How to search from far away
When I was looking for opportunities in the UK I was not living in or even near to the UK. I also did not have a large network to rely upon for connections. If you’re in a similar spot, the hunt can be long and frustrating, but that doesn’t have to mean it’s impossible. Let’s take a look at how to find a job in the UK when you’re searching from the US.
The best place to start before you start shooting off applications is a review of the applicable UK visas. Check out my blog post on visas here.
Searching for Skilled Work opportunities
Casting a wide net
If you meet the criteria for a Skilled Worker visa, it’s time to get researching. LinkedIn and Indeed are well used sites here for seeking out job openings. At first, it’s a good idea to cast a wide net and really get a feel for what kind of work is being advertised and what criteria are most often sought. This will also help you figure out how much demand there is for the type of work you perform.
Be honest with yourself in this process. I have more education than my husband, but he works in a tech field that is much easier to transfer internationally. I might have found a sponsored role in HR as well, but I knew his experience would likely mean a faster route. There is no shame in taking the dependent spouse visa! As it was, I found a job for myself within a month of starting my search here. I don’t need to be sponsored by my employer, which opened many more doors in the hunt.
Evaluate the skills required
Once you start to find job postings that fit your ability, take a careful look at what they are looking for and any barriers. Many companies will state explicitly in the job ad that they cannot offer sponsorship. If you see that, believe it and don’t waste your time applying. While it can be frustrating to see this in the ad, trust me when I say it’s even worse to get a recruiter call that is over in 5 minutes when they realize you need a sponsor.
Make yourself a list of job titles and skill requirements that you see most often. Reflect on your resume to make sure you are presenting yourself as much as possible as a match to what the employer requires. Remember that recruiters are looking for what fits their needs, not how impressive your career is!
Check Your Presentation
While application materials in the US and UK are not that very different, there are a few tweaks you can make to help you fit in.
- Paper size – Yes, I know that much of the recruitment process is online, but if anyone prints your resume you’d probably prefer it doesn’t look strange on the page. Change your page layout settings to A4 for an easy fix.
- Call it a CV – A resume is much more commonly used in America, while the UK it’s more often a CV. What you would include on a CV and the overall length will be very similar to what you would include on a resume, but it’s worth at a minimum changing the document title from “AnnSmithResume” to “AnnSmithCV”.
- Run a UK spell check – several common words are spelled differently here, so you may as well change them in your documents to match where you are applying.
I do not believe that these stylistic differences are enough to kick a strong candidate out of a recruitment pipeline, but it doesn’t hurt to show that you have at least a basic awareness of local expectations.
Track Your Outcomes
You may tell yourself that you’ll remember where you’ve applied and what happened to each application. Unless you are barely trying, you are going to find more opportunities than you can simply remember. A tracker doesn’t need to be a massive undertaking, but writing down in one place where you applied, the job title, the date applied and any responses from the Company will help prevent you from reapplying when the same job simply refreshes on LinkedIn.
Know Your Worth
It can be tempting to jump the second you get an opportunity that will fulfill your wish to move. Compensation discussions may burst that bubble quite quickly. Do as much research as you can to determine a fair salary for the work you’re being asked to perform and the cost of living for the area where the work is located. Keep in mind that, in general, salaries in the UK are often lower than in the larger US cities. However, cost of living (outside of London) may also be a lot less than where you are coming from.
In addition to your salary, you should be negotiating a relocation stipend to help cover the cost of moving. Don’t underestimate these costs, particularly if you have pets, children, or plan to bring a lot of personal belongings with you.
Be Patient
Applying for your next career move can be stressful under any circumstances. Add in a smaller network, a different time zone, and visa red tape. Now you’re talking about a lot of opportunity for stress and frustration. You are going to see a lot of rejections, even for roles you seem perfectly suited for. Remind yourself that it’s not a reflection on your personal value, take a deep breath, and try again.
