a guidebook to making it big!

Climbing

BIG
BEN how to survive,
thrive and succeed
in london

h a r ry s a r d i n a s
A GUIDEBOOK T O MAK I N G IT BIG!

how to survive,
thrive and succeed
in london
HARRY SARDI N A S
Copyright Harry Sardinas

1st edition, VIII, MMXV

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage
or retrieval system without the expressed written, dated and signed
permission from the author.

Author: Harry Sardinas

Title: Climbing Big Ben
ISBN: 978-1-927411-33-9
Category: SELF-HELP/Personal Growth/Success

Publisher: Black Card Books

Division of Gerry Robert Enterprises Inc.
Suite 214, 5-18 Ringwood Drive
Stouffville, Ontario
Canada, L4A 0N2
International Calling: 1-647-361-8577
www.blackcardbooks.com

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Printed in the United Kingdom

A G U I DE B O O K T O MA KI NG I T BIG!

how to survive,
thrive and succeed
in london
HARRY SARDI N A S
 Table Of Contents

Foreword By Gerry Robert

About The Author
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Praise For Climbing Big Ben

Chapter 1
How To Prepare Your Mind For Success . . . . . . . . . . . 01
Chapter 2
How To Find Your First Job In London . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Chapter 3
Innovating Methods For Rapid Learning . . . . . . . . . . 63
Chapter 4
First Steps To Starting Your Own Business . . . . . . . . . 85
Chapter 5
Ways To Find Your Dream Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Chapter 6
Secrets To Manage Your Time And Money . . . . . . . . . 137
Chapter 7
Techniques To Market Your Business And Manage People ... 165
Chapter 8
How To Grow Your Business And Make It Sustainable .. 189
Chapter 9
How To Achieve More With Emotional Balance . . . . 211
Chapter 10
Knowledge Sharing For Greater Prosperity . . . . . . . . 227
 Foreword By Gerry Robert
Bestselling Author Of The Millionaire Mindset

I t is such an honour for me to write the foreword

for Climbing Big Ben.
My friend, Harry Sardinas, has written a
practical guidebook drawn from his own personal
experiences, and in many ways, this book reminds me
of the trials and tribulations I went through myself
while overcoming my own poverty mindset. Harry
covers a topic that I am a firm believer in success
begins with your mindset. Success is a process that
can be modeled, and it starts with the correct mindset
more specifically with The Millionaire Mindset.
Climbing Big Ben is the blueprint for making it
BIG in London, and yet the principles Harry teaches
in his book can be successfully applied anywhere in
the world. They are key principles that I applied
myself years ago when I was on my journey to
success. These life lessons can be mastered and are
guaranteed to enhance the quality of your life.
Harry has designed a system that anyone can
use from the moment that they arrive in a new
city. His system guides people to financial freedom,
emotional balance and personal happiness.
 Foreword

Being empowered is something Harry proves

will help lead you to positive thinking, take massive
action, get speed of implementation, conquer your
fears, and truly commit to becoming outstanding
in your field.
Harry Sardinas is a highly successful entrepreneur
who has built a group of companies from nothing
but determination. Along with an enormous belief
in himself, the Cuban native took massive and
extremely fast action when he arrived in London
and developed an incredible ability to find quick
solutions for tough problems. This is the kind of
book that you can dip in and out of various stages
of your life.
Climbing Big Ben will help you come up with
answers to daily problems you face, such as how to
get out of tough situations, what elements you need
to improve to find your dream job, how to finance
your own business and how to gain happiness as
well as financial independence.
Harry coaches you on how to start and grow
your own business, and the critical elements you
need to consider when you start: Extraordinary
marketing, excellent team management, creation
of systems and procedures as well as time and
money management. He offers practical solutions
 HARRY SARDINAS

for dealing with all aspects of business and explains

how can you improve your results if you are happy.
His practical insights offer a step-by-step blueprint
for success that anyone can follow.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who
wants to have a millionaire mindset.

Gerry Robert
Bestselling Author of
The Millionaire Mindset
www.gerryrobert.com
 HARRY SARDINAS

About The Author

H arry Sardinas was born in socialist Cuba

paradisiacal poor country in the Caribbean.
After completing his Chemical Engineering
degree in Havana, he emigrated from Cuba to
Madrid, Spain where he worked for five years as a
webmaster and project manager.
Feeling frustrated and trapped in his office job,
at the age of 29, with little money and few contacts,
he decided to start over again and move to London.
With very poor English language skills, he took
a job as a bartender in an English pub. He was
determined and was willing to do whatever it took
to improve his life. With hard work, ambition and
a strong business mind, he was able to get out of the
vicious circle of low-paying jobs.
He worked double shifts and saved enough
money to start his first company. Six years
after arriving in London, his business portfolio
grew into Purple Stone Group. The company is
comprised of several fields including property,
education, multimedia, marketing, web design and
career counselling.
 About The Author

The success Harry has achieved comes from a

genuine desire to create products and services that add
value to peoples lives and assist them in generating
income from doing something that they love.
Harry enjoys a happy and fulfilling life, a result
of putting focus on his emotional, financial and
work balance.
Today, Harry dedicates his time helping others
achieve the same level of balance and success in
their lives, with guidance offered through his
consultancy services.

To find out more about

balance and success visit:
www.climbingbigben.com/balance
HARRY SARDINAS
 Acknowledgements

W riting this wonderful book has been a reminder

of all that I stand for and believe in.
It is a collection of the invaluable lessons that I
learned during my journey in becoming successful
in London.
Special thanks to Lily Patrascu, my life partner,
the general manager of Purple Stone Group, and my
collaborator on the book. I deeply appreciate the effort
and clarity that she brought to this project. I dont think
this book would have come to life without her. I gave
her loads of material that I had audio recorded and
written, and she brought order to my chaotic thoughts.
She has been an inspiration to me for some time
because of her excellent values, strength of character
and kindness. She has had an enormous impact on
me. My life has been transformed as a result of using
the principles from the various books we studied
together, especially the principle of the synergy of
energies. It is amazing what can be achieved when
two people are heading in exactly the same direction.
Lily has had a positive influence on my desire
to read as I never used to like reading. I always
preferred to watch a movie instead of reading.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am thankful for the help of my operational

manager Maria Diz Hernandez, who collaborated
with me on writing Chapter 2. She is extremely
knowledgeable on the topic of career advice. She did
an excellent job managing the operational side of
my businesses, and I am very happy to have had her
on my team.
I am also grateful to my publishers Gerry
Robert and Jean-Guy Francoeur, as well as their
extremely organised team, Deborah Turton and my
editor who took my book out of chaos and helped
me every step of the way.
My family has been extraordinary during this
journey, and for that I am eternally grateful. My
family gave me enormous love and the confidence
to pursue my goals. I am extremely indebted,
especially to my brother Herice Sardinas for his
great support in every stage of my life, my mother
Josefa Cid, and my father Herades Sardinas, who
have all instilled in me great values and taught me
to contribute to the world.
I am grateful to my cousin Leane Sardinas for
coming up with the title of the book. She has always
been a source of inspiration to me. Im also thankful
to my cousin Joel Escala for his direct contribution
to the expansion of Purple Stone Group.
 HARRY SARDINAS

