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WORKgateways UK e-newsletter

Monthly e-News for the UK Working Traveler

8th June 2004 Volume 2 Issue 3

WORKgateways e-newsletter is written for UK working travellers whether you are in the UK, impatiently awaiting your departure date or thinking about going in the future.. Scroll down to view this month's topics, articles and info.

Contents

Introductory Comments: nothing changes in good old London!

What’s New:

In the UK!Still in Australia/NZ/SA/Canada?

In Every Issue:

Visit http://www.workgateways.com/newsletter to browse past issues. *Last month we covered “A survivor's guide to dealing with UK Recruitment Agencies”!

Introductory Comments

Isn’t London amazing!?

After having lived in London for 3 years, this should come as no surprise to me. But, having just returned from one of my annual return visits to the great city, I realized how quickly I forget. The place is packed with energy, fun and excitement and I was blown away, yet again. No wonder we love it!

If your London trip is on the horizon, probably nothing can prepare you for what you are about experience (unless you currently live in another city like Tokyo or Hong Kong).

There is no doubt that everybody’s London experience is different.

Having seen, met and drank with 100s of Aussies, Kiwis and Springboks I know this is true. However I also know that we have all agreed on one thing: LONDON IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT!

The question is, ‘how do you make the most out of it’?

That is different for everyone. As for me, if I were to do it all again I would give a lot more thought to what I wanted out of life in general, before I landed in London. There are so many options: work options, play options, places to live and destinations to visit. That way, when I had one of the million decisions to make - I could be just a bit closer to the right path. Whether you are traveling en route to the UK or going direct, try to give some thought to the broader goals of your trip. Best places for planning and thinking: a quiet beach, atop a challenging mountain or failing that - Row 56 Seat D.

If you are living life London-style right now, rest assured you will suffer some withdrawal if and when you leave, but you will also appreciate stuff back home a hell of a lot more.

Now on with the good stuff - this month's e-newsletter has more updates on specific UK job industries as well as news from the world of WORKgateways.

Worried about finding work in the UK? Our feature article from Ash Waters’ and Eden Brown is success story which we just had to send out to you.

QA.

What’s New

Typically, May and June are excellent months to be looking for employment in the UK. The disruption of Easter holidays is over and many government budget decisions come down in April.

Further, never under estimate the power of Spring Fever in a northern climate. Everything gets a bit of a boost, including the job market!

Job Industry Updates

Architecture Jobs UK

Town Planning Jobs UK

Town Planning is still a powerhouse of recruitment activity. If you are a Town Planner – our partner recruitment agencies tell us that many great opportunities exist outside of London (so ignore all that ‘London hype’ in the ‘Introductory Comments’ section and think outside of the London box!). These rates of pay can be as high as the jobs in London! When weighing up your options, remember that the UK is not very big – if you need to get to London, it’s only a short journey away (20 mins to 2 hours). If it’s the real English experience you want - why not check out Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Sussex or Kent?

Engineering and Construction Jobs UK

It’s that time of year again: decisions on projects, budgets and therefore human resource requirements are anxiously being awaited by the recruitment world. Hang in there job-seekers!

When confirmation on budgets and projects breaks – the rush is on. All the more important to have your CV with the right agencies on our site and start building a good relationship with your recruitment consultant pre-trip and upon arrival.

We work hard to ensure we have the right agencies listed on WORKgateways – put them to work!

Trades, Building Services and Building Jobs UK

If you are a qualified Tradesperson or have experience in the building industry as an engineering professional – the job market is very bright indeed.

Teaching Jobs UK

Now is the time to start registering with suitable agencies if you are keen for teaching position starting in the new school year – September 2004. If you are a qualified teacher with experience - WORKgateways has some carefully selected agencies who are waiting to hear from you!

Legal Jobs UK

As hoped, 2004 has heralded an increase in opportunities. Legal secretaries, WP operators, legal clerks, administrators, paralegals and receptionists are in high demand. Legal experience is obviously a big advantage for all these positions and a requirement for most. If you have plans to go to the UK or are already in the UK – apply now!

Social Work Jobs UK

Qualified Social Workers: If you have a degree in Social Work apply.

Accounting and Finance Jobs UK

Other Jobs UK

Focus

In the UK!

Treading Water in the UK? Not Likely. A True Story...

We love to hear Traveller’s Tales and this is no exception.

WORKgateways is proud to publish this true account of;

  1. Why you should consider going to the UK to work
  2. Why you should get the ball rolling before leaving home and
  3. How the UK job search process can and should work for everyone.

