I’m a 30 year female in IT sales in Canada and have been debating moving to the UK. I’ve been toiling with this idea for some time and have found a few jobs postings in my industry. Some of the positions have been opened for a few months. I applied for a 2 year visa and am waiting for the decision. My questions are the following.
1. How is the overall experience in the IT channel? How is the job market and salary in the UK (London specifically)?
2. What is the work/life balance like? I’m from Toronto and I pretty much work 12-14 hours a day. What is the standard vacation days?
3. Is London as easy place to make friends? I have some family in Scotland, but for the most part it is just me.
11 comments
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Watch some videos from “Adventures and Naps” on youtube.
Pay is good in London but cost of living (food/rent) is high. Kinda comparable to downtown Toronto. Outskirts and suburbs are still expensive (again like Toronto).
Probably more days of paid holiday generally than in Canada (25-35 is typical). Working days vary with the job. Typically 35-45 hours per week although 60+ isn’t uncommon for some jobs/people.
Making friends is easy enough if you make the effort, have some hobbies and enjoy being social. There’s plenty of meet up groups which are useful for getting started.
1. Don’t know about sales. Generally IT is a fairly strong industry here, but salaries are much less than US.
2. 9-12 hrs is typical in my experience, but I don’t know about sales.
3. No.
You might need a sponsor, or plenty of cash to support yourself, not too sure, what you selling, IBM mainframes?
If you like everyone rushing about like they’re on ‘phet, filthy streets and wannabe roadmen everywhere, London is your bag.
1. IT is good everywhere in the UK,, at least around the cities. I just a bit away from a city and finding it a little hard as my kids reduce my ability to commute right now. But I WFH for an MSP and it’s easy.
2. Hours range from 8 hours to maybe 12 hours if you’re pushed. Standard holidays are 28 days including Christmas, new years and bank holidays. I’m on 31 I think. Never work weekends and evenings not often and usually when i do it’s a quick task on my remotely working on a server for an hour or something
3. Conscidered going to Scotland? London has a rep in the UK for being unfriendly, I think a loit of the larger cities around the world have a rep like that. Edinburgh and Glasgow around the central belt has plenty of IT oppertinities and is much cheaper to live than the high living cost of London. Aberdeen and Dundee are particularly good too though Aberdeen’s oil money is very shaky at the minute but IT tends to do well regardless of the circumstances it seems. Would recommend a lot of places over London.
I work in IT, from the brief looking I’ve done it’s rather easy to get employed, IT workers are always in high demand, especially if you have any sort of experience. Friend of mine who also works in the industry said he uploaded his CV to one of those job finder jobs and gets job offers regularly.
lol say goodbye to 12-14 hour days, standard working hours are 7 hours a day with an hour lunch. 28 days holiday usually
Super easy to meet people in London, so much going on, it’s expensive but the salary should match it.
Don’t. The industry is much better in NA.
London is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. You’d be fine in any other UK city, but London is crowded and very expensive.
As for job entitlements in the UK. You will get at least 4 weeks paid holiday a year, plus 8 days paid Bank/National holidays a year. Your working hours will very much depend on the company, but standard hours per week in the UK vary from 35 to 40. Oh and don’t forget, free healthcare, you only pay for your prescription medication tablets at £9 per item/pack. Although in Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free as well