The Harsh Reality for an International Student

From being confident to being humbled, the reality of the working field and finding a job in a foreign country is not what I expected at all.

I’ve always prepared my future step by step, and studying Drama is a fragment of my career plan. However, it is not going as I thought it would; Anxiety, Disappointment and Humility were the three big words to conclude my interview with BBC.

An interview with BBC humbled interview made me realise that I needed a master’s degree for a working life in the UK and decided my further education at King’s College London. I will use Borton’s reflective model to discuss the process, my learning journey, and my decision towards my future.

Pic 1: What Is Reflective Practice, Mathieu Ganado https://www.lifehack.org/898491/reflective-practice

What Happened?

I attended this interview via Zoom on 23 September 2022 when I just started my final year at Queen’s. It was a position for a journalist that falls under the production department and mainly writes for TV shows and Documentaries. I felt very confident throughout the interview because I went on and read about BBC’s history and asked my friend who was working in the BBC for their advice beforehand.

“It’s vital that you can explain why you want the job, that you understand the role and, even more importantly, why the employer should choose you over other candidates.”[1]

The interview started with some general questions about my personal interests and my background, then the interviewers began with some questions on the company’s history and job description. Having a fully prepared interview research on my job and the company itself, I answered every question with sincerity and precision, I almost had a very fixed answer for every question asked. I maintained very politely throughout by using very formal tones, keeping a smile, and always keeping eye contact even if it was against a laptop.

Pic 2: Video interview tips, Rebecca Stevens, https://www.adaptivelifescience.com/blog/2021/02/video-interview-tips-and-tricks-for-success?source=google.com

Pic 3: Virtual Interview Tips, Abou-Mahmoud, https://careerhub.westernsydney.edu.au/students/news/detail/1117/virtual-interview-tips

I had never had a problem talking about myself according to what I can offer to the company, it is an advantage as an international student when I share a different perspective or talk about BBC in Singapore compared to the UK. Having past interviews and journaling experience with The Economist when I was younger, I had many industry-related experiences to share, and I felt that the interviewers were impressed with the answers that I prepared weeks in advance and rehearsed repeatedly to the mirror. I needed to stand out from all the other competitors, I needed to let them know that I am unique and, in a sense, – ‘Why am I the best person for the job?’[2]

However, things took a big turn when it came to obtaining a work visa and signing a work contract. The interviewers expressed their concerns towards the end of the interview that they might not be certain that I can be hired because of my status and work contract due to visa issues and that it is more complicated for an international student. They told me that they are not entirely sure of the process, but they need to send in a request form to the head of their department and that the job is only offering a 6-month contract that cannot be applied to my visa requirement of at least 2 years. Moreover, the salary they are offering does not meet the requirement of obtaining a work visa and unless I have a master’s degree honour, I am eligible to apply for a different job in the BBC journalism department. And this 10-minute conversation ended my hope for getting the job and I thanked the interviewer once again for their time before ending the call.

So, what now?

I went onto the UK immigration and visa website and found out that “A minimum salary of £25,600 or the ‘going rate’ for the job opportunity – you can see a list of ‘going rates’ on GOV.UK . See below for more information about possible exemptions to salary requirements.’[3]

This information was a shocking factor to my career plan because in most jobs regarding drama and media in the UK’s starting salary will be lower than the minimum salary rate required for a work visa. Having a bachelor’s degree is not enough, I will need a master’s degree for this industry…

What next?

I am very grateful that this interviewed happened and that I found out something crucial to finding a job in the UK a year before I graduate. If this interview had not happened, I might end up jobless, but having this new information in mind, I began my application for Master studies.

To enhance my employability, I decided to peruse a master study with King’s College London, undertaking Master in Theatre, Performance and Critical Culture. The programme offers direct job connections with BBC and other publishers, especially if I want to become a journalist after I graduate.

“Our graduates take the skills that they develop through our course to work in the arts and other related industries, including museum, curatorial, and archival work, production, dramaturgy, journalism, performance and theatre and performance-related arts management and administration. Others choose to continue their research in the field further at doctoral level.”[4]

I have received and accepted my offer to study at king’s College London this January and within a year’s time I shall be interviewing for a similar position again in London, and I will be fully prepared next time. In the meantime, I will continue to build my portfolio and enhance my skills and knowledge on drama and theatre through my work placement and my further education and King’s College to prepare myself as perfectly as I can for the industry.

[1] Swain, R. (2019). How to prepare for an interview | Prospects.ac.uk. [online] Prospects.ac.uk. Available at: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/interview-tips/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview.

[2] The Balance. (n.d.). Tips for Answering ‘Why Are You the Best Person for the Job?’ [online] Available at: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/why-are-you-the-best-person-for-the-job-2062760.

[3] GOV.UK. (n.d.). Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-eligible-occupation-codes.

[4] King’s College London. (n.d.). Theatre, Performance & Critical Culture. [online] Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/theatre-performance-critical-culture-ma [Accessed 23 Feb. 2023].

Bibliography:

1. Abou-Mahmoud, I. (2020). VIRTUAL INTERVIEW TIPS. [online] Career Hub. Available at: https://careerhub.westernsydney.edu.au/students/news/detail/1117/virtual-interview-tips [Accessed 22 Feb. 2023].
2. ‌ Ganado, M. (2021). What Is Reflective Practice (And How To Get Started). [online] Available at: https://www.lifehack.org/898491/reflective-practice [Accessed 22 Feb. 2023].
3. GOV.UK. (n.d.). Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-eligible-occupation-codes.
4. King’s College London. (n.d.). Theatre, Performance & Critical Culture. [online] Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/theatre-performance-critical-culture-ma [Accessed 23 Feb. 2023].
5. Stevens, R. (n.d.). Video Interview Tips and Tricks for Success. [online] Available at: https://www.adaptivelifescience.com/blog/2021/02/video-interview-tips-and-tricks-for-success?source=google.com [Accessed 22 Feb. 2023].
6. ‌ Swain, R. (2019). How to prepare for an interview | Prospects.ac.uk. [online] Prospects.ac.uk. Available at: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/interview-tips/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview.
7. The Balance. (n.d.). Tips for Answering ‘Why Are You the Best Person for the Job?’ [online] Available at: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/why-are-you-the-best-person-for-the-job-2062760.

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