jeepster

Rule it out? No, California has a robust oil industry but they're not doing fracking. Your opportunities are South Texas, Houston and the Bakken in ND.

MMcD

.....yet, thank goodness!

Slwg3210

Thanks Jeepster...really appreciate your positive comments, really hoping to secure a move somewhere my family can feel more settled.

Bahtatboy

I have a QS friend working in Houston. He's worked for 2 (maybe 3) companies there, and didn't find it particularly hard to find each of the jobs. He's doing claims mainly, and mainly in the O&G industry, and has worked for international consultancies (1 of which, at least, was UK based). I don't know if they have operations in California, but if, as a previous poster said, there's an O&G industry there, then there could be openings.

Good luck.

scrubbedexpat099

Internal Company move would be easiest.

Pulaski

Really? Between health insurance, the virtual nonresistance of employees rights across most of the US, and very limited unemployment pay or long term disability pay, you should think long and hard before coming to the US if you want to feel "more settled".

Slwg3210

Thanks Bahtatboy appreciate your advice. Boiler the company I work for doesn't have any work in the US unfortunately. Pulaski, I hear you.

scrubbedexpat099

Get a job with a Company that does.

Slwg3210

Yes that's what I'm hoping for, do you know companies that have a track record of recruiting uk QS professionals? Also looking for advice on Salary expectations for a Snr QS with 16 yrs post qualifying experience?
Thanks

Hotscot

Looks to me that you'd need a State License before you'd qualify for this type of position. How would you obtain one?

Steve_

QS isn't what they're called in the US, usually it's the "project manager" which is sort of a combo between a QS and a contract manager, or the estimator might also do what a QS does. Or you have a "project manager" who reports to the "senior project manager".

Qualifications needed are obviously different and obviously will be different because the building codes are different, plus they don't use metric. Plus you have to know things like OSHA. And how you do the equivalent of a boq and a JCT80 for example is totally different.

But anyway, even if you were a fully qualified person, construction industry was put into a tailspin because of the recession and I can't see what immigration category you would use if sponsored by an employer (other than if you already work for a US company).

People I know who've done this in the past have set up their own construction companies on E-2.

Not a minor undertaking, if you really want to do it I'd look into coming over as a student on F-1 first perhaps, then change status to E-2.

jeepster

What you would be applying for is estimator or construction estimator.

No, state license for estimators nor OSHA.

Generally speaking Heavy construction pays the most, residential the least. You should contact the link I gave you to get your feet wet.

Also check out Monster.com and use "estimator" and "construction estimator" and pick your state.

Houston is an international city due to the oil industry, so a Brit applying for a job would be no big deal.

The Bakken is screaming for people due to size of the play and low number of people in the state.

Is this what you do? http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/

LA isn't doing so well economically but it doesn't mean you wouldn't score with a job offer.

Steve_

You would be expected to have some idea about OSHA, not that it's a big deal.

But the reason for that is that they can't get people. There's no real immigration category for it. H-1B quota is exhausted.

jeepster

wrong link, try this: http://money.usnews.com/careers/best...cost-estimator

Visa? I don't know what a company can or will do for a prospective employee. Nothing surprises me anymore.

Slwg3210

Jeepster, thanks a lot, yes estimating is part if the job, other aspects would fall under 'project management' & 'commercial management' I'll definitely look at monster.com also noted comments about Houston. Thanks again