London is city of many opportunities that do not come along all at once but arrive in stages. It is possible to find work in two ways: through an agency or by yourself with the help of our guide. Usually the best way depends on your experience and monetary situation. There are many agencies that offer you active help with looking for a job, but always charge a fee. Looking by yourself is cheaper, but can be time-consuming. There are other options, but searching either through our partner work agencies or by yourself with the help of our guide are the best.

Work agencies

Our agency cooperates with agencies that provide positioning of our clients to positions in these fields: gastronomy, building industry, working professions, trades, etc.

Working positions or fields in hotels
- Waiter / waitress
- Room service attendant
- Banquet worker
- Barman
- Cook / kitchen helper
- Chambermaid (cleaning in hotels, only women)
- Dishwasher (only men)

Most common professions in the building industry
- Labourer in building
- Craftsman

Examples of other professions
- Worker in packing rooms
- Worker in laundry
- Distribution of leaflets
- Drivers

Qualifications in any of the above fields is naturally an advantage, but do not expect to find a particular job that you want the first time. It is necessary to use every offered work opportunity, especially if you do not have financial flexibility from home and therefore do not have time to wait for more lucrative offers, because living costs in London are high.

Working for an employment agency means that you are in fact its employee, employed to work for a third party. This means that part of your wages are paid to the agency.

It is also necessary to realise that the kind of work available changes depending on momentary work opportunities. This means that you might need to work at more than one workplace, and could find the need to go through more than one of them. Payment for work performed will usually be paid once a week, either in cash or by named cheque.

Advantages of working with an agency
-Chance to work a greater number of hours than normal
-Assistance of the agency in dealing with important matters e.g. NINO (Insurance Number)

Disadvantages of working with an agency
- Agency charge for finding a job, which is payable in cash
- Not a great amount of personal attention due to a large number of jobseekers
- Changing working hours (although not always)

Individual work search with the help of our guide

If you decide to find a job by yourself without the help of an agency, you must possess elementary qualifications, which are knowledge of the English language on at least a communicative level and knowledge of spelling when you have to fill in forms required by potential employers.

You must know how to ask for a job and you must show a real interest in any position offered. It is not very good to ask about earnings during the first contact with an employer, and you would do better to wait until the employer brings the conversation around to this topic. Also, you need to know how to conduct a phone conversation because in many cases the employer asks you for your phone number for eventual further contact.

Where to find a job
We recommend that you go round to the international hotels west of Hyde Park where more offers are displayed, and as employment agencies also advertise there. Places where you can find jobs are at newsagents where mainly Polish, Russian, and Arabian communities advertise.

Beware of agents who will willingly sell you a contact address with phone number of an agency for 100 GBP, but then you have to pay again once you arrive there.

You can also find a job through British JOBCENTRES, which are like a registry office. Plan on taking a longer period time in finding a suitable position. It is necessary to be in touch at least 2 - 3 times a week with any agency you are registered at. This way you show that you have a real interest in finding a job.

Another option is to look for a job in advertisements in the press, especially in the magazine LOOT, published 4 times a week. You can find its web page at: http://www.loot.com. Job offers can occasionally be found at: http://www.tntmagazine.com. It is also useful to register in the school agency SKILL HANDS.

Work in hotels
A common kind of work that can be found quickly with a little effort is a position of "waiter assistant" in restaurants and hotels. Working hours are usually anytime between 7.00 AM and 12.00 AM, so there is no problem with recruiting students with a limited work permit.

Offers in cleaning work (so called "room keeping, cleaning") are often available, and women have better chances as chambermaids. Hotels sometimes have work offers put on their entranceways. Work as a reception clerk can be found, but perfect English is required. In practise, it is nearly impossible to find full-time work without a valid work permit in hotels of multinational corporations. Some hotels even do not employ people "off the street" but they have agencies that find them workers, and requirements differ according to the kind of agency.

The best chance to find work is to inquire everywhere and ask for a work-seeker form if it is not given automatically. In most cases it is very extensive and time-consuming, and you can fill in it at home and bring it back the next day. It is necessary to enter your present postal address in London, where you can be contacted, and a phone number (preferably British). Your chances will be greatly increased by doing this. Occasionally, you will be called and asked to come in for a personal interview.

Smaller hotels offer fewer opportunities but your chances of being accepted are higher. References are not important, but they are advantageous. If you are lucky you can find a job with accommodation and food - a so-called "LIVE-IN JOB". A low salary could still be more beneficial due to the savings from decreased living costs.

Restaurants, coffee lounges, bars and shops in London
In contrast with hotels, restaurants and coffee lounges can be found everywhere in London as well as in smaller districts farther out of town that can be reached by particular underground stations. While seeking employment, it is advantageous to bring a structured curriculum vita, passport, and certificate confirming you are a student of a British school.

Never be afraid to ask for a job. The English are generally polite, and staff is helpful even if there are not any jobs vacant. Asking for a job "on the street" is absolutely common and nobody is taken aback by it. People will be helpful and they may direct you to somewhere nearby where there are job availabilities.

Qualifications for success
- Communicative knowledge of English (if required)
- Experience in some field
- Charming behaviour
- Cleanliness and neatness

Wage conditions

Minimum net salary in Great Britain is 3,75 GBP per hour and the average salary in London is around 4,10 GBP, without distinction of the kind of work.

When asking about wage conditions, find out if the wage offered by the employer is net (after taxation), or gross (before taxation). In major hotels it is better to count on a minimum wage. But even with such a wage working halftime - 20 hours a week - you can cover your living costs and will have enough time to study. The amount of salary also depends on job duration and on the employer's satisfaction with you. Average salary of new employees is around 3,75 to 4,50 GBP net per hour and the more skilled can earn 4,50 to 6 GBP net per hour. In exceptional cases it is possible to earn a bit more. The wage is usually paid weekly in Great Britain, and with certain exceptions, monthly. In many cases it is necessary to take into account the fact that the employer keeps your first week wage as a guarantee and is paid after the end of employment. In English this is called "DEPOSIT". This means that the first wage that you get will be just after two weeks of work. Payment is usually made in cash or by cheque.

We cannot recommend looking for a job without a work permit. Most British will not employ you and if they do, you will experience a reduction in salary.

Summary

The information mentioned above was processed on the basis of detailed analysis and long-term experience. The point of many agencies is to sell language courses at schools where nobody is really interested if the student is doing well, and if he attends the school or if he has work. We are seeking to be different in this regard and your satisfaction is important to us.

We have seen many cases where a student departed and after 4 weeks, and came back because he did not find the necessary work to cover his expenses, and therefore lost all investment put into the venture. This is a weighty argument for why one should pay for better service and not rely upon good luck.

The reality is that our service is a springboard to a better future and money for many people. After getting appropriate skills and obtaining the necessary information people often move on and look for a better-paid job. On basis of personal references (that we give you provided your work is satisfactory) and experience in the UK, you will be finding other work with much less effort not only in Great Britain but also all over the world.