Re: Would you do it all again?
 

Yes my experience is negative but I fail to see how I'm drawing anyone else into it. Given that you've been here a microsecond compared with most here you should listen to what other say.

In almost every new experience there's a high period. Just after buying a new car for example. Or getting a new TV service. Or moving to a new country. You, my friend, are firmly in this stage, although glad to hear you're open minded.

Regarding my move to BC, in fairness if someone told me the experience I was about to endure, there's no way on earth I'd have moved here. I did extensive research over 5 years but it wasn't until I moved here that I found out. Sure there's information NOW, but that's largely thanks to people like me who tells others how it really is. Like I'm doing with you.

Have fun in NB. I don't think NB is for me but all the best my friend.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

No, i wouldn't do it again, way too stressful with 3 little kiddies, though it has given me a new appreciation for the lovely part of the UK we came from.

After all this whether we can ever afford to buy another house back in our village is another worry!!

We have met some decent neighbours (all from Newfoundland originally) and they have been our saviours in helping us to get settled and i hope will remain friends for life.

Everyone is different, but we realise this place is not what makes us happy and are hoping we can get back to our lives in a year or so., (my husband would leave tommorow if he could!)

Everyone contemplating a move, think long and hard about what you like about British life (not just the naff weather,traffic etc). This has been the biggest eye opener for us, all the things that were everday life and totally took for granted made us realise what is more important to us.

Ie - culture, humour and banter, people with just a little more vava voom (i know what i mean by that!), beautiful countryside (and accessible), history,
going into a pub and seeing people having fun and laughter etc.

maybe its Oakville, there are more rich people (and worse rich kids) than i have seen before, it doesn't seem a real place half the time. The pretty part of Oakville is somewhere i don't ever have a need (or money to go to, so find myself being around houses and plaza's which are the same for miles and miles.

Probably doesn't help that i am a stay at home mum and childmind 2 more (5 in total) and feel very lonley and isolated. Nobody walks round here, so you never bump into people (or the same person twice to strike up a conversation with).

We have realised that we are social people and need to have like minded people around us.

As i said if it hadn't been for our fab neighbours i think we would be long gone, i have to give it to them they have been so welcoming.

Wow, i have really gone on! think thats the stay at home mum thing again!!

All in all, i know lots of expats that are really happy and some that are not, so you will never know till you have tried it

No regrets, i will never have to utter the words 'but what if' again!

Is it a better lifestyle for the kids - in some ways yes, in some ways no (again depends on the area you came from). As selfish as it may sound though, i cannot stay here just for them as i think it will cause bigger more difficult problems as they get older, plus where we came from was not a bad place at all!
The kids have citizenship (being half canadian), so they can make there own descions when they are able to.

Ok, sorry to have rambled on :o

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

I save companies millions by helping them utilize channels like the web effectively, and better understand and engage with their customer base. I know it sounds woolly but my approach to each project is highly bespoke, and there's no single answer to the question. I usually work with one or more business champions and a creative team (e.g. web team). Sometimes more on strategy and sometimes more hands on.

Just as an example, I was commissioned by a telecoms company in BC to conduct some consumer research for a new product. I delivered a plan for their out-of-box experience based on this, so that a new customer would be able to self-install a device in their home. My research identified how bad their instructions were, gave guidance on the way of explaining things to their customers, but also gave positive confirmation to their options pricing model.

I'm really not sure what this is called. I'm technically referred to as a user experience specialist. It's not just about eliminating frustration in a product or service, but focuses also on the psychological and emotional side. For example, discovering what makes one design instil confidence compared with another.

Just wishing I'd become a plumber though as it would make the explanation a bit easier to understand, and people wouldn't feel the need to hold a PhD to understand what I'm saying.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

To be fair, it sounds like a role which is hard to find open positions for so I'm not surprised you find it difficult to find work. Did you find many positions before moving over there?

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

For a user experience specialist who helps companies explains things to their customers this post doesn't instil a lot of confidence. Couldn't you have just said that you are a consultant that helps companies make their products easier to use and understand?

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

I should clarify. When I say I wouldn't do it again, I really don't have any regrets. Sound like a contradiction? Well not really.

For anyone who ever gets to know me, knows I don't fluff things up. But I'm very good at seeing positives in anything. With hindsight I would have probably done things differently and almost certainly would not have made this move. But I really don't regret.

I am in the toughest point of my entire life right now, but despite my family's total refusal to help in any conceivable way, I am a survivor and will bound back. I will look back on this experience and still not regret it. Although I can't imagine a time where I will forgive my family for being able to help and choosing not to.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

:eek:That's exactly what I did say. What was wrong with what I posted? I just gave an example because most people wouldn't be satisfied with the way you summed it up.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

I am.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

This....

...sounds like bollocks.

;)

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

Sounds like a glorified Mystery Shopper to me.

Edit: Which is certainly not a bad thing, it's just that it doesn't sound too surprising that it's not the most viable of occupations.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

Sounds like you've got far more than just bad Canada going on, mate.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

I don't necessarily think there is anything wrong with what he does for a living. But you can't expect to come out with a load of corporate wankwords and not expect people to take the piss.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

You're right. Because it's a field that has developed over 20 years (which does make it relatively new), many companies need this kind of skill but don't know what to look for. However many many companies feel the pain by not having someone like me, perhaps ploughing thousands or millions into projects without having some kind of strategy for how they'll get a return on investment.

There's quite a few companies in BC that really get it and I am the preferred consultant to a couple of these. It's also possible for me to have a full time job doing what I do particularly within an agency environment, which is how I came out to Vancouver in the first place. The first 3 years I was in demand here. And the economy has globally acted as a catalyst for my skill area, but not in Vancouver area.

My approach is to engage with recruiting agents and really explain the value I add, to them. Then if they're recruiting for a type of project they'll connect me with their client and I'll go in and do a pitch. It's one of the more effective approaches, because the chances that a recruiting agent advertises a position like this is near to zero. I get positives out of every pitch I do whether it leads to a contract or not. I have to be a lot more proactive, but that suits me to the ground. I just tell the agent, get me the meeting and contact, and I'll do the rest. But like anything I win some and lose some. Just recently this has practically dried up.

I should also explain something else. I recently was subpoenaed to give evidence against someone who was committing fraud. It was this person who I think may have blacklisted me, which i think is entirely possible in Vancouver area. But the guy is completely laughable although his charisma is shockingly good. And North Americans don't see through the BS and get taken in by the charisma way more than Europeans in my experience.

So I gave evidence to support someone who I was aware was going to be ripped off by this guy. And she subsequently took the case to court and won damages against the company. However I've not had word of thanks or any acknowledgement from her. In fact when I really needed her help, I asked her, and she wasn't there. This is why I'm just a little pissed off with people here because this typifies the way things work here in my experience. I have a friend in Britain who moved hell and high water to help me without hesitation, at the time this was going on. Perhaps I've just had a bad experience with some of the personalities here but I'm a good judge of character in general and see things for what they are.

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

It IS bollocks but it's bollocks that saves companies a lot of money. Call it what you like but companies survive on having cash in the bank, and not semantics :p

Re: Would you do it all again?
 

BINGO!

Had a full house of Buzzwords by the end of the second paragraph!