Planning to move to london??

WTF?_2

phil_b wrote: »

Hi again Kyllle,

Interesting that you're in that line of work. I'm a freelance web developer and have been professionally for the last 3-4 years (graduated in '05, with 1st class BA hons in multimedia design like you). I'm mostly requested for my skills in flash development (a lot to do with dynamic content and external data sources using php/mysql), and regularly fully build content managed websites.

As an idea for wage. I don't want to sound like I'm boasting and don't often mention my earnings, but if you are good at what you do and are professional with your client dealings and hitting deadlines/budgets you can make good money going self-employed.

I made £45k last year without breaking a sweat and am on course for about £60-70k this year with more effort, gaining about £8k in my best month. I'm still waiting for the perfect web based money making idea to come so I can earn money while I sit on my butt watching TV...

You might find that your expectations are based on only ever operating in a booming, debt-fuelled economy. Prepare for things to look very different in even six months time.

[Deleted User]

I work in IT, we've got graduate vacancies and i think our salaries start at 25/26k (they were 24k about 3 years ago).

25k is a pretty normal graduate salary in london.. i don't know what all the fuss is about it being unrealistic. However, i would only move to London once you've got a job (you may miss out on relocation benefits if you don't - I got a grand expenses to move to london)

note: we're more IT consultancy... if you had an interest in medical IT systems, let me know... (we do nothing web based, btw)

kyllle

hi ringo thanks for your reply!! to be honest im interested in all things it related!! what does consultancy consist of qualification wise etc?

amcluesent

>what does consultancy consist of qualification wise etc?<

None. The only skill needed is to persuade the client to give you his watch so you can invoice him for telling the time.

Seriously the bottom rung of consulting is grim, 80+ hour weeks, the junior partner demanding you find 'sell on' opportunities, an 'up or out' ethos and the kick-in-the teeth that your time is being invoiced at £600/day of which you see diddly.

SGE1

Ignore the comments about Londoners being anti-social. We're lovely.

25k is reasonable from your perspective. Your girlfriend might earn a bit less.

But don't get disheartened by people who say 25k is unreasonable. The first job I got offered out of uni was 28k, with a 3k bonus after a few months. I wanted a more bohemian lifestyle so I opted for another job that only paid 19k (for this I kick myself daily), but that job was even worse than I expected the better-paid job to be.

Moral of the story: you can make money. Just don't be stupid enough to turn it down.

olly300

OP while you should find a job your girlfriend will find difficulty finding a just a plain translating job or even any other job using her languages if she doesn't have a lot of experience in a particular field.

This is because there is a large French community in London who are at least bilingual or multilingual. There are also lots of people who speak Spanish as a mother tongue or second/third language.

I have had friends who speak 5 languages including French and Spanish who have sought non-specific language jobs in London i.e. translating, IT help desk, receptionist. The only reason they have managed to get jobs using their languages is that one of the languages is German or a less popular language.

[Deleted User]

amcluesent wrote: »

>what does consultancy consist of qualification wise etc?<

None. The only skill needed is to persuade the client to give you his watch so you can invoice him for telling the time.

Seriously the bottom rung of consulting is grim, 80+ hour weeks, the junior partner demanding you find 'sell on' opportunities, an 'up or out' ethos and the kick-in-the teeth that your time is being invoiced at £600/day of which you see diddly.

I think it's more like £750 a day really...

We develop and deploy hospital IT software, usually for the NHS. You'd never be selling, and the longest working week i've had in the 3 1/2 years i've been with the firm is about 60 hours (admittedly, i worked 22hrs on one of those days). Most work weeks are 40-42hrs.

I wish it was 'up and out' ! More like 'put on a progress report and then nothing happens'. We're a bit rubbish at sacking people.

You do need a degree though, in something IT-like. Oh, and like healthcare related topics. If you can write database queries and have people skills.. you'd walk the interview

neverdespairgirl

MeNikki wrote: »

A word of advice for your girlfriend, London is full of people with multiple language skills. So French and Spanish are nothing special (sorry, just being honest) and unless she can combine her language skills with another skill it will be hard to hit your target of £25K starting salary.

While that is of course true, I think it's more marketable to be a native English speaker with those language skills than to be (as most are) native-something-else, but good English speakers.

neverdespairgirl

huntersc wrote: »

Honestly people, a good degree from a good uni will earn you well in excess of £25k.

Not straight off, necessarily.

OH's mate got a 1st in Japanese and Oriental Studies from SOAS, and a masters in development, and started 4 years ago at the Cabinet Office on £14k.

neverdespairgirl

kyllle wrote: »

, i understand that my skills are similar to a lot of other people but im working hard on them to ensure they are of as high a standard as possible, I will def heavily consider applying for jobs before the actual move because it seems like the smartest option.

I don't think £25k is unrealistic, but might take a bit of finding, as others have said.

Bearing in mind I'm not in IT myself, does your editing-type stuff require proof-reading, or writing content?