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Letter “A” in the wild.
Month: November 2023
Glasgow Design Job
My aunt lives a wonderful happy life in Glasgow Scotland. Every time I visit I fall in love further and further with Glasgow. She is getting more ill every year and it would delight me to be closer to her.
Glasgow has a very distinct Scottish culture that takes some adjustment coming from the US. The local accent takes some getting used to, but living in an English speaking country will help me focus on my job and self improvement.
Glasgow has a rich history you can experience by visiting cathedrals, museums and other landmarks. My favorite place in the city is the University of Glasgow. It feels like I’m visiting Hogwarts
The NHS provides free universal healthcare.
I love traveling and every part of the UK has an identity and charm. Easy access to explore other parts of Scotland and the UK via public transport is important to me. Lots of relatively close destinations like Edinburgh can be accessed by train. My husband and I were amazed with how easy it was to walk everywhere. We walked from our downtown hotel to my aunt’s house in a less populated area of the city without sidewalk interruption.
The weather is basically seattle so no adjustment needed.
Glasgow residents have a reputation for being very friendly. The culture values community and hospitality.
Some points that stand out with this job listing:
- “If Only” is a leading luxury travel company that values creativity and gives designers freedom to produce unique, exciting artwork
- Being junior graphic designer involves working closely with the marketing team and other designers to create assets across all marketing channels
- Key requirements include a design degree/experience, proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (especially InDesign and Photoshop), ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines
- Benefits include generous holiday entitlement
- half days off in December
- Access to a wellness hub and counseling (which blows my freaking mind)
- discounted travel (which will be well used)
- The culture emphasizes going the extra mile to produce high quality work, taking feedback constructively, supporting colleagues, and constantly improving by learning new skills and industry trends
- This is an office-based role with the possibility of 2 days remote work after passing probation.
The job listing itself felt so wholesome and inviting. I almost want to apply today. I think the only problems I would come across would be the issue of obtaining a work visa.The main work visa for Glasgow is the Tier 2 General visa. I must have a job offer from a licensed sponsoring employer for this (I would have to ask “If Only “ is a licensed sponsor). The company can obtain a sponsor license and assign you a certificate of sponsorship if hired. Then I would submit an online application on the UK gov website with supporting documents including my certificate of sponsorship, passport, and proof of funds(paycheck). Standard processing time is 3 weeks. Once in Glasgow, i’ll need to apply for a BRP residence permit card within 10 days to extend my stay. I can also apply to bring my husband once my visa is granted. The whole process takes 2-3 months typically.
In order to be paid in Scotland I must open a Scottish bank account. Americans can open Scottish bank accounts as long as I can provide proof of address (which at the time might be my aunt’s apartment )in Scotland and valid ID documents like a passport. Major retail banks like Bank of Scotland, RBS, Clydesdale and TSB do offer bank accounts to Americans living in Scotland. I will need to show my passport, visa status, a Scottish utility bill/lease as proof of address, and documents showing my funds from the employer. If I haven’t started work I will be asked for a letter of employment instead. While some UK banks allow online account opening, Americans typically have to visit a branch in person to provide the required documents.