Houston, we have a problem...

Yeah, I figured as much. It's really hard for historians to get a job here too, I didn't think it would be so different in the UK. I am more than happy to work retail, coffee shop, library, volunteer, whatever to get some sort of "UK experience" even though my professional experience is in the US. I mean, I'm an immigrant, they've got to understand that, right? How would I have UK work experience if I've lived in the US my entire life?? 

I also have my student loans to worry about. I don't want to be struggling month by month and paying them off for 20 years. I'm probably thinking too far ahead...Focus on the now, get my big girl job in a little while. I just gotta be patient.

You would think it would account for a lot more but sadly it doesn't. A few local references will mean more than you realize. It's almost like we should have some form of communication that would allow conversations between people of different countries.

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Too bad I can't post memes on this forum. I have the perfect one...

Perhaps two lottery tickets 

Have you not been in a single thread I've participated in? Non stop memes or cat photos. Just download Tapatalk.

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Have you not been in a single thread I've participated in? Non stop memes or cat photos. Just download Tapatalk.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

I keep forgetting about that app!! You sure you want me to be able to post memes??? LOL

You would think it would account for a lot more but sadly it doesn't. A few local references will mean more than you realize. It's almost like we should have some form of communication that would allow conversations between people of different countries.

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I'll just have to use the resources I have and go from there. That's all I can do. Gotta put my big girl pants (Trousers?) on and suck it up lol

I keep forgetting about that app!! You sure you want me to be able to post memes??? LOL

I just cleared out my phone of Jimbo's cat photos. I wish I could figure out how he keeps getting them on my phone. But again, he's in IT. He probably hacked me.

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I'll just have to use the resources I have and go from there. That's all I can do. Gotta put my big girl pants (Trousers?) on and suck it up lol

Pretty sure pants works in the UK as I've always heard it as 'put your big girls panties' on anyway! Haha

We've both read through the tread.....talked it out....We are going to stay in the 6 month lease, and figure it out. I'll get some mail with my name on it, apply for my NI#, open a bank account, rest up for a month or so, look to see if I can get any sort of retail job/volunteer work...and start applying for big girl jobs until I get one.

Meanwhile, he's put me on his car insurance and I'm going to get right on that. If I can drive then I can branch my job search out even more!

Museum jobs are not a dime-a-dozen. (Or whatever the Brit version of that is.) And you are up against people who have in-country credentials, which you do not (I don't think). So unless, and I don't mean to be harsh, you have something extra-special to offer the employers, or have the right connections, you'll be very fortunate indeed to get anything above a part-time docent job if you have to go to work immediately. If you took one of those entry-level jobs, you might be later able to work it into something more substantial. You may have to be willing to accept anything, anywhere, to get a foot in the door.

So, at present, although London seems promising, you really don't have a clue where it is you'd find a job in your field. It may not be London. So moving closer to London for only a six month stint is not what I'd do. I'd sign for the six month extension where you will already have a place to call home. Land there, get settled in, and then take the lay of the land. My guess is that it will take that long, at a minimum, for you to sort out your actual career opportunities in the UK - you may find yourself having to apply for positions a long way from London.

Museum jobs are not a dime-a-dozen. (Or whatever the Brit version of that is.) And you are up against people who have in-country credentials, which you do not (I don't think). So unless, and I don't mean to be harsh, you have something extra-special to offer the employers, or have the right connections, you'll be very fortunate indeed to get anything above a part-time docent job if you have to go to work immediately. If you took one of those entry-level jobs, you might be later able to work it into something more substantial. You may have to be willing to accept anything, anywhere, to get a foot in the door.

So, at present, although London seems promising, you really don't have a clue where it is you'd find a job in your field. It may not be London. So moving closer to London for only a six month stint is not what I'd do. I'd sign for the six month extension where you will already have a place to call home. Land there, get settled in, and then take the lay of the land. My guess is that it will take that long, at a minimum, for you to sort out your actual career opportunities in the UK - you may find yourself having to apply for positions a long way from London.

