The United Kingdom welcomes new migrants with valuable skills and qualifications, however searching for employment will be a challenge. It is important to be realistic and understand that you may not be able to find your 'dream job' straight away.
It is never easy searching for a job from overseas. Here is a summary of the do's and don'ts for overseas jobseekers in the United Kingdom employment market place.
- Do visit the various UK job websites BEFORE deciding to emigrate to familiarise yourself with the job opportunities in your field.
- Do start applying for advertised job vacancies from overseas.
- Do send a “cold” letter of application and C.V. to EVERY potential employer and recruitment agent in the city/region of the UK you intend settling in to let them know that you are available. Use www.yellowpages.co.uk to locate details.
- Do prepare your C.V. in the UK style and write a short but clear covering letter confirming that you have been granted visas (or that you have been assessed as eligible and are in the visa application process).
- Do provide a UK postal address and UK mobile phone/email address in your C.V. where possible.
- Do make a positive impression in the interview, be flexible and have copies of your residence visas and references available for employers to sight.
- Don't apply for job vacancies OR visit the UK for job interviews more than 1 - 12 weeks away from a possible start date. Employers will not be interested.
- Don't expect everything to work like home. Be flexible and willing to fit in with local ways of doing things.
- Don't expect a job at the same level or higher than you had overseas. You may lack UK local knowledge and may need to take a step back in order to advance later.
- Don't expect a job offer in the first week.
- Don't “over negotiate” the contract with your first employer. Be flexible and understand that employment law and contract terms may be different in the UK.
