How do I get work experience in the UK?
Work experience helps you build careers skills and learn about working in the UK.
Whether you want an internship, a part-time work or join one of our work experience programmes we have the information and advice to help you.
In addition to the advice below, please find more information on our work experience pages.
What does work experience mean?
Work experience includes various opportunities such as:
- Internships. Usually during vacation periods, can be online and/or face-to-face, paid or unpaid
- Placements. Part of a university degree like a “year in industry”. They tend to be longer than internships and can be online and/or face-to-face as well as paid or unpaid.
- Part-time work
- Volunteering and work shadowing
Any type of work experience is valuable and will allow you to develop essential employability skills. Find out more about the different types of opportunities on our website.
Can I undertake work experience on my student visa?
It is important to know what your visa allows you to do so that you can explain this to an employer.
If you are enrolled on a full-time degree with a Tier 4 student visa, you can work:
- Up to 20 hours per week during term time if you are studying a qualification at degree level or above
- Up to 10 hours per week during term time if you are studying for a qualification below degree level
- Full-time hours (up to 40 hours per week) outside term time (all study levels). This includes vacation periods, before your degree starts, if you are enrolled on a degree with a placement year and after your course has ended.
For further information, contact our Visa and Immigration Team and visit the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) website.
After you finish your studies on the Student route, you might want to extend your stay in the UK through another visa type. The UKCISA website has information on the immigration options that might be available to you. UKCISA is the UK Council for International Student Affairs.
How can work experience in the UK benefit me?
Any experience is valuable, even if unrelated to the sector or type of role you want to go into. Employers are interested in learning about the transferable skills that you will have developed.
Gaining experience in the UK will:
- help you stand out in the recruitment process when applying for graduate roles in the UK and beyond
- allow you to develop the skills and abilities that employers are looking for beyond your degree such as teamwork and communication
- provide you with examples and evidence to share in the recruitment process
- support you to develop your English language skills
- give you an insight into the UK working culture
- allow you to build your professional and personal network which may be valuable when it comes to applying for graduate roles
Is my international work experience valuable to employers?
Absolutely. Employers are keen to hear about any experience, whether in the UK or outside, as long as you make it relevant to what you are applying for.
Focus on your unique skills and experience in the recruitment process. You may want to talk about:
- How your cultural and global background gives you a different perspective and has allowed you to be more flexible and adaptable
- How your experiences may have helped you seeing a problem in a different way
- How learning English has developed your confidence and assertiveness in group settings.
If you are struggling to make sense of your experience, book an appointment with one of our advisers.
Where can I find UK employers who offer work experience to international students? Includes FREE access to Student Circus
There is no list of opportunities so you will need to research employers and opportunities yourself.
Go to our other pages for information on:
Read our blog: Work experience and graduate roles: how to search as an international student
Student Circus - internships and placements for international students
We subscribe to Student Circus, a job listing service and it is free to you. Student Circus advertises internships with UK companies that actively recruit international students.
- The platform provides access to internships, placements and start-up internships.
- It also advertises graduate roles which meet the UK Visa and Immigration salary requirements for sponsorship.
- Frequently asked questions on the platform have been checked and verified for accuracy by an immigration expert.
Should I pay for work experience and careers help?
Be careful when looking for opportunities. There are scams targeting international students.
It’s best to use reputable job sites rather than social media.
Some organisations charge high fees for finding opportunities or for career advice. Before paying for any service, contact us to check what free support is available.
If you are in any doubt, contact us.
Do I need a National Insurance number to work in the UK? How do I get one?
International students looking for paid work in the UK need to apply for a National Insurance (NI) number. It is free to apply online.
It can take up to four weeks to get your National Insurance number. You can start work before you receive your National Insurance number if you can prove you have the right to work in the UK.
Your employer creates a temporary number for you. Remember to give your employer your NI number once you receive it.