Two year after Brexit, the balance is more bitter than positive. According to the Bureau of Budget Accountability, Brexit has shrunk the UK economy by about 1.5%. This was due to a decline in business investment and the relocation of economic activity to the EU. Is it still possible to work in the UK?
Brexit has exacerbated the job supply crisis in the UK. 200.000 European citizens left the UK in 2020 because they were displaced by stricter immigration rules. As a result, there have been staff shortages in sectors such as hospitality and retail.
In 2022, the economy will recover faster than expected and the UK will be back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. Growth forecasts have been revised from 4% to 6.5%. This means that there should be no shortage of job opportunities and that it’s still possible to work in the UK.
To work in the UK, you must:
- be 18 years old
- have a passport
- have a work visa for the UK
- for stays of more than six months, pay an Immigration Health Surcharge, which gives access to the UK National Health Service (£624)
Remember:
- it is advisable to have experience in the role you are applying for
- knowledge of english is essential
- for unskilled jobs your English skills may be minimal
- the more qualified the job, the higher your English skills need to be
- in some sectors, such as tourism and hospitality, it may be useful to know other languages
Work in the UK visas
To work in London and the UK, you must apply for a work visa based on the PBS points system
The system favors workers with skills and talent over their country of origin. All citizens have equal rights (EU and non-EU). Everyone must score at least 70 points to obtain the visa. Requirements and scores can be found in this guide for EU workers
An administrative fee must be paid. The cost depends on the type of visa and ranges from £ 600 to £ 1400. The visa can be applied for online via the UK Immigration App. Or you can submit your application at a Visa Application Center.
For more information on how to apply for a visa, visit the government website There are different types of visas, depending on your qualifications or professional skills.
Skilled work visa
To obtain this visa, you must:
- receive a job offer from an authorized sponsor. Have an annual salary of not less than £26,500
- have English language skills at the intermediate B1 level
- if you receive a job offer with an annual salary of less than £26,500, you must prove that the job is on the shortage occupations list ior hold a PhD related to the job offer
- salary reduction is also allowed if you receive a job offer at the end of your studies. In this case, the visa application must be submitted before you reach the age of 26
Health and care worker visa
To work in the health and care sector, you must apply for the Health and Care Worker Visa. You must receive a job offer from the National Health Service, the social care sector, or employers and organizations that provide services to the National Health Service. You must have at least an intermediate level of English.
Healthcare jobs have been added to the Shortage Occupation List (labor shortage) to make it easier to obtain visas.
Global Talent visa
The Global Talent visa allows talented people, with particular skills to enter the United Kingdom without having a job offer, in these sector:
Before you can apply for a visa, you must have your skills verified and confirmed by an approved UK organization.
Graduate visa
Young people who have completed their university education can apply for a graduate visa
The visa allows international students to stay in the UK for 2 years (3 years for PhD students) to work or look for work.
You do not have to receive a job offer, nor do you have to pay minimum wage. Once you have found a job, you can apply for the work visa.
Temporary work – Seasonal worker visa
- Agricultural workers need the seasonal worker visa
- They can stay in the UK for up to six months.
- The visa can be applied for three months before starting work
- You can enter the UK within 14 days before starting work
To obtain the seasonal worker visa, you must:
- 18 years old
- a passport
- the number of the sponsorship certificate of your sponsor
- sufficent money for your living expenses, (at least £ 1,270 in a bank account, unless your sponsor is willing to pay this amount)
- a personal photo and fingerprints which will be deposited at a Visa application center
- the visa must be applied for online
There is also the possibility of a non-sponsored temporary visa, Youth Mobility Program. This is a cultural exchange program that allows young people to travel to the UK for up to 2 years. This visa does not require the applicant to have a job offer.
Websites for agricultural careers:
- Bell Brothers Nurseries, plants and nurseries
- Haygrove, farm
- Fruitfuljobs, job in agricultural
- Agricultural & farming jobs, farming jobs
- Agricultural Recruitment Specialists, farming jobs
Other types of visa
In addition, there are many other types of visas to work in the United Kingdom.
- sportsmen
- creative
- unpaid volunteer work for a charity
Other visas are to carry out entrepreneurial activities, such as the Start-up visa for innovative business or the Innovator visa for starting and running a business.
Work in the UK most in-demand jobs
Health and care sector (there are about 100,000 vacancies)
- biologists and biochemists
- psychologists
- pharmacists
- ophthalmologists
- dentists
- radiologists
- physiotherapists
- osteopaths and psychotherapists
- nurses
- midwives
- social workers
- laboratory technicians
- opticians
Engineers are also in high demand in the UK
- electrical and electronics engineers
- civil engineers
- production engineers
IT jobs are always in demand
- project manager
- designer
- developer
- cyber security specialists
- web designers and developers
Finally, the demand for artisans could increase: The extinction of the large chains could have an impact on the opening of a larger number of independent stores, and thus on a growing demand for bakers, butchers, pastry chefs, etc.
In summary, not only specialized professional roles but also traditional ones could be increasingly in demand in the UK.
If you decide to change your life and work abroad, these are usually not overnight decisions, so you have plenty of time to take English courses and learn the language. Watch English language programs, read English books, learn English, and listen to English music. The better your English skills are, the better your chances of finding a job.
