June 19, 2025, by Jackie Thompson

My route to a graduate job with the Environment Agency (EA)

By Dharani Bantu, graduate

Hi, I’m Dharani – I studied MSc Computer Science with AI at UoN. Like many international students, I came to the UK hoping to secure a job, gain valuable experience, and repay my education loan.

Getting involved from day one

From day one at university, I was eager to immerse myself in every opportunity available — events, career fairs, hackathons, societies, and Centre for English Language Education (CELE) classes. I also worked as an Open Day student helper. These opportunities helped me meet new people, learn new skills, build confidence, stay informed, and truly experience university life in the UK.

I regularly attended the career events, booked one-to-one appointments, and asked for feedback on my CV, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile. One pivotal moment was discovering the Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA) at a careers event. I saw it as a great way to stand out during job applications.

Finding my first internship

I regularly checked job postings on the Careers team’s MyCareer vacancy board and kept an eye out on the Careers MS Teams channel. I spotted an opportunity for a Summer Diversity Internship Programme at the Environment Agency (EA). Although it wasn’t directly related to computer science, I recognised it as a chance to:

1. Gain UK work experience and transferable skills.
2. Earn an income to help with expenses.

The application required STAR-format answers to competency questions like “Tell us about a time you worked in a group” or “Describe a time you solved a problem.” With help from a mock interview with Katie Bonner from the Careers team and further prep with a friend, I successfully secured the internship – which was adjusted to part-time to accommodate my dissertation.

The internship with the Regulated Industry Team at the EA was eye-opening – from learning about carbon emissions and waste regulations to visiting sites and building professional networks. Here’s a blog I wrote as an intern!

Job hunting after graduation

I knew I wanted to pursue a career in data – as a data analyst – roles that involved working with data, building dashboards, and generating insights for decision-making.

After graduation, I applied for data-related roles at the EA and to various other companies on platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Civil Service Jobs, Reed, TotalJobs and Indeed.

Although I didn’t get any interviews initially (except at the EA), I kept going. I did 11 interviews at the EA and ended up on the reserve list for five of them. I always asked for feedback to improve my approach.

After a few months, I realised I needed to broaden my search. I started focusing on the quality of applications rather than quantity. I also:

• Tailored each CV and cover letter to the job description.
• Created a spreadsheet to track applications and follow-ups.
• Sent cold emails and LinkedIn messages to recruiters expressing interest and highlighting my suitability.

At the same time, I received three other job offers, including one from the EA (from a previous reserve list). Though it was a temporary one-year contract, I accepted it because the EA has visa sponsorship licence.

The final step: A permanent role

While working temporarily at the EA, I kept applying for roles with sponsorship potential. I eventually secured a permanent digital developer role at Staffordshire County Council after a presentation-based competency interview. This didn’t offer a guarantee of sponsorship as I would still need to meet the relevant salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa, but it felt like a positive move.

A few months later, with future sponsorship at the Council still uncertain, my former team at the EA reached out about a permanent data officer role. I was excited – I loved the work and knew it met sponsorship requirements.

I reapplied, got the job, and I’m now working in the Sustainable Abstraction Team at the EA as a water resources data officer. I work with national water abstraction data, create interactive dashboards using Power BI, and identify unsustainable abstraction trends to improve resource sustainability. It’s exciting and meaningful work – and I truly enjoy it.

In both my internship and current role at the EA, I’ve had access to various internal online training resources, Data Analysis and Power BI modules, and mentoring from experienced colleagues. This continuous learning helps to strengthen both my technical and soft skills.

Final thoughts and advice

During my master’s, I applied for around 20–30 graduate schemes and didn’t even make it past the first stage. After graduating, I made over 150 direct job applications, attended 17+ interviews, and received five job offers. It was tough – but not impossible.

I can’t believe I came this far – but this journey showed me that with persistence and the right support, even what feels impossible can become reality.

My advice for current students

1. Be patient – focus on quality over quantity. Tailor every application to the job.
2. Prepare well – do mock interviews with friends, family, or the Careers team to boost confidence and spot improvement areas.
3. Seize every opportunity – you never know which one might open a golden door.
4. Take care of your mental health – take breaks, talk to family and friends, go out, and recharge when needed.
5. Believe in yourself – don’t think, “Why would they select me?” Everyone has a unique skillset. Give it your best shot, and the right opportunity will come your way.

Graduating this year? Whether you are an international student or UK student, we can help you with all aspects of your job hunting from identifying vacancies and employers, preparing applications and preparing for interviews and assessment centres. Get in contact with us – we are here all over the summer and as a graduate of the university, you can use us for life!

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