Fact sheet
Careers
The Careers Service provides guidance
and assistance to all international students
studying at UCA both during your studies,
and for up to three years after you graduate.
We provide careers information, advice
and guidance – helping you make
the transition to employment, selfemployment or further study – whether
you hope to stay in the UK or work
elsewhere in the world.
Some of the things the Careers Service
can help with are:
• Self-assessment: identifying your key
strengths and skills
• Information on where to look for work
related to your creative discipline
• Making decisions about your future
career
• Your job search – in the UK or elsewhere
in the world
• Jobs advertised online
• The design and content of your CV for
the UK creative industries
• Advice and ideas for personal
promotion: business cards and,
showcasing your work
• How to make contact with people in
creative businesses
• Interview techniques.
We also organise regular Careers events
– giving students the opportunity to learn
from the expertise of practitioners within
the Creative industries.
Gateway Support
Contacts
There are Careers Advisers based at
each of the five campuses, together
with a Careers Library with many useful
information resources. Details of these are
shown below:
Canterbury
Janice Rowan
Careers centre and
library location:
Library
Epsom
Neville Kemp
Careers centre and
library location:
Library (1st floor)
FarnhamFiona Brooking, Thomas,
John Watts
Careers centre location:
Flat A, Main Hall
Careers library location:
Library (1st floor)
Canterbury
advicecant@ucreative.ac.uk
Tel: 01227 817307
Epsom
adviceeps@ucreative.ac.uk
Tel: 01252 892615
Farnham
advicefarn@ucreative.ac.uk
Tel: 01252 892615
Maidstone
advicemaid@ucreative.ac.uk
Tel: 01622 620157
Rochester
adviceroch@ucreative.ac.uk
Tel: 01634 888644
MaidstonePaula Clark
Careers centre location:
S0.13
Careers library location:
Library
RochesterJanice Rowan
Careers centre and library location:
Library
You can book an appointment with an
Adviser by contacting us on:
Email: careers@ucreative.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 1252 892619 or
+44 (0) 1622 620123
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UCA Canterbury | UCA Epsom | UCA Farnham | UCA Maidstone | UCA Rochester
www.ucreative.ac.uk
Fact sheet
Working during
your studies
If you are not from a country in the
European Economic Area (EEA) or
Switzerland, you will normally be allowed
to work a maximum of 20 hours (10
hours for a non-degree courses) per week
during your studies, and full-time during
vacations. However, before you begin
any employment, you must check that
you are entitled to work in the UK. The
International Student Advisers based at
each campus can help you to check your
entitlement.
National Insurance (NI) number
When you start work in the UK your
employer will ask for your National
Insurance (NI) number. This is used to
ensure your tax and NI contributions are
properly recorded, and so everyone who
works in the UK must have one.
How to apply for NI number?
To get an NI number phone 0845 6000643
once you have found a job. This call centre
will arrange a local interview to process
your application and will tell you what
documents you will need to take.
National Minimum Wage
If you are from an EEA country or
Switzerland, there will be fewer, if any,
restrictions on the amount of work you
can do. However, there are still restrictions
for those from certain countries (e.g.
Romania and Bulgaria), so you should still
check that you are entitled to work in the
UK before beginning employment.
The UK has a National Minimum Wage
– the minimum hourly rate at which
Employers must pay you for your work.
For full details of the National Minimum
Wage rates and who is entitled to
receive it, go to: www.gov.uk/nationalminimum-wage-rates
The rules and regulations regarding
working in the UK are detailed and
change frequently – you get up-to-date
information from the UK Border Agency
website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
Tax
The Careers Service advertises any parttime positions we are notified of on our
website at www.ucreative.ac.uk/careersjobvacancies You will also find part-time
vacancies close to your campus advertised
in local newspapers. The University Library
on your campus usually stocks copies of
local newspapers, or they will be widely
available from shops in the area.
Depending on how much you earn each
year, you will have to pay income tax on
your earnings; the UK’s tax collection
system is run by HM Revenue and
Customs (HMRC), www.hmrc.gov.uk
Your employer deducts the tax you owe
the government before you receive your
pay. Note: in job adverts the salary is
shown before tax is deducted. The HMRC
have a tax checker to help you calculate if
you have to pay tax. If you pay too much
tax in any year, it is possible to claim this
back from HMRC. For more details see
the HMRC website above.
There may be limited opportunities to work
on campus – look out for opportunities in
the Student Union, Library etc.
The Student Ambassador Scheme offers
regular work representing the University
at events: http://community.ucreative.
ac.uk/ambassadors
UCA Canterbury | UCA Epsom | UCA Farnham | UCA Maidstone | UCA Rochester
www.ucreative.ac.uk