For many international students, leaving home often means searching for better opportunities for education, careers and lifestyle. Despite this, there is no denying that sometimes this is a lot easier said than done. In recent years, the number of university graduates has increased rapidly, while job creation has grown much slower. All of this can leave a lot of students and graduates feeling desperate. In light of all of these issues, this blog aims to encourage young students to take all the opportunities available to boost their employability.
The University of Surrey is big on employability, and it stands out as one of the institution’s key offerings. When I joined, I understood that the UK job market is very competitive, and even more so for my profession as an aspiring lawyer. During fresher’s week, I applied to the 10,000 Black Interns program, not knowing much about it or what to expect. At the time I didn’t know it, but that application would be the reason I stepped into a Premier League stadium for the first time! I got allocated to Dechert LLP, a global American law firm with an office in London. After two rounds of successful interviews, I received an internship offer for the summer of 2025. The experience was life-changing. Thanks to Dechert, I got a proper understanding of how the industry works and the steps I need to be taking to get to my goal of being a corporate lawyer. I also gained confidence and a renewed sense of hope that someone like myself can move to a new country and possibly become a lawyer in one of the world’s biggest financial hubs. Following this opportunity, I became a campus Brand Ambassador for Linklaters, a global law firm and one of the UK’s ‘ magic circle firms.’ At the time this was written (October 2025), I am currently still part of the ambassador campaign, and I am thoroughly enjoying the insights and knowledge which I have gained. In retrospect, a lot my current successes are all linked to that one application which I sent off in September 2024, and had it not been for the 10,000 Interns Foundation’s program, I am not sure if I would be where I am today.
When the 10,000 Interns Foundation was founded in 2020, it had a goal to assist students from black heritage backgrounds in getting internship opportunities. They took a gamble, starting out in the Asset Management industry, and over the last 5 years, they have created over 10,000 paid internship opportunities for students all across the UK. They have expanded their scope to include as many industries as possible, including law, finance, technology and health sciences. To celebrate their huge milestone, they invited every single person who had gotten an internship through their program to celebrate at the Emirates Stadium in London. To me, this was a huge opportunity, although I am a Liverpool fan, this was my first time at a Premier League stadium, a day that I will remember forever.
The event was a mix of celebration and formalities, with the CEO and co-founder each delivering very moving speeches. The entire stadium was filled with hope, thousands of young black people just like myself, whose lives have changed for the better thanks to this great initiative. I am forever grateful for the doors which the 10,000 Interns Foundation has opened for me.
I truly hope my story serves as a beacon of hope for all those who are currently searching for opportunities and all those who will continue to search in the future. The truth is success is never guaranteed, but it’s the small actions which we take daily that increase our chances of achieving our goals. So to all the young people reading this, continue working hard and breaking barriers.
