What to sort in month one, and what can wait.
The card in your wallet is the start, not the finish. The techs who build a steady career are the ones who get the boring bits right early. Here is a simple order to do it in.
Sort public liability insurance, register as self-employed with HMRC if you are going freelance, and open a separate bank account. Get your IRATA logbook set up and start recording from your very first shift, hours count toward Level 2 and the assessor will want to see them.
Most first jobs come through people, not job boards. Tell every trainer, classmate and contact you are available. Keep a tidy one-line CV with your level, tickets and any trade skills (IPAF, CSCS, first aid). When a rate comes up, know your number, our day-rate calculator gives a fair starting range.
Send proper invoices, not texts. Track expenses as you go so Self Assessment is painless later. Start your kit register with serial numbers now, before a LOLER date sneaks up. If you are subbing on a construction site, learn how CIS affects your pay.
Cowstail bundles the logbook, invoices, kit and finances into one free app, a tidy place to start month one.
Related: day-rate calculator, CIS calculator, invoice generator, IRATA logbook hours.