“IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a tech pro in possession of a boarding pass to London must be in want of a career boost.”
That’s how that went, right? Thanks, Jane, I knew English Lit was a good choice.
Indeed, your tech career can undoubtedly be boosted by a move to London, but it can also ruin every other city you know because you won’t ever find the same diversity of choice anyplace else.
However, before applying for a tech job in London, there are 10 things you should consider first:
1. Figure out if you’re legal
If you 1) are from any country in the EU, EEA or Switzerland, and 2) are a “qualified person”, ie you’re working or looking for work, then Bob’s your uncle! You are one hundred percent eligible to legally work and live in the UK visa-free!
If you’re from Croatia, you’ll need some additional paperwork.
2. There are many, many Londons
London is huge (8.5 million people — nearly twice the entire population of Ireland) and has 32 boroughs (plus the City), each with their own identity and local government.
To start, London is generally divided along the compass into five key areas. Here they are, with some of the most well-known neighbourhoods listed in each:
- North London: Camden, Hampstead, Angel
- South London: Peckham, Clapham, Brixton
- East London: Shoreditch, Dalston, Hackney
- West London: Notting Hill, Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea
- Central: Soho, Westminster, The City
North Londoners maintain that anyone South of the river is living in “bandit country”.
South Londoners think North Londoners are pulled-pork-eating snobs.
East London is too busy navel-gazing how it’s not really hipster, or replacing its stolen fixie bikes.
West London is home to the capital’s richest and poshest — when they actually spend a night or two in their real estate investments.
The City isn’t really a home to anyone (OK, 7,375 people do actually live there); most people commute to the Square Mile just for work.
3. Accept you’ll spend half of your salary on rent
London’s streets are paved with gold. As are the foundations of that flat you’ll be living in. Apparently.
If you want your own flat, accept in advance that you will spend at least 40–50% of your take-home pay on monthly shelter. Demand in the rental sector has been skyrocketing alongside (and absorbing those fleeing) the surge in purchase prices.
North and West are typically the most expensive areas, so you might want to consider East and South if you’re on the hunt for something more affordable (and more “up-and-coming”).
A one-bedroom flat will be about £1,000 per month. You’ll often see rents listed as a “per week” value. Don’t make the mistake of multiplying this by 4 to figure out your monthly rent! You’ll need to multiply the weekly amount by 52, then divide by 12 to understand how much your landlord will be expecting on the same day every month. £250pw therefore is not £1,000 per month, but actually £1,083.33.
Also take into consideration that on your first day of tenancy you’ll be expect to pay a 6-week deposit + one month’s rent in advance on the day of your move-in. So, really, 10 weeks of rent paid up front. If your rent is £250pw then you’ll be expected to lay down £2,500 plus any other administration fees levied by the estate agent you use. It’s not cheap!
Your 6 week deposit will ostensibly be refunded at the end of the tenancy, but it’s typical for the landlord to try and keep as much of this as possible in things not being the same as you found them, so read the fine print and make sure your “check-in” process is properly documented with extensive photographs and notes that are signed by both parties — you and the landlord.
If you’re looking to spend less, then it’s still very typical for many well-paid professionals to rent rooms in larger flats and houses, even with people you don’t know (at first). An aggregator like Kangaroom can help you browse the best of sites like Gumtree, RightMove, and Spare Room.
Chances are you’ll be working closer to the centre, so easy and quick access to the Underground and/or bus stops is very important. Here’s a full rent map of the city, showing average monthly costs for a one-bedroom within a kilometer of a tube station.
Pick two or three boroughs you fancy yourself living in, find places that meet your standards (always visit it in person first!), and close the deal as soon as possible. There is huge demand for property, which means you’ll literally have a matter of hours to make a decision before someone else grabs it!
4. Accept you’ll spend the other half of your salary living
Utility costs for electricity, gas and water, plus the Council Tax (based on your flat’s location and size — pays for local services), will take up another big chunk of your money.
If you’re knackered after a long day’s work, dreaming of laying back and watching the telly, you have to pay an annual licence for that, too. The UK TV licence fee provides you with a wide range of TV, radio and online content — and yes, you still need to pay it if you only access iPlayer online!
Here are a few general expenses you should consider, and keep in mind that some of them will be scaled down if you’re sharing a flat:
Items£Groceries (per week)£40–50Electricity, Heating, Water for 85m2 flat (per month)£175Annual council tax (depending on location and size of property, can be divided into monthly instalments)£628.93 — £1,572.32 (25% reduction when living alone)BBC Licence Fee (per year)£145.50Internet 10 Mbps, unlimited data, cable/ADSL (per month)£21.15Smartphone SIM plans, unlimited texts, 3GB (per month)£10.50
5. You’re going to spend a lot of time commuting
First things first: if you’re used to driving everywhere in your current city, that’s not going to work here. It would be far too expensive and an ineffective way of getting around. And frankly, you don’t need it.
Get used to using London Underground, colloquially known as the Tube. The system (11 lines, 270 stations) is broken down into zones 1 to 9, with number nine being the furthest of the London area, and one and two being central London. Transport for London’s website is a key resource but even better is CityMapper, the absolute best tool for getting around.
Prices vary, depending on how far you travel and what zones you enter. The most cost-effective method of travel is to get yourself an Oyster Card. You can either “top up” with credit (online, at any station or in many shops around the city) or with a virtual Travel Card that covers your most frequent journeys.
Oyster also works with London’s iconic red buses, which are much cheaper and go more places than the Tube, but you will get caught up in traffic, especially during peak hours. However, in certain areas of East and South London where the tube is not as extensive, or going in and East-West arc in the North part of town, it can be the best way to get around.
