You can’t say that finding a communications job in London is easy – but being able to live in this incredible city is well worth the effort.
Neil Griffiths, Emma Bell, Hanna Kilpin and I shared our thoughts around our experiences moving to London from Canada and New Zealand at an interactive video conference with the IABC Wellington chapter in early September. We all managed to land communications roles, so can now look back on the experience with a critical eye. With some preparation and planning, the process of finding a job in London can be streamlined and shortened – so you can relax and enjoy what the city has to offer.
Below are some of the tips we shared with those who attended the event, based on our experiences moving to London and looking for a communications job.
Preparation
London is clearly an expensive place to live, but I wasn’t completely prepared for the up-front costs of moving here, particularly against the weakness of the Canadian dollar. Ensure you have plenty of savings before making the move, unless you want to be living in a dodgy council flat and eating Super Noodles everyday (which I have!).
It may be difficult to look for jobs in advance of making the move, as many recruiters and potential employers will consider it more work to move someone over than hire someone who already lives there. But updating your CV and references in advance of your move ensures you can hit the ground running when you arrive – it will save you a lot of time.
Job hunt
An enormous city, London has thousands of open communications jobs in every conceivable industry – so it’s easy to get overwhelmed and try to apply for everything. It’s beneficial to really focus your job search, including your CV and cover letter, on a niche role that you have experience in. It often feels easier and safer to stay general, keep your options open, and not limit the types of jobs you’re applying for. As there are so many interesting and diverse areas of communications to choose from, it can be pretty tempting. But I’ve found that I’ve had the most success in landing interviews from companies and sectors that I sought out myself and made sure were an excellent fit.
Don’t just upload your CV on a job website – target recruiters who specialise in the areas you focus on. Recruiters can be very useful in your job hunt to match you with jobs that are the right fit, so make contact with several to increase the scope of your search.
London employers and recruiters receive so many applications that a focused and formal CV and cover letter are crucial to getting in the door. Your CV should match the job description as closely as your skills and experience allow. Providing strong letters of reference from employers or clients is helpful.
If you were referred by an employee or friend of the company, make sure you let them know. This can make the difference between getting an interview or not, so do this whenever possible.
Networking
IABC played a big role in helping me navigate the UK market when I arrived. I’ve always seen a high value in the networking and professional development opportunities that IABC provides, but it’s particularly helpful when moving to a new city. You’re able to meet peers in a variety of industries that could either be potential career contacts themselves, or know others who are. It’s also helpful to be able to get practical advice from those who have been in your shoes rather than guessing at how things are done here.
As soon as you get to London, start networking as much as possible. Creating a network will help broaden your search zone and shorten the process of finding a job. Target networking events based on the sector you’re interested in working in and attend as many as possible to get to know the industry and its key people. Particularly if you’re looking for a mid to senior-level role at a consultancy, as having your own network to bring in clients will be key.
Interview tips
As an expat, a potential employer’s main concern is going to be that you aren’t familiar with the UK environment – whether that’s Government, media or the sector itself.
So be thorough in your research. Be able to speak confidently of key industries and know the relevant issues and subjects that are important to the company. What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses and how can you bring the most value? This is important as most companies want employees to be able to hit the ground running, and additional training time can be expensive for them. Assure them that they won’t have to invest a lot in you before you’re up to scratch.
They also want to know that in addition to your previous experience, you are results-driven and take initiative. London has an exhaustive pool of job candidates, and companies will let staff go if they are not seen to be achieving anything. Most companies have a fairly long probationary period to allow them to get a gauge on new hire.
UK environment
There are a few main differences between working in the UK and elsewhere. The UK generally has a very formal working environment – I’d certainly never encountered anything like it in Canada. Particularly in certain industries and types of organisations, although most workplaces place an importance on titles, levels of seniority, dress codes, etc. The media environment is massive – unless you’re working for a well-known company you really need to get creative to sell in stories. There are also international elements of many roles, as many companies operating in London are multi-national and you may be working on global campaigns.
Professional associations
There is a common thread between IABC members of all disciplines and nationalities – so the first thing I did after finding a place to live in London was to get in contact with the IABC UK chapter and register for a networking event. I instantly felt a familiar supportive network from IABC UK Board members and other members – they were very keen to help someone who had recently located, for example, passing along job opportunities they were aware of and putting me in touch with their own contacts.
Research information on current trends in our profession as a reference point before making the move. It also doesn’t hurt to be knowledgeable on these topics going into interviews. Groups like IABC and CIPR are great resources for this type of information. In particular, Neil discussed the findings of a recent CIPR and Survation study, which covers the trends, issues, opportunities and challenges facing the public relations profession, based on research conducted with over 2,000 PR professionals.
Its key findings were :
• Inter-departmental convergence is a clear and growing trend, and competencies in-demand from junior and senior hires remain focused on traditional PR skills
• A clear pay inequality gap exists in favour of men, with gender identified as the third biggest influence on salary
• Professional standards are a work in progress
• Dangerously high levels of workplace stress are more common than not for those in senior management
Overall
Moving to London has been both a personal and professional highlight, and Neil, Emma, Hanna and I would all highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in working abroad. Not only do you get the benefits of living in a dynamic and fast-paced city like London, but the rest of Europe is only a few short hours away.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or the IABC UK chapter.