Yes, definitely. I used London as an example, because there are over 200 museums there. That is so frustrating...my experience is no less valuable than someone in the UK and yet, I might not be picked due to the fact that I wasn't born in the UK. I know it's the same here...but I see immigrants in good paying positions all the time. I just need to be positive and not give up. It isn't in me to give up on my dreams, so I'll keep trying until I continue to put my degree to good use.

Also, you aren't being harsh! You're being realistic. Sometimes we need a dose of that. That's why I love this forum.

Yes, definitely. I used London as an example, because there are over 200 museums there. That is so frustrating...my experience is no less valuable than someone in the UK and yet, I might not be picked due to the fact that I wasn't born in the UK. I know it's the same here...but I see immigrants in good paying positions all the time. I just need to be positive and not give up. It isn't in me to give up on my dreams, so I'll keep trying until I continue to put my degree to good use.

Also, you aren't being harsh! You're being realistic. Sometimes we need a dose of that. That's why I love this forum.

It’s not about not being born in the U.K. - you now have the same right to work in the U.K. as a British-born citizen and they aren’t allowed to discriminate based on that.

It’s about a lack of U.K. work experience and knowledge of how the U.K. workforce operates. If you had previously lived in the UK on say, a work or student visa (and had held a job), then you would already have that work experience and so may find it easier to get a job.

As you haven’t lived here before, you may struggle to be offered a job over someone who has worked in the U.K. before... which is why we suggest doing some volunteering first, so you can get the experience and gain some U.K. references.

It’s something you just need to build up over time, much like credit in the U.K... the more experience you can build up, the easier it will be to get a look in.

When I was looking for jobs, no one wanted to hire a new graduate - so I was stuck... I searched through hundreds of jobs in my field and couldn’t find a single one I was qualified for because they all wanted me to have a PhD and/or 10 years of experience.


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It’s not about not being born in the U.K. - you now have the same right to work in the U.K. as a British-born citizen and they aren’t allowed to discriminate based on that.

It’s about a lack of U.K. work experience and knowledge of how the U.K. workforce operates. If you had previously lived in the UK on say, a work or student visa (and had held a job), then you would already have that work experience and so may find it easier to get a job.

As you haven’t lived here before, you may struggle to be offered a job over someone who has worked in the U.K. before... which is why we suggest doing some volunteering first, so you can get the experience and gain some U.K. references.

It’s something you just need to build up over time, much like credit in the U.K... the more experience you can build up, the easier it will be to get a look in.

When I was looking for jobs, no one wanted to hire a new graduate - so I was stuck... I searched through hundreds of jobs in my field and couldn’t find a single one I was qualified for because they all wanted me to have a PhD and/or 10 years of experience.


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I see. Yeah, I like volunteering! If that's what it takes, then that's what I'll do.

I got lucky in the "new graduate" department...My internship turned into my full time job. I've never done the scary interview process...this is all so new for me and very intimidating.

It'll work out. You just have to be flexible and willing the play the game by the local rules. 

I love London's museums. The last time we were there we visited the gardening museum (Captain Bligh is buried out back!) as well as our favorites, the British and the V&A. And the Natural History Museum. Could spend days in the British and V&A, really. 

Local credentials are where it's at, tho, as Ksand says. My daughter is in Uni over here instead of in the States because her plan was to be able to live and work here, someday. She could have had an almost free ride in the States. That and one of the best schools for her field is here. So hopefully she'll have the connections, and the local diploma, and, again hopefully, at least some volunteer work under her belt when she launches.  If not, at least she has friends locally and really likes it here.

Too bad I can't post memes on this forum. I have the perfect one...

Perhaps two lottery tickets 

Non cat related memes usually go through much better.  If Tami has used up the daily cat quota, your carefully chosen memes get stuck in the intertubes. 

Stay away from cats and you'll be fine

58 minutes is a pretty reasonable commute. 

58 minutes is a pretty reasonable commute.

Definitely, I commute that far every single day for work right now.

I'm mostly worried about the price. Do they have like, a yearly pass or employment pass? I can't imagine that people who travel on the train/tube every day have to pay the fee every single day?