Recruitment Agencies
The UK recruitment industry has over 8,000 different firms and directly employs over 90,000 people. Navigating this can be hard!
The information below provides general tips in finding the right job, in the right location and the right industry for you.
Visa status
Before you start your job search it is important to understand your visa status and your options to work in the UK. Please read all the information available in our ‘UK VISAS’ to determine which visa is right for you, or contact us to discuss your options for sponsorship and working in the UK.
ENtering the UK job market
It is important to carefully target your job search in the UK market. Our view is to pick 2-3 industries and 2-3 roles that match your skills and experience. You need to come up with a short 'sales pitch' outlining:
What you are looking for;
What industries you want to work in;
What locations you prefer;
What rate you are after;
What you believe you offer.
Market Information
Finance and Banking Industry
Despite uncertainty over how Brexit may affect the rules surrounding corporate tax and VAT, there remains a strong demand for skilled and qualified workers to enter the finance industry in the UK
What areas of finance can I work in?
Employment opportunities in this sector can be grouped into:
Accountancy and finance - This covers employees in audit, tax and accountancy businesses, as well as those performing financial functions in the relevant departments (for example, treasury) of other businesses or not-for-profit organisations.
Retail and Commercial Banking and building societies - The sector's biggest employers, these enable individuals and businesses to manage their money and access products such as loans, mortgages and insurance.
Financial planning - Jobs in this area focus on the provision of advisory services, and supporting people and organisations looking to plan their financial futures.
Insurance - Employees in this area work closely with other professionals, including doctors, lawyers and fire officers, to gather evidence, assess risk and resolve claims against insurance policies.
Investments and pensions - Employees research the likely performance of funds and look to mitigate financial risk and liability for their clients, with the key functions of investment companies including performance measurement, investment support, risk assessment, data management, and trading and stockbroking.
Telecommunciations
The telecom sector continues to be at the epicenter for growth, innovation, and disruption for virtually any industry. Mobile devices and related broadband connectivity continue to be more and more embedded in the fabric of society today and they are key in driving the momentum around some key trends such as video streaming, Internet of Things (IoT), and mobile payments
There is strong demand for capable Telecommunication professional both in the large established players, as well as in the vibrant start-up market that is currently thriving in London.
Information Technology
The growth of the digital economy and the pace at which new technologies are emerging mean that IT and computing graduates are more valuable to employers than ever before. There is a skills shortage across the IT sector, particularly in a number of key roles.
There were on average 163,000 vacancies for digital specialists across the UK during each quarter of 2015, according to Tech Partnership, the sector skills council. Developers were the most sought after professionals, accounting for 27% of all digital jobs advertised. This trend is supported by data from jobs website Adzuna in April 2016, which put software developers among the top 10 posts that employers are struggling to fill.
Industry insiders are also concerned about a lack of cyber security specialists in the UK, so this is another area worth considering. Companies and public sector organisations increasingly prioritise the protection of their data against malicious threats or accidental loss and are looking at hiring information security specialists and risk managers.
Change Delivery
With the number of large global businesses located in the UK, the market for talented programme and project professionals is very competitive.
There is strong demand across a number of industries in the UK for project professionals and although there is some flexibility in moving between industries, UK companies tend to favour consultants and contractors who have direct industry experience.
The most common methodologies in use are P3M, MSP and Prince 2. Although formal qualifications in these methodologies are not an absolute prerequisite, they are helpful to have.
Recruitment Agencies
It can be hard finding the right recruitment agency. The following is our list of capable UK recruitment agencies that have a strong contracting capability.
General
Finance
Information Technology
Change Delivery
Telecommunications
Executive