“You can’t be too Asian, as simple as that.”
The job market can be challenging, especially for those seeking work after graduating, such as British Asian women.
Almost 1.8 million UK graduates leave university with at least £50,000 of student loan debt. Thus, graduates like Desi women who are struggling to find work find themselves in debt for longer.
Miriam Ali, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi-Pakistani, graduated in 2022 and stated:
“I know we’re lucky in the UK that we don’t have to repay loans straightaway, but the interest makes me feel queasy.
“I don’t want it to grow and grow. When I left uni and couldn’t find a good-paying job, I started to proper stress.
“My family kinda stepped in to tell me to chill out and that they had my back.
“But yeah, finding a paid job was hard.”
There remain differences in employment rates across ethnic groups.
Government data highlights that White graduates have the highest employment rates of any ethnic group.
Chinese, Black and graduates from ‘Other’ ethnic groups have the lowest.
Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean graduates were found to earn the least. Whereas Chinese, Indian and Mixed White and Asian graduates earn the most.
South Asian women often hold high academic qualifications.
Yet, a 2024 report examining women and the UK economy found deep inequalities. Women from minority ethnic groups, such as Desi women, have a higher unemployment rate than men.
British South Asian women experience multifaceted barriers in the job market due to a combination of gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic factors.
Here, DESIblitz explores the lived experiences of some British Asian women and the struggles they have faced.
Does Ethnicity & Gender Matter in the Job Market?
Ethnicity and gender can matter when getting one’s first job and throughout employment.
Desi women face more barriers to and within employment compared to White and Asian men. Equality in the job market is still a long way from a reality.
In 2022, research by Totaljobs and The Diversity Trust found that it takes Desi and Black women in the UK at least two months longer than their White colleagues to secure their first job. This delay occurs after leaving education.
It took the average South Asian woman 4.9 months to secure their first role after leaving education. While Black women took 5.1 months.
Aliyah* a 31-year-old Pakistani who undertook her BA in Criminology, feels her ethnicity matters in the job market:
“I’d worked before in retail, so I had experience in job interviews. But I wasn’t getting anywhere in the roles I was now applying for.
“I altered my appearance. I stopped wearing salwar kameez and kurta, both of which were very smart and high-end. And adjusted my gestures and words.
“Then I started to get somewhere. After six months, I went for another job at a place that had said no and got it.
“You can’t be too Asian, as simple as that.
“It shouldn’t but it matters, so does being female, so I faked it till I made it.”
But despite Aliyah playing the game she is determined any future daughters will not do the same:
“Part of me regrets playing the game, but I’m going to do all I can to make sure any daughters don’t have to.
“They’ll be skilled, connected and knowledgeable so it’s not a issue, insha’allah.”
Research by Totaljobs has shown that Desi and Black women can feel the need to “code switch” even after obtaining a job.
Thus, their language, appearance, tone of voice, name, and mannerisms within the workplace are changed.
Jon Wilson, former CEO at Totaljobs, said:
“A person’s career journey should see their confidence building over time.
“However, our research shows that for Black and South Asian women, this confidence stagnates. Many find themselves in workplaces that are not meeting their needs.
“Whether that’s in the form of unaddressed discrimination, the additional pressures that come with a lack of representation, or simply not feeling comfortable to be themselves.”
Gaining Relevant Experience & Job Interviews
University is meant to be a time of exploration, learning, and discovery. Yet some graduates find that gaining paid employment in their desired field can be challenging without work experience.
Miriam left university with a first-class degree in International Relations from a London university. However, she feels her lack of work experience was a hindrance in the job market:
“I only studied; my parents didn’t want me to work and stretch myself too thin. So, the family helped cover my expenses.
“But the thing was, even though I got a first and went to a top uni, so did so many others.”
“I should have done some job; even Tesco would have been something on the CV. And I would have had some experience with the entire job process.
“After paid work, I should have done some volunteering or placement in my area.
“The first dozen job interviews were so bad. I didn’t know how to show my transferable skills in my CV and job interviews.
“Luckily, after many tears, I returned to my uni’s student services and spoke to classmates and friends. They helped so much.”
