Harley Hu, a 25-year-old Chinese graduate with a UK master’s degree in education, spent six months sending out hundreds of job applications before finally landing a full-time teaching role—after scraping by on part-time tutoring gigs. Even then, her new job offers little long-term security, highlighting the brutal reality many young Chinese professionals face in an unforgiving UK job market.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just about one person’s struggle—it’s a snapshot of how tough the UK job market has become, especially for international graduates. With visa hurdles, cultural barriers, and fierce competition, even highly educated young professionals are finding it harder to carve out stability. For anyone watching global talent mobility or the health of the post-grad job scene, stories like Harley’s signal deeper cracks in the system.