Expand your business faster

by partnering with us at:
www.purplestonegroup.com/partner
 Dedication

T his book is dedicated to my family, especially

my mother, father and brother, whom I
have been away from for many years due to
financial reasons.
I promise to never let this situation happen
again. Thank you ever so much for being supportive
and helping me become who I am today.
This book is also dedicated to everyone who
wants to learn how to survive, thrive and succeed
in London or anywhere you might be in the world.
I know how difficult it is to come to a new city. I
know because I have been through it myself and it
has not been a piece of cake. If you want to get out
of the vicious circle of the rat race and start enjoying
financial freedom, happiness and contribute to
society, this book is for you.
The path to success is paved with failures and
small successes, and the only way to get there is by
climbing each of the steps. There is no lift to take you
to the top of Big Ben, but the door to the beginning
of the stairs is always open.
Climbing Big Ben is a way of life, and it can
be used regardless of the country you live in. It
 DEDICATION

symbolises the method you need to use to become

successful. You need to discover what makes you
happy and follow your dreams, but dont expect it to
be easy. Climbing Big Ben refers to taking the stairs
to success. You can choose to stop wherever you
wish, or you can keep going until you feel you have
reached what you are happy with!
To your success,

Harry Sardinas
 HARRY SARDINAS

Discover how to
increase your cash flow at:
www.purplestonegroup.com/cashflow
 Praise For Climbing Big Ben

Harry Sardinas has

demonstrated that you
dont need to have any
prerequisites for success -
you can be whoever you want
to be, as long as you follow
a proven system for success.
This book takes you through
the steps you need to take
to go from zero
to a successful business
in a few years.
Stephanie Hale
Author of
Celebrity Authors Secrets:
How To Turn Your Book Into An International Bestseller
CEO of Oxford Literary Consultancy
www.oxfordwriters.com
 Praise for Climbing Big Ben

I feel very lucky to have met

Harry Sardinas. I speak four
languages, yet I have never had the
courage to start my own business
until I met him. I felt very inspired
by his story. The most important
thing he taught me was that before
becoming successful, you need to
prepare your mind for success and
overcome obstacles. His knowledge
and experience is condensed into
this informative, helpful and
life-changing book.
Lily Patrascu
Author of
English From Zero To Hero: 150 Ways To Learn English Fast
General Manager of Purple Stone Group
www.lilypatrascu.com
 HARRY SARDINAS

To find out how to design

and brand your product so your clients
are willing to pay more for it, visit:
www.pstonemedia.com/branding
Id like to meet T. Harv Eker. He managed to
change his life by changing his thoughts, ideas
and mindset.
He transformed his life, from being a small
striving businessman to a highly successful
millionaire in only two and a half years. The most
important thing I learned from him was that
your money blueprint is set at a certain level of
financial achievement, according to what you
believe you are worth.
 C h a p te r

ONE

How To Prepare Your

Mind For Success

H ave you ever felt that there is a huge

potential in yourself that you just havent
had a chance to truly utilise?

1
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

Have you ever wondered why you are fully

capable of achieving so much, yet you are stuck in
a dead-end job with no chance of ever becoming
successful and truly enjoying your life?
Have you ever tried to achieve success, yet you
really struggled because of the economy, because of
your nagging family, because of your friends who
are trying to protect you against failure?
Have you ever wondered how other people become
successful? Why do some of them make it look so easy?
Maybe it is their education; maybe they got a
lot of support from their friends and families. Or
maybe . . . they are simply different. They are a
different species and you will never get to be like
them! Or are they?
The truth is that the answers to these questions
are very simple.
You and anybody else already have all the tools
that you need to become highly successful, regardless
of your income, sex or education.
There is a blueprint for success that you can
follow if you know how.
The only person who has full control over
your success is you. You are like a combination
lock and the only way of opening the true secret to
2
 HARRY SARDINAS

your full potential is by going through the journey

of discovering yourself and find out what is really
stopping you.
With this book I am going to show you how I
climbed Big Ben and the strategies I used to scale the
stone steps that led me to the top. The first thing that
you have to do is prepare yourself to go with me.
I was born in 1977 in socialist Cuba, in the
sunny and beautiful Caribbean. Some would call it
a paradise and some would call it hell.
There was no McDonalds or Coca Cola, but
there was free healthcare and no taxation.
For some, this may sound like a dream place to
live except for one thing.
I had been brought up in a country where the
minimum wage was around 15 a month, and the
maximum salary was 25 per month.
Setting a maximum salary worked as a de-motivator
for most people. Many didnt feel the need to work very
hard. The ones who did, never got properly rewarded
and continuously felt they worked in vain.
I always knew that I was going to create
something big. I was unsure what it was going to be
exactly, but I knew deep down that I was meant for
much greater things.
3
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

Although I loved my country, I knew there was

no way I was going to be able to fully utilise all
my skills and abilities, so I immigrated to Spain.
And that is how I started creating my success. I
then moved to England, where I built a group of
companies. If I can do it, you can do it too!

Why your future is not your past

You can create infinite possibilities for how
you want your life to be

Do you feel trapped in a vicious circle of failure?

Feeling trapped in a
circle of failure might be
What becomes possible
a result of the experiences
in your life is related
that you have had through-
to what you think is
out life and the view of life
possible in your life.
that you have created be-
cause of those experiences.
What becomes possible in your life is related
to what you think is possible in your life. Your
past failures may have created limiting beliefs that
ensure you will stay where you are and you will not
try to get out of your comfort zone. Your parents
may think they did their best, but the truth is they
didnt know any better. Maybe they supported you

4
 HARRY SARDINAS

or maybe they criticised you every time you did

something? They were only trying to protect you
from getting hurt, but
the end result could be The moment you
devastating. You may have realise the root
felt more fearful of their cause of your lack of
disapproval every time success, you are on
that they didnt support the way to success.
your beliefs.
That may have had a terrible effect on you. You
may have created a belief that you are not good
enough and that nothing you ever do will ever be
enough. You may also have ruled out the possibility of
being successful because you are not smart/fast/clever
enough to succeed.

