Lots of people move to the UK to earn some good money and to do some travelling whilst they are there. IT contracting can be a fantastic way to do this as you get more money than working in a permanent position and contracts are short term by their nature so you get to discover Europe in between contracts.

There are, however, some pitfalls to doing this, there is tough competition to get contracts and of course more insecurity than a long term job. This needn't put you off. Firstly you can do a great CV to make sure that your CV is put forward to every client. Each country has a preferred format so sending out a 10 page CV in the UK is a waste of time. Secondly you can structure your payments to be as tax efficient as possible and spread payments over a longer period of time so you always know what's coming.

The last hurdle is your visa. If you are a commonwealth national under 30 you can apply for a working holiday visa and work for 12 months out of 24 months. If you are highly skilled you may qualify for the current points-based Highly Skilled Migrant Programme visa or alternatively,if you do not fit into either of these categories, you may be able to get a work permit.

The UK really is a great base from which to explore Europe, so if you have been thinking about it but didn't know where to start then why not make this the year you go for it?

Earn money and travel, who wouldn't want to?