Australian Business Analyst in London

 

In this article I’ll talk about my experience as a Business Analyst in London

In 2013, I worked in London as a Business Analyst for a financial services firm. I was responsible for building and maintaining in-house RFQ software, multiple websites and client reporting software. Before I got my job in London, I was based in Barcelona, Spain. While I was in Barcelona I started applying for jobs in London. Part of the reason why I waited in Barcelona was because London can get really expensive. So I thought it would be better to enjoy the sun and food in Spain, before a serious working life would soon take up most of my time.

 

Job hunting

What was the most challenging thing about looking for a job?

The best thing about Business Analyst jobs in London is also the worst, there are so many. Which means there is a lot of competition and you can easily become just another number. It becomes difficult to distinguish yourself in the crowd. I started using websites that, once you signed up, you could automatically send your CV and application at a click of a button. I think in the end these websites were designed just to collect data. However this was where I found my job.

 

What was the interview process like?

My interview for my job was pretty standard. The hiring agency vetted me first, with a fairly casual conversation about my experience. The next step was with my future boss, who was the Chief Operating Officer of the company. I also spoke with the head of another department I would be working closely with. With most Business Analyst jobs, questions revolve around document writing, communication, understanding of development processes and experience in certain software. I only spoke on the phone with the recruiter, however I had a video call with my boss.

 

 

Work culture and conditions

How many hours do people typically work?

I can’t speak for the majority of Business Analyst positions in London. But in my office everyone worked pretty late. Most of the time we left after 7pm. I think this is pretty standard for big businesses, especially working in finance. The hours never really felt long or tiring. Also it’s good to note that in the latter half of the year it gets dark by 3 or 4pm in London. 

How social was the workplace?

My workplace didn’t have specific social events or social club. But this is more so because it was a small to medium sized company. The majority of the employees were locals and they had their families to tend to. We didn’t have a communal area to hang out or eat lunch. But would go for drinks on occasion. 

Salary

I heard many stories of earning big money in London, especially as a contractor. Everyone has their different ideas of what is a lot of money and have different needs. For a Business Analyst with 3-5 years experience I think you could ask for minimum £35-45k per year in a permanent position (at the time), excluding bonuses and benefits. Which is plenty to have a comfortable life and travel. With contracting you can really ask for what ever someone is willing to pay, within reason.

 

Accommodation

What was the best way to find accommodation?

My best tip for finding accommodation in a big city is to get your job first, and then find your new home. The reason for this is because your daily commute to work will play a big part in how you enjoy the city. I always look for an apartment that is a maximum of 30-40 minutes commute to work. 

To find my apartment I used https://kangaroom.com/. This website pulls listings from Gumtree and displays them nicely in a map view. The map view allows you to see how far your public transport is and if there are shops nearby.

 

What areas are good to live in?

I was very lucky and found an affordable apartment in Westminster, near Saint James Park. I spent most of my time in zone 1 and 2, so I didn’t really become familiar with all the areas. If you can try to live in zone 1, 2 or 3. I always enjoyed Kings Cross and Victoria. Anything that allowed me to step outside and feel like I was in the thick of it. 

Living in Westminster was great for a few reason;

Life in London

What was the ‘social life’ like?

My advice to anyone moving to a new city and wanting to meet people is to just say ‘yes’ to everything. I had two main hobbies at the time, playing soccer and learning Spanish. So I found groups who shared these interests. A great website to find groups of people is www.meetup.com. Here you can find almost any social activity or sport. 

The cons of living in London

Here are the 3 main things that really stood out to me as the cons of living in London. Bear in mind I come from a fairly small Australian town (1.2 million). 

1. The pollution. I’ve spent a lot of time in Seoul, South Korea and noticed that my breathing was actually affected during high pollution days. I didn’t have this problem in London. Though everyday when I got to work and got home from work, I would blow my nose and black dust would be present. This was solely from riding the Tube (subway) everyday. While I didn’t feel any different, it just felt wrong knowing I was breathing this pollution.
2. The Tube. You’ll end up spending a lot of time on the Tube. It definitely has a lot of pros. But here are my cons. In peak hours at the busiest stations, it can be a madhouse. Everyone is fighting and pushing to get on the train. Luckily the district line from St James’s Park for me was calm. Once I took a detour and was totally out of my element. You have to be pretty aggressive at times to get on in peak hour or you’re not getting home anytime soon.
3. Expensive. Not all vibrant, big, European cities are expensive to live in. Berlin for one is very affordable. London can be a trap if you aren’t earning good money or have some savings behind you. By a trap I mean, you won’t want to leave your area because the Tube costs too much. And you probably have big dreams of jetting off to Spain for the weekend. But when rent, transport and groceries chew up your wage, it will become tougher. 

The pros of living in London

Here are my top 3 pros about living in London. I’m sure there are many more and 

1. There is always something to see and do. Any day of the week. The best of those things are the really obscure events. A friend of mine went to a flatmate speed-dating (https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/Flatmate-Speed-Dating/).
2. Europe is on your doorstep. With 6 major airports London is a great launching pad into Europe. Once I even did a quick trip to New York, only 6 hours away.  
3. There are so many hidden gems in London, quirky bars, tours, restaurants, cafes and free, live, spontaneous events.

Hidden gems 

Here are some of my favourite things to do in London.