5
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

When you have a situation in your life that

isnt working, what you need to ask yourself is:
How can I make this work? That way you at
least have the choice to decide what you want
to do. You may decide that you are not really
ready to fully commit to being successful, or that
you are, and that from now on you will really do
whatever it takes. The moment you realise the
root cause of your lack of success, you are on the
way to success.

Why letting blame go can allow you to

create a brand new life for yourself

Maybe there are several parts of your life that are

not working. Maybe you dont have enough money,
time, great relationships, true love, or maybe you
dont feel truly fulfilled.

6
 HARRY SARDINAS

Success in your life comes from accepting full

responsibility and refusing to blame other people for
your lack of success in your life comes. That means
taking responsibility for becoming a person who
commits to taking action to change his or her life.
It also means committing to taking responsibility
for mistakes and failures along the way.
Admitting your mistakes and staying true to your
values will enormously help you along your journey.
In this book you will learn how to stop focusing on
the past and your failures and rejections, and start
focusing on creating your future. If you are caught
in a situation where you see no way out, this book
will help you find the tools to succeed.
Feeling not quite good enough can stop
you from fulfilling your incredible potential

Have you ever felt that you are not good enough in
one way or another? Maybe you have felt that you
dont have what it takes to be successful.
What if I told you that you are good enough?
What if you could erase your feelings of not feeling
good enough and what if you, in all your splendour,
were enough?
Everybody is good enough for whatever they
want to do. You can accept you are what you are

7
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

and that is okay. You have the power and energy

within yourself that you didnt know you had. Just
imagine how you would feel if you could feel the
energy that has been dormant inside you and you
could really start enjoying life?

Why you have to really know

yourself to be fulfilled
Knowing yourself gives you a sense of what
you really want

Who are you really? What are your passions? What

comes naturally to you that is difficult for other
people to do?
Finding the answer to this question could help
you stay true to your values, likes and dislikes, and
it will ensure that you will be motivation to get what
you say you want. You have the freedom to create
the kind of environment where almost anything is
possible. Being clear about the specific details of
your ideal life is a great way to start the process of
achieving it. The secret to unleashing the energy
within is to discover what is missing from your life
and have at least a little bit of it in your life.

8
 HARRY SARDINAS

I love creating and implementing business ideas,

but I feel most satisfied when I help other people
and when I feel I am contributing to other peoples
successes. I would also not feel completely myself
without salsa dancing one of my greatest passions.
What does success mean to you?

Being successful is about how you see yourself

for some people success means having expensive
material things. Many people connect success with
high-end material objects.
Money is a measure of success but money
can also buy you time to spend with your family
and do things you really like. Its not how much
money you have but how well you use that
money. Whats important to me is having money,
which allows me to implement the ideas I create.
Money is like a fuel for implementing ideas, and
that makes me feel successful. For other people,
success could mean being in the limelight, becoming
a speaker, having children.
You need to find out what exactly does success
mean to you and how are you going to measure
your success? Never forget that you should lower
your expectations and increase your appreciation,
since this will help you feel successful and happy.

9
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

Some people make a

Being successful is a lot of money, and they are
matter of discovering still not happy, whereas
what you like to do . . . other people, especially
and doing it! from very poor countries,
are very happy.
Being successful is a matter of discovering what
you like to do . . . and doing it! Everyone has a
different opinion about what success means. Finding
out yours is worth it.
Know your values, beliefs and purpose

Find out what exactly you need to be happy. In

order for you to be happy and successful, you
need to have clear values, beliefs and have a clear
reason why.

10
 HARRY SARDINAS

You should never compromise on your values.

Being a person of integrity is really important
to me. Sometimes you may need to make some
tricky and difficult decisions. Just make sure that
you make decisions consistent with your values.

Why its essential to be highly

motivated
Having clarity is key to achieving anything

Find out what specific thing motivates you.

You need to be ambitious, and you need to have
a strong desire for success in order to succeed. If
you are not ambitious and your desire is not strong
enough, what you will achieve is not going to be
enough to get you to where you want to be.
Due to economic conditions I had been
separated from my family for a decade. I could
rarely afford to see them. Now that both my mother
and father are here with me in London, I am more
appreciative of the time I am able to spend with
them. Spending time with my family and my
girlfriend and maintaining a good lifestyle for them
keeps me extremely motivated.

11
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

Growing my business not only means being able

to be with my family, it also means I can continue
to work towards my goal of helping the people in
Havana, the city where I was born. Many years ago,
the houses and buildings in Havana were brightly
decorated with beautiful shades of paint. Everyone
took such pride in their homes, and Havana was
such a beautiful city.

12
 HARRY SARDINAS

However, over the years, the maintenance on

the homes could not be kept up by homeowners,
who began facing harsher economic times due to
the unstable economic situation. My goal would be
to return to Havana and provide the necessary tools
for everyone to paint their houses and once again
take pride in their homes.
Consider what motivates you to succeed!
Do you really want to help your family or
provide a better life for your partner or your future?
Do you really want to make a difference in the
world or would you rather have a standard life or go
through your life without doing anything remarkable?
If you set your mind to it, you can make a huge
difference in your life and the lives of others. Think
about your environment and the people you love.
You need to find what you really want. You need to
find your why. If you dont have the knowledge,
you can always learn.
A university degree offers specific knowledge
about an area, but in order to succeed financially,
you need to understand how finances work. Age is
not an excuse because if your why is big enough,
you can do anything. You can do whatever you
train your mind to do. You only need to believe it
is possible.
13
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

When you believe with deep conviction,

extraordinary results happen. When you believe in
something, you make decisions to achieve those beliefs,
and you are emotionally attached to those decisions,
and those decisions will define your path for success.
You have to combine all those skills in order to achieve
great results, but this has to be morally correct, because if
you combine all those elements, but they are not ethical
and morally correct, the result could be devastating.

You can only succeed if you are

motivated enough
In order to achieve success, your why needs to be
big enough because its your why that motivates
you to do the things you want to do. Motivation is
what provides the unlimited energy for achieving
success. People who are highly motivated can achieve
incredible things. Start today, reconvert yourself
and prepare your mind for
When you believe success. The exercise will
with deep conviction, be to define a big why,
extraordinary results achieving that will give you
happen. a strong motivation to get
things done!
Do not worry, you will work out the how,
where, and what, when your why is big enough.

