So you want to move to London, but you don\u2019t have a job lined up. Many people wonder if it\u2019s possible to make such a move \u2013 and indeed many thousands of people before you have done just that.<\/p>\n
But is it actually a sensible move? Sure, others might have done it, but were they successful? And if so, how did they go around finding employment once they got there?<\/p>\n
Well, firstly, let\u2019s say that it IS possible to move to the \u201cBig Smoke\u201d without first securing a job. As long as you put a few securities in place, it\u2019s not the irresponsible move that some may think.<\/p>\n
Of course, you\u2019ll need to be the kind of person who relishes in a challenge, is prepared to make some allowances, and most importantly, has a buffer of ready cash to see you through those first few vital months.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re going to assume that you have the right to live and work in the UK, and if not an EU citizen<\/a>, that you\u2019ve applied for and gained the necessary visa<\/a>.<\/p>\n So, with that in mind, let\u2019s look at what else you\u2019ll need to consider:<\/p>\n There\u2019s no getting away from the fact that London is an expensive city<\/a> in which to live. To be on the safe side, you should have at least 3 months money available to cover all costs of living until you start bringing in a regular wage.<\/p>\n Paying for a place to live will be your biggest outgoing. Renting a place is the most expensive option. If you want to rent even the smallest of apartments (known as a flat in the UK), you\u2019ll be shelling out a minimum average of \u00a3237 per week, according to London Property Watch.<\/p>\n Another option available that costs less would be to stay in a hostel. These range from approximately \u00a310 – \u00a325 per night. You can find current deals on websites such as Hostel Bookers<\/a> and Hostel World<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re planning on staying in a hostel for an extended period of time, be sure to contact a few hostels direct and inform them of this. They may offer a discount for an extended stay.<\/p>\n The cheapest way to stay in London whilst you job hunt is to bunk with a friend or family member. If you\u2019re lucky, they will only charge you a minimal fee – or even nothing at all.<\/p>\n Of course, you\u2019re going to need to eat, and there are ways to keep your regular food shops as low as possible. Budget supermarkets such as Lidl<\/a> and Aldi can be found all around London.<\/p>\n Other options are to visit the main supermarkets (Tesco<\/a>, Sainsbury\u2019s, Waitrose, and Morrison\u2019s<\/a>) at the times they discount food that\u2019s reaching its sell by date.<\/p>\n This tends to be done at the same time each day, depending on the type of food. For example, meat and fish is done between 10:00-12:00, and anything freshly baked (bread, sandwiches, pies, etc.) after the lunchtime rush at around 16:00 – but you do need to be quick to snap these up.<\/p>\n Other tips are to get money off coupons in magazines, sign up for supermarket Twitter accounts (such as Tesco\u2019s<\/a>), and download apps such as Asda<\/a> and Morrison\u2019s<\/a> to keep ahead of any special offers.<\/p>\n To live in London is definitely not cheap, but if you\u2019re prepared to live without a few home comforts (and have a little bit of luck along the way), then allowing \u00a31,000 per month \u2013 so \u00a33,000 for your 3-month buffer \u2013 should suffice.<\/p>\n Okay, so you\u2019re going to make the move<\/a>. You\u2019ve bought your ticket (which shouldn\u2019t, by the way, be included in your 3 month buffer fund) and you\u2019re ready to go.<\/p>\n Before you do, there are a few things you should ensure you\u2019ve covered.<\/p>\n Firstly, bring some hard copies of your up to date CV. This should be the best it can possible be, listing all your relevant experience and assets.<\/p>\n Competition for jobs<\/a> in London is fierce, so if you\u2019re not experienced in putting together a great CV, spending a little on some professional advice is money well spent.<\/p>\n There are many companies offering such a service, such as Purple CV<\/a>, CV Writers<\/a>, and The CV Store<\/a>. Be sure to keep a digital copy as well.<\/p>\n It\u2019s advisable to keep this in The Cloud as well as on your laptop or tablet, just in case of damage or loss, and then you can access it from anywhere.<\/p>\n Register with the largest employment websites. Monster<\/a>, Indeed, Total Jobs<\/a>, and Job Site<\/a> all list thousands upon thousands of jobs. You can also upload your CV and details so potential employers can search you out and contact you directly.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re in London, contact potential employers directly. Many of the larger companies have their own websites, such as the NHS<\/a>, Hilton Hotels<\/a>, BAE<\/a>, and G4S<\/a>. These are good places to start.<\/p>\n Other places to search are the large newspapers (both in print and online), such as The Guardian<\/a>, The Sunday Times<\/a>, and The Independent<\/a>.<\/p>\n You should also join and have a wonderful LinkedIn profile<\/a>. So many companies and headhunters now use this as a recruitment<\/a> aid, and if you want to be in with a chance, you need to be on there.<\/p>\nDo you have enough ready funds?<\/h2>\n
How to successfully job search<\/h2>\n