• British Council
  • The GREAT campaign logo - name in front of Union Jack flag

Study UK: Preparing for work

Get ready to search for and start a new job by identifying and building the employability skills needed to find your career path.

31,710 enrolled on this course

Educators are currently active on this course

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  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Digital upgrade

    Free

Learn how to identify your strengths and use them in your career

In the last ten years there have been more than 12 million international graduates of UK education.

This two-week course will equip international graduates with the skills and understanding that they need in order to navigate and enter their local employment market. It will support them to identify their skills, and how to communicate these effectively to potential employers, as well building an understanding of organisational and workplace culture.

What topics will you cover?

Week 1 - Getting ready

  • Identifying your skills and setting goals
  • Choosing the right job
  • Networking and building relationships

Week 2 - The job application process

  • Writing clear CVs and covering letters which communicate your skills
  • Handling job interviews
  • Getting ready for day one at work
  • Future of work and skills development

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

If you'd like to take part while our educators are leading the course, they'll be joining the discussions, in the comments, between these dates:

  • 11 Mar 2024 - 24 Mar 2024

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Identify your strengths and use these to reflect on your career path
  • Demonstrate a range of professional skills that can help you succeed in any workplace
  • Develop an effective strategy to get the right job for you
  • Collaborate, network and communicate more proficiently with people from different cultural backgrounds and in different cultural contexts

Who is the course for?

The course is for international graduates of UK Higher Education entering into, or returning to, the employment market, globally. They can have studied either in the UK, or for a UK HE qualification overseas via TNE.

The course is for all international graduates (undergraduates and postgraduates). To give a sense of scale of the potential audience, there are 12 million international students who have graduated from a UK HEI in the last ten years.

Who will you learn with?

Project Management expert, previously at the British Council.

I create and manage employability development services for local and international students and graduates across multi-site and virtual settings.

University-based Careers Adviser with a keen interest in online learning. Over 10 years experience working in Higher Education settings, now I help students and graduates reach their career potential.

A teacher with over 15 years’ experience in entrepreneurship, Academic English and intercultural training for British Council, University of the Arts London and Goldsmiths, University of London

Who developed the course?

British Council

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.

We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million people overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.

GREAT Campaign

The GREAT campaign showcases all four corners of our nation to inspire the world and encourage people to visit, do business, invest and study in the UK.

What's included?

British Council are offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade, so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:

  • Unlimited access to this course
  • Includes any articles, videos, peer reviews and quizzes
  • A PDF Certificate of Achievement to prove your success when you’re eligible
  • Learning on FutureLearn

    Your learning, your rules

    • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
    • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
    • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

    Join a global classroom

    • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
    • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
    • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

    Map your progress

    • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
    • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
    • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

    Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

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