As a new arrival not just in the Futureheads Technical team, but also to London, I understand how big the move can feel. I’ve moved within the EU for work twice now – once to Barcelona and recently to London, so without further ado – here’s what you need to know:
It might be scary, but living abroad is worth the risk
Moving abroad is always a big step, even for the most adventurous. Many times you might feel like your heart is in your throat whenever you think about making the decision to move. Maybe it isn’t possible or maybe you’ll fail.
However, I totally encourage you to give it a shot, even if the results of your decision don’t end up as good as you had hoped. At least you tried, and as they say: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!
Know what you want – don’t just take the first thing you’re offered
When you finally decide to move, you should have a clear idea of what your objectives and priorities are. Many times you want to push things forward too fast because life here is not cheap or because you desperately need a change. Basically, you want to work ASAP.
Whatever the reason is, take a deep breath and think about what really interests you. You think you can’t be picky? Be picky! With common sense of course, but only finding something that’s really of interest to you will ensure that you enjoy your time here.
Companies really appreciate people who know what they want and what their career goals are.
Prepare your CV for the UK market
You can visit The National Career Service website, where they show you how to build your CV or just simply Google it. (I Google everything and it always works for me.) You can find a lot of websites and blogs where they can show you how to write an ideal CV. We’re living in the 21st century, so you don’t have any excuse for being unprepared!
Remember that if your CV ends up in the hands of a recruitment agency, they will often offer you advice on how to make it more appropriate for the current market. But if your CV goes directly to the company, many times it can be lost between hundreds of candidates that are looking for the same job as you.
Think about the big picture. – Yes, London is a massive city, with a lot of offers, but also with high demand. You need to stand out from the crowd and make yourself visible, and the first way to show it is with your CV.
LinkedIn is more than a job board
Another important tool nowadays is LinkedIn, which can also act as your CV. But don’t limit yourself by using it only with this purpose. LinkedIn is like a big bag of opportunities waiting for you – and it’s free! You can apply for plenty of job offers from small to big companies. I found my job at Futureheads this way.
You can also connect with people from the HR department from the companies of your interest. When have you ever had such a direct path to your dreams? I would say never, so use it! Additionally, if you don’t know anything about the current market, salaries or cost of living, you have a plenty of groups of professionals who I’m sure will be able to help, the only thing you need to do is ask.
And just remember: A new start won’t be easy, but the experience you gain from it cannot be taken away from you. If nothing else, it will be a great adventure.
A talented tri-linguist, Magda has migrated to London via Poland and Spain where she studied Psychology and launched her Tech recruitment career. She’s new to London and passionate about helping others further their careers in QA Testing and Back End Development.