How to get a job in London
Expats in London have an excellent opportunity to land their ideal job due to the city's diverse job market. London welcomes people from across the globe and attracts global investments in sectors like banking, finance, healthcare, education, and engineering. However, it is essential to know that London is highly competitive for job seekers since many aspire to establish their careers here. In this article, you will discover valuable insights into searching for jobs in London, the application process, and excelling at job interviews.
The job search in London
Before starting to dream about your professional life in London, it's essential to know whether your field of expertise and interest is actively present in the city. Is there growth potential in London, or is your sector dying out due to political, economic, and technological developments? A career decision, which includes moving from one country to another, should be well-informed and based on the principle that it will have lasting impacts.
Finding a position that matches your career goals and skill set in a highly competitive place like London requires confidence, self-awareness, and patience. Whereas sometimes luck plays its role too, we think that the harder you work towards your goals and the more informed you are about the job market in London, the better chances you stand off setting the ground for a bright career in London.
Online search in London
Now that you have established the current condition of your sector, you can start dedicating a couple of hours per day to your job search, which will most likely be taking place online. However, you may wonder where to start, as various job seeker platforms exist. It's common to go directly to some of the most popular pages, such as LinkedIn and Indeed, but we would like to bring to your attention smaller, yet more local, destinations to help with your job search. Expat.com hosts a London jobs section where you can upload your CV and be open to new opportunities or contact regarding already posted job offers.
With platforms like Indeed and Gumtree, you can browse jobs by sector, location, salary band, and type of contract. The more filters and keywords you apply to your search, the better chances you have to find jobs that are right for you.
Based in Covent Garden, Reed.co.uk has supported England's job market since 1995. If you register, you will receive job alerts directly to your email. You can also manage your applications and create a visible and searchable profile. Total Jobs is another UK-dedicated jobs site that advertises positions across 55 sectors, from healthcare, transport, and logistics to charity, education, and media.
The government has a dedicated website for vacancies all over the country. Even though you can search for jobs freely and navigate the different sectors and positions, you need to create an account and sign in to apply for a position.
Good to know:
If you are passionate about serving the public, search for civil service jobs in different departments (education, health, defence, environment, etc.) on the government's dedicated page.
Useful links:
Find a job on the government's website
Networking in London
Across the world, networking is an excellent tool for finding a job. Even though we tend to underestimate networking, look around you and see how many jobs are allocated internally or to someone who has been referred by someone else. So, if you wish to start building your professional network, and possibly open up to more career opportunities, read our article on Developing a professional network in London.
Tip:
Expat.com is every expat's ultimate tool to build their network before arriving in their host city. In the active Expat.com forum, among many topics, you can share job-hunting experiences, discuss the work culture in London, salary expectations, and more.
London hosts two significant events which connect job seekers with world-class employers from all sectors. London Job Show is an annual, free event that offers direct access to vacancies from entry-level to senior executive level. This is an excellent opportunity for attendants to present their skills and demonstrate an interest in specific fields and companies. Apart from networking occasions, the London Job Show organises career advice seminars and workshops, covering topics such as the use of social media in your job search, interview skills, etc.
Good to know:
Skills London is a two-day event for young job seekers between the ages of 14 and 24. Skills London connects young people with potential employers and encourages them to identify their passions and talents through interactive operations.
Recruitment agencies in London
Whether you are looking for an entry-level job to pay your bills, a temp position to support you during your studies in London, or your dream job, recruitment agencies have worked for thousands of candidates. Search for the right agency depending on your sector and your ideal location to work in London, as different agencies tend to specialise in various industries and cover other regions.
However, before deciding to assign your job search to an agent, note that there might be some hindrances to the process. For example, the agency may not have understood the role well, encouraging you to apply for an irrelevant job. Or, the agent may not have briefed you correctly, and you may be surprised during the interview. To achieve good results, make sure that you communicate your expectations to the agency and ask as many questions as needed to elicit the right amount of information about a company and a position.
Useful links:
CG Consultants for engineering and manufacturing recruitment
Remote working vs. office working in London
After the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a decrease in the number of employers providing entirely remote work arrangements. A recent BBC survey reveals a 21.5% reduction in the availability of fully remote setups. However, even with this decline, some companies, particularly those in the technology sector and startups, continue to support the option of 100% remote work.
Hybrid working is being adopted by London organisations. This way, staff can enjoy social interactions at the office while maintaining a flexible working arrangement to cater to personal commitments they may have.
Good to know:
A recent survey carried out with 12,000 people found that nearly two in three workers would favour the switch to an office-based four-day week.
The job application in London
The only connection between you and the employer at the time of your application is through your CV and cover letter. Thus, if you wish to impress and showcase how you are different from every other candidate they have come across, make sure to send a sophisticated CV and a sincere yet spirited cover letter.
Good to know:
Most London companies are keen on receiving spontaneous applications when they have no specific vacancies, so don't hesitate to write to them with your CV and cover letter attached.
See below a few tips on how to sell your skills, value, and achievements to London companies through a London-style CV.
- You should always submit a tailor-made CV and cover letter for the specific position you are applying for rather than sending generic documents. Refer to the responsibilities and requirements for the particular role and demonstrate how your skills, qualifications, and experience are relevant.
- Your CV must be free from typos and grammatical errors and shouldn't exceed two A4 pages. An excellent practice to ensure a clean copy is to ask a fluent English speaker to review your documents before submitting them.
- Attach your CV in a PDF format, as it is more professional than a Word document.
- Include your name, email, and phone number in your CV. However, do not add a photo, date of birth, religion, or marital status.
- Specify whether you are eligible to work in the UK or need a UK working visa.
Tip:
One of the assets of being an expat applicant is that you probably speak more than one language. Insert all the languages you master in your CV and sell your international experience.
Attention:
Although they are technically the same thing, in Britain, your document should be named “CV” not “resumé”.
