How to make the big leap

dmcg90

Hi there,

I'm a 22 year old marketer in Galway. I finished my masters degree at 21 in August and since then I've been working as a Digital Marketing Manager for a local company. Recently I've just experienced all my friends leaving, I've had some very bad experiences here and I just want a clean start. I sat in a cafe in London at 15 and said I wanted to be a marketer and work in London, well I'm halfway there!

I don't have much savings or a family to fall back on for financial support or a place to stay. I know people over there but I don't know if I could put them out by asking them to stay while I look for a job. I have a relatively good paying job here and I'm starting to save as of today but I realise that I can't leave it until I have something concrete sorted in London. I suppose I'd need about at least £3k in savings to move and search but I'm nowhere near that.

How do you start looking for a job? Something I'm fearful of is that my location will stand against me, that I'd need about 5 weeks notice to start. What should I do?

Dr.Sanchez

I moved over with no money in my account... It's an hour away, not another planet!

dmcg90

Dr.Sanchez wrote: »

I moved over with no money in my account... It's an hour away, not another planet!

Did you stay with friends and look for a job or have one lined up?

Dr.Sanchez

Came over with the intention of going to university as a mature student and walked into a bar job when I got here. Thats what I'm doing now... If you keep a broad/open mind and approach it as "no job is underneath you" then you'll be grand.

Can easily pick up some ****ty bar job or the likes until you land yourself a good paying marketing job.

djpbarry

dmcg90 wrote: »

What should I do?

Have a read of this thread - it'll answer most of your questions:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056364193

frag420

I came over for a week in November to meet recruiters. The feedback was good so on my return home I booked a one way ticket and arrived two weeks ago. My advice is start prepping, calling recruiters and take a weeks hols and come over, meet them, get a feel for the city. Then pick a date and save. There is l

frag420

I came over for a week in November to meet recruiters. The feedback was good so on my return home I booked a one way ticket and arrived two weeks ago. My advice is start prepping, calling recruiters and take a weeks hols and come over, meet them, get a feel for the city. Then pick a date and save. There is loads of work in digital here. Play the game wise and you will be fine. Any questions pm me and il help if I can.

frAg

dmcg90

frag420 wrote: »

I came over for a week in November to meet recruiters. The feedback was good so on my return home I booked a one way ticket and arrived two weeks ago. My advice is start prepping, calling recruiters and take a weeks hols and come over, meet them, get a feel for the city. Then pick a date and save. There is loads of work in digital here. Play the game wise and you will be fine. Any questions pm me and il help if I can.

frAg

The scary thing is I don't have a lot of savings and I'm pretty reliant on my job here to keep me going.

Woolly_Jumper

I moved here with pretty much no savings either (You would maybe need a few hundred for travel, food, a deposit for room), use a friends address to apply for jobs/speak to agencies. With friends over here, I find that people are really happy to help you out to get set up. Personally I would be delighted if one of my friends wanted to move over and crash with me till they were sorted. Also even with people that are not really good friends - people always shock with how generous and supportive they can be! For finding a place to live, on gum tree you can find loads of places that have no min let so you can just move into a room till your sorted. Also as Dr.Sanchez said you can just find a bar/retail job to keep you in a few bob till you find something else...Do it!

dmcg90

Scary. After my experience of trying to find a bar/shop/hotel job in Galway (nigh on impossible) is London any easier? Would my qualifications go against me?

Playboy

Barmen/barwomen in London are some of the worst I have ever come across. You should be fine if you are willing to work. The quality and speed of service is generally nowhere near that of Ireland. It's probably down to the fact that lots of foreign students and the like do it as a part time job.

BrokenArrows

If you dont have the savings to spend a bit of time out of a job in london then try and get a job before you move over.

You might be able to talk employers into a phone/video interview. At least for the first round. If you get past that stage you can fly over for subsequent interviews.

dmcg90

BrokenArrows wrote: »

If you dont have the savings to spend a bit of time out of a job in london then try and get a job before you move over.

You might be able to talk employers into a phone/video interview. At least for the first round. If you get past that stage you can fly over for subsequent interviews.

Thats what I want, but I assume its hard to do.

BrokenArrows

dmcg90 wrote: »

Thats what I want, but I assume its hard to do.

I got my job without meeting employers in person before moving over. They actually suggested the video interview.

dmcg90

BrokenArrows wrote: »

I got my job without meeting employers in person before moving over. They actually suggested the video interview.

Cool!

Reekwind

dmcg90 wrote: »

Thats what I want, but I assume its hard to do.

