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International students, how can your university library help you get a job?

Knowing which team can help you is half the battle when it comes to making the most of the services available at your university. Most institutions have several teams which have specialist knowledge that can help you throughout your university career. From your Careers team, to the Visa team and the Global Centre, but you might not automatically think of the Library when it comes to your employability.

Your university library isn’t just a haven for peace and quiet when you need to study or space for group work and researching. The team at your library are there to help with many aspects of learning that you may not be aware of. Many universities will have specialised information just for international students too.

Communication and language skills

You might have already taken a Pre-Sessional English course before starting your degree but learning a language continues throughout your time at university as you will pick up new skills as you progress. Find out if your library has any information on communication skills for international students. The main campus library at UWE, Bristol has dedicated sessions just for international students. These include one-hour workshops for students at any level of study which include:

• Sentence structure
• Using academic writing style
• Common grammatical errors
• Vocabulary for Architecture and the Built Environment
• Using correct punctuation
• English for business
• Seminar skills for international students.

Workshops like these are designed to help improve your communication skills and raise your level of English as you continue with your studies. Taking part will also broaden your network as you can use this opportunity to meet students from other countries and share your experiences with them.

Help with assignments

The library also has tailored help for assignments. If you’re struggling with an assignment there are several places you can turn to for help. Advice from your lecturers can help steer you in the right direction but if you’re having trouble understanding some of the fundamentals, speak to the library to see what help they can provide. They will have a series of online help pages and face-to-face sessions which can help with critical writing skills to help both learning how to revise for exams and writing in exam situations. Some of these skills may differ from how they were taught in your home country so it’s important to see how they differ in the UK.

Online tools

Start by looking on the library home page to see if there is a dedicated section for international students and for skills workshops. If you’re unsure, speak to the help desk and enquire about sessions that might be suitable for your course. By working to improve these skills, you will not only be increasing your level of study for your course but preparing for your career. Many communication and language skills are transferable, so when you get your first graduate role you can call on your experiences at university to help you with new challenges in the workplace.

For more careers advice, news and access to a free global jobs job register with GradLink today.