London Survival Guide For The Ambitious

London is the centre of culture and knowledge, confirming its status as the global hub by being at the top of Best Performing Cities Europe Index.

It attracts diverse talents, ideas, and technologies for a reason. So where the opportunities are, the competition is. Whether you’ve just moved to London or been here your whole life, you can make it here if you can invest to build your brand to stand out. Having a bachelor’s degree is a baseline – you want to show off your edge skills, continuous learning, and network size.

Here is a rare guide to how to succeed in London.

1.   Never stop learning

Take full advantage of the fact that London is the epicentre of knowledge and educational-tech. Going to expensive LSB is not your only option. You can access similarly high-quality education and educators even in a digital, remote environment to accommodate your busy schedule. Check the many online courses in the UK across various subjects to keep your resume alluring amongst your competing candidates.

2.   Network the right way

London attracts people of all walks of life and dreams. It hosts a multitude of international summits and professional events (such as London Tech Week)  where you’ll have an opportunity to not only access privileged information before it hits the overall market, but also to connect with people that could elevate your profile in desired fields.

You can also access more casual networking events to meet like-minded people as well and many of them are free here in London. Host your own events on sites like Eventbrite if you have topics or subjects of interest you can speak expertly to; being a coordinator will get you in touch with so many influential people fast.

3.   Participate in unique trends only available in London

The rise of social enterprises (cutting-edge startups that are meant to drive global-scale change by providing economic benefits to the previously underserved and underutilised in poverty-stricken areas of the world) is funded majorly by firm in the UK. The investment into solar energy, for instance, is heavily backed by the UK government, VCs, and firms.

An innovative space like this attracts top talents and technologies – a great place to learn new things and expand your horizons. Learn how drivers of capitalism can also be drivers of social good and change.

4.   Find ways to gain leadership experience early on

There are many innovation competitions and challenges you can participate in if you want an opportunity to showcase your problem-solving or thinking-outside-the-box skills. In addition, you can find small grass-root nonprofit organisations to volunteer time as a Board member. It gives you an opportunity to build your business expanding and leadership skills which you can further leverage in your career path down the road.

5.   Be cultured

Many underappreciate how lucky they are to live in a modern city full of historical and artistic sites. If you want to be a well-rounded person, take advantage of your own surroundings. Learn about the history of Europe and how it shapes the direction it’s headed in. Curiosity is not a personality trait, it’s a learned habit. Push yourself to stay curious about the world and its makings. It’ll make you agile, versatile, and interesting.