Moving on from London

Hi there,

My boyfriend and I moved from Vancouver, BC, to London three weeks ago with Youth Mobility Visas. We did a fair amount of research before making the move and were aware of the economic reality/recession here in the UK. So I can't say we've been shocked to not have found employment yet.

We've both had an interview each, within our respective sectors and although I didn't end up being the successful candidate, he is expecting to hear back regarding the outcome of HIS interview next week.

Regardless, I think we're both sort of feeling a little overwhelmed by London, and considering going someplace else. I was wondering if anyone could recommend somewhere for perhaps more employment opportunities? My boyfriend works in Broadcast/Film, and I have over 5 years' experience in Admin roles, with some Accounting background. But we would be willing to do pretty much anything.

We're considering Brighton, Manchester, Leeds, York, Edinburgh, and Cardiff. We would LOVE to live in Bath or York, but we're not sure how realistic that is. But we would really probably go anywhere for work. Can anyone make any suggestions that doesn't involve going back to Canada (because that's always on our mind anyway)?

There will always be more employment opportunities in London than elsewhere because of its size, and there's no getting round that really.

There are also some businesses and therefore some jobs that don't exist to a significant degree in the UK anywhere other than London.

Obviously, in theory you can find an admin job anywhere though salaries can drop dramatically as you leave central London. Film/broadcast I'm not sure about.

I wouldn't recommend heading to Brighton - there's not much work locally, and many people who live there make the long daily commute back up to London.

Manchester might be worth a look, since the BBC has relocated a lot of its services to the area from London, and once in the area you could work in Leeds or Liverpool too, as all three are more or less commutable from the others. Manchester's in the middle of the three, so probably the best to head for.

I agree with themeone, London and Manchester are the best bets for broadcast/film. But London is the best bet with all the filmwork, and studios based here, it's much more concentrated here. I'm not sure why his background is but he might want to try sky.com, I know my department is hiring and Sky is doing well.

If London is feeling overwhelming the best thing to do is slow down a bit, treat each area like a village, for example, if you go out exploring think of the area you are going to as a village and spend the afternoon/morning exploring at a slower pace and getting off the beaten path. It is the surprises that wait around the corner that you don't expect that make London fab.

As well as get some downtime in, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Go to a movie, or go for a walk on Hampstead Heath, chill out in a pub. I always find a walk along the river at night when everything is lit up and things are a little less crowded, a great thing to do to remind you what a great city London is.

Good luck in your search, and considering the time of year I think you guys are doing quite well if you've had interviews already.

If I may add, I've heard really positive things about Manchester from people I know who lived there. It was emphasized as being more affordable than London, with a great energy and a good quality of life. I have also heard that Leeds is a good time, and the rents were extremely reasonable when I researched them this summer.

And as others have already mentioned, there are still decent job opportunities there -- Manchester is second in the UK for media, and if you guys were able to get interviews in London that quickly, you will no doubt be able to get interviews in Manchester.

If you do make the move, i'd be interested to read a follow-up post about your experience there and if you were able to get jobs in your fields. I came to London with good experience and skills and it took me two months to find a full-time job (that incidentally, I'm overqualified for and doesn't even pay my bills -- but hey, i have to start somewhere). My employer never asked about my visa type and after they hired me were not happy to find out that it was only for two years and it was non-renewable. *sigh* Knowing now that I'll be overlooked for positions that I am more qualified for (and that pay better), I'm on the verge of going home. I know Lynz reported similar problems with her YMS visa, so it would be interesting to know if employers outside of London are less anal about this since there is less competition for jobs. It might be helpful for future YMSers who want to come to the UK for work experience, in addition to a good time.