Looking for work in London?

MoneySavingUser

So there are a lot more jobs available in London/surrounding areas/South East than in Wales.

I'm looking for advice from people who have made the move to London.

Did you apply for jobs and then just go down when you had an interview?
Did you move there and look for a job once you got there? (i.e. you'd be closer to agencies and be more able to go looking for work in the local area)

What about costs - obviously the cost of living is high - Is a B&B good for the occasional interview?

I guess the outer parts will have cheaper rent but it will also take you longer to get to work and back everyday.

also any other advice that you can offer

thanks

persa

MoneySavingUser wrote: »

Did you apply for jobs and then just go down when you had an interview?
Did you move there and look for a job once you got there? (i.e. you'd be closer to agencies and be more able to go looking for work in the local area)

What about costs - obviously the cost of living is high - Is a B&B good for the occasional interview?

I guess the outer parts will have cheaper rent but it will also take you longer to get to work and back everyday.

First of all, I made sure I was ready to move. This involved packing up the essentials of my life, researching thoroughly where I was prepared to live, where I could actually afford to live, seeing which properties were on the market, how quickly the half-decent ones were moving, making sure I could pay a deposit and rent in advance in cash, etc.

Then, I applied for jobs, whilst keeping an eye on the rental market. I travelled to London for interviews, travelling overnight where possible, staying with kind friends when not. Finding a cheap B&B at short notice is probably going to be a difficult task - definitely no acquaintances you can beg a favour from?

Because I kept an eye on rentals at the same time as looking for jobs, once I was made an offer, I could move quickly, as I had already done my research. I think I signed for a property within a week of accepting the offer.

The cost of living isn't nearly as bad as people make out - the biggest expense is rent, which is only stupidly expensive if you compare like for like. I don't know about Wales, but in some parts of the country, it's perfectly affordable renting a nice big house with a garden whilst on a relatively low wage. In London, the equivalent is a room in a shared house - unless you're prepared to spend a chunk of your day commuting to and from the city.

If you are comfortable 'downshifting' from a larger property into, well, let's be realistic, a room, then you can afford to live relatively central and get the most out of London.

That said, I do know people who can't live without the space and commute, who have got into the habit of reading (either real book or Kindle etc) or watching a film (netbook, portable dvd player, iPhone, etc). It's all horses for courses.

Back to the job hunting front, if you go the agency route, it's worth taking the financial hit and travelling to meet with some recruitment consultants so you can discuss your situation and convince them in person that you are prepared to move and you are serious about it - because that may well be the biggest barrier to getting a job. If they're convinced, they can better sell you to their clients.

It's not easy getting into London, but it sounds as if the job prospects where you currently live are limited, so it will be worth it once you make the move.

moose1982

Check where in London you would be looking. I only say this because I'm sure something recently came out in the media (a month or two ago?) saying that certain parts had more applicants per position than most of the UK. I only remember this because a friend is in one of these areas and she is having terrible trouble finding anything.

lottie_no1

The main thing that I would advise is that you research average salaries and then look at properties before even contemplating the move. I live in North West London (zone 4), the commute into Central London each day is 30-45 minutes (location dependent) and the average price of a one-bedroomed flat is £800 a month, factor in travel costs of £150-200 a month from zone 4 (going up in January) and it may not actually be cost effective to move.

If you do decide to make the move, I also suggest coming down for a couple of days (staying overnight in a travelodge/premier inn when they have their deals) and seeing some agencies. The market is quite saturated here at the moment, there may be more jobs but there are also more applicants.

Might I also suggest Manchester? The BBC and a lot of other companies are moving their work and bases up there and it should work out a lot cheaper to rent.

cazziebo

I've been working in London for just over a year. it was a phenomenal job which I really wanted, but it didn't make sense for me to relocate. I live in a relatively inexpensive area in the UK, with a nice 4 bedroom house with a garden, with handy transport links to major cities. For the price of my house, had I been able to sell in this market, I would have been lucky to get a one bed flat in the outskirts of London. And then would have had the astronomical commuting costs.

Thanks to advice from MSE, I looked at doing a Monday to Friday rental through https://www.mondaytofriday.com and https://www.rentaroom.co.uk. I struck it lucky and got a self contained studio in zone 2 for £400 pcm . I'm less than 10 minutes from the office in SE1.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I love London, and just wish I'd spent some time here earlier in my career (kids got in the way!)

MoneySavingUser

wow some really good replies there - thanks!

SarEl

If you are prepared to relocate - why limit yourself to London and the SE? Yes there are blackspots around the country where jobs are hard to come by - but there are lots of places where they also aren't and costs are cheaper. London and the SE is on a high at the moment, but it's a bubble that could easily burst come next August. Chase the right job for you and worry about the location later.

claire16c

You could look into more of the south east rather than concentrating on London, as it is very expensive to live there.

I live about 40 miles west and where I live has very low umemployment and there are plenty of jobs advertised. I came back from travelling earlier this year and found 3 within 5 weeks of looking.

Its still very expensive to rent here, but not quite as bad as London. So you might be able to share with less people or get slightly more space.

However, it depends on your lifestyle and where you want to live, what type of industry you work in etc.

I went to uni in Manchester and lots of the girls I was friends with have ended up moving here or to London to get the jobs they want. Most of them secured a job before moving, and travelling down on the train to interviews.