Mongo

Hello Everyone,

Ok, here’s the story…
I am faced with the possibility of being sponsored for a H1-b visa by a company in San Diego. It’s very likely that it’s too late to get the application through this year but the company has asked if I would be interested in working for them in fall 2009. So it’s probably at least a year away if it’s going to happen at all but the company seems keen enough so far.

I’m a 27-year-old single bloke and have no dependencies. I previously moved away from my hometown (Bournemouth) to live in the Midlands for 5 years but I must admit that I am both excited and scared in equal measure about the possibility of working in another country.

I would appreciate if anyone could give me his or her perspective on living in San Diego? And here are some questions off the top of my head! I might add more as they come to me.

• How is the city for cycling/public transport? I’m guessing that I would have to rent in a location further inland to avoid the really hefty price tags but I believe the company is quite close to the coast. I would like to cycle to work and I don’t mind a long(ish) distance as long as I’m not going to get splattered by a SUV or scalped on my way through a dodgy neighbourhood or something

• I currently don’t drive - could I make do without a car entirely? Or is that a pipe dream?

• Is it easy to make friends? How are the ladies? I’m pretty chatty so I’m not a social cripple so I cannot imagine the cultural gap being wide enough to cause problems. Will I get funny looks when I open my mouth?

• My previous employer in the UK gave me 28 paid holidays a year. In the US they appear to get only a fraction of this. I would like to be able to travel a bit around the USA/Canada and also come back to the UK to visit my family sometimes. I’m wondering if anyone has ever attempted to negotiate with a US company to get a few more holidays thrown into the bag? (“Oh go on, give me 21 days!… oh ok… how about 14?”). I have been a bit of a workaholic in the past and I don’t want to return to that lifestyle. What’s the point of the glorious weather if you are working through most of it?

Thanks in advance for any responses and apologies if I appear to be rambling

Cheers,
James

Sally Redux

I think there are a couple of people in San Diego on here who can give you more specific information. It seems like a very pleasant city when I've visited but it is expensive. You don't say what your profession is, but subject to the right salary and benefits why not go for it if you're fancy-free? The girls will have heard British accents before

Jerseygirl

There's been at least one thread recently about SD. Also there are many threads which should give you some sort of idea of what sort of package to ask for.

There is a search facility located in the pink bar at the top of the page.

Mongo

Sally Redux: I'm an artist (some might say piss artist ) and the company is a computer games developer. I'm not sure about salary yet but I'm guessing it will be competitive and appropriate for the local cost of living; or at least I hope so! I guess I am fancy free, so I might aswell take the plunge. When it comes to stepping onto the plane I may not be so brave.

Jerseygirl: Yeh, I did read the one about the guy being stranded in San Diego if that's the one you mean, It had some useful info - I also did a general search though perhaps the answers are somewhere here and I missed them. Apologies if this is the case.

Manc

Dude.

you'll need to learn to drive.

no ifs and or buts.

plus you can't meet some tart in a nightclub and offer her a backy on your Trek bike home now can you?

Mongo

Manc: You speak sense! That is a very good point. I'm not sure i'm after 'tarts' mind you

I don't think I would cycle under the influence. I would normally get home with a taxi from a night out. But I think it goes without saying that I must be in denial to think I can do without a car at all, like you say. I'm guessing my days of walking down to the local shops for all I need would be over On the plus side I have a year to get my license.

Cheers,
James

Jerseygirl

I'll try to find the threads advising the sort of package to ask for...but it will probably be tomorrow.

Mongo

Many thanks

Jerseygirl

Any questions about the visa ask in the US Immigration forum. ie do you know what the drawbacks of this visa are...if not the folk in there will probably be able to help you.

Mongo

Thanks Jerseygirl, I am pretty well covered on the whole visa front. I've read up on it over the past couple of days and I am starting to get it.
Well, almost.

MsElui

you can certainly negotiate on the holiday days. NOT all US companies are so mean - but its definatly worth asking! (the place my husband works gives 20 days - although he still on his uk T & C so still gets 28days).

I'd also go so far as to say that the accent will be an advantage with the ladies!

