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.

I would like to clarify that although you are talking inter-company transfer, your OH will still need a work visa albeit my understanding is that due to the nature of the transfer it is easier to obtain. But it will still have an expiry date. I believe it can be renewed up to a total of 7 years. I assume in that time the company can help sponsor for PR etc.

Now Ottawa does have a lot of government jobs and there is some of those jobs that require both English and French language. There is normally a minimum french standard advertised. But not all jobs require this.

With regards to competitiveness I dont think it is as bad as you are thinking. Providing you are legally entitled to work here you have the same chances albeit that can be helped by doing things like getting qualifications translated to Canadian equivalents and tailoring the resume. In my first job interview, the first thing they said was 'oh your british'...during the interview they had my resume and realised the signs were there but they had not drawn to those areas etc due to tailoring the resume. Some companies will advertise 'citizens only' due to HR departments misunderstanding of things like security clearances etc.

We emigrated to Ottawa without visiting prior to our recce trip as this town offered better chances for me to work in my field. Depending upon where you are emigrating from in the UK, depends on how you will find it.

Have you looked at any job websites, like the 'job bank' etc to see what is about? this can help to identify levels of french etc.

Is there an opportunity for you and your family to do a recce trip?

If you just want a bit of an adventure then fine. But, if it's not just about you and you really love your kids I wouldn't do it.

1. Do you really like living in the UK.
2. Do you both have jobs and family in the UK
3. Did OH ask for the transfer or did the company suggest it
4. Do they have someone else that can do it
5. If he says No will he still be retained by the company.
6. If let go could he easily get another job in the UK
7. If you do come over here will you moan about the price of car insurance and cheese or the lack of availability of decent bacon.
Canada is a great place but not for everyone.
Do your research.

It always ends up about cheese Former lancastrian , In reference to the OP I'd say anything is possible with the right determination. But you have to ask yourself If your really want to make this move or is this down to your Other Halfs potential opportunity?

You have to be in it together as you don't want to resent these changes in the future.There are pro's and con's and its really your choice and research as Former Lancastrian suggested is a good first step to take.

Is there any chance you can do a recce of where your OH would potentially be based?, that may help to clarify things for you.

Well thats my two cents

Thanks for all of the responses. I have been mulling them. I have looked further into my work opportunities as well. Actually, from what I have read on another academic forum, my chances might be better than I assumed in finding a similar academic post in Canada.

DH was offered the position by his Canadian colleagues because they want someone with his expertise on a specific product in North America. If he says no, it's no big deal. He can stay here and just travel a bit more. It also doesn't have to happen right away. I am intrigued because I have always really liked Canada and have been a couple of times to Vancouver and Montreal.

cheese. Cheese will bother him more than me. Red Leicester especially.

I like living in the UK, but I have lived in four different countries and feel I can adapt to Canada. I have no immediate family in the UK as they are all in the US. I don't want to live in America though!

The suggestion of a recce is outstanding! Will have to organise it. Have been thinking we should visit Ottawa and Toronto (just for a day or 2). Do you think a week is enough time to scope it out? I think I will have to dig around the older forums to find out what ppl have said about quality of life for kids and schools...that sort of thing.

One other question: how do canadian employers feel about home working a few days per week? I ask because there are a couple of good unis about 2 hours from Ottawa that have my specific field.

Depends on the company. Some will suggest you work from home where others want you in the office. Can the job be done at home as easily as in an office type setting. Is the company going to be monitoring your hours if working at home to ensure you arent skiving or is there trust that you will put in the required hours.
I know my bosses wont let me work from home and I dont need international flights landing on my street so I can clear passengers

Hi

I work in the federal government and regularly interact with researchers as part of that role, so can offer a bit of insight.

First up, it will be extremely tough to get a job in government I'm afraid to say. Not only will you face barriers relating to citizenship and language, you're also up against large scale lay-offs (c.20,000 in National Capital Region, although people argue about exact figures).

Hiring is sharply down, most departments and agencies are making people redundant, and new hiring is only generally for 'essential' positions. There are also 'priority lists' meaning that those who are 'surplus' and about to get laid off have priority over every one else for jobs. This isn't true of all positions, but will be the case for many.

Still, I don't know exactly what you do, so if you are extremely specialized, have connections/talent and are in the right place at the right time, never say never...

Second, in relation to universities, I'm surprised that University of Ottawa doesn't operate in your field, as it tends to have most things. Carleton, less so. U of O does only offer certain things in French though - e.g. social work, occupational therapy etc.

As you probably noticed, McGill, Queens, UQAM, Concordia and a few others are 2 to 2.5 hours drive away, but bear in mind that winter commutes wouldn't be much fun from Ottawa to these places. Not sure about the working at home aspect, maybe an academic (Novocastrian?) could comment.

Research funding from government has taken something of a hit from the recent budget, but actually it could be a lot worse. Cuts have tended to be to operational funding rather than to grants and awards themselves. So if you are a researcher, its not too bad an environment to go applying for funding.

If you want to PM me with any specifics, happy to respond.

Good luck!
LF

Hey, it is ALL about cheese!!!

I'd recommend contacting employers first and making enquiries as it is not easy to arrange working from home.
There is a trust issue and also the fact that they don't want everyone doing it!
My OH is in IT, which is absolutely perfect for home working as clients communicate by e-mail, telephone and video conference and in the office everyone e-mails to people 2 desks away anyway (lazy so-and-sos)

Despite this, there are only very few people who work any time from home and they are long-standing employees in specialised fields who would be a disaster to lose.
As a new employee, you will probably have to bite the bullet of the travelling for quite a long while before you earn home-worker perks.

Your call echoed loud and clear across the Atlantic. In a nutshell, home working depends on your seniority a bit, but more so on the type of research you're involved in and your teaching load, if any. If you can work effectively from home, in general you'd be welcome to do so IMHO.

HTH

Thanks for all the responses!
I wasn't very clear in my question, however. When I was asking about home working, I was curious if my husband could potentially work from home a few days per week if I could find work outside of Ottawa. I think it would be very challenging and isolating for my career especially as I enjoy the teaching aspect. I found it surprising as well that neither Ottawa or Carleton offers my specialty. Both have departments in related fields, so it's a possiblity, but it would be a compromise for me to consider.

Thanks as well for the Federal employment situation in Ottawa. I think I can cross that off the list.

He's going to pass on the job for now and just travel more to and from Canada whilst I build some contacts there and get a better sense of the academic market. I have 2 more years of my contract left here in the UK and the academic job market here looks potentially very challenging as admissions are down 10% across England. I don't know what that will mean going forward. If only I had had a crystal ball a few years ago, I might have looked into completing my PhD in Canada instead of the UK.

It depends entirely on his employer.

Not to worry, a PhD from the UK is one of those very rare qualifications which is fully recognized with no fuss whatsoever in Canada.

The answer is simple.........Take the Plunge (to BC instead) & sit on the Beach.

ahhh...certainly looks inviting especially with all the rain here!

thanks again for all of the helpful advice! I'll have to let you know if we stay or go in the future because if I can find work, we wll be there!