Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some honest advice from people working in recruitment, hiring, or data/AI careers in the UK.

I'm an international student who completed an MSc in Data Science in June 2026, and I'm currently looking for UK opportunities. I've been applying mainly for Graduate/Junior Data Scientist, Data Analyst and Data Engineer roles, but I'm getting a lot of rejections and very few opportunities to progress to interviews.

My background includes:

• MSc in Data Science, completed June 2026
• BTech in Data Science & AI
• Python, SQL, Power BI and Excel
• Machine learning and statistical analysis
• Time-series modelling (ARIMA/SARIMA)
• Retail/customer analytics involving 500k+ transactions
• Published work on retail sales forecasting
• Data/technology internship experience
• Current NGO/volunteer experience involving Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, databases and working with non-technical stakeholders

I'm tailoring my CV to individual job descriptions rather than sending exactly the same CV everywhere. I'm also trying to be realistic about the roles I apply for and focus on positions where my experience genuinely matches the requirements.

Despite this, I'm struggling to get through the initial CV screening stage.

I'd really appreciate honest advice on:

1. How competitive does this profile look for UK graduate/junior data roles?
2. Is being an international graduate with limited UK commercial experience a significant disadvantage?
3. Should I be focusing more heavily on Data Analyst roles rather than Data Scientist roles?
4. What are recruiters actually looking for when screening candidates at this level?
5. How important is ATS keyword matching in practice?
6. Are there weaknesses or red flags in my profile that I might not be seeing?
7. If you were in my position, what would you change about the job-search strategy?

I'm not looking for generic advice like "apply to more jobs" or "network more." I'm trying to understand what is actually preventing me from getting shortlisted and what I can realistically change.

I'm also open to internships, placements, contract roles and other entry-level opportunities where I can gain UK commercial experience and demonstrate my capabilities. My priority at this stage is getting that first opportunity to prove myself in the UK market.

I'd especially appreciate perspectives from UK recruiters/hiring managers or international graduates who recently went through the same process.

Thanks in advance.

Warning: Recruitment scam impersonating a genuine company

I want to warn other job seekers about a recruitment scam I recently encountered.

I applied for what appeared to be a genuine remote job with a legitimate company. The recruitment process looked professional and I received emails describing the application and assessment stages.

As part of the process, I was asked to complete an online identity verification. Unfortunately, I provided images of my UK driving licence (front and back) and a selfie/video verification before I realised the recruitment process was fraudulent.

I became suspicious when I could no longer contact the recruiters. I then contacted the real company directly, and they confirmed that the recruitment process was not genuine and that the email domain being used by the scammers was not associated with them.

I have reported the matter to the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Police Scotland.

Please be careful when applying for jobs

🔴 Don't assume a recruitment email is genuine just because it looks professional.

🔴 Check the recruiter's email domain carefully.

🔴 Contact the company through the contact details on its official website, rather than replying to the recruitment email, and verify that the person contacting you actually works there.

🔴 Be especially careful before submitting your passport, driving licence, bank details or biometric/selfie verification.

🔴 If an employer asks you to complete identity verification, independently verify the job and recruiter before uploading your documents.

I'm sharing this because I don't want anyone else to have their identity documents compromised while looking for a job. Please stay vigilant and share this with anyone currently applying for remote jobs.