Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
Jul 12th 2012, 3:50 pm
#16
"In cruce vincam"
Joined: May 2010
Location: Mill Bay, Vancouver Island
Posts: 3,232
Jul 12th 2012, 5:57 pm
#17
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2012
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Posts: 5
Re: Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
I would be especially careful to check how you feel about the winter weather in Ottawa. It is frequently a lot colder than Toronto for example. I mean REALLY cold if you are not used to it. Otherwise Ottawa is a lovely city, we live in Victoria, BC, but had considered Ottawa where I have a brother, but were put off by the weather. I recommend having a visit there in January which is what we did with BC as we had heard it could be gray and depressing here in Winter.
Jul 12th 2012, 6:37 pm
#19
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 12
Re: Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
I would be especially careful to check how you feel about the winter weather in Ottawa. It is frequently a lot colder than Toronto for example. I mean REALLY cold if you are not used to it. Otherwise Ottawa is a lovely city, we live in Victoria, BC, but had considered Ottawa where I have a brother, but were put off by the weather. I recommend having a visit there in January which is what we did with BC as we had heard it could be gray and depressing here in Winter.
I am well acquainted with cold, snow and depressing winters.
Jul 13th 2012, 1:47 am
#20
Soulless bureaucrat
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 361
Re: Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
Very cold though. Might even be colder than southern Scandinavia...
Jul 13th 2012, 6:40 pm
#21
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Okanagan region
Posts: 625
Re: Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
South Okanagan Winter is pretty mild - between 0 and -5 deg C with minimal snow in the valley but still lots of snow up in the mountains to go and play. Our first year out here we couldn't believe how amazing the climate was. It is baking hot in the summer and is dry so hardly any mosquitos and you don't end up all sweaty with the humidity. I think it is one of the few places in the World where you can Ski up in the mountains on the morning and travel half an hour down into the valley and play golf and Water ski all on the same day.
Jul 13th 2012, 7:02 pm
#22
Banned
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: GTA
Posts: 143
Re: Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
Good morning! I was hoping that I could get some perspective from other Canadians or expats who have been there and done that.
My husband works for a multi-national IT company and they want to transfer him to their Ottawa office (and it will likely be) permanently. It seems like a great opportunity for him and we both like Canada although we've never been to Ottawa. We also have two great kids who are 2 and 6 and I think they would cope well with it.
I worry about my opportunity and ability to settle. From what I've seen and read, I think it's very hard for expat wives to find work when they've followed their spouse. I am an 'early careers researcher' with a phd. So I teach and conduct research at a Russell Group uni. There are no universities in my field in Ottawa, which is fine. I can go into industry or government and have worked in both before. But, I won't be a citizen and worry about my ability to be competitive for jobs, particularly in government. I also have a hearing impairment which isn't obvious, but it sometimes makes things a little harder for me even with my hearing aids. I speak and write some French, but my listening skills in the language aren't very good because of my impairment.
Does anyone have any advice or perspective on this? I really don't want to say yes to it and move over there and find I cannot find work or that I have no chance. There are no guarantees in life obviously, but we do like our life here and wonder whether it's worth shaking it up. If he takes the job and I don't settle, I don't want to sour his relationship with the company by insisting on moving back. Is there anything I haven't thought of that we might face in doing this? Thanks in advance.
My husband works for a multi-national IT company and they want to transfer him to their Ottawa office (and it will likely be) permanently. It seems like a great opportunity for him and we both like Canada although we've never been to Ottawa. We also have two great kids who are 2 and 6 and I think they would cope well with it.
I worry about my opportunity and ability to settle. From what I've seen and read, I think it's very hard for expat wives to find work when they've followed their spouse. I am an 'early careers researcher' with a phd. So I teach and conduct research at a Russell Group uni. There are no universities in my field in Ottawa, which is fine. I can go into industry or government and have worked in both before. But, I won't be a citizen and worry about my ability to be competitive for jobs, particularly in government. I also have a hearing impairment which isn't obvious, but it sometimes makes things a little harder for me even with my hearing aids. I speak and write some French, but my listening skills in the language aren't very good because of my impairment.
Does anyone have any advice or perspective on this? I really don't want to say yes to it and move over there and find I cannot find work or that I have no chance. There are no guarantees in life obviously, but we do like our life here and wonder whether it's worth shaking it up. If he takes the job and I don't settle, I don't want to sour his relationship with the company by insisting on moving back. Is there anything I haven't thought of that we might face in doing this? Thanks in advance.
I am waiting for my RN registration to process for Ontario having worked 4 yrs in BC and 6 years in UK before that, and still they drag it out time wise it's ridiculous when they have all they need but are just waiting for my file to come back to them that was dormant 4 years ago due to my working in BC instead of Ontario.
So I am now at an employment center getting help with a paid job placement (on job training) to update my office work skills that I did before nursing and during Nursing when the office worker would go home, but a job that is a Medical office in a clinical setting part-time so I can still go to work while I am waiting for my Nurse registration to process.
Volunteer work will also help you gain more skills and get a foot in the door with a job. I have volunteered with a local hospice (that is the area I nursed in the past 3 years and wish to remain in so it makes sense for me).
So just find work that fits in with you and volunteer work here looks good with any potential new employer, they like that more than if you haven't or don't do any and find you more desirably employable.
Hope that helps.
Jul 13th 2012, 7:06 pm
#23
Banned
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: GTA
Posts: 143
Re: Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
Also, a good friend of mine also from the U.K moved here with her husband and she failed her Nurse exam 3 times so far so is doing a research job instead for now before sitting her exam again. So yes you can and should find work and in research easily enough, she is in a chemistry research job and gets paid $32 an hour.
Edited to get my quote removed.
Edited to get my quote removed.
Jul 18th 2012, 6:01 pm
#24
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 12
Re: Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
Thank you for the advice wonderwoman. I would have replied sooner, but have been away. I didn't realise that they had employment centers of any type there. And volunteering is a good suggestion as it helps you network within a community with the added benefit that you are helpful to an organisation. Good suggestions!
Jul 19th 2012, 5:27 pm
#25
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Joined: Mar 2012
Location: GTA
Posts: 143
Re: Take the plunge? or sit on the beach?
No worries
glad to be of help. I never noticed them the whole time I was in BC, maybe as I never needed to go to one then.
But since I have been in Ontario I have come across loads of them locally, and they are also advertised in job papers that are free at most grocery stores on the way out.
As they will tell you, don't waste your money on other companies offering the same services, you can get the help you need free at most employment centres. One I am now frequenting is part of a colllege in their own sector of the college as I am wanting a paid job placement in something related while I wait for my Nurse registration to come through for Ontario.
glad to be of help. I never noticed them the whole time I was in BC, maybe as I never needed to go to one then.
But since I have been in Ontario I have come across loads of them locally, and they are also advertised in job papers that are free at most grocery stores on the way out.
As they will tell you, don't waste your money on other companies offering the same services, you can get the help you need free at most employment centres. One I am now frequenting is part of a colllege in their own sector of the college as I am wanting a paid job placement in something related while I wait for my Nurse registration to come through for Ontario.
