Happy Australia Day!

It’s Australia day so we thought we’d celebrate by sharing with you some of the things that our resident Aussie, Rachel, wishes she knew before she landed in the UK!

Top Tips

• Don’t move to Clapham – The area is great, and full of Australians, but the Northern Line commute is HORRENDOUS. It’s always busy, such a debacle.
• Research Agencies before you arrive! – Find out what each agencies specialise in and their recurring roles. Only register with the agencies that have experience in your field. It helps if they’ve worked with Aussies before.
• Lower your salary expectations – the salaries work differently here, and don’t forget to take into account the exchange rate!
• Living the London Lifestyle is expensive; but worth it! – Thursdays really are the new Fridays. There is a huge social culture here and you’ll want to enjoy it; get your roles lined up fast so you can get stuck in!
• Visas – If you’re coming to the UK on a Visa, temping and contract work will be the best, and most likely options for you

1. Tailor your CVs to the UK style:

• Don’t include your photo - it has to be removed to avoid discrimination.
• Have a short, introductory blurb about yourself, skills, and what you are looking for.
• Include your education history – Not just your degree, but your HSC or IB as well. Add this at the top of your CV, on the first page under your blurb.
• Make sure your Visa and passport status are on your CV too.
• For previous employment, make sure you include their locations – e.g. Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney.

• Take advantage of your holidays! – You’ll get 5 weeks’ holiday here, thats an extra week! With Europe on your doorstep and some really great deals, you can get £10 flights to loads of destinations – it would be rude not to go exploring.
• Don’t worry, you WILL get a job – Your positive energy and friendly attitude will open a variety of doors for you, you just need to find the right ones.
• LinkedIn – If you don’t have one, get one! Make sure it’s up to date with your career history and relevant information and get some recommendations!
• References – Make sure these are as relevant as possible. If these are from Australia, try to get a reference that you can bring with you and take to agencies and employers.
• Get used to having lots of change – They still have pennies! Your wallet or purse will be packed full of those copper coins before you know it. Also, most of the notes are still paper – they’re not machine washable or Thames friendly!

And lastly, Rachel’s Ultimate Top Tip:
Bring all the Vegemite, Papaw, and Shapes you can fit in your suitcase!

A word from our CEO, Meeta Sahni

I wanted to say thank you to all of our Aussie candidates for your hard work, commitment, and the ease at which you engage with our clients and the business community on the whole.

Here at The Maine Group we want to give back by providing the infrastructure to succeed - we offer guidance on banking, payroll, where to live, where to go, Visas and what you will need to stay on. What is really admirable about the Australian community in London is how existing generations embrace the new wave of Aussies coming into our city. Our network here at The Maine Group is always ready to help.

London as an economic centre wouldn’t have had the success it has had without our Australian community adding the value that they do. The work ethic of our Australian imports is unequivocal; their ability to mould into the companies and absorb the culture of companies that they work for shows a real tenacity and resilience.

London is a truly cosmopolitan city, it will take you on and has no judgment – anyone that puts their roots in London is a Londoner. Come and join us!

To register with The Maine Group, contact Rachel today on Rachel.Skelton@maine-tucker.co.uk or give us a call!

Happy Australia Day!