Guess who’s employed? This girl.
Finally!
After 6 weeks of applying, volunteering and sitting on my rear, I’m employed!
I was offered two very different positions in one day (all comes at once, huh?) and eventually accepted a position with global PR firm Edelman.
I’ll be working as an Account Executive in the digital department. Exciting stuff, but I’m sure once I get working I’ll wish I had time off.
Good thing in the UK you get 20 vacation days TO START!
I love this country!
Hello London!
I’ve made it safe and sound and I’ve been here just over 2 weeks. I’ve been so busy applying for jobs and looking at flats that I haven’t had a chance to update, so here’s a bit about what has been going on.
Before I left, my cousin in Canada was ruthless with my bags. She made me go through every piece of clothing I wanted to bring and asked when and where I’d wear it. I went from 1 large and 1 medium bag plus my carry on to 1 large bag and carry on. I was so glad I only had 1 bag to manage!
When I arrived my cousin C met me at Victoria Station where the express train from the Airport arrives in London. My giraffe luggage came in handy as she was able to spot me in the rush hour crowd. We jumped on the tube and made a couple of transfers (with stairs) with my 1 big bag. A nice guy at the tube stop near her home offered to help me up the stairs with it - thankfully.
I arrived at “The Creek” (a name they gave the flat because when they bought it the floors creaked) and C’s sister was still in London after visiting for a week. C’s BF was also home so we had dinner, a chat and I then I was gone to sleep off the jet lag.
The last 2 weeks have consisted of meeting old friends (from Canada who are here), new friends (from Twitter!) and making new friends along the way. I’ve also been applying for jobs like it’s my job - which at the moment, it is.
I’ve had a couple of job interviews and am waiting to hear back about a specific job at an agency early next week. The manager is off on vacation so they can’t choose between me and the other candidate until she returns.
The flat hunt is on hold as no one will give you a flat unless you’re employed full-time, no matter how much money they have in the bank. This lets me focus on the job hunt.
On the matter of jobs, I’ve signed up to volunteer at Social Media Week London - a week long conference about social media with events in three parts of the city. I’ve signed up for Press/Speaker relations as well as the opening/closing events. I hope to network a bit here and maybe hear about some jobs not on the job boards.
My friends here have been trying their best to help me get a position - it’s uber competitive but they believe in me!
Anyway, I’m off to the shopping centre to pick up some bits and a steak for dinner. Just me and C tonight so we can eat meat while her veggie BF is at work!
I’ll be sure to update more frequently once there is something worthy of writing about.
3 days… Boy oh boy, so much stuff. I think I need to do 1 more purge - what do I really need?!
Only days to go!
So I’m moving abroad in 13 days… there is so much left to do!
- pack
- pack up stuff I’m not bringing
- finish work
- get currency/bank draft
- stop mom from crying
- have one last party with friends
- get to the airport
- pray that the snow doesn’t delay
- get on my plane to the UK!
There are lots of other things I need to do. I’m a big planner, but also procrastinator.
Once I arrive in the UK I have to go about meeting people, getting that dream job, finding a flat, and then updating this blog with a longer, more descriptive post of my adventure.
wish me luck!
1 month!!
One month from now I’ll be enroute to England to start something new and exciting.
I’ve got a place to stay for a few weeks (thanks to my cousin), a bank account set up, and a writing test for a position I’m really hoping to get.
With Christmas on the way, I will have a week or so off work before I jet-set to my new life. I’m hoping to meet up with friends, purge my belongings
Things are all lining up it seems, I just hope Jan 15 isn’t going to be a snowtastrophy, I don’t want to be stranded at YYZ.
Giving your notice
Yesterday I informed my current employer of my plans.
Each staff member had a private meeting with the 2 main bosses to receive our review letters and raise amounts. I got a $1/hour raise, go me. They opened up the chance for me to speak by saying “Is there anything else you want to talk about.”
“Yes,” I said, “this is going to be hard to say.” They both kind of looked at me.
“I’m moving to England in January,” I said, explaining that it was not because of my current employer or position, but rather, I just want to do something different with my life. Their reaction was better than I expected.
“Well, we will be sorry to lose you but we’re excited for you.”
It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve give just over 1 months notice and we are going to work out the core competencies for my position to ensure the replacement we hire can take the job on where I have left off. The rest of the staff doesn’t know yet, because the day I told them we were having a retirement party for someone else, and I’m not about to steal the thunder of 30 years of service.
Fewf… all that is left is purging, packing and saying goodbye. 45 days until the move.
Bye Bye Car!
For the next 55 days (give or take) I will be a teenager again… “Mom, can I borrow your car?”
The car is gone, got a few bucks for it, though, not a fortune. Now I have to cancel insurance, and start looking at cancelling my cell phone, gym membership, and apply for that bank account.
I also need to do a test pack - how much can I fit into my existing luggage, and if I need a larger bag will I be overweight for my checked baggage? Let’s hope not.
55 days… oh boy!
The cost of living in the UK
Express.co.uk has a great cost of living index where they show the cost of food, transport, housing and everything in between from a year ago, a week ago and today.
See the index HERE: http://www.express.co.uk/costoflivingindex
The Daily Mail has a household budget calculator, a great tool to find out how much you really are spending.
See the calculator here: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633404/Household-budget-calculator.html
Between these two sources, and a few web searches on grocery chains, transit links, etc. I should be able to budget - as long as I don’t buy every cute purse I see in London.
2 months until the move. So much to do.
T- 3 months
It seems like yesterday I was only contemplating this. Now, it’s exactly 3 months until my move… how exciting is that?
I’ve a lot to do including, but not limited to, cancelling memberships, giving notice, sorting through the clutter in my life, packing up things I won’t be taking with me, saying goodbye and boarding a plane.
The list seems short, but when your working 2 jobs the time just flies by. I’m trying to get to the gym more too, now that I’m not working a 3rd job. I’m hoping to take up running outdoors when I’m in London. I’ve heard there are a lot of great public parks, and a huge herd of people run daily along the Thames River.
Note to self: don’t forget my running shoes.
So, you’re planning to become a broad abroad too? Well, this country guide for visitors and potential expats is a great resource. It gives to tips on culture (like, standing an arms length from someone you talk to, and pants is the name for underwear in the UK).
Take a look, it even gives you a checklist for closing out our life at home, and dates to complete it by based on your move date!
About me
A Tumblr about my adventure, my Euro-trip, and my life savings being spent on moving 3000 miles from the place I grew up.I'm not running away, really. I'm returning closer to home.