Working in the Uk, useful resources
- A Guide to UK Business and Work Visas. An overview of the different visa categories available to enter the UK
- Work in UK, workers eligible to work in UK
- Prospects, all information about qualifications and job in the UK, you will find information about working hours, wages, career opportunities and more
- British Government website you will find all the information about working in the United Kingdom
- The London Council often organizes job placement courses
- National Careers Service, careers information, advice and guidance.
- Prospects, information for graduates
- Youth Mobility Scheme, temporary visa without sponsor
- Register of Sponsor, list of organizations authorized to sponsor workers
Work in the UK, job search
To look for work in England, you have several options:
- Travel to the UK as a tourist and submit your CV to companies.
- Search the internet, there are many job search websites
- Make contacts. Remember that word of mouth is still a good help in finding a job. Try to expand your circle of acquaintances
- Create an excellent LinkedIn profile and then try to have a large number of connections that will allow you to promote your CV to as many people as possible.
- Attend a job fair. Job fairs are held in the UK at regular intervals throughout the year. Many companies are represented at these fairs. You can view these fairs on the following websites: Graduate Jobs, Jobs fair England, Jobs fair London
- Send a self-application to the company. To search for companies, you can use the following websites, searching by job sector: Europages, Kompass
- Using Twitter or Instagram, simply doing a search using the hashtag ‘#job’, ‘#london
British Government website
- Find a Job, the British government’s job search site, you can enter your CV
Searching for companies websites
- Euro Pages, you can find more than 3 million companies. Choose the companies you are interested and contact them
Job Search Websites
- Job Today, vacancies, especially hospitality industry
- Career Builder, one of the most popular website for job search
- Jobsite, another very popular job search website
- Monster, job search website widely used in UK
- Reed, very popular job search website
- Jobtome, one of the most used websites for job search
- Gumtree, well known classifieds website
Recruitment agencies
- Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) database with over 3,500 UK recruitments firms and over 10,500 individual recruiters
- Adecco, the largest recruitment agency in the world
- Michael Page, international recruitment agency
- Gi Group. recruitment agency (temporary or permanent positions)
- Hays, popular recruitment agency in Great Britain
- Morgan Hunt, another major British recruitment agency
- Agencycentral, contains a list of almost all the recruitment agencies in UK
- 1St4 Job, contains a list of many agencies in London
Newspapers
- The Guardian, popular newspaper
- The Indipendent, popular newspaper
Job Search Websites for Specific Careers
Sales assistant
- Ashley Stewart, sales assistant for luxury stores
- Retail Human Resources, sales assistant jobs
- Symoli Sales, all-round sales assistant jobs
- Leisure Jobs, catering, hospitality, gyms, tourism, travel, sales jobs
Administration
- Clearly Secretaria, secretarial jobs and vacancies
- Morgan e Spencer, administrative job vacancies
Hospitality
- Leisure Jobs, catering, hospitality, gyms, tourism, travel, sales jobs
- Barzone, cafes and bars jobs
- Hotel Career, hospitality jobs
- Compass Group, recruitment agency (hospitality industry)
- Hotel Employers Group, website with vacancies in the main hotel chains in the UK
- Hotel Jobs, job vacancies in hotels in UK and around the world
- Miseenplace, vacancies in the catering and hospitality industry
Science
- New Scientist, Science and Technology jobs
Travel and Tourism
- Leisure Jobs, catering, hospitality, gyms, tourism, travel, sales jobs
IT
- Techno Job, job offers in the IT sector
- Experis, IT, engineering and finance job vacancies
Financial
- E Financial, financial jobs
- Warner Scott, financial jobs
Legal
- Total Legaly, legal jobs
Human Resources
- Simply HR, HR job vacancies
Design
- Design Week, jobs for graphic designers and architects
Creative and Art
- Mandi, entertainment jobs
- Art Connect, art jobs and internships
- Creative & Cultural Skills, art job vacancies
- Hire Culture, art and culture jobs
- Arts Jobs, art jobs
- Arts Professional, job portal for artists
- Creative Pool, creative jobs
- Creative Recruitment, recruitment agency (creative jobs)
Agriculture
- Agris, agriculture jobs in the UK
- De Lacy, recruitment agency, (agricultural and environmental sector)
- HOPS, recruitment agency, (agriculture jobs)
Over 50s
- Vercida, information and job opportunities for over 50s
Parks and Campsites
- Bourne Leisure, parks and holiday centers in UK
- BH&HPA Park Jobs, campsite jobs
Charities
- Charity-Works, information and job posting
- Jobs in Charities, website for finding job in charities
- Third sector, information about charity and job vacancies
- Charity Job, charities job search website
Jobs and Internships for Students and Recent Graduates
- Student Job, job offers for students and recent graduates
- E4S, job offers and internships for students
- Student Gems, freelance jobs for students and recent graduates
Working in the UK, How to apply for a job
In most cases, apply in response to a job offer. References are highly valued, especially if they are written by previous employers.
Whether you are responding to a job offer or applying spontaneously, you will normally send your CV along with your cover letter. Unless otherwise stated, both must be in English and clearly refer to the offer you are interested in.
For some positions, such as department stores, amusement parks, or multinational companies, the application is usually made through an online application form.
It is advisable to remember that in the UK you must use an abbreviated form of CV. If it is an academic or technical CV it can be 4/5 pages long, in other cases it should not exceed 2 pages.
