My situation

Greetings!

I'm saving up to move to the UK sometime early in the new year to spend a couple years living and working with a Tier 5 visa. However, like most people here I have many questions and would appreciate some realistic advice on how to make the most of my time and somewhat limited funds.

- I have worked the past several years as a server and bartender in fine dining. Every place in the world needs service staff, right? I feel confident in my ability to get a job in the industry but it's difficult to determine if I'll actually make enough to live off of. I can budget just fine, and I don't mind roughing it - to a certain degree - but I'd love to have a ballpark estimate going in of what I'd be making in grats and wages and if it'd be enough to keep me financially steady to make the most of my holiday. Do these earnings vary greatly from city to city?

- I have only a few years of university to back me up, and no degree. I see a lot of sources saying that temping at an office is the way to go (and that's sort of operating as my 'plan b' at the moment) but I wonder how much my lack of formal education will hold me back. Is there more money to be made in retail and office work?

- The required funds to have on hand are roughly $2600CAN. I have the option of staying in Canada longer and working to earn some more in savings, but that comes at the price of further putting off my departure date. What's the general consensus on how much is actually practical to bring? Might it better for me to stay longer anyway if there's a better time of year to be travelling when thinking in terms of getting a job in service? January isn't exactly peak season anywhere, to be sure.

- The plan I'm currently operating with is to live and work in London for the first year or so, since I figure the Summer Olympics and Queen's Diamond Jubilee will draw enormous crowds and provide plenty of work for the service industry. I am aware that this will likely also drive up costs of living in the city itself too. My heart isn't set on any one location so might there be better towns or cities for me to settle in?

- As for what I'd like to come away with from my time in the UK, I want to be able to travel easily and take in the history of the land. Downtown clubs and vibrant social nightlifes don't appeal to me - I'd much rather live in a quieter area with old buildings and fantastic natural settings to explore. I'm from the maritimes, so rain won't be much of a bother. Edinburgh catches my attention, Bath seems so charming, and there's something compelling about Cardiff too. Anyway, my question is if there are any particular cities or towns that might be a good match for the living experience I want.

That's all I can think of for now, and I thank you all for any and all replies.

-I don't think your lack of degree will matter that much. It's mostly your experience that is important and a lot of luck and networking. Don't expect to get office jobs or retail jobs without experience. And since you asked: office jobs often pay well, retail jobs don't.

--I would suggest holding off until you save more and then come. A) Now is a bad time to try and look for service work. Too many students in need of part-time jobs. I would delay departure until winter or early Spring at the latest to avoid getting caught up in the pre-olympic rush.

b) Having extra money can't hurt, but having not enough could send you home prematurely. $2600 may last you one month in London, maybe a little more anywhere else. Keep in mind that you will have to get a room and since you have no references here, you will have to pay a deposit and first months rent at once. That could wipe out as much as a two thirds of your money. You will probably also stay in a hostel or hotel until you find a room, and you will also have to pay for start up costs (sheets, blankets, cell phone etc.), combined with transporatation to interviews, in combination with the cost of going out and having a life, printing your CVs .... whew. It will go very, very fast. Trust me.

I would think about how long you will be willing to stay in London if you can't find a job, and then save enough money to live for that length of time. I don't want to sound discouraging because I'm sure you'll find something if you have that kind of high-end experience, but I think we are all over-confident when we arrive here and the market is much more fierce than you can expect. It is likely to take longer than you anticipated. The competition is unlike anything I have ever seen before -- it's hard to even conceptualize for Canadians -- and the unemployment rate is at its highest in twenty years, plus there are tons of young people from all over Europe here to learn English and work or to avoid going home to places with worse economies (Spain, in particular) -- many, many, many people want service industry jobs. I'm starting to realize that aside from skill and qualifications, getting a job here requires an enormous amount of luck and networking and a lot of money to tide you over until something comes up.

Outside of London, the competition is probably much less fierce, though, but having extra money can't hurt! You can use it for a nice vacation!!

-Suggestions for places to settle? Mmmm. I am not familiar enough with England to say for sure, but I hear wonderful things about York. Built by the Romans so you'll definitely find history and old historic areas, and since there's a university population there, there will most definitely be service jobs. Probably a more laid back crowd too. Reasonable access to Leeds/Manchester/Liverpool (and their respective airports for discount flights) and direct trains to London. Also close to Scotland. Edinburgh is supposed to be great - it was one of the cities I considered trying before I moved to London. I almost wish I had gone there instead! Maybe when you arrive in London, you could visit these places and see which one suits you best?

I will say that if you don't have a passion for big city life, I would skip London and just go to one of the Southern cities like Oxford, Bristol, Brighton or Bath. The Olympics will likely heighten tourism all over the country, so who knows, maybe there will be more jobs in those places too. Life is hard in London, so you really have to love what it offers in order for your experience to be positive.


Meh. have to stop writing such long-winded posts. Best of luck to you!

Sourpatch has some good points!!

As of right now, I probably wouldn't try to come over here. Most employers have looked at me and think that my 2 year visa isn't long enough (uuhhh hello welcome to the 21st century where many don't stay in their jobs for long). The job market is absolutely terrible...unless you don't mind a telesales-type job.

$2600 will probably last you just short of 2 months depending on your spending. I've been here since the end of August and have spent roughly $2100 at this point - but admittedlt I've also been going out and enjoying what London has to offer.

I met a guy from Bristol the other night who said that the most important thing to landing a job: luck. I still haven't had any luck despite sending out countless cv's, talking to recruiters, talking to companies directly, etc. I am VERY frustrated. I'm about to actually book a flight home - I know I can get a job at home!!!!