Coming to London, NEED ADVICE

[keeponrocking]

Good day, everybody!

I'm going to London in about a week or so, planning to get a job and live there for quite a while to support myself
and my IM investments. I would like to hear some advice on what to do and what not, where it's better to live and
how to find some work fast enough (I mean really fast b/c I'll have little money brought with me). You know, some
starter advice on main things. Many friends of mine live there and I have read a lot on the Internet, found some good
info, but it's always better to ask natives, especially here on BHW, right?

At the moment I'm thinking whether to:

a) seek some temporary job trough staffing agency;
b) send CVs directly to certain places;
c) find some work connected with London 2012 Olympics (there should be a lot of vacancies now, or?).

And also what rates to expect and would it be enough for me to rent a place to live on my own?

There're many more things I'm interested in. I'm open to discussion and some general advice, not only these Q's.

Have an AWESOME day!

 

[SyZygy]

I visited England for a few times, and each time I was surprised how much things there cost in comparison to Germany and other European countries.

It's not cheap, but I will leave the further details to people who actually live there..

 

[MrBeastsOnToast]

Im not from london, but from the uk. But i imagine that the situation is the same as the rest of the UK - there are very few jobs here at this time. Make sure you bring lots of savings, because you could be without a job for a while....

plus london is EXPENSIVE - like, very stupidly expensive. like Syzygy said ill leave it to the people that actually live in london to give you actual figures. But be prepared to have your wallet raped.

 

[cocococo]

London is too expensive, too busy, my advice is come up north, rents are cheaper, mildly busy, and it would be nice if you have some kind of qualifications, a profession, experience to back it up.

And sign up to them agency, but be prepared to probably stay without a job for a year and that's a fact.

 

[steelballs]

With respect unless you have a 100% temp job at the Olympics

I advise you do not go to London until after the Olympic Games as prices for everything will be sky high in the coming weeks

 

[ritafairclough]

Learn Polish

 

[Synal]

I live in London. It's expensive and very busy at all times of the day with tourism at an all time high with the Olympics coming soon. However, there are a few vacancies in the London area job wise but not many involved / interlinked with the Olympics.

 

[ThreadKiller]

Not to piss off the English at this board, but London is a bit of a shithole, as in fact are large parts of the country. Unless you are making a premium by living in London, don't go there. Your rent for living somewhere that is not absolute crap is going to be minimum 1000 pounds a month for a studio. Pleasure, taxicabs and everything else adds up. So unless you are set to make 2500 - 3000 quid net a month, stay away. Living in some crappy studio in the periphery and fighting toothless bums on the way to the tube, then stand around in a crowded carriage on a commute that stretches for aeons, is not a proper way to live.

On the other hand, there are friendly, somewhat middle class, culturally relevant and safe places to stay in England as well. Brighton might cost you marginally less than London, and is so much more comfortable, at least when the season is right.

 

[Duffers5000]

Not to piss off the English at this board, but London is a bit of a shithole, as in fact are large parts of the country.
.

Hmm Maybe try harder to not piss off the English ?

 

[ThreadKiller]

Hmm Maybe try harder to not piss off the English ?

Well, no offense intended, but I am all about calling a spade a spade. If you have been living all over Europe, then you go and check out places like Brixton, Luton, Derby, Coventry, Croydon, Kabul... well, you figure it out.

EDIT: And the nice places are of course very nice. The previously mentioned Brighton for example. And I've heard that John Cleese has moved to Bath cause it is one of the few places that still feels like old England. So that's two options right there.

 

[OldSalt]

Keeponrocking,

I've been to London a couple of times and found it more expensive than the US (but that's because I had to change my money from $$$ to pounds). That being said, I have only one bit of advice to offer. You said many of your friends live there - make sure you use them for your parachute. What I mean is that if you are going with very little money and things are obviously expensive with the job market being tight, if you don't line up a place to stay when the money runs out, you could end us as one of those toothless bums that was mentioned by ThreadKiller - and we don't want to happen.

So... before you put yourself on a plane, contact as many of those friends as possible and arrange to be able to stay with some of them until you get established. Without that, you could end up without a job and no place to live - and once that happens, how are you going to find a job to get yourself OUT of that mess?

I hope it works out for you - keep us posted.

 

[ThreadKiller]

And here's another little thing OP. Unless you hold a European, Australian, New Zealand or similar citizenship, you probably won't get a work permit.

 

[oxonbeef]

If you're not frightened of knocking on doors hit me up when you reach
I'll give you a job.
I live in Clapham and can see some of the most iconic buildings in the world from
my upstairs window.
5 minutes walk to Brixton the most fantastic, multicultural, vibrant towns in the world.
And I have traveled.

 

[jimbodmit]

 

[meathead1234]

 

[OldSalt]

If you're not frightened of knocking on doors hit me up when you reach
I'll give you a job.
I live in Clapham and can see some of the most iconic buildings in the world from
my upstairs window.
5 minutes walk to Brixton the most fantastic, multicultural, vibrant towns in the world.
And I have traveled.

*Googling Clapham and packing my bags - London here I come!* lol

Great of you to offer that to him OB...

 

[Leith]

 

[gundamwing]

If you're not frightened of knocking on doors hit me up when you reach
I'll give you a job.
I live in Clapham and can see some of the most iconic buildings in the world from
my upstairs window.
5 minutes walk to Brixton the most fantastic, multicultural, vibrant towns in the world.
And I have traveled.

London here I come knock knock !

 

[oxonbeef]

 

[browsing_hosts]

Just curious, how do you plan on even getting a work permit in the UK?, unless you already got your visa etc