slimon007

Royal family...do me a favour, glad to hear precious little about them over here.

I remember Trevor Mcdoughnot (Tiswas anyone?) leading the nightly news off by telling us how many people Prince Charles shook hands with that day.

Good riddance

flashman

I simply referred to the Royals as an example of the celebrity focus. You can invclude the Bekhams and others.

I agree. God Save the Queen! (and all who sail in her)

Karl69

I answered that question, please look at the discussion threads for further information.

Karl

CDNReturner

Just to add my 2 cents worth, I've been following this forum for approx 1 year before I decided to return to Canada. By following this forum I realized that in my decision to return to Canada after 25 years in the UK I would have to accept that my IT career would be over for good. So I find it quite surprising that people are still thinking they can come here and find it easy to get IT work.

<<I have to say we have found that they average worker over here does not give a Rat's A** about the place they work for and whether succeeds or fails as long as they get the paycheck.>>

I really have to agree with this statement made by Sharmagirl. It never ceased to amaze me how blatantly most (not all) of my co-workers would abuse their employment and how much they got paid for doing so and how the employers ignored it. Helped me to stay employed though. Just wish I was earning some of their salaries though got to say I didn't do bad out of it.

Glaswegian

Same here ... it can be done, but it's hard to get into and a lot more is expected of IT people in Canada than the UK ... it's also becoming more of a profession here than I remember it ever being in the UK.

Karl69

The job competiton is unbelievable, there is always someone who will work for less and the only winners are the employer.

I can't see how you can enjoy an improved standard of living on a lower salary or no salary at all.

Its a tough world when you don't have a job.

Karl

Glaswegian

That's why I moved my family out to Calgary ... at least I could get my foot in the door here ... nobody would even talk to me in Toronto.

It's tough in Calgary ... but not impossible ... I know a few Brits who have arrived in the last few years and have IT jobs.

You can't.

Been there ... not a lot of fun.

welshmountie

I've been on this forum for a month now and I'm trying very hard not to tie in your unfortunate experiences with what the common message of others seems to be telling me. However, the masses cannot be wrong can they or is it a case that those with an axe to grind are the ones that join these forums? By the way, I'm not saying this is the case with you at any stretch of the imagination.

I'm soon to make a final decision on whether we will be moving to Ontario ourselves. I am an IT person myself and your news along with the other messages is very depressing. My wife is 50/50 about the decision as it is and would not have the luxury of working herself when there. She looks after our young children at present. So, if you are both struggling with two working what hope do we have?

One thing in our favour is that I have dual citizenship, so I'm lucky and shouldn't really be too worried or should I? I agree with national protectionism with jobs but not to the extent that it appears to be taken in Canada. The thing that really gets me is the view that Canadian employers have with the necessity that professional qualifications count for more than experience. I'm fortunate enough to have decent qualifications and experience, but my experience has taught me that someone with an MSCE is 9 times out of 10 no better than someone with experience. In fact, the experienced person is normally better equipped to do the job right. Just look at the state of your typical Canadian websites compared to UK ones! If qualifications count for so much to Canadian employees, how is it that the websites are so amateur? I hate to think what the backend infrastructure is like! Going by response time, poor at a guess. Maybe they should have a rethink on their policy with over qualified IT staff. They should start employing the likes of you and pay by experience instead. Spread the qualified staff's pay to others and let them climb the ladder the right way!

Before you read on to my conclusion, perhaps you should give it one more go and hammer on those employer's doors that have poor websites. The choice must be vast. Show them what a good design looks like with UK case in point. They may actually take note and you could make your fortune.

Pessimism revisited...

So much for Canada being the land of opportunity and better lifestyle. I say this bearing in mind, two weeks leave is common, wages are low for skilled IT staff, etc, etc. I will get replies saying, ah yeh, what about the open spaces, cheap housing(caveat: if not in the cities), cheaper cars. Well, it still holds true that for most, things are still cheaper. However, I'd like to say that the gulf is not as vast as it used to be in the 60s and 70s. At the moment, I'd say that the only potential UK immigrants to Canada that are likely to benefit are those just graduated from university, those living on the UK bread line or are retired. If you are living in a decent area of the UK with average or better income and in particular lucky enough to be in IT, stay in the UK! If you don’t have the time or money to enjoy the better environment, what is the point of living in Canada!

At the end of the day, if your job is not satisfying you and your family is unhappy, move back to the UK, get yourself a job that pays your worth. Have family and friends around you and get your "Canada Fix" every year with a holiday. Use your strong pound to have a great time there for two or three weeks a year. Who knows, you may even have some cash spare to holiday from far greater choice of destinations that are far more accessible to UK citizens than Canadians.

As many have said, family comes first. If your are like me and you are thinking of your kids future as being the main reason for wanting to move to Canada, maybe a rethink a few years down the line would bring you back to Canada when perhaps the timing is better. UK houses are still likely be worth more and the pound will still be strong. You could retire in Canada and your kids could follow!? The UK is not the place for the future, but for the short term at least it appears to be in better stead for catering for skilled IT staff like yourself than Canada is.

Going through the expense and emotional upset of a move is difficult at the best of times, but having to come back? You have my sympathy. I wish you all the best. Maybe I too can learn something from this before it is too late for me.

Hope you find happiness soon.

Karl69

I had a job interview yesterday through a referral from a expat friend, they offered me the job there and then.

It's true, its all about who you know, my friend had gone through the same discrimination several years before and knew its all about getting the break.

The job is exactly what I was looking for and salary is on par with my UK job.

It is now for me to help someone.


Regards

Karl

Iain Mc

Wow. That's quite a turn-around. Well done Karl!

Regards, Iain

welshmountie

Just when I was about to lose faith....Well done, now who can put me in touch with someone in Quinte region?

Glaswegian

IT isn't good ... I work for an IT consultancy company and wouldn't want to work as a peon for a big company ... I get trained, I get to write exams and I get new opportunities on a regular basis ... but there aren't many jobs like mine and it wasn't advertised anywhere.

Up until this year, only one of us worked ... the extra income is going into investments not living expenses

In the Calgary IT job market, not being from Calgary is the problem ... doesn't matter so much where you came from.

It's the same here - an MCSE is expected and there are a lot of useless MCSE's in Canada too.

However ... employers do expect to see the bits of paper.

Haven't noticed much difference myself - you're looking at the wrong companies.

It still is - depends where you are and what your attitude is like.

I've had the opportunity to meet some Brits recently and have been suprised by their attitudes ... some are very negative about Canada and "how crap it all is" ... doesn't go down well with the locals (or established expats).

A lot depends who you are, where you go and what your skills are ... I started on three weeks holidays in my first job and I haven't ever earned anything even close to minimum wage. I've got a nice big house that backs onto a beautiful park with mature trees, two vehicles from new, I can afford for my kids to play minor sports and I'm finally starting to feel like a smug b@st@rd.

MikeUK

It’s not the land of opportunity nor is it better… but then again it’s no worse than any other G7 nation…

It has a different set of industries and requirements than some of the others which for some give rise to opportunities they would not have in the UK, and for others this effectively removes opportunities they’ve come to expect at home.

The life style is different with differing things holding the “value ‘ positions… Canadians have no real concept of fashion as a European would know it and shop accordingly… however they are just as material about life as the average European.. its just a different list of goods that they hold in esteem..

Glaswegian

Unlike your average trackie wearing European?? Most people in most countries wear practical everday clothes.

What makes you think European fashions should have a right to dominate north american markets?

iaink

Congrats Karl...A ray of hope among the negativity. Really hope it works out.

Are you less "disillusioned" now