Thanks to Ash Waters and Eden Brown Recruitment for this story.

Treading Waters in London? Not likely – It’s Fast Cash for Ash!

Ash is a Traffic Engineer with 4 years experience in Local Authorities in Australia. He had decided to travel and work in London for a several reasons. “There were three main reasons for me coming across to the UK. Primarily, there is the opportunity to travel. The chance to be able to finish work on a Friday afternoon, jump on a train to Heathrow and be on the continent within 3 hours was obviously tempting. Equally appealing are the nearby city options within a couple of hours from London.”

“Secondly, there is the work experience that can be gained in England. I was unsuccessful in gaining a promotion before I left Australia largely due to the limit of my professional experience. I hoped to expand upon that in the UK.”

“Finally, the financial aspect of working in England. I hoped to be able to afford to travel around Europe and at the same time save some money to be able to put down a deposit on a house once I am ready to return home.”

So, in early March of this year Ash was sitting in the tropical heat of Thailand, sipping a cold beer, his only real worry was his impending arrival in London and the need for a job. “I’d been travelling for a while and the cash reserves had started running a bit lower than I’d have liked. I decided to contact WORKgateways and was impressed. Particular features that were of great help included the synopsis of the Recruitment Consultancies that should be able to help me when I arrived in the UK and the jobs currently available in London.”

Ash registered with WORKgateways, submitting his CV on-line. He then continued trawling through his junk mail with little further thought to his job search. He was pretty surprised by the rapid response he got. “I sent the e-mail across at about 11.00pm. By 11.30pm I had received a reply from 3 consultants at various UK agencies. I felt a bit like kicking myself because I really could have got my CV across a few weeks beforehand and progressed to getting interviews sorted out at an earlier stage!”

It turned out not to be a problem. Following the e-mail replies, Ash also received a number of telephone calls from London and arranged to meet with a couple of the consultants that had received his CV. Among them was Eden Brown Recruitment who he arranged to meet with on Wednesday 17 March. Ash arrived in the UK on the Tuesday and was greeted by a phone call almost immediately. “Eden Brown had already secured me a couple of interviews in central London. This was a great relief as I was really unsure how long I’d be out of work for.”

Ash’s first interview was at a South London Borough on Thursday 18 March. “As soon as I went into the office I knew that this was somewhere I could work. When Eden Brown came back to me with a decent offer, I decided to accept it straight away. I then started on the following Tuesday.”

Ash was really impressed with the service that Eden Brown offered. “Once I had spoken to the guys at Eden Brown, rather than sit back and wait until they had interviewed me, they started looking around straight away. To be honest, I was keen to get started in a role as soon as possible. To be able to land in London on a Monday and have a job secured by the Thursday was fantastic. Among other things it allowed to me to celebrate in style on the Friday night.”

Probably the most telling sign of Ash’s first 2 months in the UK is his view of his future over the next couple of years. “Before I had arrived, I had already booked in a return to home to attend a wedding in June. Depending on how things had gone in London, I was unsure whether I would be returning. I now know that I’ll be using my 2 year working visa fully.”

Still in Australia/NZ/SA/Canada

WORKgateways loves new and better options and this new ‘accommodation option’ is just what the working traveler needed! Read on…

LOOKING FOR ACCOMMODATION IN LONDON?

Are you dreading looking for accommodation in London? Not sure where to live, how much to pay, hesitant to commit to a 6 month lease before you have a job? Accommodation London has the solution for you. (We did not get paid to write this - having tried all the other options personally - we just think its great!)

This ‘new generation’ London accommodation provider offers all types of short term accommodation for all types of budgets. All rooms have private or shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Prices (for shorter term stays of less than three months) are:

  • Private studio apartments with ensuite from £19 per person per night (Double/Twin/Triple)
  • Private Rooms from £18 per person per night (Double/Twin/Triple/Quad)
  • Deluxe Dorm Studios from £20 per person per night
  • Hostel Dorm Rooms from £10 per night

Private or shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.

All properties are modern, clean and close to public transport.

Located in Zone 2, Willesden Green - only a 15 minute Tube ride from central London.

Available for rental from 4 days to 2 months (deposit/bond varies with length of stay).

View rooms and book on-line! Visit http://www.accommodationlondon.net/ or phone +44 (0)208 459 6203.

In Every Issue:

Stuff you might like:

Visit our Links section, we have carefully selected sites you will find useful.

Your Say: email your say to jane.stewart@workgateways.com

Do you have questions, comments; is there anything you'd like to see addressed in WORKgateways e-newsletter? Please email with any comments.

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