Not really. First-round interviews in most sizeable companies (or at least digitally savvy ones) will be be via phone or video. These days the worst case scenario is that you have to jump on a plane for a final interview or assessment centre. And of course you can apply for almost any salaried job online

seanp86

Take the plunge and just go for it. I first came over for a 2 week period like others are suggesting and met with recruiters etc, got a job farly quickly from this. Its best to do a good bit of research and make contacts with recruiters before you come over and try have some meetings arranged. I used the sail and rail option while I was over and back at that stage, its really good value. In terms of looking for somewhere to live try www.spareroom.co.uk really good for house shares etc.

Its daunting at first but there are so many opportunities in London I couldnt encourage people enough to come over!

Jamey

Is it possible for you to move home for a few weeks?

Im similar to your age and also just finished my Masters and I'm making the move to London in a weeks without a job. I've saved so much since I moved out of my flat in Galway and moved home. Granted the last few weeks have been boring as hell and I don't remember the last time I've seen someone my own age but you'll be surprised at how much you'll save if you don't have to pay rent/fend for yourself for a couple of months.

I know this isn't possible for everyone but if there's any chance you can do it, you'll be set up nicely for making the move financially..

old hippy

Playboy wrote: »

Barmen/barwomen in London are some of the worst I have ever come across. You should be fine if you are willing to work. The quality and speed of service is generally nowhere near that of Ireland. It's probably down to the fact that lots of foreign students and the like do it as a part time job.

LOL; the irony is killing me. If the OP, a "foreigner" to the UK is coming over to live here and willing to do barwork as part time or temporary, would that be any different. Or are the other temps and part timers the "wrong kind of foreigners"? :D

Best of luck to the OP. It may seem scary but it's not. You'll be fine.

Playboy

old hippy wrote: »

LOL; the irony is killing me. If the OP, a "foreigner" to the UK is coming over to live here and willing to do barwork as part time or temporary, would that be any different. Or are the other temps and part timers the "wrong kind of foreigners"? :D

Don't think you understand the definition of irony or you haven't understood what I said.

There a huge amount of foreign students with no formal bar training working in London. I didn't exclude Irish from that definition. My point was in relation to the fact that the standard isn't very high because of this so he shouldn't find it difficult to pick up work in that field.

You seem to have a bee in your bonnet about Irish and foreigners as you mentioned in the other thread too. If you have a point to make then come out and make it. Plenty of Irish don't see themselves as foreigners in the UK due to the close ties both countries have had in the past and still have. Ireland has been part of the UK in modern history for longer than it hasn't and we share the same language and similar culture. It's slightly different from an international student from Colombia who is here for 6 months to study. Do you think Scottish are foreigners too or are they ok until they get independence? I have an Irish, a US and a UK passport... is it ok for me to talk about foreigners or is it restricted to my country of birth or the county where I spent the most years?

seachto7

35 year old digital marketer with languages hoping to get to London.I am trying to secure a job from Ireland so hopefully will be successful.I dont know how much notice I would need to settle in or find accommodation....

frag420

Hey Seachto7,

If I were you I would get on to a few agencies over here abs maybe come over meet them over a few days. Makes it easier for them to get you in front of their clients having met you. My mate works in same industry as you and used cv library. Co. UK
he got sorted rather quick last summer!!

Don't forget your surfboards!!

frAg

djpbarry

Playboy wrote: »

There a huge amount of foreign students with no formal bar training working in London.

I find that most bar staff in London have apparently little to no training or experience, whether they're foreign or native.

seachto7

frag420 wrote: »

Hey Seachto7,

If I were you I would get on to a few agencies over here abs maybe come over meet them over a few days. Makes it easier for them to get you in front of their clients having met you. My mate works in same industry as you and used cv library. Co. UK
he got sorted rather quick last summer!!

Don't forget your surfboards!!

frAg

Ill have to jack in the surfing for a while.I already had some chats with agencies and have a phone interview coming up.Will meet a few tomorrow as well.My main concern is finding a place to live in time...

Fysh

djpbarry wrote: »

I find that most bar staff in London have apparently little to no training or experience, whether they're foreign or native.

Yeah, the number of times I've been in a bar and had the staff look terrified when asked for a hot toddy is frankly pathetic. I think it's at least partly down to the churn, though

djpbarry

Fysh wrote: »

I think it's at least partly down to the churn, though

Definitely - it's just not viewed as a serious job here. Well, in London at least - proper landlords/ladies seem to be in short supply. There are permanent staff in one of my locals, which is great, but it seems to be much more common outside London.

ChRoMe

djpbarry wrote: »

Definitely - it's just not viewed as a serious job here. Well, in London at least - proper landlords/ladies seem to be in short supply. There are permanent staff in one of my locals, which is great, but it seems to be much more common outside London.

Its down to how the industry is structured here, they are all franchise leases.

Dr.Sanchez

True, I work in a bar in heathrow and the staff there are absolutely appalling. Can't even pull two pints at once or take more than one order at a time.

old hippy

Playboy wrote: »

Don't think you understand the definition of irony or you haven't understood what I said.

