Looking for Work in London

Unemployment fell to 2.4 million between July and September. In London, the UK's economic powerhouse, unemployment fell by 10,000 in the same period. The figures, from the Office of National Statistics show there were 374,000 people unemployed in the London region this summer.

At the same time, unemployment was up by 167,000 to 29.19 million across Britain. However, most of the new jobs are part-time, as many roles are being split between two or more people. Of this 167,000 rise, 94,000 jobs were part-time. The number of people in full-time employment actually fell by 62,000 to 18.17 million.

Getting a job that you actually want, that pays enough and gives you the amount of hours you are looking for is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in the capital were competition for the best jobs is fierce. This is because the country’s 'best jobs' are to be found in London.

According to an analysis by trade union GMB, there are four people after every job vacancy in London, the highest claimant to job ratio in the country. Nationally, there are 2.6 unemployed people to every job vacancy.

What's more, as if these figures weren't alarming enough, for some roles, particularly in publishing, finance and the arts there are even more people hunting down vacancies.

But if you have just moved to London in the hope of making a quick buck, don't despair. At the end of the day, someone has to get the job; you just need to make sure it's you.

There are several things to keep in mind when applying for a job in the UK. You have to make yourself look unbelievable on paper. Seeing as HR managers will get inundated with maybe hundreds of C.V's. you need to make your stand out. It is important to not simply list your employment history with a few details on what you did; you need to go one step further a draw attention to what you achieved in each role. How were you a benefit to your previous employer?

In the UK, all applications should include a covering letter along with your C.V., which should be tailored to each and every job application. However tiring this seems, it is worth it, as employers can instantly tell which letters have been duplicated. Find out some back ground information about the company and try and make your skills and history meet the language used on their website.

If you don't stand out on paper you won’t have a chance to show how amazing you are in real life. Get your C.V. out there, so you don’t have to wait for new jobs to come on the market. Reed.co.uk is a great site to use when looking for jobs in London. But don't just use them to look, upload your C.V. and allow employers to look for you too. This greatly improves your chances of not just getting a job, but more importantly, getting a job you'll enjoy.

Looking for Work in London

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