Actually, been there done it. I've had some really good jobs, but I've also had some really crap ones. At the end of the day it's all beer tokens...... it all depends on your perspective and where you are prepared to live. I don't have a 'nice' house in the UK (in fact currently classed as 'itinerant' despite owning our own 'property ' outright with no mortgage and therefore unable to obtain any form of credit) or any expectations about what my standard of living will be. Whatever it is like it will not (and yes I do mean that) be any worse than stuff we've gone through over here. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking at this through a rose tinted brain.

Thanks IainK. And yes, we will have the capital to buy outright...... anything with mains water and central heating is one up from our current accomodation!

I worked as a police officer for 16 years and before that I was a Personal Assistant.

I should be employable - I take heart that the temping agency says I am. My customer service skills are outstanding I have coped easily with the assignments given to me, and have been asked to return by several of the employers. I am hopeful that this route of temping will lead to a proper job in due course - this is me networking! My computer skills are up to date (and done locally so as to be recognised). I'm no academic, but I have strong office skills and I am not aiming for the moon here. My skill base is not specialised or unusual enough to be highly sought after. I get that.

Don't get me wrong - I'm fully aware that my resume may read a little disjointed but it's been amended enough to read well - I could be crap at interviews, I already know I speak funny, and I could be butt ugly or just wearing the wrong shoes. It may be a combination of all of the above.

But the reality is that I have been gainfully employed since leaving college in jobs that I mostly liked, and where I felt just a little bit challenged. It's just hard to no longer be or feel that way.

And the reality is that I quietly believe that any jobs I have interviewed for have finally been given to an internal applicant anyway. One day, it will happen for me!

Well, you probably wont get anything with mains water for that price, but wells are not that scary and just part and parcel of rural life. Ours never gives any trouble (touch wood).

I take it that if you did want to join the RCMP it is more or less a closed shop to newcomers?

I work in the public sector at the mo - the internal applicant thing is rife - a big time waster.

I do not wish to join any police service here because I am not prepared to carry a firearm.

That is fair enough. Can't say I blame you!

Apologies to everyone but the poster quoted for the following


Of course the RCMP is a forking closed shop for newcomers (if you took the time to do your research you'd already know) . You HAVE to be a forking citizen to join.

I hope it all works out for you and I hope you do not need to take a minimum wage job.

Don't discount what those that are actually living here have said though. I don't know anyone that is working a minimum wage job that is truly happy over here. Yes, they may have been able to purchase their home outright and, therefore, may have less outgoings on a monthly basis than others, but vehicles cost money (you will need a replacement one day), vacations cost money (staring at the local scenery will only suffice for so long), dental costs money (you are unlikely to be receiving great employer benefits on a minimum wage type job although it is possible), most types of entertainment costs money - most of which, unless you are living the "Good Life" you are unlikely to be able to afford on minimum wage.

I think the point the poster was making was that she is being realistic about not having the same job as in the UK and is demonstrating that she is prepared to start over.

If I'm wrong, then I totally agree with you.

I'm in the RCMP - definitely not a closed shop - one of the only forces with new union either due to teh RCMP Act (may be changing though).

Obstacle is the fact that you have to be a citizen unlike muni forces where a pr is fine.

I hardly carry mine these days, saw it once about two months ago under some files in my desk.

This is my first post to a thread here, so please bear with me!

I moved to Canada in 1994 - the sponsored husband of a Canadian (we're since divorced). Previously I had studied here and my resume reads like a Canadian's if I leave my O and A levels off.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I moved to Toronto, where my ex is from. Work was non existent back then - it took me two years to find a position that paid more than minimum wage and I would not have stayed in Canada were it not for my ex's family, who ultimately helped me find that work.

My sense of the Canadian economy is that it is tough enough for Canadians to penetrate, let alone anyone else. As mentioned several times here, it functions through networking and, obviously, if you are not from the country then you are not going to have the network that comes from high school, university and parent's friends and so on. The Canadians themselves are generally very well educated - I've seen retail positions here (for Chapters Books) that demand a university degree for a minimum wage position. My experience of working in the UK is that degrees go further there than here, if that happens to be your background. I've known several Canadians who have moved to the UK for exactly that reason - the work opportunities were better for them there. Point being, irrespective of their ability to buy a 'bigger' house, they preferred to take the more enjoyable work.

I would be careful about thinking that anything is better than the UK, even working here in McDonalds or whatever. There is a sense of dignity and self worth that comes with having decent employment. It may well be that initially a new country is exciting but that will wear off eventually. Then, being like anyone else, you will wonder why you can't have a salary and a car and your own home. Property may be cheaper here, but it still costs money and you are not going to have that at McDonalds. I think anyone with the wherewithal to move here is going to want, by inclination, to feel like a valued member of society and I have a hard time believing that a minimum wage position is going to do that. The problem is, the more you work in that area, the more likely you are to be stuck there, unless you can network your way out (see above). Perhaps it will work, perhaps not.

I am not sure I would go through this again. My children were born and live here and that is my rationalisation for staying. Interestingly on a direct comparison to my sisters who stayed in the UK they are both likely richer (through the appreciation of their property) and happier (family, friends, community, sense of belonging). I have never had that sense of belonging here – I have just reconciled myself to always being a foreigner.

Different people react to this is different ways and 100,000 immigrants will have 100,000 different stories. I only know how I've found it and the only advice I can give anyone is don't expect to pick up where you left off and be prepared to do something totally different with your life if needs be. Don't ever underestimate the value of stable employment in the UK, if you have it. As noted, there's many here who would move to the UK if they thought they could find it there.

I think it boils down to really wanting to move to the country you’ve chosen. You have to love that place and decide that that is what you primarily want in life – if it costs you your career and your family back home then you can deal with it. Anyone who says it is all attitude is right, not because it will land you a 'dream' job but because it will help you deal with all the hard times. I am not sure I ever made that realisation until it was too late. I remember how it is in the UK and it is easy to look wistfully elsewhere – better weather, cheaper houses, and fancier cars. Anything was better than the remorseless grime of SE London. I felt that way too once as well. I also realise that perhaps not such a radical solution could have been found, however, then to move so far away from all that was dear and familiar to me.

Welcome to british expats. Great first post

And karma for your first post - very eloquent.