Life as a twenty-something in London is fun with a capital F, and I reckon everyone should have a go. But when I first arrived in London in 2002, with all my worldly possessions in a very little handkerchief on a stick over my shoulder, I absolutely hated the place. In fact, when my boyfriend initially suggested I leave my job with Apple Computers in Cork, Ireland and move to London with no job, no friends and no clue, I thought it was the most stupid idea I'd ever heard. I only eventually agreed, rather grudgingly, because my boyfriend's Irish visa had run out and, well, there were no other countries left for us to work in together.

For him, a 28 year-old Australian graduate in computers, it was a chance to fulfill a life-long dream of living it large in London. For me, a 23 year-old Irish graduate in French, German and Spanish, it was quite literally the last place on earth I'd have chosen to visit, let alone live. I was determined: I was giving it one year, and one year only. Thankfully I copped on to myself and saw sense before the year was out. But six incredible years, one round-the-world wedding and a new translation business later, I'm still embarrassed to admit this: I gave the best years of my twenties to a city I ended up in only because I was following a boy.

Whatever your reasons for going to London, there's no shortage of info on what to see and do as a tourist. Here's my guide on how to make London your home.

1. Get a job

Unlike me, most people move to London in search of work. Yes, you might be able to swing a cushy relocation package from your current employer but where's the fun in that? Go for broke and take the opportunity to explore a new career path. Who knows where you'll end up?

Now, the trick to affording London is to start earning sterling as quickly as possible. You can worry about refining things later. The good news is if you're prepared to turn your hand to anything legal, there's no shortage of job opportunities. (Remember, the minimum wage for over 22s in the UK is £5.52 an hour).

Not sure where you're at? Are you studying, or just want some casual work?

Try catering with an agency such as http://www.jobs-2-go.co.uk/. Not only will you get to serve stars and celebs and a host of other people you probably won't recognise until someone says, “Hey, there's that bird from Coronation Street”, you'll also get a backstage pass to swish events at world-class venues like the Oval, Lords, Ascot or Covent Garden. My boyfriend thought this was an exciting way to see his favourite sport stars in the flesh. I was glad of the chance to extend our cutlery collection beyond the two spoons, forks and shared knife we'd inherited from a flatmate.

Looking for a permanent job?

I recommend temping for a couple of companies first. Here are three reasons why:

1. It's like grindhopping, only without the paperwork. There are some really juicy short-term, project-based roles around. Prove yourself to your agency contact and make sure you're top-of-mind when these roles come in.
2. You'll get access to positions you didn't even know existed. Ask everyone you meet how they found their jobs - London is a mecca for hidden opportunities.
3. You'll beat the rush. Permanent jobs have to be advertised internally before being made public. Plus, many companies prefer to hire from their pool of temps.

Of course, this works best if your temp agency has a foot in the door of the kind of companies you're interested in. Tay Associates, for example, is excellent if you hanker after a job in the City.

Already set up with a location-independent gig?

If you already work as a freelance writer, programmer or translator, for example, then London is your oyster. For a free pass into the Secret Society of Cubicle Escapees (catchy, I know), check out some of the city's coworking spaces. Better still, set up camp in your local independent coffee shop for a couple of hours. You'll be amazed at the number of people who have shunned the 9 to 5 grind.

In fact, spend a little longer than the average 18 month stint in London and you may even be inspired to find a way to work from home, in an effort to avoid the living hell that is rush hour on the tube. I kid you not - it worked for me.

2. Find a place to live

This is one of the biggest challenges of life in London, not least because of the impact of the daily commute on your quality of life. I advise waiting until you know where you'll be working before giving in to the nesting instinct. Ideally, you want to live along the same tube line as where you work (with fewer line changes winning out over fewer stops every time – see above re: rush hour). And if you're lucky enough to be on a viable bus route, all the better.

The Gumtree is a popular source of flat shares, as is Loot, which appears three times a week in local newsagents. Most accommodation comes furnished, but you can scour Freecycle for any additional items you might need on top of this. Good for the environment and your pocket.

Three key things to remember when flat hunting in London:

1. Council tax: ask your landlord upfront how much you'll have to pay - you could see your weekly accommodation costs to increase by up to a third. This compulsory “stealth tax” varies according to the borough, with some areas vastly pricier than others.
2. Transport costs: don't forget to factor them in. Most people live in zones 3 – 6, but work in zone 1. A weekly tube pass for these zones starts at about £45. (Yes, that's every week.)
3. Green spaces: Try to find a place within a street or so of one of London's many parks and commons. London's “lungs” are a magnet for other twenty-somethings and offer a welcome respite from the concrete jungle, especially in summer.

3. Meet people

Anyone who has ever tried to start a conversation with a stranger on the tube knows that Londoners can come across a tad frosty at times. Most people develop their closest relationships with work colleagues, but it can be hard to arrange meet-ups when everyone lives an hour or so out of the city. I have never felt so lonely or so miserable in my life as I have in London - trust me when I say there are easier ways to build character. So here are my hard-earned top tips for warming up the Londoners:

• Sign up as a volunteer. TimeBank allows you to search organisations based on the kind of work and number of hours you'd like to commit to. This is a great way to get you out of your work clique and meet all kinds of people.
• Don't hold out for an English friend. Forget the whole going native thing and work the ex-pat crowd. Where-ever you've come from, you're not alone – one in two Londoners were born somewhere else. Londoner most definitely does not equal English.
• Go out for a drink. Pubs and bars are where Londoners go to wind down and socialise - if alcohol's not your thing, have a coke.
• Go back to school. Hotcourses.com lists a range of different night classes to plump up your CV as well as your social life. Why not learn a language? There are over 300 spoken in London so you're sure to get in some practice with a native speaker. Best of all, if the whim takes you, you can hop on a cheap flight and immerse yourself completely.

4. Wind down

Most people won't need help in this area. But just in case:

• Never, ever pay full price for a meal. Register with Toptable.co.uk - their special offers put top restaurants within reach and make local favourites a not-so-guilty pleasure.
• Take afternoon tea. This is one of my favourite things to do in London. Avoid the overpriced tourist trap at the Ritz and head for smaller boutique hotels like The Landmark or The Berkeley. You'll be glad you did when you find yourself greeted like a local.
• Check out the West End. Most shows sell discounted returns to a couple of hours before a show. Go mid-week for an even better deal.
• Be a culture vulture. Most museums are free and one of my favourite is the London Underground Museum in Covent Garden. The tube is the oldest metro system in the world, and you'll spend enough hours on it. Why not give your imagination something interesting to chew on the next time you find your face crushed into a stranger's armpit?

As a wise old man once said, if you're tired of London, you're tired of life. So get out there and discover what you want from your London. You may just find you discover what you want from life in the process. I certainly did.