London calling

The Big Smoke. The Empire. The City. What draws so many people to London? How do they establish themselves there, and why do they stay? The cost of living in London can run into quadruple figures every month, (www.workgateways.com/working-cost-of-living.html) so is it realistic for a graduate to aspire to live there?

A lot of planning needs to take place whenever you move – anywhere. Housing, bills, appliances all need to be taken into account once again when you make the big post-university relocation. The settling in costs will rise, however, due to the addition of council tax, deposits and the start of paying off your loan.

There's no doubting that London is an expensive city, where money just seems to walk out of the door. National Economic Research Associates (NERA) estimates that the relative overall cost of living in London is between 22% and 30.7% higher than in the rest of country so things will be a lot easier if you've already found work prior to moving. Raj Aggarwal, who graduated from Warwick and now works for Citigroup agrees:

“Everything is considerably more expensive than anywhere else in England. Drinks, food, travel and so on. But then salaries are higher also”.

Many employers – in the private and public sector- will recognise the higher cost of living by including a ‘London weighting’ as part of their pay package.

"There were leaks in the ceiling, rising damp by the front door and the occasional cockroach - but despite it all, we were happy there"

If you're after a more artistic career, on the other hand, things can be very different. Art organisations will be more than happy to take on an extra pair of hands on a voluntary basis, but many grads will struggle to find well-paid permanent employment.

Don't be disheartened by this. Owen Winn, now a successful designer with companies such as Oxfam and the Designers Republic in his portfolio, is proof that the hard labour can pay off.

“As an aspiring designer, finding any work was quite tough. Despite promises of a 100% job placement record, what wasn't made quite clear is that it was 100% eventually, and not necessarily in the job you trained for, which is the case for pretty much everyone I know who has graduated.

“There really is no luck involved at all but a lot of hard work, which includes networking and often unpaid work to build up a reputation and portfolio. Patience, perseverance and a positive attitude towards achieving the final goal of landing your dream job after graduation are key.”

Ideally, you should start looking for work before you finish your final year, but if this doesn't work out, there are alternative options. Don't be ashamed to live at home for a few months before making the big move, and obviously any money you’ve saved while at university will be more than helpful, especially if you don't have a job set up for you already.

Also, don't rule out commuting. Several locations surrounding London - Bromley, Romford, even Brighton - can allow you to enjoy the fun of London while living on more of a budget.

“The further out of London you go the cheaper it gets, so if you can handle a bit of a commute you can save a truck load,” says Raj.

It is possible to move to London without a firm job offer, but expect to temp or get some sort of casual work – and work a lot of hours- to pay the rent.

"Patience, perseverance and a positive attitude towards landing your dream job after graduation are key"

Make sure your expectations about London accommodation are realistic. Dave Robson, who moved to London with friends after being offered a well-paid graduate place with L'Oreal, says:

“It did take three days of intensive searching but we found somewhere in our price bracket in an area we liked. In the eventuality it wasn't the best of choices - the landlord was very dodgy, there were leaks in the ceiling, rising damp by the front door and the occasional cockroach - but despite it all, we were happy there. It cost £109 a week”.

Remember that with the Olympics coming up, the cost of living may escalate even further in the next couple of years. Even if you've lived in London all your life, things can be tough. Owen says “My next step is to look for affordable accommodation - it doesn't look promising for a first time buyer”.

Findaproperty.com is great for comparing information on crime rates, council tax, and amenities, and allow you to make an informed decision before you settle in. There are nice and affordable places to live in the city – often not where you'd expect to find them – so take your time to find the right home, and accept you may have to slum it in the meantime.

Making friends can be hard in a new city when you don't have things like Societies and a Student Union bar to fall back on. If you're not lucky enough already to have friends in London, or are moving down with friends, don’t worry: London is the ideal city whether you’re indulging in time alone or desperate to make new friends. Nobody will judge you for eating alone or going to gigs by yourself, and there are always 100 things to do (www.londonist.com). With work comes networking opportunities, and Londoners aren't as frosty as you'd think, so you're bound to make friends in no time. There are also plenty of free things to do in the capital – check out Time Out for full listings.

Just because you're all grown up and living in London doesn't mean that you have to let go of your student lifestyle completely. You can still take advantage of several student perks and freebies, even in the capital. Don't forget that you can use your young persons railcard (renewable until you're 26) on travelcards around the city - saving you up to £90 a month. Additionally, Lastminute.com, and London free lists such as http://www.londonisfree.com/ are great resources for cheap nights out in the city.

One thing that graduates hitting the big smoke tend to agree on is that London is full of life, interest, and opportunity. As Owen concludes: “London is expensive but I feel you do pay for what you get when you avoid the tourist trap areas of the capital. It is a great city full of opportunity and fun as well as being rich in its history. I can't imagine living and working anywhere else.”