Why job hunting feels broken for international students
Trying to land a job in the UK as an international student is hard. Application systems are confusing. Interviews feel like traps. And most university career services drop off after graduation.
Mingke Pan remembers that feeling well. “As soon as I finished my masters, I began hunting for jobs but went through 100+ rejections and no job for over 6 months,” she said.
Her story isn’t unusual. What is unusual is what happened next.
After that six-month wall of silence, Mingke landed an internship that led to her first visa-sponsored job. Eventually, she secured multiple offers from firms like McKinsey, Accenture, and GSK. But it didn’t come from luck, it came from process.
That process became the foundation for Careertegy, the career coaching company she launched in 2022.
What is Careertegy?
Careertegy is a London-based career coaching platform that helps international students and early-career professionals get hired in the UK. Its flagship offering is a structured one-on-one coaching program designed to help people land job offers in under three months.
According to Mingke, the company’s mission is rooted in her own experience. “I saw the gap. International students were struggling to navigate the UK job market, and there wasn’t enough guidance available. So, I decided to do something about it.”
The program covers CV writing, application training, interview prep, online test practice, and access to job leads. More importantly, it offers guaranteed internship placements and direct feedback from coaches who’ve worked in top-tier firms.
Why traditional career support isn’t enough
Most university career centres offer general advice. They don’t provide tailored feedback or mock interviews based on real employer standards. And after graduation, that support often disappears.
“Careertegy fills this void,” Mingke says. “Recruiters typically cater to candidates with 7+ years of experience. We work exclusively with students and early-career professionals.”
Many of Careertegy’s clients have no prior UK experience. Some are pivoting industries. Others are stuck in visa-limbo or facing cultural barriers. The program is designed with all that in mind.
How the 1-on-1 coaching actually works
The core offering is a step-by-step coaching program delivered remotely. Each client is paired with an industry-specific coach. Sessions are weekly and focused on building job search skills that work in the real world.
Every client receives:
- A professionally written CV and LinkedIn profile
- Weekly mock interviews (including commercial case prep)
- Training for online assessments and assessment centres
- Application feedback and role-matching support
- Guaranteed internship placement
- Weekly job list emails
- Access to a private learning platform called Dream Career Academy
One client used the system to transition from a biology background into a finance role. Another landed multiple offers from firms like EY and Rolls-Royce after just eight weeks.
The coaching is structured but personal. “We don’t just throw advice at you,” Mingke says. “We walk you through it.”
A model built for outcomes, not advice
Careertegy claims its clients typically receive multiple offers within 90 days. The company tracks those outcomes closely.
According to internal data, over 300 students have completed the coaching program, with many securing offers at firms including Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas, KPMG, and JP Morgan.
Mingke isn’t shy about setting expectations. “Our goal is simple: get you hired. No fluff. No guessing. Just clear steps.”
It’s not just about getting a job, either. The process is designed to build long-term skills, how to talk about your strengths, handle commercial questions, and prepare for high-pressure interview rounds.
Built from experience, not theory
Before founding Careertegy, Mingke worked in roles spanning business analytics, sales, and operations. She held jobs at BGI Genomics, Synthace, and other life sciences companies. Along the way, she ran events, managed partnerships, and delivered marketing strategies.
But it was the job hunt that taught her the most.
“I went from getting no interviews, no job offers, and doubting myself to receiving a flood of offers and interviews,” she says. That transformation gave her a blueprint, and a reason to share it.
She now leads a team of 11–50 employees out of Canary Wharf in London, with coaches drawn from across consulting, finance, engineering, and marketing. The company has also built a social media following of over 200,000 students and jobseekers.
Free tools and growing reach
In addition to its paid program, Careertegy offers free CV templates, e-books, and job search guides. These are distributed through its website and social channels, where the company shares tips on everything from personal branding to behavioral interviews.
It’s clear the brand is trying to create more than just a coaching service. There’s a community feel to how it’s presented. As Mingke puts it, “Careertegy isn’t just a service. It’s a movement.”
Still, the focus remains on results. The company avoids fluff and buzzwords. On its homepage, the message is blunt: “No bullshit, just simple and proven strategies to get you dream job offers.”
Careertegy fills a specific gap, career support for international students trying to get hired in the UK. It’s not for everyone. But if you’re navigating job applications with no roadmap, it offers a clear path forward.
The founder has walked that path herself. And her advice isn’t theoretical.
“I hope you make the most of our coaching program to navigate in this competitive job market,” Mingke says. “See you there.”