14
 HARRY SARDINAS

If you define your reason why, one part of it

should be about your contribution and giving back
to the community. Have a great mission; if you are
motivated by something greater than yourself, you
are more likely to make it happen.
Your desire must be
a 10 on a 1 to 10 scale. Motivation is what
Write down 100 reasons provides the unlimited
why you want to become energy for achieving
successful. Then rate them success.
in order of importance.
My biggest drive has always been love of my
family and contribution. The reason I am writing
this book is because of my desire to help people who
are currently in a similar situation as I was years ago
when I came to London.

Why your real enemy is your

negative thinking
Negative thinking disempowers you

Your negative thinking keeps you where you are. Your

negative thinking helps you justify why you cant be
successful. It gives you an excuse for not starting the
project you said you would start. Your problems seem
tricky and difficult to solve, but the truth is you can

15
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

find ways to make the money, you can find ways to

make time and you even can create new contacts. It is
your invisible problem that is your biggest problem.
And that is the power of your negative thinking. This
problem drives you down more than anything else.
Being positive and really believing in yourself
is essential to creating wealth. When I finished my
degree in Chemical Engineering in Havana, I left my
family behind and immigrated to Spain where I started
work in Madrid as a webmaster.
After five years of hard work and a lot of learning,
I felt trapped in the rat race with no way out, until
I read the book Who Moved My Cheese? That book
completely changed my life and awoke my drive
and enthusiasm to succeed that had started to fade
with my daily job. I
People can achieve immediately quit my
outstanding results when job, flew to London
they have a strong belief. and started my brand
new life from scratch.
Since then I strongly believe that people can
achieve outstanding results when they have a
strong belief. I have always believed deep down that
I could achieve anything I wanted. From the first
day that I arrived in London I decided that I would
climb the Big Ben tower and do whatever it took to

16
 HARRY SARDINAS

find the finances that would allow me to stay close

to my family.
This desire came from the love and affection and
support that my family gave me as I was growing up.
They instilled great confidence in me and made me
believe I could achieve anything I wanted. I believe
thats very important, because beliefs can act as a
driver or a stopper for success.
When I acquired the first property for my
accommodation company Purple Stone Rooms, it
took me a month to rent all the rooms in the house. I
obviously lost money as I offered a rent guarantee to my
landlords. However, I didnt give up. I did the marketing
for the rooms day and night, while I also worked hard
at a Hilton hotel in Canary Wharf as a room service
attendant. Meanwhile, the house was already starting to
give me a lot of trouble. First, it was electricity problems,
and then it was the Internet. The Internet took longer
than expected to get installed, but I kept going.
I continued with the marketing, I changed
what not was working until things finally started
to click, and the house was fully occupied. One
key thing I did was not give up; I did whatever it
took to make it work. Always find out what is not
working and change it before it is too late. In order to
achieve great results your belief and your motivation

17
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

are the driving forces that will lead you to achieving

outstanding results. These have to be coupled with a
desire to do well and contribute to humanity rather
than destroy it.
Harness the power of positive thinking

Keeping a positive attitude at all times, regardless of

what happens has helped me in more situations than
you can imagine. Having a positive mental state can
help you a lot in becoming successful.
I strongly believe that you attract what you think
about as long as you combine it with massive action
and speed of implementation. Try to stay positive.
In the toughest situations, believing that I will
overcome everything that comes my way has always
helped me get through.
Having integrity in your life is the only way in
which you will be successful and happy

You need to decide to become outstanding, loving

and successful and then live the life of someone
who has those traits. Not respecting your
commitment brings with it a lack of integrity and
a lack of success.
Every person who is successful has encountered
numerous difficulties, yet he or she decides to

18
 HARRY SARDINAS

continue despite everything. You need to stay true

to your values and your word, since that is the only
way in which you will become successful.

You need to visualise your

exact outcome
Developing an internal image of success
brings you closer to your goals

Visualise your future. Decide that from today you will

not reflect your past experience on the future. You will
draw a line and your future will become a white space
in which you will create your desired life without an
influence from the past; it is important to have direction
in your life to know where you are going and why.

19
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

When I came to London I used to visualise

my family being happy, all together and enjoying
financial abundance.
I also imagined the benefits of having a new life.
I pictured what it would be like to be able to provide
for my parents pensions and be the source for the
smiles on their faces and give them the lifestyle they
offered to me when I was little. I imagined my brother
Herice very happy and enjoying not having to wake
up early every day to set up customer relationship
management platforms for other people.
Just imagine the things,
Visualising an people and situations you
exact outcome would like to have in your
is essential to life. Then take action to make
achieving change sure you start to gradually
in your life. have those people, situations
and things you imagined.
You are only worth what you make yourself
believe you are worth

Visualising an exact outcome is essential to

achieving change in your life because your mind
will help you create fortunes according to the way
you see yourself. If you feel that you are worth 1
million, and you continually visualise million-

20
 HARRY SARDINAS

pound ideas and imagine how you would take them

to fruition, you will eventually reach that goal.
However, if you dont imagine a better life, a better
economic situation, you may always get stuck in a
rut, because it is easier to not do anything.
In my case, this cost me a lot of time away from
my family and frustration due to lack of resources.
To give you an idea, in the first 10 years after I left
Cuba, I could only afford to spend two Christmases
with my mum. This time is gone forever and no
money can ever buy it back.
Visualising gives you confidence

Have you ever wished to have a better life but you heard
that voice inside your head that has been stopping you?
We are somehow all very good at coming up
with great ideas but it is the action that some of us
have problems with. And sometimes that comes
down to a lack of confidence. The goal you want
is so far away from your current situation that you
lack confidence. You need to analyse your current
and desired situation so that you know where
you are departing from and where you are going.
I knew exactly where I was and where I wanted
to go, and I took massive action to achieve my
desired goals.

21
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

What are your obstacles and limits?

