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Job search strategy, UK-standard CVs, interviews and the practical systems around working life.
An apprenticeship combines paid work, training and a qualification. For a London applicant, the location and weekly pattern deserve as much attention as a recognisable employer name.
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Match public, health, transport, education and early-career searches to the right source.
Check the written terms, deductions, holiday and records behind a London job offer.
THE LONNOW GUIDE
A useful job search connects the role you can do with evidence an employer can assess. Choose a realistic role family, prepare a targeted application and understand the checks and written terms that come after an offer.
An editorial decision guide, not a ranking. Choose the option that fits your circumstances, then check the relevant official information before committing.
| Stage | Useful evidence to prepare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing target roles | Examples against the advertised essential criteria | Can you demonstrate the work rather than only an interest? |
| Submitting an application | A relevant CV and permitted work samples | Does this version answer this particular job description? |
| Considering a conditional offer | The stated checks and a realistic start date | Which conditions remain outstanding? |
| Preparing to start | Right-to-work evidence, payroll details and written terms | How will you submit information safely, and what arrangement have you accepted? |
Source notes: National Careers Service: writing a CV · GOV.UK: proving the right to work · GOV.UK: applying for a National Insurance number · GOV.UK: written statement of employment particulars
Choose a small set of related roles before opening dozens of vacancy alerts. For example, customer support, office administration and software testing each require a different set of examples, even when all three involve communication. Read several actual job descriptions and make a short evidence list beside their essential criteria: work you have done, a relevant project, a qualification or a practical skill you can demonstrate.
The National Careers Service recommends tailoring a CV to the job rather than sending one unchanged document everywhere. Put the most relevant experience where it is easy to find. Describe what you did and the result without inflating a team’s achievement into your personal responsibility. If you are changing sector, explain the transferable work clearly instead of disguising the change behind broad phrases such as “dynamic professional”.
Continue with Build a focused job search · Prepare a UK-format CV.
Source notes: National Careers Service: writing a CV
A clear CV gives employers usable contact details, a short introduction and relevant education and experience. The official careers guidance advises against including age, date of birth, marital status or nationality. A portfolio link should lead straight to work you are entitled to show, not confidential material from a previous employer. Explain your contribution, the constraint you worked under and what changed as a result.
At interview, prepare specific examples and useful questions. Ask what success looks like in the first few months, who sets priorities and which parts of the role are on site. A practical question about rota patterns or the work location can be more revealing than a rehearsed question about company culture. Keep a record of the exact role, version of your application and agreed next step so that follow-up is relevant.
Continue with Prepare interview examples.
Source notes: National Careers Service: writing a CV
An employer must check your right to work before you start. The evidence route depends on nationality and immigration permission: a share code is not a universal replacement for every acceptable document. A National Insurance number serves a different purpose. GOV.UK confirms that someone who can prove the right to work can begin a job before receiving the number; having a number does not itself establish immigration permission.
After a genuine offer, ask the employer how to provide identity, payroll and other required information securely. A conditional offer still depends on its stated checks. Plan the start date around the actual outcome rather than resigning or moving solely because an informal conversation sounded positive.
Continue with Understand National Insurance numbers · Read the immigration overview.
Source notes: GOV.UK: proving the right to work · GOV.UK: applying for a National Insurance number
Compare pay alongside hours, work location, probation, holiday arrangements and any required training. GOV.UK distinguishes the written statement of employment particulars from the employment contract: the principal statement is due on the first working day, while specified wider information follows later. If an important point was promised in conversation, ask where it appears in the written terms.
An attractive annual salary can still be the wrong arrangement if the commute, childcare or unpredictable working pattern does not fit. Use the salary guide to organise a personal comparison; it does not supply a guaranteed take-home figure for every tax or pension situation.
Continue with Compare a London salary offer.
Source notes: GOV.UK: written statement of employment particulars
GOV.UK says you can start before the number arrives if you can prove your right to work. The immigration check and the National Insurance application are separate tasks.
Source notes: GOV.UK: applying for a National Insurance number · GOV.UK: proving the right to work
No. It records specified employment particulars, but GOV.UK explicitly distinguishes it from the contract. Read the actual contract and any incorporated policies as well as the statement.
Source notes: GOV.UK: written statement of employment particulars
Choose what you need. Every recommendation comes from a current LONNOW guide in this section.
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Official vacancy boards, major London employers, training and career support—organised by the job you need next.
Search verified employer vacancies by keyword and London radius.
02Health & care · VacanciesClinical, operational, technology and support roles across London trusts.
03Public service · VacanciesGovernment roles with grade, location and eligibility stated on each advert.
04Transport · EmployerOperations, engineering, technology, planning and customer-service careers.
05Public service · EmployerRoles supporting London policy, programmes, research and city operations.
06Public service · EmployerPolice officer, staff, digital and operational-support routes.
07All sectors · TrainingPaid training routes searchable by occupation and London location.
08Digital & green · TrainingFlexible training designed around employer demand and job progression.
09Digital & green · TrainingLondon training and employment support in priority sectors.
10All sectors · AdviceSkills assessment, role profiles and job-search planning.
11Education · EmployerAcademic, professional-services, digital and operational vacancies.
12Digital & green · NetworkUse the UK technology network to identify companies, programmes and events.
A useful London job search connects role evidence, a focused CV, realistic salary needs and work-authorisation facts. Use these guides to build a repeatable application rhythm, verify every vacancy with the employer and avoid recruiters or listings that request suspicious payments.
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