Moving to England Forums

England Information · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 22 Home Country: uk

EMPLOYMENT IN ENGLAND (UK) - (Getting a Job)

JOB MARKET

The UK offers great working opportunities, especially for people who do not require a work permit. Its flexible labour market has produced a healthy employment market in recent years, with unemployment mostly below 5%, which compares well to other EU countries.

Much economic growth is concentrated in the South-East, so you should bear in mind that regional unemployment is higher in northern England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. There are also certain sectors where job opportunities are poor, such as manufacturing and heavy industry. If you are not eligible to work in the UK, you need to be aware it may be more difficult to obtain a permit than a job.

If you are looking for professional or well remunerated employment, high English language ability will be a requirement for the majority of positions. Depending on the type of job, qualifications may also be important (although not as important as in some countries – e.g. to work in a general business role, your experience will be taken into account ahead of whether or not you have studied business).

If you are studying or learning English and looking for a job to help with or cover living expenses, you will probably not have too much difficulty. The labour market in the UK is flexible and it is relatively easy to find part-time or casual jobs (even if your English is very poor!), however, do not expect to be paid much or get benefits.

JOB SEARCH

Internet: Over the last decade the online job market has exploded into the mainstream and in the UK it is now the most popular way to apply for work, especially among younger people and graduates. Online recruitment websites allow you to search according to your criteria, such as sector, salary and region. You can also post your CV on websites so that companies looking for specific skills can find you.

Newspapers & Magazines: Broadsheets such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Independent and The Guardian all have job offers, mainly for executives and professionals, as well as sections dedicated to specific professions, i.e. teaching, computers, media. In London, check out the Evening Standard (mainly for business and secretarial positions), Metro and Loot for lower level jobs.

Recruitment agencies: Most agencies specialize in a particular field such as computers, nursing, secretarial work, accounting, catering, construction, and so on. There are also “Head hunting” agencies which are hired by big companies to recruit executives, managers or professionals. Others deal solely with temporary staff (temps), and can find you work in an office or as a babysitter, cook, gardener, security guard or any other type of job. To find an agency you can either look in the "employment agencies" section of the yellow pages or go to www.rec.uk.com for a list of agencies and their specialist fields.

Career fairs: A good place to get started is to visit a career fair. Fairs usually have a range of employers and concentrate on a specific sector. Usually you apply by sending in your CV and employers decide who they want to meet in advance. As well as getting general information on employment perspectives in different companies, it is often possible to arrange interviews.

Speculative applications: If a specific company is of interest you can send a speculative application. Applications are retained and checked against positions as they become available in some companies.

Chambers of Commerce: Contact the local chamber of commerce of your home country in the UK, as they are often asked for candidates and sometimes have a database of open job positions. Often a chamber of commerce will have a list of companies from your home country doing business in the UK, which can make good targets for speculative applications.

Jobcentres: They can be found in every town and focus mainly in jobs for the non-professional. They usually have databases of local, national and European vacancies and know about local employers and their needs. Their advisers can help you with all aspects of finding work. They normally have newspapers, books, leaflets and Internet access to support you in your job search

Networking: Sometimes getting a job is about knowing the right people or being in the right place at the right time. You could join an expats club or attend social gatherings where you think you could meet people that are well connected. Just mingle as much as you can and make sure you let everybody know you are looking for employment.

FORMS OF EMPLOYMENT

Along with full-time, salaried work there are several other options for employees in the labour market.

Part-time: Part-time work is particularly popular with foreign students, who often aim to combine such employment with their studies. Part-time jobs are commonly available in pubs, restaurants, shops and offices.

Temps: Temporary jobs are generally for a fixed period or may be intermittent. The hiring of temps is widespread among UK companies and it is quite easy to find such a job. There is usually high demand for secretarial and administrative office staff. If qualified doing temp work can actually earn you more money than working on a fixed contract. Other common temping jobs can be found in construction, gardening, shops (over the Christmas and sales periods), market research, modelling for art schools, cleaning, babysitting, etc.

Contractors: These are freelance workers specialized in fields such as engineering, accounting, electronics and computing. Some positions are very well paid and many IT professionals choose to contract as they can make twice as much or more than if they were in a full-time position. There are also positions which have the added bonus of being able to work from home; an attractive alternative for individuals looking for a better work/life balance.

Voluntary work: If you are unable to obtain a work permit, voluntary work is your only legal option to work in the UK (although you will still need an entry visa if you require one). Although unpaid, board and lodging is usually provided. Useful websites include www.youngscot.org/channels/volunteering and www.volunteering.org.uk.