There a huge amount of foreign students with no formal bar training working in London. I didn't exclude Irish from that definition. My point was in relation to the fact that the standard isn't very high because of this so he shouldn't find it difficult to pick up work in that field.

You seem to have a bee in your bonnet about Irish and foreigners as you mentioned in the other thread too. If you have a point to make then come out and make it. Plenty of Irish don't see themselves as foreigners in the UK due to the close ties both countries have had in the past and still have. Ireland has been part of the UK in modern history for longer than it hasn't and we share the same language and similar culture. It's slightly different from an international student from Colombia who is here for 6 months to study. Do you think Scottish are foreigners too or are they ok until they get independence? I have an Irish, a US and a UK passport... is it ok for me to talk about foreigners or is it restricted to my country of birth or the county where I spent the most years?

I have no bee in my bonnet, whatever that means. Much as I love London, I am a foreigner here. Being Irish and all. As for the Scots; some see themselves as fiercely independent already. Some don't.

Anyway, I agree that the standard is not up to the standards we are used to. But most here don't see the bar trade as a career and decent staff are hard to find, British, Irish or otherwise. Which is why I always return to pubs where the staff are up to the gig.

Which reminds me, a mate was visiting once and when the girl poured him a Guinness in one go, without time to settle - he said to her that if she did that back home, she'd be out on her ear. She told him "you're in London, now". Not the answer one expects

frag420

seachto7 wrote: »

Ill have to jack in the surfing for a while.I already had some chats with agencies and have a phone interview coming up.Will meet a few tomorrow as well.My main concern is finding a place to live in time...

Are you in London already? Il be looking for a place in a few weeks once I sign contract and start working if youre looming around then? As for surfing I believe there are a good few here in London. I'm going to buy new gear and try and get away every few weekends. Il leave the old gear home in bundy for trips home.

enda1

The thing that annoys me the most is how when they pour the pints and put them in front of you, they then insist upon going back to the till (just take my 20! now) to tot up the total and then come back to you to take your money and then go to the till to put it in (maybe having to queue one of these or both of these times) then having to change your money and come back to give you change.

Stupid and inefficient.

old hippy

enda1 wrote: »

The thing that annoys me the most is how when they pour the pints and put them in front of you, they then insist upon going back to the till (just take my 20! now) to tot up the total and then come back to you to take your money and then go to the till to put it in (maybe having to queue one of these or both of these times) then having to change your money and come back to give you change.

Stupid and inefficient.

Clearly, we need more Irish pubs in London. Maybe a whole chain of them, to show them how it's done. What's that you say? O'Neil's? Oh...:(

djpbarry

old hippy wrote: »

Which reminds me, a mate was visiting once and when the girl poured him a Guinness in one go, without time to settle - he said to her that if she did that back home, she'd be out on her ear. She told him "you're in London, now". Not the answer one expects

To be honest, it’s the answer I’d give to anyone who told me how I should be doing my job.

The nonsense surrounding Guinness annoys the hell out of me – it’s just a bog-standard stout, but in Ireland we’ve convinced ourselves that it has some sort of mystical property.

djpbarry

enda1 wrote: »

The thing that annoys me the most is how when they pour the pints and put them in front of you, they then insist upon going back to the till (just take my 20! now) to tot up the total and then come back to you to take your money and then go to the till to put it in (maybe having to queue one of these or both of these times) then having to change your money and come back to give you change.

That is annoying, but again it just comes down to inexperience and lack of confidence. The barman in my local here will tot up the prices in his head without the need of a till.

enda1

old hippy wrote: »

Clearly, we need more Irish pubs in London. Maybe a whole chain of them, to show them how it's done. What's that you say? O'Neil's? Oh...:(

Jesus, you really are just black and white aren't you.

old hippy

enda1 wrote: »

Jesus, you really are just black and white aren't you.

Nobody's called me Jesus since I ditched the long hair. Ah, memories.

Playboy

old hippy wrote: »

I have no bee in my bonnet, whatever that means. Much as I love London, I am a foreigner here. Being Irish and all. As for the Scots; some see themselves as fiercely independent already. Some don't.

Anyway, I agree that the standard is not up to the standards we are used to. But most here don't see the bar trade as a career and decent staff are hard to find, British, Irish or otherwise. Which is why I always return to pubs where the staff are up to the gig.

Which reminds me, a mate was visiting once and when the girl poured him a Guinness in one go, without time to settle - he said to her that if she did that back home, she'd be out on her ear. She told him "you're in London, now". Not the answer one expects

Well you seem very concerned for some reason about Irish people who talk about foreigners... You have mentioned it multiple times in 2 different threads. I'm not sure what kind of Irish you come across who seem to be overconfident and talking loudly in public places about foreigners and thinking they own the place! Many Irish who live here have been here for many years and consider themselves Londoners... If they want to moan about tourists crowding escalators or foreign students working in bar then they have every right to. It's nothing for you to be embarrassed about...