The greatest obstacles to success

Becoming aware of your obstacles is necessary

when you are trying to succeed. In certain cases,
the people around you are your biggest obstacles if
they have never been in business before especially
friends and family.
They wish you well but they dont understand
what you are doing, and they tell you not to do
what you plan to do, or they mock you for doing
it. People tend to prefer to be right than to be
successful, while I am focused on being successful
rather than being right.
Family advice could be potentially harming.
The family is worrying you and is telling you not to
expand your business or not to take too many risks.
They only want to protect you, but may unwillingly
stop you from succeeding.
Sometimes being alone when making decisions
without consulting anyone or having everybody
against you makes you hesitate. You could be wasting
precious time and wonder: Am I doing the right
thing? This is why you need to be a strong, confident
person who fully believes in yourself and go ahead
with your own ideas and not follow people who have

22
 HARRY SARDINAS

no business acumen or people who dont have a clue

about the business or the project you want to start.
I dont gamble, I always take calculated risks.
But if you take risks, things can still go wrong.
Other obstacles I encountered included occasionally
making decisions faster than they should have been
made without analysing them properly faster than
my team was able to implement them and not fully
analysing the consequences or the pros and cons.
The obstacles you encounter depend on the size
of your success the greater your success, the greater
the problems, but at the end of the day, they are just
obstacles and you will need to overcome them.
What exactly is stopping you from succeeding
and why arent you there already? Find out what is
keeping you from succeeding and deal with it.
Obstacles can be overcome with the power
of friends

Successful people are high achievers because they

get support from various people and they have a
structured plan. You dont need to think that you
need to do everything alone.
I would have found it impossible to succeed on
my own. My family has always helped me a lot and
my team is always motivated to give 100% of their
23
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

potential, because they love working with me more

than the money I pay them. Are you stuck with a
problem? Brainstorm creative solutions about how
you could solve it with your team and you will find
a solution.
Overcome obstacles with creative
problem solving

Overcoming the obstacles you encounter every

single day is essential to your success. Think about
the situation and see the problem from different
angles and try to find the solution that is more
beneficial. Write out a list of pros and cons on any
major decision you are contemplating. The solution
is never perfect to overcome an obstacle.
The secret is to find the best possible solution.
I analyse the obstacles and I already know I will
overcome them even if Im not sure exactly how.
I tend to stick to my gut feeling that I will find
a solution.
Overcoming obstacles gives you power to
overcome even bigger obstacles. For instance, I
thought I would never overcome certain obstacles,
but that was because I was using the wrong recipe
to find a solution to a problem. When I look for the
right recipe or knowledge and when I find it and I
apply it, the obstacles disappear. Because of lack of
24
 HARRY SARDINAS

knowledge, I used to see more obstacles than there

were in reality.

How can you awaken the drive

for success within you?
Follow a blueprint for success

Most people think that successful people are simply

lucky, rich, or special in some way. They think that
somebody else has helped them and in truth thats not
the case. All humans can be successful if they decide to.

25
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

Actually 80% of success is in your mind; you must have

the determination, the desire to contribute to society,
great adaptability to whatever comes your way, a great
way to overcome your fears, commitment, perseverance
and a big reason why you do what you do.
The rest is down to implementation. The
remaining 20% is the vehicle you will use to
justify the success you have already visualised in
your mind.
If you are not successful yet, that is because
you havent utilised a blueprint for success, and
you havent followed the same steps that successful
people do to get their results. If you have success in
your mind, you will be there.
Somebody told me a long time ago: Harry,
you are already a millionaire. You just dont have
the money in the bank. Keep doing what you are
doing and sooner or later you will have the money
in the bank. Its true that some people have more
advantages than others, but that doesnt mean that
only people who have more advantages are the only
people who will become successful.
It is important to be committed to your success,
otherwise you will change your mind easily if it
becomes too hard on the way.

26
 HARRY SARDINAS

It is easier to give up and go to the pub like

everyone else if you dont prepare mentally about
how you will make things work, you may give up
on the way. It is eventually much easier not to do it
and to get stuck in a rut.
If you have your mind properly prepared for
success, you will be unstoppable. You will deal with
anything that will come your way.
Be intensely motivated

The key things that have helped me succeed have

been the desire to do something different than
the rest so I can have financial independence and
contribute to society.
I always admire successful people and they are
my role models. Its always been my desire to be
one of them in the future not because they drive
nice cars and have big houses and are millionaires,
but because the businesses that they create employ
a substantial amount of people and they have a
high impact in the development of society.
The success is within you

Everyone has the ability to be successful regardless

of age, sex, income or education. You may think
that only certain people can be successful. There are
people who have succeeded against all odds.
27
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

Some people have fewer advantages than

others, be it being born in a family with no
money or not having an opportunity to receive
an education, yet that doesnt stop them.
Why should that stop you?

How to conquer your fears

Understand the cause of your fear

The truth is that everyone is afraid about something

and some people are better than others at hiding it.

28
 HARRY SARDINAS

The biggest enemy in your mind is fear; we have

different kinds of fear because of past experiences,
such as the fear of failure. Some people have failed in
something and they have a fear of trying something
else. I believe a mistake from
the past is something I can
Successful people
learn from so as to achieve
realise that rejection is
success in the future.
You should use the fear to part of business.
help you achieve your goal.
The more you fail, the more you succeed!

Successful people realise that rejection is part of

business. It is essential to keep going until you
succeed as you may be very close to success,
yet you might back down because you think
you are failing. The bigger the rejection you are
facing, the bigger your opportunity for your
personal growth.
I used to feel fearful because one of my
companies accommodated more than 150 people
every year and I personally felt responsible for all of
them. I used to feel that if I fail they wouldnt have
any place to live. During the years, I managed to
expand and create Purple Stone Group, despite all
the fears I have had.

29
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

How to get over your fears

In order to be successful, you have to be aware of

what your fears are and dance with them. My biggest
fear has been the fear of failure, yet I have acted in
spite of the fear. My fear has
always been overtaken by a
The future belongs to
huge motivation to succeed
those who commit to
for the sake of my family.
being outstanding.
Having a big motivation
conquers all your fears.

Commit to being outstanding so

you can truly succeed
Real power comes from the way you
decide to be

This year I learned a very interesting concept. I have

always thought that what I have and what I do dictate
the quality of my life. Yet, I discovered the power of
creating a possibility of being in a particular way, and
that has influenced my life in so many ways. The way
that you are has to precede what you have and
what you do. You may be in a terrible situation
and you may have nothing. That may make you
feel completely powerless but the truth is that the
power is within you it is your decision to live
your life the way you want to live it and enjoy it.
30
 HARRY SARDINAS

You will suddenly have opportunities to manifest

the creativity in your life, and you will act as if
you are outstanding and then you will produce
outstanding results.
The future belongs to those who commit to
being outstanding

The future belongs to those who commit to being

outstanding because there is no room for mediocre
performance if you want to get excellent results. If
you give a mediocre performance, you will get poor
results. If you give an outstanding performance, you
can expect excellent results.
In my view, consistency and discipline,
combined with the desire to always try to be the
best, are the keys for success. You are only as good
as your last performance.
Being remarkable and memorable is the
only way

Being remarkable is the new norm for success.

