Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
#1
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Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
A bit of background, I (UKC) am married to a USC and we're both currently living in the UK. We're currently going through the CR1 visa process and expect to be state side in October this year (2020), initially in upstate NY but interested in the whole east coast depending on available job opportunities. I am a 21 year old software developer, mainly .NET. I have no degree as I was taken on as an apprentice at 17 and progressed from there. I am quite anxious about the job market, I've never had any issues in the UK but I am unsure on what to expect in the US. Also how did people find find transitioning from working in the UK to working in the US? I am curious to see if there's anyone on this forum who had a similar career path but also interested in how people found transitioning in general.
Many thanks in advance!
Many thanks in advance!
#2
Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
The job is largely the same, the work culture is also largely the same in the Pacific Northwest (I heard it is a little more formal in the east) although you get less time off for vacation and sickness. There is more difference between individual companies than anything else.
By far the largest differences are those that any British ex-pat has when moving to the US - healthcare, different food, different lifestyles, etc.
By far the largest differences are those that any British ex-pat has when moving to the US - healthcare, different food, different lifestyles, etc.
#3
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Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
The work was much the same in my experience, although I'd watch out for differing social attitudes and sense of humor - HR departments here in the US would be horrified by the sort of thing that routinely passes for workplace banter in the UK.
Depending on where you are you should be prepared for religion to be openly discussed and a LOT of important than it is in the UK - I know people that have coffee mugs in their office with bible verses written on the side, which is something that you would be extremely unlikely to ever see in the UK,
Depending on where you are you should be prepared for religion to be openly discussed and a LOT of important than it is in the UK - I know people that have coffee mugs in their office with bible verses written on the side, which is something that you would be extremely unlikely to ever see in the UK,
#4
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Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
The job is largely the same, the work culture is also largely the same in the Pacific Northwest (I heard it is a little more formal in the east) although you get less time off for vacation and sickness. There is more difference between individual companies than anything else.
By far the largest differences are those that any British ex-pat has when moving to the US - healthcare, different food, different lifestyles, etc.
By far the largest differences are those that any British ex-pat has when moving to the US - healthcare, different food, different lifestyles, etc.
Last edited by craig10104; Feb 10th 2020 at 8:51 pm.
#5
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Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
The work was much the same in my experience, although I'd watch out for differing social attitudes and sense of humor - HR departments here in the US would be horrified by the sort of thing that routinely passes for workplace banter in the UK.
Depending on where you are you should be prepared for religion to be openly discussed and a LOT of important than it is in the UK - I know people that have coffee mugs in their office with bible verses written on the side, which is something that you would be extremely unlikely to ever see in the UK,
Depending on where you are you should be prepared for religion to be openly discussed and a LOT of important than it is in the UK - I know people that have coffee mugs in their office with bible verses written on the side, which is something that you would be extremely unlikely to ever see in the UK,
#6
Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
I'm a Senior DevOps Engineer/Solutions Architect and I make significantly more than I did in the UK.
I also don't have a degree, but for reference I hold 5x AWS Certifications, 2x Azure Certifications and a few other misc certs. Degrees for the most part in this line of work don't seem to be a huge requirement, as long as you have the experience to match. I have seen a couple of job postings where a STEM degree is a must, but I don't come across those very often. Here in Denver, CO the market for Software Engineers is insane, the salaries have skyrocketed and it seems like people are never out of work for long.
As others have said, the only real differences are the fact you have your healthcare via your employer and when negotiating salaries etc you definitely have to factor in what their healthcare options, 401k match etc is like.
I also don't have a degree, but for reference I hold 5x AWS Certifications, 2x Azure Certifications and a few other misc certs. Degrees for the most part in this line of work don't seem to be a huge requirement, as long as you have the experience to match. I have seen a couple of job postings where a STEM degree is a must, but I don't come across those very often. Here in Denver, CO the market for Software Engineers is insane, the salaries have skyrocketed and it seems like people are never out of work for long.
As others have said, the only real differences are the fact you have your healthcare via your employer and when negotiating salaries etc you definitely have to factor in what their healthcare options, 401k match etc is like.
#7
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Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
Not that I would rob anyone of an experience as I am a UKC living in USA as Tech Support for 16 years. I am moving back to England soon.
The biggest issue I found is lack of vacation time. At my current contract they have offered me a permanent job. I turned it down. They only offered 12 days paid vacation. This has been then norm in my entire time in America. Companies will offer 10-15 days vacation. Lol my first job in America offered 5 days for the first year and I just laughed.
My American friend who works for the US Government now gets 25 days holiday...but....but that's because she has done over 18 years of service....and it's a Government job. They are usually the golden tickets if you can them.
So, I would go for the experience, but either work for yourself or contract around if you want more control over your life work balance. I guess at 43 I am starting to realize there is more to life than just money.
You can always make more money, but you can't make more time.
