As far as I know, Work Permits must be obtained for you by the UK company you will be working for. Ergo, you don't get a Work Permit unless you have already accepted a job offer from a UK company, and the WP is tied to that company (if you leave that job and accept a job with another UK company, the new company must get a new WP for you.)
If you have skills that are in high demand in the UK, you may qualify for a WP under the HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.) Sorry, I don't have any links for you, but search for HSMP and I'm sure you'll find lots of info.