Playboy

old hippy wrote: »

Clearly, we need more Irish pubs in London. Maybe a whole chain of them, to show them how it's done. What's that you say? O'Neil's? Oh...:(

I don't get it? We can't complain about the Bar staff in london because there is a plastic irish pub chain?

old hippy

Playboy wrote: »

Well you seem very concerned for some reason about Irish people who talk about foreigners... You have mentioned it multiple times in 2 different threads. I'm not sure what kind of Irish you come across who seem to be overconfident and talking loudly in public places about foreigners and thinking they own the place! Many Irish who live here have been here for many years and consider themselves Londoners... If they want to moan about tourists crowding escalators or foreign students working in bar then they have every right to. It's nothing for you to be embarrassed about...

I was over egging the confident young bucks and their ways; it doesn't bother me that much :rolleyes:

As for the new Irish who come here saying "jayis, the amount of foreigners etc" - wouldn't anyone cringe at that?

old hippy

Playboy wrote: »

I don't get it? We can't complain about the Bar staff in london because there is a plastic irish pub chain?

Of course you can complain about them, just don't complain when I complain about people complaining about foreigners/bar staff/bad pints/people complaining etc etc ad nauseum....

ballsymchugh

djpbarry wrote: »

To be honest, it’s the answer I’d give to anyone who told me how I should be doing my job.

The nonsense surrounding Guinness annoys the hell out of me – it’s just a bog-standard stout, but in Ireland we’ve convinced ourselves that it has some sort of mystical property.

sssssshhhhhh... the marketeers at diageo have convinced many more than just the irish about that, judging by the crowd of gullible people leaving dublin airport on an average sunday evening with their guinness storehouse bags..

Playboy

old hippy wrote: »

I was over egging the confident young bucks and their ways; it doesn't bother me that much :rolleyes:

As for the new Irish who come here saying "jayis, the amount of foreigners etc" - wouldn't anyone cringe at that?

tbh I find your whole attitude completely condescending. Are you sure these folk who behave like this aren't just in your head?

old hippy wrote: »

Of course you can complain about them, just don't complain when I complain about people complaining about foreigners/bar staff/bad pints/people complaining etc etc ad nauseum....

You can complain about whoever who you want... I just dont understand the connection you are making. Enda complained about some bar staff and your response was in regard to Irish pubs in London? Are you suggesting that because he wasn't born in London he has no right to complain about the bar staff or are you saying because there is a **** Irish pub chain in London then as an Irish person he has no right to complain?

Also I don't think anyone was complaining about foreigners... I made an observation that bars are staffed by large amounts of foreign students with no formal bar training so the quality of service is generally poor. London is a transient city where millions of people come and go and because of this the services are staffed by a lot of part timers who are only here for a short period of time. This in contrast to other cities where you have a more professional and longer serving bar and waiting staff... it has nothing to do with xenophobia.

Fysh

Lads & ladies, stop the squabbling. Nobody cares and the thread's going substantially off-topic.

old hippy

To all those thinking about coming over to London; please don't be put off by what you've read here. It's not all bad and there's much to do and plenty of choice. Also, it's not that big a leap - an hour on the plane.

I wish you well in your endeavours and raise a (bad?) pint of stout to you.

Dr.Sanchez

old hippy wrote: »

To all those thinking about coming over to London; please don't be put off by what you've read here. It's not all bad and there's much to do and plenty of choice. Also, it's not that big a leap - an hour on the plane.

I wish you well in your endeavours and raise a (bad?) pint of stout to you.

Unless you happen to be flying into heathrow, then come see me and I'll pull you a proper one!!

seachto7

frag420 wrote: »

Are you in London already? Il be looking for a place in a few weeks once I sign contract and start working if youre looming around then? As for surfing I believe there are a good few here in London. I'm going to buy new gear and try and get away every few weekends. Il leave the old gear home in bundy for trips home.

Just back. Have a follow up skype interview tomorrow so things look promising. I have no idea where to even start when it comes to looking for a place to live. House? Apartment? Share with guys? Share with gals? Gah!!! I have a place to crash for a month if needed, but would be nice to get settled in somewhere if I secure a job...
I need to bring my guitars here!!!

frag420

Yeah I hear that. I Should have contract signed tomorrow or wed. I'm going to try move in with a few people guys/gals as its good to meet new people over here. Preferably a house. Let me know how Skype interview goes.

seachto7

I will do. What area are you hoping to move to? (Where will you be working?)

frag420

Il be working in wapping. Hoping to find a place near angel/islington/Camden/shoreditch areas as very handy for gigs and good pubs!!

seachto7

Stayed in Angel/Islington the weekend. Nice part of London. Would be nice to end up there too, as I have some mates living up in Hackney direction.