Weekend Work?

grimelda

I know this subject has come up before but every time I try to search the archives I just get a blank page in response.

A bit of background: I'm fairly new to the UK (I came here from Australia last year) and the move over has been financially disastrous. I had no idea London was so expensive and just paying rent/bond ate up all but £20 of the money I brought with me. Since then, trying to survive coupled with an unplanned trip back to Australia to see my sick mum has left me with £1200 of CC debt. I am also getting slapped with a £95 fee from HSBC for going into overdraft to pay my rent last month. :eek: I thought I had been granted an overdraft facility on my account (I applied for one) but apparently not. Stupid me for not reading the fine print I know, but I only recently had my lightbulb moment, as you all say around here.

The reason I am writing this is because I am fed up with living in absolute hovels with drug addicts for housemates and landlords who never fix anything. I want to be in a reasonably clean place by myself for a while. On my income, though, it's not possible to both pay rent on a nice-ish sort of place AND pay back my debt in a timely manner so I would like some advice on getting weekend work for the next three months or so.

As I am new to the country I have no idea how to go about getting weekend work. I am in IT and can do web development but don't have a lot of experience (got my degree just before I left and have only done three sites, one of which is no longer up and running). Any tips on getting that sort of freelance work here in the UK would be most welcome.

The most realistic thing to do would be to get a job in a store like Tesco or Sainsbury's. How does one go about finding this sort of work? Do you just walk up to someone in the store and ask to be shown to HR? What sort of qualifications do they want? How readily available is this sort of employment? Also, does anyone have any other ideas for part time jobs, bearing in mind that I don't have a car and am not great with children? I have looked on the Gumtree website but most of those jobs require some kind of daytime commitment as well which I can't give as I have a primary job I don't want to leave.

Thanks in advance for your advice. You guys are great! :T

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Most of the chains - Sainsburys, Asda, Tesco B&Q etc should have a vacancies board in-store. Try trekking around a few of your local ones, if you can't see a board - ask at the customer services desk. Pizza Hut and MacDonalds always seem to have vacancies.
Also, check out the stores websites, they may have info on vacancies.
There's also pub work, ask around. Try your local Oz/NZ 'colony' and ask around there.
Hope this helps, good luck.

mom23

Hi Grimelda
Just want to say welcome to MSE !!
Not to good on the advice front!!
but i am sure if you went into your local tesco or sainsburys and asked for an application form that would be ok they always seem to want people!!

exil

Try moving out of London. You will find accommodation much cheaper elsewhere - though jobs are probably harder to come by.

BobProperty

grimelda wrote:

.... I had no idea London was so expensive ...

I'm with exil - go and live somewhere civilised instead (puts on hard hat and waits for replies)

MoaningMyrtle

I agree, just go to the customer Sevice Desk and ask for an application form, they will probably be crying out for weekend workers.

Sorry to hear about your poor accommodation grimelda and I also hope your Mum is feeling better now.

crawley_girl

What about bar work? Or restaurants? Or clubs? Or Cinema? Hotels maybe?

Just a thought...

rkh001

Welcome to the UK Grimelda, although not a good start. Going to Oz for us Brits is a lot cheaper in terms of exch. rates but for you guys to come over here must be crippling.
As most high street stores are open till late at least on Thurs and are also open all day Sundays and bank holidays as well, it might be a good idea to just ring up the stores and ask if they have vacancies for weekend staff. Generally M&S, Debenhams, BHS, House of Fraser are pretty good at taking on weekend staff. I might be wrong but that is what I did a few years ago. Being in accounts, I was given the job of a cashier at Allders (they have since gone into liquidation - nothing to do with me, honest :-) )but I have also worked as a sales assistant in Principles. It is worth asking - they can only say no! Good luck. Do hope you find something.

researcher

I'd also suss out where the local business start-up courses are held. (Look up business link or ring the local council). Print yourself out a few fliers offering website development at 'very reasonable rates' and get them up. (Local library might have a notice board too). New business are always short of cash and expertise and you'd be able to do this in your 'free time'. Charge a fair, realistic rate - don't fall into the trap of being too cheap - in business people never seem to appreciate something if they're paying to little for it. Look upon this as 'another string to your bow' as opposed to the main 'extra income', and it might well work. Think about what you do well, and try and get people to pay you to do that.

With regard to living where you are - look around, there are better places to live - and make sure anyone who knows you knows you are looking for somewhere to live. Years ago an Aussie mate came to stay for a fortnight when he had to move and ended up living with us for 18 months! It helped us with our mortgage and I have very happy memeories of that time.

Moving to a new country is difficult - but if you have the strength to do it, you havre the strength to sort out a better standard of living for yourself. Believe it and it WILL happen.:beer:

skintchick

Hi! and welcome

Can you post your SOA? And where you live and work? We might have some cunning ideas that will help you!

One thought about where to live is that if you live with the owner-occupier as a lodger then the house should be nice cos it's theirs, and stuff will get fixed quick too!

Also it is usually cheaper I think.

ms_london

Sent you a PM grimelda.

Ms_London xx