I am proud to call myself an International Student! :)
A lot of current and prospective students from Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries have been asking me one and the same question throughout my two years work experience as an International Student Ambassador: "Is it possible to find a job and stay in the UK after graduating?". My answer was always very general: "There's nothing impossible and it completely depends on you". And despite the fact that it sounds very common - it is true! Everything depends on you, because UEA on its turn has thousands of activities, events, workshops, course related and not course related seminars, internships, part-time jobs and many many more to offer! Fill up your CV with anything you want, don't miss any chance of doing something different and get involved with as many things as possible. But putting the "dad's advice" part aside, what is this blog post actually about?
This blog post is for every UEA International Student out there who feels like he or she is not good enough to find a dream job and extend their stay in the UK. As well as all listed above is very appreciated, home students (UK citizens) still have a privilege in the job market and that is fair enough. But there is definitely something they won't be able to substitute in theirs CVs - they are not INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS :)
Being an international student is probably one of the best life experiences one can ever gain. The international student life can't be compared with just travelling to another country, taking couple of months language courses or moving for work purposes because it's a completely different experience which combines everything the listed above. International student status doesn't just gift you the best three years in your life but also adds a great and indispensable experience in your CV and increases the skills that "all employers are looking for". I will give you 5 reasons why firms should consider hiring more international students and hope it will cheer you all up!
Reason 1. Risk taking / Stress tolerance / Adaption skills.
Many employers put the "ability to adapt to the new environment" as one of the top skills every applicant should have. The whole life of an international student is a risk: once we all took the biggest risk ever and left our home to come to the completely different environment and learn how to survive without family and friends. Azerbaijan is completely different from the UK in everything from cuisine to values and traditions. I don't think there is anything harder than moving from the East world to the West and adapt to the new life alone. So now, do you really think that adapting to the new collective and values of the company will scare us?
Reason 2. Communication / Verbal and written communication skills
Probably the most basic and the most important skill that every employer wants from the applicant. As i mentioned above, all international students took a risk to come to the new country but in addition to that they chose to study and communicate with people in a foreign language! How cool is our brain to think in one language and speak in another? Azerbaijani has nothing in common with English but look, here I am, communicating with people and even having friends :) Moreover, we even do a degree in English and have exams in English just like all other students do. So our 2:1 grade is way too different ;)
Reason 3. Global skills
It's a well know fact that employers appreciate you knowing multiple languages and appreciating different cultures. Every international student on top of English language knows at least one more language and it gives us a priority from the beginning. From my own experience, international students are not scared to start a conversation with another international student, because there's something they will always have in common - they both are not from here. So trust me, for the past couple of years I learned more about other cultures, religions and countries that I could ever did. Every international student has it's own story to tell, stories that are not written in the books or stories that you will never believe in if you read. You engage with different cultures because with some of them you have a lot in common and with some of them you just feel like you want to learn more!
Reason 4. Planning / Organising/ Time management skills
Have you ever tried to fit in your day cooking traditional food from back home because you feel home sick, cleaning your room every time before Skyping your mum so she won't be repeating "Look at you, completely westernised! Do you now lie on the bed with your shoes on just like people do in the movies?!" , Skyping your mum and the whole big family at least for one-two hours in a day because: "You completely forgot about us" "One day when we die there will be no one to call", studying and having a social life? If no, then you know nothing about time management :D
Reason 5. Numeracy skills
Even if you are not an economics/business international student you still have this skill - calculating all your expenses, converting them into your home currency according with the exchange rates and reporting the detailed monthly budgets to your parents will definitely increase your numeracy skills by the end of the year 3! ;)
To conclude I would just love to state again the fact the we, international students, have so much to offer - we just need to present it correctly ;)
Kamala Hajialibayova, Azerbaijani International Student Ambassador.
This blog post is for every UEA International Student out there who feels like he or she is not good enough to find a dream job and extend their stay in the UK. As well as all listed above is very appreciated, home students (UK citizens) still have a privilege in the job market and that is fair enough. But there is definitely something they won't be able to substitute in theirs CVs - they are not INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS :)
Being an international student is probably one of the best life experiences one can ever gain. The international student life can't be compared with just travelling to another country, taking couple of months language courses or moving for work purposes because it's a completely different experience which combines everything the listed above. International student status doesn't just gift you the best three years in your life but also adds a great and indispensable experience in your CV and increases the skills that "all employers are looking for". I will give you 5 reasons why firms should consider hiring more international students and hope it will cheer you all up!
Reason 1. Risk taking / Stress tolerance / Adaption skills.
Many employers put the "ability to adapt to the new environment" as one of the top skills every applicant should have. The whole life of an international student is a risk: once we all took the biggest risk ever and left our home to come to the completely different environment and learn how to survive without family and friends. Azerbaijan is completely different from the UK in everything from cuisine to values and traditions. I don't think there is anything harder than moving from the East world to the West and adapt to the new life alone. So now, do you really think that adapting to the new collective and values of the company will scare us?
Reason 2. Communication / Verbal and written communication skills
Probably the most basic and the most important skill that every employer wants from the applicant. As i mentioned above, all international students took a risk to come to the new country but in addition to that they chose to study and communicate with people in a foreign language! How cool is our brain to think in one language and speak in another? Azerbaijani has nothing in common with English but look, here I am, communicating with people and even having friends :) Moreover, we even do a degree in English and have exams in English just like all other students do. So our 2:1 grade is way too different ;)
Reason 3. Global skills
It's a well know fact that employers appreciate you knowing multiple languages and appreciating different cultures. Every international student on top of English language knows at least one more language and it gives us a priority from the beginning. From my own experience, international students are not scared to start a conversation with another international student, because there's something they will always have in common - they both are not from here. So trust me, for the past couple of years I learned more about other cultures, religions and countries that I could ever did. Every international student has it's own story to tell, stories that are not written in the books or stories that you will never believe in if you read. You engage with different cultures because with some of them you have a lot in common and with some of them you just feel like you want to learn more!
Reason 4. Planning / Organising/ Time management skills
Have you ever tried to fit in your day cooking traditional food from back home because you feel home sick, cleaning your room every time before Skyping your mum so she won't be repeating "Look at you, completely westernised! Do you now lie on the bed with your shoes on just like people do in the movies?!" , Skyping your mum and the whole big family at least for one-two hours in a day because: "You completely forgot about us" "One day when we die there will be no one to call", studying and having a social life? If no, then you know nothing about time management :D
Reason 5. Numeracy skills
Even if you are not an economics/business international student you still have this skill - calculating all your expenses, converting them into your home currency according with the exchange rates and reporting the detailed monthly budgets to your parents will definitely increase your numeracy skills by the end of the year 3! ;)
To conclude I would just love to state again the fact the we, international students, have so much to offer - we just need to present it correctly ;)
Kamala Hajialibayova, Azerbaijani International Student Ambassador.
Menim balam!!!Seninle fexr edirem!!!
ReplyDelete