givemeabreak

My husband is a Squadron Leader in the RAF and we have put our papers in for skilled work pr visa Feb 05. Obviously not heard anything yet but I have spent hours reading through this forum and to my astonishment am amazed at the lack of preparation done and investigative work done when people apply to live in another Country. My husband has degrees and qualifications up to the ying yang but doesn't expect to walk into a job. I don't expect warm, welcome arms at the school gates either. We have costed exactly how much taxes are, tumble dryers cost, insurance, flights home, houses, cars and children's clothes cost. My husband is experienced in telecoms and would be looking for a job in this area but being the professional he is we are paying for him to take Canadian qualifications that can be recognised and he will volunteer to work free of charge for a Canadian company before he expects a full time job interview. Why do British people think everything should be handed on a plate without hard work and homework being done. It looks to me that people fill in these forms and apply for visas in Countries they know very little about (either politically or geographically) and then wonder whats gone wrong when it all goes belly up. How on earth you can make such a rash decision within the first 6 months as well, oh please. Everywhere is rubbish when its new in the first 12 months and then things start getting easier. Have I read it wrong or do people not ask enough questions first about life changing decisions? Please feel free to correct me or add to the debate....

iaink

I remember Julius. One of his first posts was a lot like yours.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229107

He came here, got a job, was doing OK, then got homesick
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277068

Finaly ended up going back to the UK after a relativly short time in Canada, posts now and then in the returning to UK forum.

Its probably safe to say that if you have moved around countries before you are somewhat prepared, but if you havent, then your take on the reality rather than the theory of it all might be totaly different.

Until you have tried it, honestly you can plan all you like, but you just dont know how you will react, and moaning about stuff is a natural reaction, we have all been there to some extent I suspect, so we just put up with it

Sometimes the job market can be very cruel, and even with the best canadian qualifications, without canadian experience and contacts, it can get very demoralizing.

Good Luck though

willmore

So how are things in the Iain household these days?

Getting much sleep?

MCC

You are sooooo right! Knowing what you are getting yourself and your family is so important.

And also the people you are talking about worry about the weather, if it will be too cold. They worry about the food they might not get, chocolate!!! A lot of people state the attraction of the outdoor for coming over, yet they worry about not getting the British TV.

It does cost more money than you planned when you move, work might not be easy to walk into, there are some good baked beans, there is some good chocolate. Food you can't get, cook it from scratch! There is no CBbees but there is PBS and others and a lot of the same programs for the kids. For the rest of British TV, download stuff from UK nova or the likes. But also what there is available, is ice skating, sledging, breath taking view, friendly people, etc. A better quality of life.

You have to put the efforts and research on the right stuff!! Forget about what you can't get anymore and focus about what you can! Costing everything is so important. Canada is not as cheap as some people might think.

JezHarper

The only thing I wouls say is, that as a forces family, having had many postings (presumably), you have had many experiences of moving to places far from where you may call home. These experiences will have taught you to adapt well to new situations and also what to be aware of regarding differences in culture and behaviours. In summary, your experience has taught you to be prepared.

For many Brits, the only experience of foreign lands is from holidays, which obviously gives an unrealistic view of living away from 'home'. Without prior experience, many may not know what is needed to be done to prepare.

Having said that, you can be confident that you have prepared thoroughly, but you cannot predict what events might happen which result in the move not working out for you.

There are probably many people who are living in Canada sucessfully with little preparation and vice versa.

iaink

Not so bad thanks Sue. Getting 4 or 5 hours at a time most nights now. Hard to believe its only been a month.

flashman

There's a major factor in addition to inadequate preparation which is a personality assessment.

If you're going to be uncomfortable being away from friends and family etc even if you move to another part of England then be careful.

Also, if you have a personality like a bag of wet mice or are an a***hole then it won't help either.

Grah

Ah the Beauty of wealth, Not everyone has the luxury of a monthly Squadron leaders pension coming in, for most of us that would be our wages.

For some you might be right, that looks good and away they go pick a spot from 1,000's of miles away don't like it turn round and go home, say it was crap. Others come here find something completely different and not like anything they have done or planned before and live happily.

But in most cases people who are in the process of immigration are on this site to ask questions, sometimes too general, sometimes too dependant on personal choices to be fully answered. But at least they are here trying to learn and learning fast about the need for reseach and homework.

So you really should be making rash opinions about others.
--

If you have already worked out you taxes you must know exactly where your going to live, do you?
As for material things virtually nothing is paid for here at retailer recommend price, so you might be able to snag a bargain or two. As for food have you done the grocery web sites and seen the products are actually here? PS Kellogg's Cornflakes here don't taste like Kellogg's cornflakes in the UK.
Nor does the cheese, baked beans cuts of meats aren't the same. . . .

Finally
It's not only British people, but at least they speak the local language.


Hope you and your family have a wonderful civilian life and enjoy working and living in a total different environment than anything you've probably experienced before.

Wayner

Quite the generalization, as the old saying goes, "Don't tar everyone with the same brush"

AnyaT

As a Canadian I can't really comment on most of your post, but just wanted to make a note of this statement. I find this a disturbing trend in job hunting. Companies should not expect people to work for free just for the honour of getting a job or even an interview. Sadly, I am starting to see this more frequently in job ads. Volunteering for an organization you like/admire and want to help is something to be lauded on a personal level, but for companies to demand people donate their time before hiring them is despicable and frankly sounds somewhat like blackmail. I hope it is a trend that gets nipped in the bud.

Atlantic Xpat

Absolutely agree. Its not something I've seen here on the Rock but frankly I'd be buggered if I was going to work for free (even if I could afford to which I cant.) I'm not being arrogant, I have been flexible (taken a paycut to stay here) but do have a good sense of my skills & experience and their attraction or otherwise to Canadian employers. Actually, strike that, I have found in my field no appreciable differences between job hunting here and in UK, other than the size of the market which is driven by my preferred location. And thats from both the position as a job seeker and a recruiter. The latter I'm going through again as we speak.

I have some sympathy with the OP inasmuch as a cursory or even more detailled reading of these forums can give an impression of doom and gloom in the whole moving to Canada/getting employment experience. To repeat the most oft quoted piece of advice about Canada .... 'its a damn big country and experiences vary from place to place and job to job'! You sound well researched which is good and probably have some experience in moving around the world which is better. Dont right everyone off here as whiners 'cos we're not!

dingbat

One comment: when you get bitten on your sanctimonious rear end, which you will, how will you feel then?

iaink

Also an illegal one in nearly all cases.

OzRob

Yes, I know that this is illegal in Australia. Shame on the companies that try to take advantage of people like this.

britishvixen21

I think you need to hold off on the high and mighty talk until you get here and have spent 3 years of your life settling in before you start ranting an raving about how stupid everyone is. Preperation cannot ultimatly prepare you for 'Real' life.