Which sectors have jobs?

Health
The NHS is recruiting from Europe, the US, New Zealand and Australia for doctors to come to the UK through an international fellowship scheme. Relocation packages and salaries up to £68k are being offered to consultants in areas where there are shortages. In particular, heart and lung surgeons, psychiatrists, radiologists, histopathologists are needed.

Nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech and language therapists are also highly sought after.

Transport
Freight drivers are in particular short supply – approximately 600,000 by 2010, and the industry expects to have a shortage of 30,000 drivers by 2004 at the current rate of recruitment. Railway drivers are often needed, especially in the North and Scotland.

Education
There are 5,000 vacancies for teachers in the UK, mainly in London and the south east, and the Government has been targeting graduates by offering a £6k training bonus and one-off payments of £4k. Local councils hire teachers rather than central government, but temporary teaching jobs are found through agencies.

Engineering and Construction
Engineers are highly sought after, both in construction and manufacturing. Electronics and aircraft engineers are especially popular. Employers include WS Atkins, Shell, the Kværner Group, Rolls Royce and BG Group.

Manufacturing
Electricians, fitters, process operators, and production workers are in high demand.

IT and Internet
Top of the IT wanted list are business analysts, network specialists, analyst programmers, software engineers and database specialists. While salaries for full-time staff in this sector are on the up, employers are reluctant to use contractors as widely as in recent years.

Retail
Retail is one of the biggest employers in the UK, and the sector hopes to recruit 100,000 new staff this year. Store managers in particular are often required. Big employers include supermarket chains Sainsburys, Tesco and Asda, along with high street outlets Comet, Argos, and Marks and Spencer.

Where are the jobs?

London

Financial services – this sector accounts for a third of London’s employment, and forecasters expect the sector to create 400,000 jobs by 2016.
Public services – teachers, nurses, doctors and administration staff.
IT, Internet and telecommunications – analysts, software engineers, programmers, testers and database administrators.
Retail and hospitality - chefs, management, housekeeping, service staff, cashiers, sales, buyers and logistics staff.
Manufacturing - electricians, fitters, process operators, and production workers.
South west, Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside, Wales and Scotland

Retail and hospitality – chefs, management, housekeeping, service staff, cashiers, sales, buyers and logistics staff.
IT, Internet and telecommunications – analysts, software engineers, programmers, testers and database administrators.
Public services – teachers, nurses, doctors and administration staff.
East, North west, North east and South east

Retail and hospitality - chefs, management, housekeeping, service staff, cashiers, sales, buyers and logistics staff.
IT, Internet and telecommunications – analysts, software engineers, programmers, testers, database administrators and support staff.
Public services – teachers, nurses, doctors and administration staff.
Manufacturing - electricians, fitters, process operators and production workers.
Check nationwide property prices, services and council tax costs here.

What salary can I earn?

The average UK salary, according to Barclays Bank, is £23,338. Salaries will vary depending on where you live, and many jobs in London will pay an allowance to compensate for the high cost of living, called a London weighting.

Salaries in England and Wales are highest in London, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire, while the smallest can be found in Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, Blaenau, Gwent and Torbay. However, while Londoners may earn twice as much as those in the poorer areas, property prices and the cost of living are much higher, so the financial pros can be offset by the cons.

What about red tape?

In 2000, 91,800 work permit holders and dependents were admitted into the UK. Work permits and various other schemes allow overseas jobseekers access to UK employment, and some are designed to encourage people to move to the UK to work in professions where there are skills shortages.

Visas

Visas (also called ‘entry clearance’) are required for various nationalities before entering the UK. Check with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to see what kind of visa you need.

Work Permits

There are different schemes for different nationalities and skill sets, but in general, you will need to have secured a job before you arrive in the UK. It is employers who apply for work permits; not employees or recruitment agencies. Your employer has to prove you are the right person for the job and you must continue working for that employer to stay in the UK. Visit the Government’s Work Permit web site for more information.

Highly Skilled Migrant scheme

This scheme was introduced at the end of January 2002, and allows those with exceptional skills or experience entry into the UK to look for work. For info on qualifying and applying, see the Highly Skilled Migrant web site.

For the full range of visa and permits, applications and leaflets, visit the Home Office’s Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND), or your local British embassy.

A survival kit for new employees

Tax

Most employees will pay tax through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system, which means an amount of money is deducted from your pay by your employer. But IT contractors and those doing freelance work are classed self-employed.

See our guide to taxation.

National Insurance

Every worker between 16 and retirement age must pay National Insurance (NI) contributions that will be deducted from your pay in the same way as tax.

You’ll need to apply for an NI number from your local benefits agency office as soon as you start work. In the meantime your temporary number will be your date of birth and your gender, ie TN220874F.

Applying for an NI number can be a lengthy process requiring an interview with identification such as passport, proof of address, a letter confirming you have work and pay slips. You will be given a card with your number on it which you’ll have for life and which acts as your account number which you should use when dealing with the Inland Revenue.

Find your local benefits agency.
For more information about National Insurance, see the Inland Revenue web site.

