The best reason to come to the UK, especially the city of London is not necessarily to see the sights and hear the sounds of the many different tourist attractions. The best part is actually to see other places. It is an unusual phenomenon to come half the way across the planet to live in an over priced city just so you can visit other places. From London airports you are able to catch ridiculously cheap airfares and will arrive in most other European countries within a few hours. The only catch now is that these flights are generally just as cheap as actually getting to the airports they depart from. It is funny, but by the time you get the tube and then catch for example the Stansted Express which is 25 pounds return, you end up paying twice the airfare. Plenty of the time you see dirt cheap airfares, but have to pay hidden taxes, insurance and a per bag fee.
Trains are comfortable and very regular from certain stations. They are more expensive than buses, but it is possible to get them between countries and they have the distinct advantage of running into the town rather than the outskirts that the planes fly to. The trains vary heavily in price, and there are different classes of ticket. It is such a romantic way to travel around especially in Europe. It is bizarre though to catch a train inter-country as it is only possible in land joined countries. Of course the Sweden-Denmark train from Copenhagen to Malmo is an exception. No passports required between countries, how cool it would be to be a fugitive fleeing countries.
I finally heard back from a Recruitment Agency who were telling me of a great sounding Council position in Ealing. It was a great sounding no pressure but great pay role. At 15 pounds an hour, it would've been bliss. The Working Holiday Dilemma was almost solved, but I came up short with my interview. It is like having a coach with these Recruitment places as they want you to get the job so they get your cut, but at the same time they do apply for you, get the interview and tell you everything about what the employer wants. It is a totally different system. I have mainly applied online to these agencies and never been asked to actually visit one until they suggested I come in before I go to the job interview. They were cool at Anders Elite, but the funny thing was I sent them my CV a month ago. The timing of everything around London can be painful. I hadn't heard back about any jobs or from any agencies for months until I got that phone call that fateful Friday and quite frankly it threw my plans to leave and go touring with Boss in doubt. Again I didn't get the position. I am almost considering going into a job interview without wanting or trying to get it and seeing if the reverse psychology helps me get it. The thing is missing out on all these positions once I reached the interview stage isn't normal surely? The thing is I never get bad feedback. It makes me realise that getting an interview is only half the battle and you don't usually hear of those who miss out once they make it to that stage. It is like guys who get shot down by girls, it is one of those things people don't broadcast. Usually I am told if they give an excuse it is actually nothing to do with my interview, more just that the successful applicant had more experience or actual experience at the place the job was advertised. This annoys me because sometimes you have to go through a big effort like me travelling an hour each way to make an interview and to miss out after all those efforts, really sucks!
The only successful interviews at the DCC were mainly because I actually had worked there and the shoe was on the other foot! I had met the interviewers from previous interviews and so I was going in a step ahead of my rivals!
I feel that I have seen everything I want in London. I feel like a user of prostitutes who has taken all they want from a prize woman of the night and left her. The city of London has some beautiful points, but at the same time is an ugly place with so much filth.
My decision to come on this trip stemmed from several factors. The only male at work amongst 17 females was a great starting point. I basically felt alienated from the start. The marriage of my friend Darren and the intention of several others from New Zealand to go over there was another factor. Finally the winter blues in Dunedin was getting me down ever so slightly so I decided it was time for a Northern Hemisphere summer. But in hindsight it would've been best to just come on an extended holiday, rather than look for work. The job market over here is no different to back home. Most jobs I try to get are popular with the punters and difficult to come by. I had been buoyed by the reachers I knew who came over here and walked into jobs immediately. Maybe my BA and B Com were not specialised enough. Having general office experience is dime a dozen these days. The Student Loan scheme has left it's mark along with Aunty Helen's Working Holiday VISA which has continually been a thorn in my side. I seriously believe if I wasn't on that and could work longer here, I would not be the unemployed person I am today. I can see why some couples come on their OE once they get married. It automatically means a travel companion and hotel deals. Also if only takes one of you to get a job for you to be viable. I find I miss my home mates and want them to be over here to go to places I want to go while enjoying the cheap hotel deals. When my mate Boss arrived over it was so good to have someone I can joke around with and share similar interests to do things with. We naturally want to go to cool things. It has been harder than I thought making companions in UK. The big city has been hazardous and I haven't been outside London because I will have to start all over. I have more acquaintance type mates over here.
The big winner is the London economy which has swallowed me live and spat me out. The regulations with working visas was the catalyst. At the same time I can see why so many people get down on themselves in London. I see so many lonely people over here, sitting on their own. It is harder to just pop over to a mates house and people have their own agendas. The nights get longer and the living costs don't die down. It is funny, I was outside a Recruitment Agency which was advertising office jobs and most of them have a salary of 15000 per year. They were laughing at how low those are, and that they seem quite demanding what they want from a person in this job, yet the national average income they were saying, is supposed to be 40000 per year. I think it is another myth the whole once you are earning pounds it is easier. It is hard to know what sort of pay rate jobs I should be aiming for. When I was back home I was earning about 35000 NZ and that was pretty solid. I have qualifications but not much experience. I think plenty of the jobs I have been applying for at around 15000 pounds were potentially seeking office juniors (straight from school with no qualifications or exp). But it is hard to know. You are worth what the market dictates.
