Jobs in London
Submitted by mikepownall on Mon, 12/04/2006 - 23:28.
Hi guys,
Ive just graduated and most of my friends now live in London and keep calling me to tell me how great it is and that I should move there
Does any one know of or have any ideas for where I can search for decent jobs... Im quite happy to start at the bottom and work up but what I dont want to do is look at job ads only to find out that theyve very cleavily disguised *call centre* or *hevay admin* as something that sounds brilliant....
Oh and im a marketing graduate
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London truly sucks unless you make a lot of dosh.
Having lived in london before, I just learnt that it is a very competitive place. Lots of Australians and south africans whom I know in singapore in ad industry couldn't get a job there. Though they are in creative department.
I'd agree about the competitiveness, and add that teams have a better chance than singles.
Hmmm. Just last year I was approached via Ads of the World by a young creative. I have helped him get into the business and his first TV spot was aired in the UK recently for a large confectioners. He is in a start-up but with fairly well-known bosses. The reason he got in was probably less about my help (a list of names and some help with expanding the ideas in his book), but more that he simply had some good initial ideas that, once fleshed out, became reasonably great ideas. He went around and showed his book and kept on showing people. I advised him to enter some competitions, which he did. All this gave valuable feedback which he took on-board. This, ultimately, led him to his present job. Perseverance is everything.
I live and work in London and, yes, while it's not easy, if you've got the ideas, the patience and bottle to keep going you'll make it. If, however, you have half-baked ideas, expect it to be simple and easy to get a job, then try somewhere else.
And London doesn't suck unless you make a lot of dosh - well, maybe it does if you stick to the tourist trail. It's a hard city to live in and isn't for everyone but I don't think it's any harder than anywhere else. There is a lot of free stuff to do and food can be cheap or free. It's a case of being resourceful, which is a skill you'll need in abundance if you're to 'make it' here.
I would say is that you should perhaps tell us in detail the kind of job you'd like to do. I want to work in advertising and I'm a marketing graduate doesn't tell us a lot. I'm a science graduate but that doesn't mean I can't work in advertising. My ideas got me in, my ability keeps me in. At least I guess, cos it sure as Hell ain't me people skills :)
All the best with your search.
My resentment probably stems from the dogyears spent there after a very long and expensive education (but very fulfilling mind you, Paul Arden was one of my tutors and "reference person to call" on my Resumé), where placement pay was less than my weekly rent of my flat. Ah the nineties, they sucked. I was pretty consistently turned down for not "being in a team" and actually hired a guy to pretend to be my copywriter at one point to get a gig.
conclusion: dogyears suck. (and so does being broke). If you enjoy London (I never really like the place but I do love the tube) then you'll have a much better time, I'm sure.
Okay, I do understand what you're saying, but as Sweden is frighteningly expensive (Scandinavia in general, in my experience) I wondered how on earth you could say that! I think that the world of advertising has changed as I never had to partner with an art director to get work - then again I freelanced from day one so was always called in to make up a team or to cover holiday/maternity, etc. Perhaps that's the difference?
Being broke does suck - I defy anyone to argue against that! And London when you're broke is particularly crap I suppose, as there's so much to do and without money you're kind of locked out of that. It can be a very lonely city, too. But there is also a lot going for it. London is like Marmite then: you either love it or hate it!
I agree that the 90s weren't easy in London. I don't think it's any easier for those on lower pay structures than people with, say, ten years' experience. I was lucky and got given a break by Jonathan Spooner; that man single-handedly helped me get a better book together, gave me the confidence to stick it under people's noses and get noticed. He didn't give me a full-time job though! Bless.
Then again, having seen these bizarre McDonald's TV spots and this lot on AdFreak perhaps the way of thinking in Sweden just doesn't translate? Heck, I'm kidding :)
Haha, did you actually hire someone to pretend to be your copy partner?
That's hilarious.
Yep, I spent an entire day throwing tennis balls at his head too. I don't think he liked me much.
Later, I fired him because I didn't want him bugging me - and suddenly the whole creative department was in my room explaining "that is not done" and tssk tssk:ing me - no matter how many times I explained that dudes, he didn't actually do anything in here and the guy wasn't even a writer (he was a designer & photographer). From that I learned that it would probably serve me better to have a Real Doll Dude propped up on a chair pretending to be my writer than go in to work alone, god forbid. Had I done that I could have collected two placement pays and perhaps cover my weekly rent!
(wow, I really didn't like London. I shall stay out of London threads. It was a bad time for me. Not school mind you, just the aftermath.)
Nah, it's okay to diss London - it's infuriating! Mind you, I think you're the only person I know that loves the tube! That pisses me off on a daily basis :)
Oh yeah, bomb scares, endless tunnels left and right up and down, smelly, people packed like sardines in the morning rush house, dead childrens TV presenters hanging around for a week at stations, cricktey-clanky-noisy - but it DOES take you anywhere you want to go. Not many cities have such a forward looking plan. The circle line is flippin genious!
I tell you what is genius about the Circle Line and that's Circle Line Parties!
i actually like London but i think the housing there needs some help! Some places are really meant for rats, i mean it!
Actually, that's one of the enduring reasons to live in the city, I believe.
Me, I moved to the 'burbs a long time back, so I could live my life without living my neighbours' lives too.
Anyway, none of this is helping someone get a job in London! My advice: get out and about, get your book in front of people, give them a reason to hire you. Yes it's often about who you know, but if you've got something worth paying for, you can get on the advertising bandwagon.
Good luck.