ticklish question

[emmala]

Here's one for you. I'm an American citizen (no commonwealth or eu citizenship in addition) and I am about to start applying for jobs in the UK (yes I've lived there before, and I'm also applying for jobs in the US and Canada, this is not some weird anglophile post, just looking for a job anywhere I would be willing to live

Comments

[androids]

What kind of job is it that you are applying for? In my (limited) experience of working in HR for a US-UK company, even for highly skilled jobs (it was a tax advisory company), we needed to advertise jobs in the UK for a certain amount of time before we could accept an overseas applicant, the company will need to prove that they are unable to recruit for the position from the UK/EU before they are able to employ someone from outside those areas.

[emmala]

Museum work so mostly public institutions which means that what you say goes double as I understand. That said I'm pulling from job list which is known to be read by people all over the world so I assume they are taking that into consideration when posting there.

[sollersuk]

That is a hellishly difficult area for anyone to get into, unless you have very specialised knowledge of a very relevant area.

[emmala]

you think? I have a MA in the field along with lets see 4+ years of experience? I've worked at museums in 3 countries including the UK and began volunteering in the field 10 years ago. I surely know how hard it is to get into.

[ciara_belle]

I don't think you necessarily have to say it outright, but they might ask. Or they might just assume, based on your address and degrees. From my experience, unless you are explicit about having an appropriate visa already or having UK/EU citizenship, they won't really take your application seriously. Unless, of course, you have the unique skill-set they're looking for. Academia, especially, will be willing to jump through the hoops for a specific lecturer they want.

I applied for jobs in the UK once I finished my graduate degree (at a UK university), but before I had bothered to apply for a post-study visa. I didn't explicitly state my nationality on any of the applications and I had a UK address and phone number at the time. I didn't get a single interview request or any response at all to most applications. I'm not sure if that was entirely based on the visa issue, but friends who had done the visa application seemed to have better luck. I might try again once I get my Italian passport, though.

[december_clouds]

I think I must be in the minority here, because I have my nationality on my CV with something like "Indefinite leave to remain visa" next to it. People I know with non-standard British names do this too.

This is because I went to school in the US and most of my experience is there. I don't want them to think they have to provide a visa for me or anything because most of them don't know much about visas.

[raketje]

I don't have my nationality/status on mine now, but I did for a very, very long time. I had to for the same reason - although most of my schooling and work was in the US, I did my MA here and have the 'right' to work in the UK, so when I was applying for things I had to state that they weren't going to have a lot of problems with me needing a visa/not being allowed into the country due to immigration caps/etc.

But now I've been here for over 6 years and have had various jobs, and have indefinite leave to remain, so it's not an issue. I just list it on app forms if they ask (which they usually do).

So you aren't the minority. :o)

To the poster - sadly, you are going to find it very difficult to find work in the UK right now. We've got all sorts of economic stuff going on and can't even create enough jobs for our own residents/citizens, so they've capped immigration (even for students, as there is a university space shortage). I know UK citizens with MAs and PhDs in 'highly skilled' fields that have been out of work for over a

[dirt_is_luck]

I applied for many jobs (for museum/heritage positions) from abroad before I moved here a year ago. I always mentioned in the cover letter that I hold an ancestry visa and when it is valid until

[emmala]

Things are horrible everywhere for museum folks. In a twisted way it's a statement about how bad it is that I'm even bothering to apply to places in the UK when I know it's as bad, if not worse, over there. But I figure my only shot is to apply to every job I might have a prayer for that comes up around the English speaking Atlantic and hope that eventually the statistics will play out and I'll find one somewhere. Hell I would be applying for jobs in Australia and New Zealand too if it wasn't for an unwillingness to be an entire day off from my family and sweetie. (you have to draw the line somewhere after all!) Out of curiosity what kind of museumy work do you do?

[purplekat99]

Depending on your timezone, the difference from Australia and especially NZ, is super close to the US. When I lived in NZ, for half the year, I was only 3 hours behind (but a day ahead) my family in California, which is just as "bad" as being in NYC, but the other direction. The "worst" I had it was 7 hours when I was in Australia, which is still better then 9hrs when I am on the continent. For me, 9 was like the worst (8 in the UK and 10 in Israel was do-able, for some reason).

Most people think that NZ and Australia are like super far, when really, they aren't. It just depends what map you look at:-). Plus, it's wicked easy for Americans to work in both places (compared to Canada, UK and Europe).

[emmala]

well i live in new york as does all my family and my sweetie so they would be very far. at the moment when we call my step family in SA it's 13 hours so not too close. And it's the whole super super expensive flight thing too and with all due respect I frankly don't want to live there.