The Graduate Movement - Searching For Overseas Opportunities

It is astonishing how only one hundred years ago, travel was extremely limited and different countries, languages and cultures were widely unknown for many. For example, in the early 1900’s you could travel from the UK to Australia by ship and it would take, on average, several months. In 1935, a passenger flight between the UK and Australia took twelve and a half days! Now it takes less than twenty four hours to fly there. It was extremely rare to pay a visit or to work in another country and communication would be by letter - often taking weeks to receive! No internet, mobile phone or face timing then! This is a simple example of how rapidly the world has now become so tightly interconnected, thanks to the surge in complex technology that is constantly evolving and allows unlimited access to a world that rarely sleeps..

UK graduates now have a huge range of opportunities where they can choose to explore career paths that do not have to be within the UK - professional opportunities are waiting in almost every corner of the globe and it is theirs for the taking. A large percentage of graduates from the UK are already working in other parts of the world within six months of graduating.

Many graduates are attracted to the opportunity for broadening their horizons to an extent that is not possible by staying in the country where they graduated. They can fully immerse themselves in the distinctive cultures, unique working environments and different ways of living. Graduates can learn valuable insights not only about others but about themselves as well, as they view situations from differing perspectives.

The global job market can offer UK graduates a massive range of career prospects. Many industries which include health, finance, technology and engineering offer exciting opportunities and often a high salary and this offers the UK graduate many avenues to explore, regarding their next step in the professional world. Many UK graduates are driven by ambition and determination to succeed as well as a passion to see the world. This is often a major factor in their decision making, especially as many global companies and organisations make quite lucrative offers of professional employment with a scope also for incorporating the graduates' professional growth. Skills shortages also must be taken into account within other parts of the country  and they often look towards the highly skilled UK graduates to fill positions.

Of course, once an offer of employment has been accepted, moving away to a foreign country will bring obvious challenges to even the most determined and ambitious graduate. Cultural adjustments, language barriers, unfamiliar routines and perhaps laborious bureaucratic processes can all be rather daunting but these challenges can make graduates far more resilient and accepting, ultimately strengthening personal skill sets already learned.

The diverse network of useful contacts from a wide range of cultural backgrounds that will invariably be established must not be underestimated. These global professionals can open doors for future job prospects, offer advice and collaborations as well as exchanging knowledge and offering useful and invaluable interesting dialogues.

Employers are beginning to realise that UK graduates who have prior international job experience are immeasurable and can become an asset to any company due to their ability to thrive and adapt to diverse work settings as well as the compatibility formed with colleagues from different backgrounds. Engaging and working with people of diverse cultures and backgrounds undoubtedly go a long way to having a much deeper understanding of global business dynamics and ability to connect with others within the professional settings of multicultural environments.

UkK graduates who seek opportunities abroad, embark upon a journey that transforms them both personally and professionally. By becoming receptive to expanding career prospects and building global networks, the UK graduates make a substantial and noticeable contribution to the increasingly interconnected world.