Why did you leave? Was it out of necessity or a desire to travel?

It was a bit of both. I studied in Dublin and was tired of living there after four years. There was no point in going home to Meath as I wouldn’t have found any media work. I had completed a few work placements, but there weren’t many opportunities in Ireland, so I thought London was the next step. I secured work experience for three weeks – that was two years ago.

What was your first impression of the city?

I instantly loved London. I knew I wasn’t going to leave after three weeks. It’s a great city for young people who want to move up the career ladder – job prospects are very good for graduates. There are lots of paid programmes where people are trained on the job. In England, many people don’t have a master’s because they learn and gain skills in work. Unpaid internships are available too, though there is much debate around the fairness of asking people to work for free.

What kind of opportunities are there for a young person in London? What is it like to work there? Is it as competitive as people say?

Law, finance and media are the main areas my friends work in. However, there seem to be opportunities in every sector.

Companies over here care about investing in young people. LinkedIn is very important, so make sure to update your profile with jobs and skills before starting the job hunt.

I think finding work in London is as competitive as in Ireland. The work culture is quite different though, nine to five doesn’t exist here. I almost find myself apologising for leaving work at six. Then again, there are people back home who are working long hours too.

A lot of people moving to the city won’t have a job, but the likelihood is you’ll be working in central London. When it comes to finding a home, I would advise people to make sure they can easily reach the city centre.

What’s the cost of living in comparison with cities in Ireland? How much can someone expect to pay for rent and transport to work?

The cost of living is very high. My rent is around three times what I paid in Dublin. The average rent is around £650 (€800) per month for house share with three or four people. You can live cheaply if you live on the outskirts of the city, but travelling to work would be quite expensive.

There are a lot of bills too, such as water charges and the council tax. The various councils in London charge a different rate for each household. I pay £53 (€65) per month, but some people might pay more than that. On the plus side, I don’t waste as much money as I did before and I’m now able to spend more efficiently. I think this will stand to me in the future.

I take the tube to work every day. I bought a car, which was a stupid decision as I never drive. My travel card costs £30 (€37) per week to commute between zone one and two. It would cost more if I had to travel across more zones. Eating at restaurants and nights out cost around the same as in Ireland. Buses in London run at night, which means you don’t always have to get a taxi home.

Can you imagine staying in London permanently? Would you come back home or could you see yourself moving to another country?

At this stage there’s no point going home as my career is going well. My first job was with Sky, then the BBC and now I’m working for independent production companies.

I’m only 24 and I’d like to travel more, maybe to America and Asia. I go home every three to four months and it’s nice to know I can go home easily. However, I do see myself moving back to Ireland eventually.

What is it like to socialise in London? How did you make friends when you moved?

Irish and English culture is quite similar so it wasn’t too difficult to settle in. I’ve made some brilliant friends and my experience has been really positive. You have to put yourself out there when making friends and forget about shyness.

A big thing for me was joining the GAA club, which I never would have done at home. My social skills have really improved.

The London-Irish centre is very helpful and can give you lists of clubs and societies to join.