Moving to London can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. There’s always the joy of finding a place to live and getting all the necessities to live there. Soon you’ll find that all you do is spend, spend and spend,
(not surprising being in the world’s most expensive city) and that you’re desperate to get that all important job which you like doing. There are plenty of people coming to London from all over the world; Australians, South Africans, Canadians, New Zealanders, Americans and a myriad of continental Europeans all rock up on UK soil for a variety of personal and professional reasons. While some will be looking for a job related to their profession, many others will be looking for a job just to earn a bit of money to survive the credit crunch!
While deciding on a job you can ask yourself some questions:
- How desperate am I to get a job?
- How many hours can I work?
- What other commitments do I have outside of work?
- Do I have a professional qualification, which I need to keep updated?
- How much do I need to earn to live in London?
These questions might seem like obvious ones that anyone will think about when looking for a job. But it would be surprising how much it’ll help to prioritise what you’re looking for if you jot down some ideas before filling out an application form.
UK Visas
Citizens coming from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland do not need a visa to enter the UK. The EEA covers EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Citizens coming from any other country should fill in the short questionnaire on the UK Visas website to find out what type of visa you require.
Citizens of the EEA and Switzerland do not need permission to work in the UK.
Europe
People coming from any new EU member state (Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic) must register with the Home Office as soon as they find work
This is different for nationals from Bulgaria and Romania.
Other foreign nationals
If you are already in the UK, you need to check that your status allows you to work. If you wish to change your status you can apply to the home office.
Visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ for details of the numerous work permit arrangements and sector-based schemes in place
US students
If you are a student of 18 years old, the BUNAC Blue Card permit allows you to work in the UK. For more information visit http://www.bunac.org/
UK Tax
If you’re a worker in the UK, you are required to pay income tax on your earnings and any pensions. In most employments the tax will be deducted automatically from your wages.
If you’re self-employed then you must keep records of your income and expenditure and fill in an annual tax return. Find out more from http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/
On top of the income tax, you’re required to pay National Insurance contributions (NICs) to build up your entitlement to state benefits and pension. The amount you pay depends on how many hours you work, how much you earn and your type of employment. You must register for an NI number as soon as you get work and you have to attend an interview for this.
Looking for work in the UK
Before looking for work, it’s important that you prepare a CV. There are many websites that offer advice on writing CVs:
Employment Agencies
There are many employment agencies, whose offices are located on convenient high streets all around London. There are:
- https://portal.manpower.com/wps/portal/GBCampus
- http://www.reed.co.uk/
- http://www.cronecorkill.co.uk/
- http://www.office-angels.com/
These agencies offer a lot of administrative work on top of the more general work.
Jobs in Newspapers
Jobs are advertised regularly on local newspapers. They also appear in free copies of the Metro. If you pop into any library you can browse papers for any jobs available.