It is essential that you are remarkable for something
special, be it yourself or your company. If you have
a job, you need to be the leader, be the best in your
field and differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Make a commitment to being remarkable so
that people talk about you, so that people remember
31
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

you and recommend you to other people. Being

remarkable is the cheapest way of advertising yourself
and your skills and most effective in the long run.
If you are in a dead-end job, you should still
be the best possible employee in that particular job.
Being remarkable brings about a network of people
who are likely to recommend you; you are also more
likely to be offered higher wages in the future. You are
also more likely to create business contacts who are
more than happy to work with you.

Why you need to commit to succeed

The power lies in your commitment

Committing to succeed and leaving no way out for

yourself is a feature of truly successful people.
Every successful person encounters various
setbacks along the way. Being able to commit
to succeed and following through with your
commitment, no matter what, will ultimately
make you successful. I am very persistent and
I dont give up easily. I believe that I can do
anything that I want to do, and I dont believe in
the word impossible and am always looking for
ways to do things. I am a problem solver and a
solution finder.

32
 HARRY SARDINAS

When I find out there is a particular problem,

I always find a solution. The question I ask myself
is, how can I do this? rather than stating, I
cant do this, regardless of how difficult the
situation is.
You are already a winner!

Of millions of sperm, generally only one makes it

to the egg. That one sperm faced a lot of obstacles,
but continued on its journey to make you. You
are already a winner and you will be as much of a
winner as you decide to be in the future as long as
you let everyone around you win as well.
My thoughts dictate what I get in my life, of
course because I take actions in accordance with
my thoughts.
Commitments mean nothing without the
speed of implementation

Commit to taking more of these critical decisions

more often by taking them to fruition, whatever
it takes! Decide what you want to do and then
commence! You must try to implement the things
you committed to do.
Ask yourself: Are you really ready to make a
decision to change your life, get out of your comfort
zone and make dramatic changes in your life? Are
33
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

you prepared to do that? Can you sit yourself down

and tell yourself, There must be another way to do
things. Are you willing to take risks? What you cant
do is expect great results and a great life if you keep
doing the same thing you have to take different
actions to get different results. If you want great
results, you need to change the way you do things
you need to be great to achieve great results.

Why you should feel worthy

of everything
You know you are worth it!

Its important to believe you deserve to have what you

desire in life. I have been lucky to have been brought
up in an environment where I could have as much as
I wanted from my parents, regardless of the economic
environment. They always offered whatever they had,
be it a little or a lot. In a sense, they made me believe
it is okay for me to have whatever I desired.
If you struggle to receive because you feel bad,
or you feel you are unworthy for whatever reason,
you must train your mind to accept and receive by
occasionally rewarding yourself and acknowledging
yourself.

34
 HARRY SARDINAS

What you dont accept, someone else will

I think it is important to feel okay to receive.Your

mind should be ready to receive, otherwise
somebody else might take your piece of the pie. If
you contribute a lot to society, you should have the
capacity to receive as well.

Reward yourself!

Successful people feel grateful for their situation.

They appreciate their lives and they expect a lot
from themselves and from other people. They work
very hard and they believe they deserve high returns
for the high value they offer. If you are finding it
difficult to be grateful, you should think about the
wonderful things you have in your life that you may
be taking for granted. This could be your health,
your relationships with your family and friends.
You must try to reward yourself and celebrate
because you deserve it!
35
 How To Prepare Your Mind For Success

36
 HARRY SARDINAS

Summary
I have created several successful businesses
within six years of having arrived in London,
despite arriving here not knowing how to speak
English. I owe my success to a strong mind that
I prepared and trained. I now own a group of
companies, Purple Stone Group, which involves
accommodation, education, career advice, marketing
and media. I built all this from scratch by myself with
a 3,000 loan from the bank. If I can do anything I set
out to do, you can too, if you follow my blueprint for
success and climb Big Ben with me!

Find out the 7 key steps

to prepare your mind for success at:
www.harrysardinas.com/success

37
 I d like to meet Donald Trump. He has an
amazing ability to create success wherever he
goes, and he demonstrated outstanding courage
to rebuild his fortune from scratch when he lost
everything.
I admire him for his capacity to keep cool in
the face of risk and his ability to Think Like A
Champion as he always mentions.

38
 C h a p te r

TWO

How To Find Your

First Job In London

T his chapter is dedicated to most of my clients,

who arrive in London like me, with no English
language skills and have to survive and start all
over again from the bottom, in one of the most
competitive cities in the world.
39
 How To Find Your First Job In London

I arrived in London in January 2006.

The thing that shocked me was how cold it was
compared to Madrid, the city that I had been living
in since 2001. I found it very difficult to come to
a foreign country and look for a job. I had never
written a CV before.
I had never applied for jobs before, as the only
job that I had in Spain was thanks to my cousin,
Leslie Sardinas, who is a successful contemporary
art painter.
Through his contacts, I was accepted for my first
job in Madrid as a webmaster after only a 10-minute
interview. My degree in Chemical Engineering
provided me the mathematical background required
to develop computer software.
Once in London, my cousin, Liane Sardinas,
persuaded her friend Janet to rent a two-bedroom
flat for us.
I was completely unaware how difficult it was
to find good accommodation in London, especially
when you cant speak English and when you dont
have a job.
I just felt lucky that accommodation had been
successfully arranged for me in advance.

40
 HARRY SARDINAS

Janet was the only person that I knew in London.

She could not help me with my job search because
she was involved in her PHD studies. I haphazardly
started to find CV templates on the Internet, and
put my details in.
I have always had enormous confidence in myself
and this was no different. I was convinced finding a
job in London would be a piece of cake. I started to
selectively leave a couple of CVs at various bars but I
realised I really needed to improve my English, and
the job I was going to take first would have to be a
job where I would be able to practice my English.
I knew I had to start from the bottom, by being
a bartender or a kitchen runner, but I didnt care.
All I knew was that I needed to be where English-
speaking people were. I discovered the best place
to immerse myself among English-speaking people
was in pubs.
But my job search was not as simple as I initially
thought. A month went by and 100 CVs were dropped
at various pubs, yet no interviews and still jobless.
I realised there was something wrong, so I
changed my strategy. I woke up at 7 a.m. every day
and tripled the amount of CVs I dropped off. I
also started to apply online in the evening. After 10
days, I realised that I was working hard not smart.
41
 How To Find Your First Job In London