Socal Local

I've been living in San Diego for the last three years after moving out here on a company transfer and I absolutely love it and would thoroughly recommend it, especially as you are have no major ties to stop you giving this opportunity a go.

To answer your questions:

- Cycling/public transport/driving
You are going to severely limit your options if you don't drive, both in terms of where you can live and general getting around. San Diego is better than many US cities in that it has a half decent bus network and a limited commuter train and trolley service, but I still couldn't imagine life here without a car. Hubby and I work together and so only have one car between us and everyone thinks that's weird enough!! For more information have a look at www.sdcommute.com - if the company you are working for is in Sorrento Valley (where most of the tech firms are) and you lived somewhere close to one of the stations, you might be able to use the coaster train and your bike for the commute.

Cycling wouldn't be a bad option downtown or in the beach areas, but there are some places that you need to use the freeway to get to and you'd have to be brave to cycle it.

- Making friends
If the company you are going to be working for is a reasonable size this might be a good place to start. This was something that I found hard to start off with because my husband and I were both working for the same company and it was a tiny office over here, so that wasn't much help. I think because we were together we were a bit lazy about doing anything about it to start off with and were a bit in 'tourist mode' anyway. It was only after a trip to the UK and realising how much we missed our old friends/social life that I made a concious effort to do something about it. With the way the weather is here it is a great place for any kind of outdoor activities and we used the site meetup.com as a starting point for finding people with similar interests and have ended up making some really good friends that way. Being a married female I am not sure I am best placed to give advice on the 'ladies' but hubby assures me that you won't be disappointed and I am sure they'll love your accent

- Holidays
I can't really advise on negotiating with a US company as I still work for a UK company - although I had to switch to US holidays once it became a permanent move . One thing I will say though is it has been easier than I thought to cope with less holiday, in part because there is a somewhat more flexible attitude to working hours than the strict office hours in the UK branch - so it is easier to work from home rather than have to take a day off for things like deliveries, etc. I am not sure if this is general or just where I work. The other thing is we have found that there is so much to see and explore locally that I don't have anything like the craving for my fortnight's holiday that I did in the UK. In the winter there is skiing a couple of hours drive away and when I can go to the beach in November, I don't have that same need to get away for some sunshine.

Hope this helps. I'm happy to help if you have any more San Diego questions.

Ozzidoc

www.signonsandiego.com
www.nctimes.com
http://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ca/san_diego/groups/

Sorry - busy right now. I am in the UK, back to SD tomorrow. Will try to help late sunday SD time. Send me a PM. Or, if you are really game, send me a PM with your UK ph no TODAY and Ill call you later and answer as many questions as I can.

Ozzi

Ozzidoc

Where is the office/workplace in San Diego? That will determine the feasibility of cycling or public transport. A postcode or town/suburb would be helpful

californian

Hi James,

This sounds like an amazing opportunity --- San Diego is a fantastic city --- loads of beaches, gorgeous coast line, etc . . . from a Californian with a British husband, here are my thoughts:

All that stuff they say about everyone is the US driving is true! The roads are not designed for cycling and while the public transportation is better than in some US cities it it would be very difficult to function without a vehicle.

The coastline is expensive by some standards but you really can't beat it! Its beautiful and sounds like conveniently located to your job. I would think, you will find the social scene more interesting around the coast. The suburban places really are suburban --- new, cookie cutter houses and mini-malls --- WAG types and their children in tow.

Re. housing --- Craigslist is a good starting block. It will give you an idea of what housing costs in specific areas. La Jolla is a personal favorite.

Sure, you'll get plently or funny looks! However, considering San Diego's proximity to Mexico, people are used to cultural diversity and people who can't speak *American* properly *joking*

I am sure the ladies will love you. You'll no doubt remind them of Hugh Grant --- and you know how us Americans feel about him!

San Diego is home to 3 major Universities and many graduates make the city their home. I am sure you will blend in well with the young professional crowd.

Ah, the holiday/vacation issue . . . you should be able to get 15 days/3 weeks, if you explain you are used to 28! Many employers also allow employees to use their 1 week sick time allotment as holiday.

I hope this helps. Best of luck to you!