Lessons in world domination (or at least building a career in London)

Nursing a hangover, brimming with enthusiasm and clutching your glowing reference from Caffe e Vida, you head off to the nearest recruitment agency. The harassed agent takes a look at your CV, has a quick chat. She tells you she'll put the word out and give you a call when something comes up. You think: “Sorted. In a week I'll be the toast of London's finance/IT/PR world.”

The wait starts. You check your phone for missed calls or lost SMSs. You buy shares in the nearest internet café. The postman becomes your best friend. To no avail. Not a peep from the agent who three weeks ago seemed so interested to talk to you. Nor from any of the other fifty whose inboxes received your unsolicited - but no doubt brilliant - CV.

That, my friend, is the start of the difficult process of building a career abroad. My journey started ten years ago. From low beginnings I've since built a successful career as a writer and marketing consultant.

No doubt there are other, less desperate scenarios. One in which you land at your destination with a job lined up. Brilliant! Or you've got some ready made contacts willing to have a serious conversation with you. In which case, well done - you can short circuit the sometimes traumatic process. But in the main, if you're young and ambitious, or even mature and starting again, chances are you'll have a similar experience.

About a month after I landed, I cashed my last traveller's cheque, finessed my CV and descended on the world, ready to conquer it. To be fair, I was lucky: I walked into an agency, did a typing test and was placed the very next week. For others it takes longer. Friends have waited for weeks and months, blasting their CV everywhere, until the call finally came in.

Lesson 1

Local experience counts for everything. I had worked for one of South Africa's leading ad agencies before arriving in the UK. I had demonstrable experience and impeccable references from colleagues and clients. I thought that alone would open the doors to the industry in Britain. Not so. My lack of UK experience counted against me time and again. Everything I'd done before then was effectively wiped off the slate. Catch 22: need a job to get UK experience, but can't get a job without UK experience.

Lesson 2

Temping is a perfectly acceptable way to break that cycle - even for the guys. If you're reliable, efficient and professional, agencies will trust you and you'll have a steady flow of work, gaining that invaluable UK experience.

It's also a great way to find your way into your chosen profession. An Australian friend is a qualified town planner. When she arrived she couldn't find a similar role. Instead, she took a long term temp assignment with an engineering firm. She's keeping in touch with her profession, but most crucially, she's making contacts.

Lesson 3

Be prepared to start at the bottom. With an aptitude for hard work you'll soon climb through the ranks. South Africans - with Aussies and Kiwis - are well regarded for their work ethic. That's the great thing about us. We're always smiling, always up for getting involved, always willing to help. It's a trait widely recognised and welcomed in the workplace.

Lesson 4

There are two sides to every coin. I've been called brash and abrupt. A teacher friend was told to curb her enthusiasm. From being applauded for my tendency to jump to help out, I was accused of working too many hours, making me an expensive overhead. The thing is, with our naturally relaxed, open and willing natures, you may be faced with a clash in cultures. So it's always a good idea to monitor the environment: what's the mood, the dress code, is there much banter? Once you have a general sense of the office, adjust your behaviour to suit. People will feel less intimidated and more comfortable, which in turn helps them to take you more seriously. You can always revert back to the ‘real' you out of hours.

Lesson 5

This is perhaps the most important, so pay attention. Bureaucracy is a nightmare that frightens employers. I started out on a working holiday visa, was sponsored in a work permit, gained permanent residency and then received my UK passport. In job applications, I was often shortlisted with one or two other candidates. Often the candidate with no paperwork issues got the job simply because it was easier for the company.

Working Holiday visas, Work permits, Highly Skilled Migrant Permits, Ancestral visas - it's a quagmire of red tape, conditions and cost. In some cases there are quite strict conditions surrounding working hours. A busy employer simply doesn't want to get involved - it's a complicated world and he has a business to run. It's easier to go to the next CV on the pile.

Once they've agreed to sponsor you, do all the running yourself. Do all the research. Gather all the information - timing, costs, conditions, everything. Know what needs to be signed and where. I've even heard of people offering to pay for it themselves. Know the facts, present them to the boss and show him where to sign. Keep it simple. It's in your interest to do so.

If you're already sorted in the paperwork department, be open about expiry dates. This is particularly relevant if you're on a short term visa such as the Working Holiday visa, or even the Ancestral visa. Employers are understandably nervous about being done for illegal practices. So if yours is running out, let them know. They may agree to sponsor you. It's a win-win - everyone knows the situation and there will be no nasty surprises.

One other thing on the subject - be totally clear about your visa conditions. I was working in a firm who sent an Australian on a business trip to Paris. She was on a Working Holiday visa, contracting to the company through an agency. The agency had asked her set up a limited company for payment purposes. Essentially, this takes any responsibility away from the agency. When she was leaving Paris, immigration officers announced that having a limited company was a breach of her particular visa conditions. They deported her back to Australia the next day, without letting her back into London.

And finally but no less crucially…

Lesson 6

It really is about who, and not what, you know. The moment you land - or even before then - start making contacts. Network, network, network. Get your face and name out there as much as possible. Clearly, if you're employed, it helps. But if not, then attend industry events. Join the professional institution if you can. If necessary, find out where the industry hangs out. Lawyers congregate around Holborn, architects in Clerkenwell. However you choose to do it, just get out there. You never know who you might impress in a brief five minute conversation. It's infinitely easier to open a door that's already ajar than one that's firmly locked.

In summary, I always say you have to work with London until it's ready to work with you. Building a career over here can be a long difficult road, but if you persevere with patience, it is possible to get it right.

Article courtesy of Unidas