Reflecting on her university life, Miriam feels she would have benefited from actively engaging with student services and applying for “small jobs paid and voluntary even on campus”.
For others, she recommends: “Find opportunities to practice job interview skills and work on your CV and cover letter; student services will help. It’s never too early.
“Do some volunteering if you can. It doesn’t have to be long-term. Get involved in one-off events and activities.
“Plus, places like Unitemps pay you to be a mock interviewee. You get money and experience in the process.”
Miriam’s tips are valuable for those wanting to take steps early before the imperative of looking for work after graduating.
Pressure to Get Professional Jobs & Careers
Desi women may have to balance parental and family expectations with their hopes and dreams when they graduate.
South Asian families remain highly collectivist, which has its benefits and pitfalls.
It is often emphasised that a person should think of the collective rather than only oneself when making decisions.
Moreover, Desi parents can have high expectations of their children.
Upon graduation, parents expect their children to enter professional roles and careers such as teachers, doctors, lawyers, and pharmacists.
Ava*, a 32-year-old Indian Gujarati, graduated with a law degree in 2018.
Her family’s expectations clashed with her own desires, leading to struggles to find work after graduation:
“My parents and grandparents were so excited about me becoming a full-on lawyer. But I was done after uni, the extra year and work placements.
“I only went uni due to my family, and after they agreed to a gap year.”
“I left and knew I didn’t want to practice law. Instead, I wanted to use my law knowledge in charity and community work.
“I was too scared to say anything to my parents. So applied for jobs I didn’t want. I had a great CV and cover letters, but it always panned when I got to the interview stage.
“I was self-sabotaging myself and damaging my mental health. Struggled to sleep and rest and started to get overly anxious.
“Finally, I had enough; the family was fuming and upset, but after the first year, they settled. Now they’ve put their hopes on my baby brother to be the lawyer.”
Ava’s words show that family expectations can impact what some Desi women graduates feel they can do, leading to struggles finding work after graduating.
The ripple effects of such struggles matter, impacting people’s mental health and well-being.
Desi Women Struggling to Network & Access Mentors?
Networking and good mentoring can both be helpful assets in the job market.
Networking plays a big role in career development by facilitating connections with industry professionals and potential mentors.
Indeed, it helps graduates access valuable insights, advice, and opportunities that might not be available through formal job search methods alone.
Sonia, a 25-year-old Pakistani graduate with a BA in Sociology and Psychology, maintained:
“I have a friend we did the exact same degree, and we both had good grades.
“But she found it harder to get a job after uni because she kept her head down studied and worked for money only.
“I went to university events, networked, went to job fairs, kept contact numbers, and did the rest.”
“Being active meant that when I needed to find work experience and then a job, I had a network of people ready to open a door and recommend me.
“The job process was hard and stressful. But the journey would have been harder and longer without the connections and relationships.
“But I’ve heard of women who have done the same as me and struggled worse, I was also fortunate.”
Networking can be vital in helping open doors to opportunities and career advancement. Not just for graduates but South Asian women throughout their careers.
There is a need for more organised mentors focusing on supporting Desi women.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) emphasises that Black and South Asian women often face stagnant confidence levels in their career progression.
The CIPD cites unaddressed discrimination and lack of representation as career barriers for women.
They assert that mentorship and networking offer indispensable support and confidence for women’s professional advancement.
With continuing gender and ethnicity pay gaps and inequalities in the job market, Desi women have much to contend with.
Desi women’s struggles can commence when they graduate and continue throughout their work life.
Support & Advice Avenues
The good news is that support is available for those looking for work after graduating.
Many organisations and programmes aim to support people through mentoring and with their professional development and employment. Such as:
- Bright Network
- Graduate Mentor
- upReach
- Zero Gravity
- Graduate Recruitment Bureau
- Alumni UK (for international students that studied in the UK)
In the words of Sonia:
“There are programmes, networks and organisations to help. It’s finding out about them that’s the issue.
“I was fortunate that I learnt through my networks and pestered student services.
“There needs to be more signposting and awareness raising early on.”
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