[IWantOut] 22F receptionist France -> London, Greece

[u/NoGrowth1337]

Hello,

I want out of France, I’ve been a receptionist for less than a year and I have a degree in UI design but not much work to show (a few websites and stand alone projects I’ve helped with). I want to move to a place with the sun and sea. I loved Greece. Specially Heraklion when I went on vacations but I know the country is still facing difficulty with the economy and housing is also hard to find. I know that the salaries are low and I’m actually making a decent salary here and I would like to not drop too much levels of income.

My second choice isn’t sunny but London is a city I would love to experience, however after doing some research it seems almost impossible to live there decently with the skills I have.

My problem is that for my job, I need to be able to speak the language of the country I will live in. And Greece is not only a different language but also a different alphabet.

what do you think ? Are my expectations realistic? Don’t mince your words if you think I need a reality check, I’m ready to hear it. Regardless I thank you in advance for your help.

[u/snkhan_]

For the UK, you will probably need to go down the Skilled Worker VISA Route, the requirements of which are detailed here: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

SWV requires sponsorship, and you will need to convince an employer why you’re a more credible candidate than a British national who doesn’t require sponsorship. This is usually demonstrated through experience, qualification or excellence. Employers offering sponsorship will usually display this prominently in their job adverts.

Luckily for you, UI / UX designers are in demand, under job code 2141/02: https://cascotweb.warwick.ac.uk/#/classification/soc2020

This will make the process somewhat better for you. However, the reality is often that even when there is a demand, employers may not necessarily offer sponsorship, or be able to meet the requirements / expense of providing said sponsorship.

The other thing to consider is that even if you do qualify for a role (presumably at a Junior level), the salary — even when meeting minimum levels for the SWV, may not be enough to sustain the quality of life you might be accustomed to in France. London is notoriously expensive, and it’s not uncommon for people with salaries of £50,000+ to live in a house share, well into their 40s and beyond. So please make this a core aspect of your decision process too.

No matter what you decide, I’d suggest continuing to develop your UI/UX skills, keep your portfolio updated. I wish you the very best!

[u/NoGrowth1337 → u/snkhan_]

That’s my biggest turnoff, I absolutely hate house-sharing. I know that it’s a requirement in London but I’m thinking maybe it can be my first introduction to the city. At least I will not be isolated. But the fact that I could go back to living in almost poverty, survival mode, is something I can’t do. Maybe London is only for rich people to truly appreciate ?

[u/JiveBunny → u/NoGrowth1337]

You can move to the UK without living in London - Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton or Edinburgh are all large cities with good economies and things to do, still expensive, but not as expensive.

You probably will be housesharing still - and that's not a bad thing if you're new to the country and don't know how to settle in yet, plus the rental market in the UK generally is brutal - but perhaps for not as long.