Finding a job

Where to look for jobs in Britain

Finding a job

 There are many ways to look for a job in the UK, we have listed the most relevant below.

Internet: Right now the online market is the most popular way to apply for work, especially among younger people and graduates. Online recruitment websites allow you to search according to your criteria, such as sector, salary and region. You can also post your CV on websites so that companies looking for specific skills can find you. The most used are Indeed.co.uk  and GumTree .

Newspapers & Magazines: Broadsheets such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Independent and The Guardian all have job offers, mainly for executives and professionals, as well as sections dedicated to specific professions, i.e. teaching, computers, media. In London, check out the Evening Standard (mainly for business and secretarial positions), Metro and Loot for lower level jobs.

Recruitment agencies: Most agencies specialize in a particular field such as computers, nursing, secretarial work, accounting, catering, construction, and so on. There are also “Head hunting” agencies which are hired by big companies to recruit executives, managers or professionals. Others deal solely with temporary staff (temps), and can find you work in an office or as a babysitter, cook, gardener, security guard or any other type of job. To find an agency you can either look in the "employment agencies" section of the yellow pages or go to www.rec.uk.com  for a list of agencies and their specialist fields.

Career fairs: A good place to get started is to visit a career fair. Fairs usually have a range of employers and concentrate on a specific sector. Usually you apply by sending in your CV and employers decide who they want to meet in advance. As well as getting general information on employment perspectives in different companies, it is often possible to arrange interviews.

Speculative applications: If a specific company is of interest you can send a speculative application. Applications are retained and checked against positions as they become available in some companies.

Jobcentres: They can be found in every town and focus mainly in jobs for the non-professional. They usually have databases of local, national and European vacancies  and know about local employers and their needs. Their advisers can help you with all aspects of finding work. They normally have newspapers, books, leaflets and Internet access to support you in your job search

Networking: Sometimes getting a job is about knowing the right people or being in the right place at the right time. You could join an expats club or attend social gatherings where you think you could meet people that are well connected. Just mingle as much as you can and make sure you let everybody know you are looking for employment.

For up-to-date tips on CVs, job applications and interviews, visit our website on expat employment, ExpatJobMarket.com . You may also find useful information on your UK job search on our website for expat recruiters and international HR professionals, ExpatRecruiter.com .

Further reading

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