Headhunters?

I want to relocate to the UK, coming from the US, and I assume the best way to do this is to be sponsored by a company before arriving.  Is there somewhere that I could look into the possibility of working with some UK headhunters?  I have a fairly good resume, but I do not know how to get it "out there" in the UK.  Any websites or specific companies would be greatly appreciated. 

What is your specialisation?

It's complicated.  I was in the military, have some significant background there, and I changed careers a few times.  The CV is, and I honestly say this humbly I am not trying to brag, very good I think, potentially exceptional, but I do not know how to market it, let alone find someone in the UK who could interpret the vagaries of the military portion. 

I have a background in engineering, specifically major project management, I am currently working in information security as a mid to senior executive (swapped careers due to a great opportunity a decade ago), and I recently graduated from a top MBA program (trying to be more marketable).  I have three Master's degrees (Business, engineering, humanities), a number of graduate certificates in computer security, and went to one of the top universities in the US for my undergrad.  And I have experience to match.

I don't know how to market any of this, however.  In the US, the military experience/leadership carries a lot of weight, but I need someone who can translate it into a UK context.  I can do quite a bit, I have a broad education, but I was hoping a headhunter could be the intermediary. 

To be sponsored to work in the UK, you need to have a very specific set of skills so that an employer can pass the Resident Labour Market Test proving that no one else in the UK or EU (500 million people) can do the job.

What kind of engineer are you?

Do you have a PMP certification?  That's very marketable worldwide.

Your best option would be to transfer to the UK with your current employer if they have offices in the UK.

Headhunters in the UK are very industry specific (as well as location), so you really need to define your specialisation to know who to contact.

Being one out of five hundred million seems a fairly significant hurdle...?  If this is the criteria... how is it possible that anyone gets a visa?  My current employer does not have UK offices, I would have to get hired by a UK company.

Being one out of five hundred million seems a fairly significant hurdle...?  If this is the criteria... how is it possible that anyone gets a visa?

The UK is currently in a significant anti-immigration mode; the eligibility requirements for various visas have been revised with the intent to try and reduce immigration drastically.  Most people on this forum have moved to the UK for family, which is much easier relative to obtaining a work visa. 

It is possible to get sponsored for a work visa, but it's usually a long hard road for many people, and usually only open to those with very specialized skills/qualifications.  Or, from the business side, for those with a significant amount of money for investing in the UK.

As KFdancer said, recruiters in the UK can be specific to the field you're in, as well as by location.  Probably the best thing would be to decide where in the UK you would want to live, and search for industry recruiters in that area.  Or, you could apply for jobs directly with any companies/organizations you would like to work with and see if you get any interest.     

I'm looking for a salary between £60-80k, depending on location.  At those salary levels I assumed issues like visas were pretty easy to overcome.  I already have a pension from the US military, around $4k a month, so it is not like I cannot pay my own way or I am looking for services.  I'll start working with some headhunters and see what happens.  I've been considering going back to school for a doctorate, if I had a PhD from the UK would it help getting a follow-on work visa?

I'm looking for a salary between £60-80k, depending on location.  At those salary levels I assumed issues like visas were pretty easy to overcome.

I'll start working with some headhunters and see what happens. 

I've been considering going back to school for a doctorate, if I had a PhD from the UK would it help getting a follow-on work visa?

Assumptions are a bad idea... You would still need to pass the RLMT, which means that if there was another qualified (but not necessarily experienced) candidate from within the EU they would have to take the person. Exemptions from the RLMT include occupations on the 'Shortage List' (like my job), or earning over £155K. Bear in mind that salaries in the UK tend to be lower in the US (think similar number but the things are more expensive) and we tend to have less disposable income...

BTW, it seems as though you have some pretty good experience, so it is definitely worth a shout. You definitely have more of a chance than say, a warehouse or supermarket worker... And no the UK does not give a monkey that you could support yourself - they are trying to reduce numbers of people coming into the UK.

Another exemption from the RLMT is switching from a Tier 4 (student visa) after having completed a degree or Masters, OR at least one year of a PhD programme. So that looks like the best way in to me, as it may also give you a chance to make contacts in the UK through the programme. It wouldn't help if you have just completed the qualification at any time in the past, you would still need to be on the Tier 4 in order to be exempt from the RLMT.

The RLMT is a conundrum, if only because I am unsure how it is applied.  I've dealt with this sort of thing before with the US government (I suspect most bureaucracies are similar when you get down to it), there are certain rules to ensure that hiring is fair and equitable, and it works in most cases.  But I would hardly be a cynic if I did not at least admit that while it is fair and honest, it is also something of a dog and pony show.  Very rarely are the rules broken, but they can be massaged to get the candidate that you want, even with requirements to find someone "in-house".  Such is the nature of rules.

If we are all honest with ourselves, it is highly unlikely that there is not someone in a pool of 500 million that could do a job before reaching outside for a candidate.  But this is assuming that whoever does fit the bill actually wants the job.  But there is also the reality that no nation can keep talent on the outside if it hopes to continue successfully.  I've assumed the anti-immigration stance was based almost entirely on the influx of low wage immigrants who use resources without contributing, and a healthy amount of xenophobia.  This is a common narrative, if not always, or ever for that matter, really an accurate description.  This is a commonality whether you are talking about Sudanese refugees into Egypt (same argument), Irish immigrants into the US, or Polish immigrants to the UK.  But the flow of skilled individuals...it seems counterproductive to halt that flow.  Even if I could find someone in Austria who has the same skill set and general education, and convince that individual to relocate, is this really the standard necessary to fill jobs? 

So how difficult is this, really, and how much is it just making sure the paperwork explaining that Company A wants American B is filled out properly?

Another thought....

If my wife got a job, and I came in with her, could I get a job once I am there?  She is a Special Education teacher, Autism specialist, and this is always in demand.  Does a spouse who accompanied another spouse have any easier time in getting a job?

For most people, it is genuinely difficult to get sponsored.  It's more than a matter of a company just filling out paperwork explaining that they want an American; they genuinely have to advertise the job in the UK and EU for a minimum amount of time, shortlist and interview, and can only sponsor someone from outside the UK/EU if no one who is qualified is found.  With the economy the way it is at the moment, most jobs are snapped up quickly by UK/EU citizens.  It really does depend on your skill set and the exact field you're looking to get into.  If it is specialized or niche enough, then you might not have any problem with the company not being able to hire someone locally who is qualified.

If engineering is your field, you may be in luck.  If the job is listed on the government shortage occupation list, the company does not need to go through with the resident labour market test:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/308513/shortageoccupationlistapril14.pdf

At the moment, if your wife got a job in the UK and you came with her, you would be able to work.  However, this is under review and it has been proposed that this is no longer the case in the future.