I kept tweaking and changing bits of my CV

until I finally got called for an interview.
In retrospect, sometimes in life we are trying to
push a big rock as hard as we can rather than find a
way that will make it move more easily.
Unfortunately I did not properly understand
the questions asked of me in my first three job
interviews. On top of that, I discovered that I
needed a National Insurance Number and a UK
bank account in order to increase the likelihood of
landing a job.
Finally, I got called for an interview at the Pub
Britannia in Euston Station. I woke up very early
and arrived to the recruitment door. There was a
huge queue.
I remember looking at peoples faces and feeling
how desperate they were. It was clear their situation
was worse than mine and they would do anything
to get that job.
Although all the odds were against me because
of my lack of experience and a language barrier, I
just had to have that job.
The interview was comprised of two parts:
One math test and a one-to-one interview with the
manager. My English was too poor to understand
42
 HARRY SARDINAS

most of the words in the majority of the math

problems that I had to solve. I was the last one to
finish, and the reason I was able to solve the problems
was more common sense and logic than anything.
In the one-to-one interview with Paul the
manager, I emphasised just how motivated I was
to do anything he required, be it serving drinks,
cleaning and even cooking. I was very keen to learn
and I was willing to work any shift. I was absolutely
undeterred from getting that job.
I now strongly believe that regardless of how
tough the situation is that you are in, someone will
always give you an opportunity if you are willing
to work harder than anybody else, produce quality
work on time, and have the right attitude.
In my case, Paul was this person, and I am very
grateful that he trusted me and gave me that job.
Years later I realised that I got that job because
of my attitude rather than my aptitude.
The attitude you have towards learning and
working is sometimes a lot more important than
the experience you have and the work you do.
Unfortunately I now had a debt of 6,000,
accumulated from a plane ticket, deposit, rent, food,
transport and CV printing. I worked at that pub for
43
 How To Find Your First Job In London

two years. Sometimes, I would work from 9 a.m.

until 11:45 p.m. I also worked overtime, especially
on Saturday and Sunday. My work colleagues used
to get sick on those particular days more than usual.
I also put in extra hours in Threshers, a wine shop
in Euston station also managed by Paul.
I always found a way to work more and make
more money. The wage was just a few pence above the
minimum wage. After two years and long hours of
work, I again became financially stable and qualified
for my first loan of 3,000 that I used as initial capital
for my first business Purple Stone Rooms.
The process of looking for my first job in
London was so painful and frustrating that I set
up a company called Purple Stone Career Advice,
which offers a one-hour free consultation to anyone
facing this problem. We have helped thousands of
people who have been in a situation similar to mine
a few years ago.
Here are some tricks and tips to help you
through this process in a fast and painless way.

What do you need to get a job?

Why doesnt anyone call me when Ive posted my
CV on thousands of sites?

44
 HARRY SARDINAS

The reasons are very simple. I have discovered

this through endless hours of hard work, while
applying for loads of jobs in London.
Get all the details right!

London is extremely competitive and the only way

you can maximise your chances of getting a job is
by getting all the details right.
Before you start looking for work you will need:
A mobile phone with an English number.
Companies are only likely to contact you if they
recognise a national number. Offering your
phone number from your native country is not
likely to yield any results because the managers
are put off by the high cost of the call, plus
they may assume you dont speak English. With
hundreds of applications to process, managers
are not likely to spend much time on your CV.
On top of this, you are more likely to receive
offers for employment by using the Internet,
since you are able to apply for jobs faster.
An English bank account. Sometimes it is a
little difficult to open a bank account in London.
There are certain banks that traditionally accept
more applications than others.

45
 How To Find Your First Job In London

I recommend you go prepared with your passport

and proof of address. Also, it is better if you apply
for it as soon as you arrive rather than later.
A National Insurance Number. You have to
call for an appointment for a National Insurance
Number.
Jobcentre Plus application line
Telephone: 0845 600 0643
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
You will be asked for your name, UK address,
nationality, date of birth, why you need a National
Insurance Number, whether you have some kind of
disability, and your marital status.
Once you have answered all these questions they
will give you a reference number and the address
of the job centre. In order to pass your National
Insurance interview successfully you will need to
arrive on time and bring proof of ID, such as your
passport, and proof that you are looking for work
such as a letter or email of refusal for a job. You must
also bring the letter that confirms your appointment.
If English is not your first language you
can ask for an interpreter when you arrange the
interview date.
But is that enough?

46
 HARRY SARDINAS

I also recommend enrolling in an English

school for at least the first four weeks upon your
arrival in London, regardless of your language
level. Remember that you have to adapt your
ear to the British accent. We enrol hundreds of
students every year and help them to overcome
this barrier in Purple Stone Academy.

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 How To Find Your First Job In London

Why you need to assess your

options before you move
forward
Whatever you need to achieve, briefly assess the situation
you are in, and what your strengths and weaknesses are
so that you know what you should focus on.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses
gives you power

Knowing what you are good at and bad at gives you

an advantage.
For instance, if your English is not very good,
possible job options could be: Catering and hotel
jobs, au pair, babysitter and nanny roles, cleaning
or folding clothes in fashion stores.

How to knock out the

competition with your CV
Write your CV in the correct format

The Curriculum Vitae is a document through

which we present ourselves to the labour market.
Some companies only process job applications by
internet. Hence the importance of a proper CV.
Writing a CV incorrectly means that you could
lose the opportunity to be invited for a job interview.
48
 HARRY SARDINAS

Writing a proper CV in the English format is

essential. Each country has a different format or
structure for CVs. The structure of the CV in your
country may not be valid in another country.
Tailor your CV to the job you are applying for

On top of this, the CV format varies according to

each profession. You will not have a similar format
for a waiter job or a nanny job as you will for a
professional job.
Emphasise the skills that are most relevant
to the job you are applying for

In certain cases, you may not get a chance for the job
if you appear underqualified or even overqualified.
The reason for that is very simple: Managers dont
like to train staff who will leave too soon. Managers
prefer to have staff who will stay for a long time
as recruiting new people is stressful and takes a
lot of time.
Also, if you have numerous university degrees
but cant speak English, it is better to put an emphasis
on the skills you have, rather than on the degrees, as
these will appear worthless until you improve your
English. Emphasise any skills that you have that are
relevant for the job.

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 How To Find Your First Job In London

How to create a great cover letter

The ideal cover letter is made up of four
short paragraphs.
Be positive and enthusiastic, without
being informal.
Paragraph 1
You must include the reason why you are
writing, the position for which you are applying
and where you saw it advertised.
Paragraph 2
Describe why you are interested in the job
and the company. Prove you know about the
company, and express how this opportunity fits
into your career plans.
Paragraph 3
Summarise your skills and adapt them to the
requirements of the position. It highlights how
you can contribute to the development and
objectives of the business.
Paragraph 4
End your letter with a positive tone and make it
clear that youre available for an interview.
You can use phrases like Sincerely or
Best Wishes.
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 HARRY SARDINAS

Check your spelling and review for any

grammar mistakes. Ask someone with more
experience than you to read your letter to verify
that everything is clear. And finally, convert to
a PDF.

