targeted at relevant recruiters.
• Realise the importance of language skills. Having a social conversation in English is something very different from conducting a business negotiation.
• Be prepared to attend assessment centres; these are increasingly common in the UK.
• Don’t exaggerate your qualities – the British are modest people.

CVs to impress

• The British cv is short; a maximum of two pages in length.
• UK companies generally attach less importance to someone’s marital status then in most continental European countries.
• It’s common in the UK to give the contact details of two referees at the end of the cv (but make sure you ask these people first!)
• Use either reversed chronological order (ie your most recent experience first) or a functional format for your cv.
• Use power words and action verbs in an application, such as ‘accomplished’, ‘achieved’, ‘improved’, ‘negotiated’ or ‘succeeded in’. Don’t overdo it, though!
• Include extracurricular activities, hobbies and sports, and elaborate a little on them.

Get noticed – covering letters

• Be prepared to provide examples to illustrate your achievements and skills.
• Explain why you are the right candidate for the job.
• In the UK, if the addressee is unknown to you, start with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and end with ‘Yours faithfully’. However, if you know the name start with ‘Dear Mr/Ms X’ and end with ‘Yours sincerely’.
• Many companies in the United Kingdom use application forms instead of letters. Some of these can be downloaded from their websites.

Get more info…

Directory/guides
Hobsons Graduate Employment and Training www.get.hobsons.co.uk
Graduate salaries and vacancies www.agr.org.uk

Newspapers
The Daily/Sunday Telegraph www.telegraph.co.uk
The Financial Times www.ft.com
The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk
The Independent www.independent.co.uk
London Evening Standard www.thisislondon.co.uk
The Times/Sunday Times www.thetimes.co.uk

Careers fairs
AIESEC Careers Fairs (various locations) www.careersfairs.org
Graduate Recruitment Fair (London) www.careers.lon.ac.uk

Other resources
Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) www.agcas.org.uk
Association of Graduate Recruiters www.agr.org.uk
The British Council www.britcoun.org