Returning to the UK - employment prospects

chicken_5

I have been living in Japan for the last 2years and I currently trying to decide whether to move back home (london). We moved with my husbands job, and working here wasn't really an option so I have been studying, anyway I have essentially had enough of being a housewife (we don't have kids yet) and really want to get back to work. I am probably one of those people who falls into the overqualified/lacking in experiance category and used to work in healthcare admin.
Given that there is now a recession I am slightly concerned I will not be able to find work when we move back. Everything I read on the news is a bit doom and gloom, is it really that bad?
As glamourous as expat life sounds its not that much fun as a trailing spouse, and I'm beginning to really think we should just go home and get on with life but as this is probably not the best for my husbands career (and he will always earn significantly more than me) I am worried that by deciding to go home I will be making us worse of financially and I won't be able to find a job and the satisfaction from working I am looking for.


Any advice on what the UK job market is actually like at the moment or general comments would be welcome
Thanks

cookie0803

The UK job front is not great at the moment. I have a BSC, MSC and a PHD, worked 10 years in education and 4 of those at senior level and after taking 2 years off with baby have struggled to get work at same pay level...had interviews but jobs seem to go to those already there!!

Ended up having lower expectationa and take 18K salary cut just to get back into work-working as DWP EO...main place jobs are are working jobcentre's that should tell you how bad situation is.

Good thing is though that I have just got s job for government in research-still not up to my normal salary level but once in great chance of quick promotion. As I work in jobcentres I see how hard getting work is and there are a bigger number now of highly skilled and qualified experienced professionals having to take lower paid work due to redundancy etc.

I don't know what area you want to work in but I would say try for government jobs...DWP and local councils as these tend only to recruit on merit-not on who you know etc. There also quite a few jobs regularly advertised. good luck

Rockporkchop

It's tough here at the moment. There are literally hundreds of people applying for every job going. This isn't the best job website to use but if you take a look at Reed.com and put in the sort of job you are looking for, you will get an idea of the competition you will face.

Apart from the unemployment crisis, life over here is generally very gloomy at the moment, with the cost of living extremely high.

Would your husband be able to find a job if you returned home, or is it a case of transferring with his current firm? Are you sure you wouldn't be able to find a job in Japan, even voluntary work? You will probably get more satisfaction from that than coming home and doing a low paid job.

Otherwise, would it be possible for you to come home for a few weeks just to test the water?

Westwardho_2

Could you get a job teaching English in Japan? I know someone who has recently moved to Japan to teach English and he loves it! As Rockporkchop said, even doing voluntary work could be very rewarding and get you out of the house!

What does your other half want to do? Does he want to stay in Japan? Or go back to the UK?

hothothot_3

cookie0803 wrote: »

I don't know what area you want to work in but I would say try for government jobs...DWP and local councils as these tend only to recruit on merit-not on who you know etc. There also quite a few jobs regularly advertised. good luck

You really think councils and government recruit on merit only? From my experience councils and government are probably the worst hotbeds of cronyism and nespotism going. Most council jobs already have the job given away to someone already working inside, its just a case of legally having to go through a sham recruitment exercise.

eleanorre

My son is home from California jobhunting . He is a procurement manager with Sun Microsystems and his company is being taken over by Oracle . He has had to leave his pregnat wife at home in the US while he job hunts and it has not been easy . He always thought he would have the pick of the jobs but nobody so far has offered him one.
Eleanor

Justicia

hothothot wrote: »

From my experience councils and government are probably the worst hotbeds of cronyism and nespotism going.

I don't want to agree with this. But, unfortunately, I have to...