Twitter: @IABCUK
LinkedIn: Business Communications IABC UK
Kira Scharwey is an IABC UK Board member and Account Manager, Energy Practice at Madano
Neil Griffiths is an IABC EMENA Board member and Group Internal Communications Manager at Environmental Resources Management
Hanna Kilpin is a former IABC Wellington Board member and a recent arrival in the UK
Emma Bell is Marketing and Communications Manager – Europe at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Neil Griffiths, Emma Bell, Hanna Kilpin and I shared our thoughts around our experiences moving to London from Canada and New Zealand at an interactive video conference with the IABC Wellington chapter in early September. We all managed to land communications roles, so can now look back on the experience with a critical eye. With some preparation and planning, the process of finding a job in London can be streamlined and shortened – so you can relax and enjoy what the city has to offer.
Below are some of the tips we shared with those who attended the event, based on our experiences moving to London and looking for a communications job.
Preparation
London is clearly an expensive place to live, but I wasn’t completely prepared for the up-front costs of moving here, particularly against the weakness of the Canadian dollar. Ensure you have plenty of savings before making the move, unless you want to be living in a dodgy council flat and eating Super Noodles everyday (which I have!).
It may be difficult to look for jobs in advance of making the move, as many recruiters and potential employers will consider it more work to move someone over than hire someone who already lives there. But updating your CV and references in advance of your move ensures you can hit the ground running when you arrive – it will save you a lot of time.
Job hunt
An enormous city, London has thousands of open communications jobs in every conceivable industry – so it’s easy to get overwhelmed and try to apply for everything. It’s beneficial to really focus your job search, including your CV and cover letter, on a niche role that you have experience in. It often feels easier and safer to stay general, keep your options open, and not limit the types of jobs you’re applying for. As there are so many interesting and diverse areas of communications to choose from, it can be pretty tempting. But I’ve found that I’ve had the most success in landing interviews from companies and sectors that I sought out myself and made sure were an excellent fit.
Don’t just upload your CV on a job website – target recruiters who specialise in the areas you focus on. Recruiters can be very useful in your job hunt to match you with jobs that are the right fit, so make contact with several to increase the scope of your search.
London employers and recruiters receive so many applications that a focused and formal CV and cover letter are crucial to getting in the door. Your CV should match the job description as closely as your skills and experience allow. Providing strong letters of reference from employers or clients is helpful.
If you were referred by an employee or friend of the company, make sure you let them know. This can make the difference between getting an interview or not, so do this whenever possible.
Networking
IABC played a big role in helping me navigate the UK market when I arrived. I’ve always seen a high value in the networking and professional development opportunities that IABC provides, but it’s particularly helpful when moving to a new city. You’re able to meet peers in a variety of industries that could either be potential career contacts themselves, or know others who are. It’s also helpful to be able to get practical advice from those who have been in your shoes rather than guessing at how things are done here.
As soon as you get to London, start networking as much as possible. Creating a network will help broaden your search zone and shorten the process of finding a job. Target networking events based on the sector you’re interested in working in and attend as many as possible to get to know the industry and its key people. Particularly if you’re looking for a mid to senior-level role at a consultancy, as having your own network to bring in clients will be key.
Interview tips
As an expat, a potential employer’s main concern is going to be that you aren’t familiar with the UK environment – whether that’s Government, media or the sector itself.
So be thorough in your research. Be able to speak confidently of key industries and know the relevant issues and subjects that are important to the company. What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses and how can you bring the most value? This is important as most companies want employees to be able to hit the ground running, and additional training time can be expensive for them. Assure them that they won’t have to invest a lot in you before you’re up to scratch.
They also want to know that in addition to your previous experience, you are results-driven and take initiative. London has an exhaustive pool of job candidates, and companies will let staff go if they are not seen to be achieving anything. Most companies have a fairly long probationary period to allow them to get a gauge on new hire.
UK environment
There are a few main differences between working in the UK and elsewhere. The UK generally has a very formal working environment – I’d certainly never encountered anything like it in Canada. Particularly in certain industries and types of organisations, although most workplaces place an importance on titles, levels of seniority, dress codes, etc. The media environment is massive – unless you’re working for a well-known company you really need to get creative to sell in stories. There are also international elements of many roles, as many companies operating in London are multi-national and you may be working on global campaigns.
Professional associations
There is a common thread between IABC members of all disciplines and nationalities – so the first thing I did after finding a place to live in London was to get in contact with the IABC UK chapter and register for a networking event. I instantly felt a familiar supportive network from IABC UK Board members and other members – they were very keen to help someone who had recently located, for example, passing along job opportunities they were aware of and putting me in touch with their own contacts.
Research information on current trends in our profession as a reference point before making the move. It also doesn’t hurt to be knowledgeable on these topics going into interviews. Groups like IABC and CIPR are great resources for this type of information. In particular, Neil discussed the findings of a recent CIPR and Survation study, which covers the trends, issues, opportunities and challenges facing the public relations profession, based on research conducted with over 2,000 PR professionals.
Its key findings were :
• Inter-departmental convergence is a clear and growing trend, and competencies in-demand from junior and senior hires remain focused on traditional PR skills
• A clear pay inequality gap exists in favour of men, with gender identified as the third biggest influence on salary
• Professional standards are a work in progress
• Dangerously high levels of workplace stress are more common than not for those in senior management
Overall
Moving to London has been both a personal and professional highlight, and Neil, Emma, Hanna and I would all highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in working abroad. Not only do you get the benefits of living in a dynamic and fast-paced city like London, but the rest of Europe is only a few short hours away.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or the IABC UK chapter.
Twitter: @IABCUK
LinkedIn: Business Communications IABC UK
Kira Scharwey is an IABC UK Board member and Account Manager, Energy Practice at Madano
Neil Griffiths is an IABC EMENA Board member and Group Internal Communications Manager at Environmental Resources Management
Hanna Kilpin is a former IABC Wellington Board member and a recent arrival in the UK
Emma Bell is Marketing and Communications Manager – Europe at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
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