If you’re up for a bit of a spin, try one of the Barclays Bicycles, more commonly known as Boris Bikes, named after the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. They’re not as cheap as they seem, though, so you may want to invest in your own bike. Many employers are enrolled in the cost-effective Cycle2Work scheme, so ask about that.
Let’s break down London’s main means of transportation and its fares:
Transport Zones£TubeSingle journey, 1–3£4.80Monthly Travelcard, 1–2 (valid for bus and tram)£123.30Monthly Travelcard, 1–3 (valid for bus and tram)£144.80Monthly Travelcard, 1–4 (valid for bus and tram)£177.10Oyster Card, single journey, 1–2Peak*: £2.90
Off-peak: £2.30
(Daily cap*: £6.40)
Oyster Card, single journey, 1–3Peak: £3.30
Off-peak: £2.80
(Daily cap: £7.50)
Oyster Card, single journey, 1–4Peak: £3.90
Off-peak: £2.80
(Daily cap: £9.20)
BusSingle journey£2.50Monthly Pass (bus only)£80.70Oyster Card, single journey£1.50 (Daily cap: £4.40)Boris Bike24 hour hire£2 + free for 30minsEach additional period of 30mins£2
*Fares are more expensive during peak time, which runs from 6.30AM to 9.30AM, and 4PM to 7PM, Monday to Friday. A daily cap allows you to make a number of journeys in a single day while limiting the amount you pay.
If you’re an avid Uber user, prices are fairly cheap when comparing to the amount the iconic black cabs will charge you. For example, someone living in Brixton, South London, and working around the Silicon Roundabout, East London, would be charged between £12 and £23 (which would be £50+ in a Black Cab).
You’ll find that most people between the ages of 25 and 35 prefer to live in zones 1–4 of the Underground, to guarantee a cheaper and simpler commute whilst still offering a massive choice of cultural spots and evening activities.
However, don’t forget these prices when looking for a flat to rent. The place you found in South London may be modestly priced, but it can and will be inflated by how far you have to commute.
6. Think about the cost of shipping your life to London
Assuming you’ll be packing more than a carry-on bag on your move to the Big Smoke, you’ll probably be better off flying with your national flag carrier or British Airways which offer plenty of baggage allowance and take you to London’s main airports of Heathrow and Gatwick or the smaller-but-further-out terminals of Stansted and Luton. When booked in advance, tickets with checked baggage allowance are as cheap as £40 from Lisbon, for example.
If you have anything heavier or bulkier that needs shipping, try a professional moving firm. Although a bit expensive, these guys take care of customs paperwork and advise you on what will require import tariffs. Try Westward; they’re based in London and they go back and forth several times a week to practically every European country.
7. Welcome to a true European hub
One of the best things about London is its proximity to the rest of Europe. Whenever you feel the need for a weekend getaway, it’ll take you just an hour or two to jet off to Amsterdam, Paris or Brussels. You can choose from over 29 destinations from Stansted airport with Ryanair, for instance.
From the heart of London in Kings Cross St. Pancras, you can also catch the high-speed Eurostar train to Paris in under 3 hours with WiFi and champagne to keep you company. You can also continue on swiftly to other destinations in France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It takes a bit longer, but you get to enjoy the whole scenery. Plus, trains are brilliant.
Speaking of trains, the UK’s National Rail can also take you anywhere around England and beyond. If you miss your coastal hometown, Brighton is just one hour away. Loch-filled Scotland and castle-lined Wales are also definitely worth a trip for the full Kingdom experience. But it’s most likely going to cost you as much as a flight to the other side of Europe. Sorry.
8. Rub shoulders with the cultures of millions
London has a huge wealth of culture to enjoy, from the West End’s theatres to art galleries, parks, museums, and landmarks. Most are even free, like the Natural History, Science, Victoria & Albert, and British Museums, as well as the Tates (Britain and Modern) and the National Gallery.
Mind you, brace yourself to become a master in the British art of queueing for everything, because London is unavoidably packed. Within a matter of weeks you’ll successfully make the transition from out-of-towner to local, as you join other Londoners in hating tourists, who universally ignore the “stand on the right” sign on the escalators, depriving you of rapid movement in the bowels of this great city.
If the tourist rage is too much for you, try to avoid Oxford Circus and Covent Garden stations and immediate surrounding areas at all costs, especially on the weekends. But mostly Oxford Street. Avoid. At all costs.
Like everything we’ve seen so far, leisure activities that aren’t free aren’t exactly cheap. Everything from a pint at the pub to a haircut is likely to cost more than you’re used to. Here are a few estimates:
Pricey Fun£Dinner out for 2 in neighborhood pub£302 tickets to the Odeon Cinema£16–202 tickets to the theatre (best available seats)£1531 cocktail drink in downtown club£10–151 pint in neighborhood pub£4.50
If you’re a theatre buff, there are some other solutions to avoid expensive tickets by always keeping an eye on websites like LastMinute where you can sometimes find West End tickets for under £20.
9. Here comes the sun… oh wait, no
If you come from a sunny Southern European country, you might want to invest in a SAD lamp, because the lack of sunlight will bring you down. And get used to rain. Britain’s got it all — showers, drizzle, fog.
Good news for Northern Europeans: London’s temperate climate, rarely dropping below zero degrees Celsius. The sun can go days without showing itself and heat waves seldom occur, but when they do, you can bet everyone is out rosing their cheeks in one of the many public parks.
10. Participate in the Landing.jobs LONDON CALLING competition!
You’ve seen how a move to London can boost your tech career, and now you’re armed with the knowledge you need to make a soft landing in the UK capital, so why not take part in the LONDON CALLING challenge?
This competition is open for Front and Back-End Developers, Data Scientists, DevOps Engineers, and iOS and Android Developers. Only one of each will win a free trip to London in early 2016, where they will be introduced to hiring managers looking to recruit the EU’s best tech talent.
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