Work
EU citizens do not need a work permit to work in the UK. Citizens of Commonwealth countries aged 17 to 30 inclusive can apply for a Working Holiday Entry Certificate that allows up to two years in the UK, during which you can take work that is 'incidental' to a holiday. Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born parent may be eligible for a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode, which allows you to live and work in the UK.
Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent, or a grandparent born before 31 March 1922 in what's now the Republic of Ireland, may qualify for a UK Ancestry-Employment Certificate, allowing you to work full time for up to four years in the UK.
Visiting full-time US students aged 18 and over can apply for a six-month work permit through the Council on International Educational Exchange (207-553 7600, toll-free 1-800-40-STUDY; www.ciee.org; 3rd fl, 7 Custom House St, Portland, ME 04101). British Universities North America Club (Bunac; 203-264 0901; www.bunac.org; PO Box 430, Southbury, CT 06488) can also help organise a work permit.
Seasonal work is available in the tourist industry in hotels, restaurants and bars, but in recent years the hospitality industry has seen a flood of young workers from the new EU countries in Eastern Europe. Hostel noticeboards advertise casual work. Bars and restaurants also advertise jobs in their windows.
Those with building trades skills will be in demand. There are also opportunities for secretaries, receptionists, book-keepers and accountants. Other possibilities include telesales work, nursing and nursery care. A wide range of full- and part-time jobs is advertised in the Recruitment section of Friday's edition of the Scotsman newspaper, and online at www.scottishjobs.com. The minimum wage in the UK is £5.05 per hour.
Whatever your skills, it's worth registering with a few employment agencies; check the Edinburgh Guide website at www.edinburghguide.com/business/recruitment.htm or the Yellow Pages (www.yell.co.uk) for listings.
Business hours
Shops are generally open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and from 9am to 7pm or 8pm Thursday. An increasing number of shops also open on Sunday, typically from noon to 4pm or 5pm. Most supermarkets stay open until 8pm or 10pm daily and a few are open 24 hours.
Approximate standard opening hours:
Banks (9.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, some 9.30am-12.30pm Sat)
Cafés (8am or 9am-6pm) If licensed they may stay open for dinner.
Post offices (9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat)
Pubs (11am-11pm Mon-Thu, 11am-1am Fri & Sat, 12.30-11pm Sun)
Restaurants (lunch noon-3pm, dinner 6pm-9pm or 10pm)
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