Alan2005

Yes, off you go to follow your dreams because if you dream really really hard you can do anything you want. So make a heartfelt wish and I'm sure all your dreams will come true. Don't listen to us, we are just engaging in child like banter of realism and pragmatism; you are much better off with your own mature and adult world view based on magic wish dust that makes everything better.

loss

Canada
Pros
Higher Min Wage, 10.25 is about £6.40
Most things are cheaper,
Rent is Dirt cheap $300 including all bills
No offence to anyone but its 100x times easier to pull I just need to talk

Con
Welfare I'm Worse off If I don't get a job

England
Pros
Better off if I can't get a Job
Friends and Family

Cons
Too many to list

dbd33

Per day?

iaink

The whole premise of the thread is that you cant get a job, so you should just suck up the perceived bad stuff in the UK, and hold out there until things pick up again and you can try Canada again.

Count your blessings, at least in your circumstances you dont have to worry about meeting residency requirements for PR, so you can regroup for a while before having a second bite at the cherry, a luxury many PRs here would like to have but dont.

As Alan said in his own idiosyncratic way, wishing that things were better and you could stop those savings evaporating away isnt going to help, you need to plan for what happens once you reach a point where its literally "now or never" for returning to the UK.

Boris-canadabound

I would not be sure what to do in that case. I have had a lot of difficulty finding a job but in any case we are only here because my husband was offered a job.

I just wanted to make some personal observations, for what they are worth:

I find Canada generally a lot more expensive than the UK.
I know people on benefits in the UK that live quite well - I don't think that would be the case here.
Although I did find my shop job (not much above minimum wage) via email, I have been told that it is advisable to just walk into to places with your cv and ask about jobs - applying by email is usually a waste of time. Same with offices, althought I haven't quite mustered the courage to to it yet.

mattieuk

I did it less than a year ago. I was on a dollar higher than minimum wage (although the transit pass I had to buy brought down my wage to about $8 an hour, because I couldn't find work close to home).

I was working anywhere from 30 to 40 hours a week, and covering my rent in a 2 bedroom apartment I shared with a friend, utilities, lifestyle, and a few 'extras' that make life a little easier. I wasn't living like a king, and still aren't now, but earning around minimum wage was hardly giving me an impoverished, worthless lifestyle. All comes down to the quality of life you expect for yourself and how well you can manage your finances rfom my experience (obviously I have no dependants, so that made it a little easier!).

loss

got interview at Tims
10.25 hour in ON could quite easily manage on it, and my rent a month is only 300 plus anther 100 for metropass, and my food under $100 a month
I could quite easily afford to go out couple of times a week, at the moment thats enough go to a few gigs
people are so fixated with life is only success if you own shit loads of money,
Life is success if you enjoy it,

Alan2005

What are you? 12 or something.

Money buys stuff and fun things. Seriously, don't be a muppet, go and finish your degree and then go and "find yourself' or "live the dream" or whatever "thing that is meant to be" thing you want to do.

What else you gonna do? min wage jobs for the rest of your life? get real - that will be shit and you'll be pissed off with it within a year.

loss

at the moment my plan is to travel the world which sounds hell lot more fun than than staying at uni or getting better job,
my plan is to stay here for 3 years and put enough money to go Aussie for a year, in the mean time I can travel to New York, Montreal and places,

everyones expected to go to uni then get a 30k year job then have kids work that intill they retire and thats there life,

the easy option would of been for me to stay at Uni and working a Part time job, for me that would have been my dead end life.
I have no intention of going back to Uni I also have no intention of working min wage jobs for the rest of my life either I'm just gonna play it by ear and see what happens.

MillieF

Loss, I couldn't agree more, travelling the world and having fun seems like a great idea! I'd do it tomorrow if I could ditch my husband and child (but not really). When you are young, yes, bum around and travel... I have cleaned offices, worked bars and done anything to keep on having fun whilst keeping the wolf from the door. But.... it might help a bit to decide what you might have to offer an employer in an overseas situation - in my own case my languages aren't bad, my typing and shorthand were fast, and so I was able to work pretty easily worldwide - Middle East and Africa mainly. My Canadian brother in law is still travelling the world having qualified as a plumber and electrician, and also as a yacht hand, he's spent thirty years, travelling, having fun and has never wanted shed loads of cash...but he has saleable skills that have kept him fed and watered - he is presently in Polynesia. My husband's eldest son is a barman in Toronto - but 'apparently' a fantastic barman, who mixes cocktails I can only dream about I'm told - he's having a blast, but keeps a roof over his head.

You find that your priorities change as you age. I have had a ball in my life, I have been lucky enough to do most of the things I've wanted, and more importantly someone who wanted to do them with me, who I've been happy with - now our responsibilities are to our son- making his world the best and happiest we can. No it doesn't take a mountain of cash, but a steady income certainly does help.

