Living in London gives you access to a lot of great opportunities to further your career – there are lots of jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities and events taking place every day in almost every industry. London is also a great place to increase your employability in ways you might not have thought of yet:

Learn new skills

London is a great place to get out and volunteer your time to learn new skills. The LSE Volunteer Centre has a lot of one-off volunteering days you can take part in and gain some new skills to put on your CV. Most will involve teamwork, innovation, and detail orientation, all great skills that employers are looking for. Plus, you might do something like cleaning up and landscaping Regent’s Canal, and will want to add gardening to your interests!

Meet new people

Not everything you do in London has to be job related. Going out and meeting new people to eat, socialise, or even exercise can be a great thing for your employability. LSE Generate has written about how important it is to get out there and meet new people if you are looking for a job in a startup, but this strategy works in other industries too. Meeting new people also gets you outside your communication comfort zone and can help sharpen your communication skills, especially those elevator pitches!

Research

With so much at your fingertips in London, it’s a good idea to make the most of it by doing some research into people, places and industries. Common feedback we get from employers is that they want candidates to have knowledge about the industry they are looking to join. Doing some research and improve your business knowledge is a great use of your time.

Cultural awareness

All organisations of every size require their employers to be culturally aware. Whether you are working abroad, in a global headquarters, or in a small office in North West London, being able to minimise misunderstandings, avoid conflict, and reduce risks are skills that all employers are going to value and reward. Taking the time to build rapport and good relations while interacting with everyone you meet in London is a great way to spend your summer and equally increase your employability.

London itself can be a great teacher to help you improve your employability beyond the traditional career appointments and events. That said remember, LSE Careers is all year round with events and appointments to complement everything else you learn from this great city!