Work and travel in the UK

It seems that in certain parts of Britain you can walk in to the town or city centre and you will bump into either an Australian backpacker or bartender, however I’m told that it’s the same for us ‘Poms’ in the land down under! Both countries are very different from each other yet are tied together by a special cultural relationship which translates into one of the many reasons why so many of their citizens travel and work in each others countries.

With a similar sense of humour and a playful sense of mockery that developed after the colonisation of Australia, it has been said that although they have a love/ hate relationship you couldn’t separate the two islands even by putting over 8500 miles of water between them. For an English speaking country, the Australian and British cultures are worlds apart. And yet, they are still fairly similar.

Aussies come to Britain for a variety of reasons for most it is seen as the best place to start for a whirl wind tour of Europe and coming to London is almost seen as a rite-of-passage, an attraction due the list of things to do and see as well as the lure of better financial prosperity.

A changing feature now is that fewer Australians are seeking long-term employment in the capital, preferring to go down the contracting or temping routes; the financial services industry for example has seen increasingly challenging economic conditions. Working for firms in London as well as other major cities in Britain such as Birmingham and Edinburgh can make for an impressive reference for those who want to further their career.

Like in Australia you can expect a range of job levels across all types of industry from retail, customer service and the old favourite bar tending to more professional vocations in the financial and IT sectors to name just a few. Wages in the UK are amongst the most competitive in the world in part due to higher cost of living expenses as well as the high standard of skills that major companies expect.

Travelling is also a strong motive in enticing people to the UK which has something to suit every taste. With good public transport links travelling to most parts of the country can be done fairly easily. Coach travel in particular can be a very cheap method to see all the stunning natural and heritage sites located all across the country. There is an abundant wildlife to explore along with castles and you can really experience the history that enchants the British Isles with the example of Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall. Like the Aussies the British love their beer and you can taste brews of ales and bitters from over 800 micro breweries that can be found!

You need to experience the nightlife to believe it but if you find yourself getting homesick, the walkabout bars will make you feel right at home, priding itself on being a proper Aussie bar!
You can enjoy a variety of sports through local sports centres and with plenty of parks around you can be sure to join in a cricket or footie game with the locals.

However in the winter with the sun setting earlier and it becoming colder it does turn into a more indoors life’s style. If your main fear about moving is the loneliness that you may experience then don’t be, there’s always a fellow native countryman/ women around the corner and you always have something in common with them fighting the same battles and enjoying the same novelty of being in a country that’s not your own.

Before you pack your bags and jump on the next plane over make sure you check all the relevant travel information as there are many restrictions on working in the United Kingdom.

Cheers to the start of an exciting adventure!