You seem to know what you Don't want to do, but what Do you want to do? What are you GOOD at, what do you feel passionate about? If you feel negative about you, it's going to rub off on your prospective employers. Nobody in their right mind wants to get saddled with houses, kids and mortgages until 'the time is right for them' if it ever is! - but it's a hell of a lot easier to cast off the shackles of drudgery if you've got a transferable skill to fund a fun lifestyle with.
Best of luck and hoping the future gets more rosy.

Alan2005

Oh, I see, you are 12. The usual "i'm not going to conform but by doing so I am just conforming even more" position.

S_B

Hi,

I don't actually live in Canada myself, my Dad was originally from there and we have a lot of family over there, but i'm just starting to look in to the possibility myself of moving out in a few years time, so i'm talking from a UK perspective here!

Hope the job interview went/goes well for you!

Just thought i'd offer you my opinion with regards to work in the UK currently and so on..
I graduated from Uni this year (jeweller) and since leaving i was unable to find ANY employment within this field - London could have maybe offer me one or two places to apply for but firstly the chance of getting it is slim as there is a lot of competition with job hunters at the moment and secondly, i just couldn't have afforded to live on the wage down there, (i'm lucky enough i've been able to move back in for now with my parents as i cant afford to move out). I havent been able to find anything UNPAID to carry on training in this field let alone paid, so i am doing odd bits from home in between the odd job and so on.

But also with regards to general jobs, i have worked within retail and done admin work since i was 14 on and off (i'm 23) and to even find a shop job it is very very hard! It took me 2/3 months to get a temp. Xmas job this year and since it has ended mid Jan, i have searched for anything basic and i'm not even hearing back or being refused almost instantly.
It's sole destroying, especially when you've worked so hard to get a degree and for the time being cannnot make as much use of it as you would like, but also to not be able to find a basic job to get your feet on the ground! I've applied to retail chains like debenhams, m&s and so on, and nothing; i've tried both having and not having my degree on my cv as people often reject thinking you wont stay in the job long as you will want to move on, when in fact a job is still needed to get by, just as everyone else is! (i know this does vary from place to place with jobs etc, but of the people i know up and down the country through Uni and so on, it doesn't look much better for them either!)

But anyway, what i'm trying to say with a bunch of waffle is that yes there is help in the way of Jobseeker's Allowence over here which is £50 a week, BUT if you are happier over there then you are over here, then i would say just keep handing out your cv's even if they have nothing currently available, give it to them, and just stick with it! Easier said than done i know haha, but the job situation over here is pretty crap and you sound like your of a similar age possibly? Do they have any agencies like here to help you find some work, even if it's just temp work?

Also as i know a few people have mentioned with regards to going back to Uni - personally, i would say only do it when you know what you want to do and are ready to do it, if this is what you decide you want to do - it's super expensive as i'm sure you know- i'm now at least 25 grand in debt before i've even started which is not ideal !! It's an expensive thing to do if you dont want to do it and use it, if that makes sense!

I dunno if that was ANY help at all ! but i hope you come to a decision that's right for you and are happy with, and all the best with it!

zRichi

Do it Loss

You can pick up a 30k dead end job anytime. I spent a year getting steamed in south east asia and came back and had a job paying 27k within 18 days of landing back in jan 10. Result.
Did the same a few years back through Europe where i mostly did mimum wage jobs yet when i came back home out of me and all my mates Id saved the most as theyd signed up to 3-5 year car loans\gotten credit cards or just taken out a loan.

Everyone lives within their means because people never know when to say enoughs enough. So even people that earn 50-60k are probably under the same financial pressure as someone on minimum wage because they want the latest car on finance, that adorable lamp,the newest ipad and the biggest house in the nicest neighbourhood.

You can have an enjoyable life as long as youve got a bit to party with and a bit to save away. Minimum wage it might be but I bet Loss has the least financial worries on this forum and thats the way to do it

nfitz

You see a lot in Toronto as well. Which makes me wonder why one would have difficulty finding work if one spoke English, and was willing to do just about anything.

el_richo

Oh to be young and stupid again

As for the highlighted part, i'm guessing you didn't read the first paragraph in "loss's" opening post on this thread

But in all seriousness, everybody giving advice like "follow your dream", "don't give up and follow your heart", "etc etc", please be careful. This is not your life you're playing with. It's somebody who obviously needs a reality check and has to make a critical short/medium term decision that may affect the rest of their life.

Now, i'm off in my brand spanking new car up the mountain to test out my new snowboard for a bit before heading home to my water, city, and mountain view apartment to get ready for some fun in Vegas. All paid for. Thank goodness i worked and gained an education before my travelling days