[TerminalVertigo]

I work for a company who does networking for some big companies in Toronto.
I have worked there for a year in september.

Last week i found out one of my friends who is originally from Birmingham, is moving back to find a job, as the job market in Windsor (south of Toronto) is very small and hard to break into.

We bounced the idea around of me getting a job over there and moving over.

This excites me to no end, just the fact that i will be immersed in football. (play, see, read, write, etc etc )

this would be a huge move for me, the biggest of my life (I'm 24)

i just wanted to hear other peoples thoughts on moving continents, what i would need to do, what i should expect.

Im not sure that i am moving, but any pros or cons anyone might have would be really appreciated


thanks

[yasik19]

do what your heart tells you. If you don't have anything in Canada holding you, then go............you can always come back.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by TerminalVertigo

I work for a company who does networking for some big companies in Toronto.
I have worked there for a year in september.

Last week i found out one of my friends who is originally from Birmingham, is moving back to find a job, as the job market in Windsor (south of Toronto) is very small and hard to break into.

We bounced the idea around of me getting a job over there and moving over.

This excites me to no end, just the fact that i will be immersed in football. (play, see, read, write, etc etc )

this would be a huge move for me, the biggest of my life (I'm 24)

i just wanted to hear other peoples thoughts on moving continents, what i would need to do, what i should expect.

Im not sure that i am moving, but any pros or cons anyone might have would be really appreciated


thanks

Fair play to you if you do.

I did it myself many years ago, coming to the States.

The single most important thing you need is contacts.

Contacts for employment (can you work legally?, if not, don't bother at all), housing, social life, financial needs, and access to medical, banking, transportation and job opportunities.Moving to the country wouldn't be wise
It's no use just going over if you only have a 'friend that is looking for work' - you'll need far more stable and solid contacts than that.

[fernb8]

agreed with yasik and Clan. Make sure everything is legit before you invest the time mate. I have had a quite a few friends on both sides of the pond get sent back because of paperwork, visa problems. Its not worth the effort or time planning things out if the set up is not correct to begin with.

If you know anyone in the area, I would recommend contacting them and checking with them on the infrastructure- transport is huge as it is an immense pain in the arse to get around in the UK. Housing is very important as well.

Other than that, I hope you go for it. Keep in mind that you are also a few cheap flights away from places like Greece, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and even France (if you are desperate).

Good luck mate and keep us up to date.

[nicephoras]

Hmmmm........

Its a tough call. Be warned on several fronts;

1. Football is a bad reason to move. You'll also find, I suspect, that the type of fan who's crazy about football isn't the kind of fan you're like to be friends with. Most people I work with are football fans, but not quite diehards. And yes, football fandom carries a very different social connotation in the UK than in the US. Not that there's anything at all wrong with it, but be prepared for it.
2. Football is awesome. I love being able to see Chelsea matches in London. But its a bad reason to move. Its not nearly enough, and you'll get a bit tired of it. Especially if its Brum.
3. England is expensive. Especially London. I'm back in NYC this week and its amazing how cheap everything seems. While you did mention you'd be in Birmingham, if you anticipate being to go to lots of Chelsea games.....it adds up. Very quickly.
4. People have mentioned work - its not an unimportant consideration. Work permits are important; you can't simply show up and work in England.
5. Socialy, England is harder than the US or Canada. First, you won't be at university. Second, most people you work with will be. People in England don't tend to move as much and have many of their friends close at hand. They're not as welcoming of "outsiders" as Americans. That's not to say they're unsociable (or that they remotely care about crap like your American accent) - its just that they have their circle of friends and they'll likely to stick to it. My friends are mostly other expats here, because it makes sense. And I live in London, where expats abound.

I'm not trying to put you off, and there are lots of positives, which lots of other people can tell you about. I quite like living in London and may well end up here longer than I ever anticipated. I also moved at a fairly similar age (I had turned 26 two months before I left), so I can understand where you're coming from. But I was also moving into a very certain position; I wasn't even leaving my current employer.
England can be a lot of fun, but this does take a bit of thought. I'm not telling you not to do it, but rather to consider various aspects of it.
Oh, and the transportation system is deplorable. I hate BA. That's not entirely relevant, but I thought I'd throw it in.

[BridgeMonkee]

Originally Posted by nicephoras

People in England . . .They're not as welcoming of "outsiders" as Americans.

thats a rather dubious generalization

But yeah BA are arseholes unless you fly first class

But what you say nice is mostly wise and at the end of the day it is better to try something and to take the risk imho. He who dares wins (eventually). . . and it is better to regret something you have done, than something you haven't done.

I echo yasik.

Originally Posted by yasik19

do what your heart tells you. If you don't have anything in Canada holding you, then go............you can always come back.

[nicephoras]

Originally Posted by BridgeMonkee

thats a rather dubious generalization

One of my European friends once put it this way: "I find it much easier to make acquaintances in America and much easer to make really good friends in Europe".
I've found that to be true, but making good friends takes a lot of time.

[352klr]

If you don't have a work permit already, the route I'd recommend taking is pursuing a visa through the Highly-Skilled Migrant Program(HSMP). A work permit requires a job to be on offer and the employer to sponsor you for it, tying you to them. the HSMP visa is not dependent upon you already having a job lined up. You can get an HSMP visa and then start looking for a job. I'm currently on a WP through graduating from a Scottish University but am going to be applying for an HSMP visa in the near future if I decide to take a position on offer this week.

Here's a link to a visa service with backgrounds on permits, visas, etc.

http://www.fastukpermit.com/visas-permits/hsmp/


Hope it helps.

[TerminalVertigo]

thanks for the thoughts and the link.


i will keep you guys informed as to what happens.

[nicephoras]

Also, if you do have any questions, feel free to PM.