Bank accounts

Getting a bank account in the UK can be an arduous task if you’ve just arrived here. Get your own bank to set up an account with an affiliated bank in the UK, as this is much easier. Banks require proof of address (difficult if you don’t have a utility account or a permanent address), a referral letter from your home bank or UK employer, and will usually open an account with only the bare basics. You may have to be resident in the country for six months or more, before you can apply for a credit card or overdraft, depending on the bank.

Your employer can write you a letter of referral, recommending you as a customer to their bank, which usually covers the proof of address as well, but this does mean you don’t have much choice about who you bank with.

Finding somewhere to live

www.loot.com - the Bible of classified advertisements, includes ads for shared housing, flats and furniture.
www.thegumtree.com - shared accommodation listings for Antipodeans and South Africans, focusing mainly in London.
www.primelocation.com - advice on using lettings and estate agents, moving home and what to expect when trying to rent or buy a home. Has a database of agents and properties.

Advice for Commonwealth citizens

Each year, thousands of young Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and South Africans enter the UK armed with only a backpack and a passport. Many come for the chance to earn British pounds, travel in Europe and experience life in another country. They bring with them a wealth of skills needed in the UK, and shrewd young workers can pocket healthy pay packets.

What visas and work permits do I need?

There are two options open exclusively to Commonwealth citizens who want to work in the UK, in addition to the usual routes.

Working Holidaymaker’s Visa (WHV)

This scheme allows a Commonwealth citizen to work on a casual or part-time basis for up to two years. It restricts the amount of full-time work (over 25 hours a week) to half of your stay, and is intended to safeguard jobs for British and EU citizens by not allowing you to work in your chosen career field.

However, there are exceptions, such as agency nurses, supply teachers, nannies, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers, speech and language therapists, and vets, where there is a shortage of UK nationals working in these areas.

The scheme is under review, and new legislation is expected in April 2002. Some expect the visa to be slashed to one year, but others expect restrictions on working in chosen career fields to be lifted.

Many working holidaymakers take up short-term contract, part-time or temporary work.

To qualify for a WHV you must:

Be aged between 17 and 27.
Be single or married to a person who also qualifies as a working holidaymaker and you plan to take a holiday together.
Not have any dependent children who are aged five years or over, or who will be five before you complete your holiday.
Get a working holiday visa before coming to the UK.
Show that being on holiday, and not working, is the main reason for your visit.
Be able to support and accommodate yourself without public funds – you have to prove you have a certain amount of money, and the level is different for each nationality, but generally around £2k.
Be able to pay for your onward journey.
Plan to leave the UK at the end of your holiday.
UK Ancestry

If one of your grandparents was born in the UK you’re in luck – in 2000, 10,900 people were allowed to look for jobs and work in the country by claiming UK ancestry. Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born the UK can enter as long as they:

Are aged 17 or over.
Are able to work and plan to do so in the UK.
Can support and accommodate yourself and dependants without public funds.
Get a UK ancestry visa before you travel to the country.
No work permit is required, and the scheme allows candidates to stay and work for up to four years. After this scheme you can apply for permanent residency if you meet specific criteria.

For more information about immigration and work permits, see the Immigration and Nationality Directorate web site, or the British Information Service or High Commission in your country.
Australia - http://www.uk.emb.gov.au/
New Zealand - http://www.brithighcomm.org.nz
Canada - http://www.britainincanada.org/
South Africa - http://www.britain.org.za/

Where can I find a job?

These sectors are especially popular and many agencies are keen to take on those with WHVs:
Secretarial
Teaching
Health and Nursing
IT and Internet

www.seek.co.nz and www.seek.com.au are job sites based in Australia and New Zealand with job vacancies in the UK so you can arrange work before you come over, or just check out the job market.

TNT - free magazine for travellers in the UK with an emphasis on Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans. It can be found at news stands on street corners and tube stations every Monday and lists temporary jobs, live-in pub work, domestic work, and secretarial jobs.

SX – slimmer version of TNT and includes Canadians.

Other places you can find a job.

What’s it like to work in the UK?

Dave Lombard, 29, from South Africa, came to the UK nearly four years ago after leaving his job as managing partner of a restaurant. After a string of temporary jobs, including delivering rental cars, Dave is now technical assistant at an oil company in London, where he has worked for the last three years.

Dave arrived on a WHV, but when that expired, he applied successfully for a two-year training and work experience permit. Now that is due to expire, his employer is currently applying for a work permit to keep him in the UK.

‘I came to the UK for the same reason as most: to gain world experience, to travel, to break away before starting a ‘real’ life and career. Specifically the UK because it’s the only country that offers a WHV to South Africans,’ Dave explained.

Dave’s next move, after securing his work permit, is to get permanent residence, and eventually British citizenship and a passport. A British passport makes it much easier to travel and work in other countries, especially the European Union. ‘Once I’ve got the passport, I’ll weigh up my options – maybe head to Canada, Europe, even back to South Africa.’

On living and working in the UK, Dave said ‘It took a long time to settle in, and for the first six months or so it was quite a morbid and depressing experience. But I’m not a ‘giver-upper’. If I’d gone back to South Africa, I would’ve probably ended up with a waiting job. The UK is my home now.’

More advice on applying for jobs
Search for a job with hjobs
Register for jobs by email

by Kimberley Rothwell

23 April 2002