The best ways to apply for your

first job
Online Applications

When you apply for a job in London many

companies only accept online applications. Always
remember that when you apply online most of the
times you will be asked a lot of questions. These
questions act as a test (if you do not score more
than 85% the company can ban you for six months
from applying again). If your English level is not
good enough or you are not sure about the answer,
find a friend that can help you, use Google translate
or ask for professional advice.
Offline applications

Drop your CV in person. Always ask for the

manager or the person who can make the decision
to give you the job.

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 How To Find Your First Job In London

Remember that you may get a better chance of

being successful if you apply for jobs that are a bit
further from the centre of town, since the centre is
highly saturated with job seekers.
It is easier to pick just three areas with plenty of
busy pubs and restaurants, such as Canary Wharf,
Bank and Liverpool Street and stick to them. If every
three days you target the same places, the restaurant
managers will think that you are especially interested
in working in that specific restaurant. That will
definitely increase your chances to succeed.
There are some establishments that have both
options to apply. One is to leave the CV by hand or
to apply online. If that is the case, apply both ways.
Once past the preliminary stage the company will
let you know what the next step will be:
Option 1: The company will call you for a
personal interview.
If you pass this phase, you will usually be asked
to do one training day where you will perform
duties similar to those that you will perform in
the job should you be hired.
Option 2: If you passed the online test, the
company will call you for a training day.

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 HARRY SARDINAS

The online forms you need to complete are very

thorough and difficult and can take one to two
hours to complete. The most important thing to
remember is that you need to do it thoroughly
and quickly and you must finish all the questions
in the set time, otherwise the company may ban
you from re-applying for six months.
Today, thanks to technology, the Internet has
become one of the most reliable sources to
apply for jobs. Millions of job applications are
distributed every day on the Web, therefore its
not enough to be the best for the position for
which you have applied, but also to be the fastest.

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 How To Find Your First Job In London

In which sector can I get my first job?

Finding your first job can be a very difficult and

tiring process.
There are certain job sectors that are easier to
access with no qualifications and no specific skills
than others. London is a city whose specialty is
services. The sectors that offer the greatest likelihood
of finding your first job include: Hospitality,
catering, nanny and au pair roles.

Why volunteering or an
internship may be right for you
Internships give you relevant experience in
the field that you studied in

If you intend to find a role that complements your

studies, it may be necessary to start with an internship
for three months in the field of your studies.
In some cases it is not possible to find a job in a
company unless you have previous experience in the UK.
That is why it is essential in most cases that you
get an internship in order to gain some experience.
In certain cases, after the internship finishes, the
manager may offer you work in the company.

54
 HARRY SARDINAS

Start immediately with no experience and

no credentials

Internships offer you the opportunity to start

work immediately, and jump over the barriers that
generally stand in your way when you are trying to
get your first job in London.
You may work for free or for very little but you
will have the benefit of building valuable experience
and essential references.
Gain experience

Work experience in London can be used for future

work both in this country and in other countries.
Any sort of extra practical training and courses that
you take enhances the value that you can offer to
a potential employer, and they are more likely to
hire you.
Adaptability to change

Doing an internship in a foreign country requires

adaptability to various cultures and diversity.
Travelling brings a huge bonus to your skills and
experience because it enables understanding of that
particular culture. You will also be more likely to
be offered a job in an English speaking company in
your country.

55
 How To Find Your First Job In London

Improve your English

Practicing English enables you to communicate

easily with the members of your team and reinforces
your use of the language.
Do what you love, or discover if this is for you

An internship allows you to discover if the profession

you trained for offers the benefits and perks you
were expecting.
Gain contacts and references

Working as an intern gives you the opportunity to

create a network of contacts who may hire you or
recommend you to other people provided you do
exceptional work. It is true that people tend to hire
people they like and admire, and they favour people
they know.
Receive free training

Working as an intern gives you the incredible

opportunity of receiving free training. Courses are
useful, but practical free training is truly invaluable
because it adds status to your CV and you will be
able to learn so much.

56
 HARRY SARDINAS

Become more confident in the field you

are working

Hanging out with someone who is an expert in the

field gives you the confidence you need to succeed
in that particular field.

57
 How To Find Your First Job In London

Where should you look for

an internship?
I recommend these sites for finding an internship
in London:
www.internjobs.com
www.internabroad.com
Purple Stone Group offers various opportunities
for internships in graphic design, web design,
multimedia, journalism, copywriting, social media,
PR, online and offline marketing.

Volunteering could be a great

option for you
Another good option to get job experience is to
work as a volunteer.
Volunteering is a great way of improving your
level of English and is very attractive for future
employers.
What kind of roles can you take as a volunteer?

You can volunteer to work in any area that you wish

to work in. You can help the elderly, work with
NGOs or charities. This could work extremely well
for a field that you are interested in, but you still
arent sure if it is for you.
58
 HARRY SARDINAS

Volunteering lets you meet new people and

expand your network of contacts and get professional
experience related to the job that you might want in
the future.
Where should you look for volunteering jobs?

I recommend these pages to start looking for

volunteering:
www.do-it.org.uk
www.charityjob.co.uk
www.charitypeople.com
Some extra helpful tips and secrets for
getting ahead of the competition

Drop your CV in the mornings before noon in

restaurants and from 1 p.m. in bars, since those
are the times when employers are more receptive.
Do not go at peak times, as staff will be very busy
and it will be more difficult for you to have a
10-second initial introduction to the manager.
59
 How To Find Your First Job In London

Be available to work at peak hours such as

weekends and evenings.
Be punctual! Punctuality is very important. If
you arrive late, you will be rejected for any job
even if you are the best candidate.
Be ready for training on the day that you are leaving
your CV; make sure you are always dressed for the
occasion. While many companies have special
uniforms, you will not go wrong by wearing black
trousers, a black or white shirt or blouse and black
shoes. If you are lucky, the same day that you
are applying, you could also do the training day.
However, if youre dressed in jeans and a jersey it
will be impossible to make it to the training day.
Try to study a course in England that is related
to the field you want to work in. That will help
accelerate the process of the job search, since
you will then have more training than other
candidates.

Summary
These tips will help you find your first job in
London fast, and when you achieve this goal
you will be ready to keep Climbing Big Ben.

60
 HARRY SARDINAS

Discover the 5 elements that

you cannot miss for finding your first job:
www.purplestonecareeradvice.com/firstjob

61
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