It's been almost a year since we've moved to London.
Wait .. a year??
Whoever said time flies, THEY MEANT IT.
As we're finishing up our degrees and things,
the real grit of why we moved here is surfacing more and more.
And that reason is to stay here for good.
It may be needless to say, but as an immigrant, it's pretty difficult to secure yourself here.
The next four months are crucial, and also completely up in the air.
I've had a plan and process of how I was to go about this,
and if anyone else is in, or will be in, the same situation in the future,
I'm hoping this may help a bit.
Finding Work - Any Work
With the visa that I am under right now, which is a Tier 4 Student,
there are guidelines about work.
You are allowed to work a certain amount of hours a week for a certain amount of pay.
It's not much, but it's enough to keep you afloat finance-wise.
In order to maintain a steady income, finding the right job that could be flexible around my studies was key.
I did a pretty big search for job vacancies on multiple different sites.
There are multiple different outlets you can use, and a great example to take a look at is City Calling.
This is one of my favorite, as it's both easy and convenient, and they are really great about matching you with the jobs that fit what you are looking for - check them out here!
Internships - Experience - ANYTHING
This has been the most important part of my time here.
Finding internships is incredible and beneficial for so many reasons.
Work experience builds up your CV, shows you've got some time in the UK business world behind you,
and on top of this, it's connections - and we all know the only thing that matters these days are who you know...
I've been doing this for both pay and voluntary - it's crucial to get out there and work around the areas that you want your career in.
And if you can make this happen interlinked with the first step of getting an income - GO YOU!
Two birds with one stone, more time for one job rather than less time balancing two.
There's not much more you can ask for.
Apply Apply Apply
This is where I am now.
I'm still working towards internships and work experience,
but I'm moving into needing to look and apply for full-time, salaried positions - which is both exciting and absolutely terrifying.
My advice - attack everything and everyone.
I know myself and what I'm capable of, and the confidence I have in what I can do is great.
In order to secure a job here as an expat, one guideline with a visa is that you have to be a better worker than a UK citizen.
And I am 110% percent sure that I would be the best addition to any company here - and I make that known.
It's tough, but knowing what you are working toward makes it more motivating than ever.
Talk to everyone you meet, every company you find, every job you see open.
For the 250 ignored emails, rejected applications, and failed interviews,
you may just get 1 offer.
But that one job offer - that's exactly what I came for.
Moving abroad, getting your dream career, backpacking the world, whatever it may be;
ultimately doing what you want - it's hard work
It will be the hardest thing you ever do in your life.
But it's those things that seem near impossible that become not only a literal dream come true,
but the most amazing, thrilling, insane and unpredictable ride you could EVER imagine.