The biggest issue I found is lack of vacation time. At my current contract they have offered me a permanent job. I turned it down. They only offered 12 days paid vacation. This has been then norm in my entire time in America. Companies will offer 10-15 days vacation. Lol my first job in America offered 5 days for the first year and I just laughed.
My American friend who works for the US Government now gets 25 days holiday...but....but that's because she has done over 18 years of service....and it's a Government job. They are usually the golden tickets if you can them.
So, I would go for the experience, but either work for yourself or contract around if you want more control over your life work balance. I guess at 43 I am starting to realize there is more to life than just money.
You can always make more money, but you can't make more time.
Last edited by UKBritExpat; Feb 10th 2020 at 10:15 pm.
#8
Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
Not that I would rob anyone of an experience as I am a UKC living in USA as Tech Support for 16 years. I am moving back to England soon.
The biggest issue I found is lack of vacation time. At my current contract they have offered me a permanent job. I turned it down. They only offered 12 days paid vacation. This has been then norm in my entire time in America. Companies will offer 10-15 days vacation. Lol my first job in America offered 5 days for the first year and I just laughed.
My American friend who works for the US Government now gets 25 days holiday...but....but that's because she has done over 18 years of service....and it's a Government job. They are usually the golden tickets if you can them.
So, I would go for the experience, but either work for yourself or contract around if you want more control over your life work balance. I guess at 43 I am starting to realize there is more to life than just money.
You can always make more money, but you can't make more time.
The biggest issue I found is lack of vacation time. At my current contract they have offered me a permanent job. I turned it down. They only offered 12 days paid vacation. This has been then norm in my entire time in America. Companies will offer 10-15 days vacation. Lol my first job in America offered 5 days for the first year and I just laughed.
My American friend who works for the US Government now gets 25 days holiday...but....but that's because she has done over 18 years of service....and it's a Government job. They are usually the golden tickets if you can them.
So, I would go for the experience, but either work for yourself or contract around if you want more control over your life work balance. I guess at 43 I am starting to realize there is more to life than just money.
You can always make more money, but you can't make more time.
#9
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Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
My English friend works for himself in California. So he takes off what he likes. So it doesnt bother him. Hence why I advised working for yourself or contracting which may give you more freedom.
#10
Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
Hello Craig & welcome to BE.
On your search across the east coast take a look at North Carolina:
I agree with Ben on the PTO part. I haven't seen that as an issue in the tech field. However, I do caution "unlimited PTO". I much rather have my own PTO that I have earned where I don't feel that I need to justify the use of. I never question my team taking PTO, as long as it isn't much more than 2 weeks at a time.
I also agree on checking out the entire package. You'll find that direct hire (not through an agency) FTE (full time employment) placement will likely result in better benefits and cheaper insurances. The contract / recruitment firms insurance is normally way more expensive as it is less subsidized.
The following are things that I put into action before and after my relocation that I believe contributed to my success:
Once you have a resume I don't mind reviewing it and providing pointers - just remove your actual personal information.
On your search across the east coast take a look at North Carolina:
- The Raleigh research triangle - where you will find many blue chip companies (think IBM size) and other good sized software shops. Epic Games (Fortnite developer) is based out there for example.
- Charlotte area - where you'll find many of the country's biggest banking and financial institutions - think Wells Fargo, Bank Of America for starters.
I agree with Ben on the PTO part. I haven't seen that as an issue in the tech field. However, I do caution "unlimited PTO". I much rather have my own PTO that I have earned where I don't feel that I need to justify the use of. I never question my team taking PTO, as long as it isn't much more than 2 weeks at a time.
I also agree on checking out the entire package. You'll find that direct hire (not through an agency) FTE (full time employment) placement will likely result in better benefits and cheaper insurances. The contract / recruitment firms insurance is normally way more expensive as it is less subsidized.
The following are things that I put into action before and after my relocation that I believe contributed to my success:
- Have a great Linked In page, with a photo, that sells your professionalism and accomplishments
- Find some coworkers that will give you recommendations on LinkedIn - especially if they have "snazzy" job titles (as those show on your profile)
- Decide on a location and set your LinkedIn location as that. Start doing some googling of companies that directly hire, as well as recruitment companies, and make connections on Linked In. You'll be surprised how many just accept anyone
- Get an American resume. You'll find plenty of pointers online. My rules would be no more than 2 pages, potentially only 1 page for you. Show the companies you've worked for, and the RESULTS that you have generated. For example, "Rearchitected login system using x technology. Resulted in a reduction in latency by 100ms". Ensure the terminology and spelling is Americanized.
Once you have a resume I don't mind reviewing it and providing pointers - just remove your actual personal information.
#11
Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
And the number of public holidays I get has varied, as US employers are apparently much less likely to honour all public holidays than they are in the UK, but I am currently getting all ten US Federal holidays, but there was a time when I got eight of them, and it is quite common to only get six of them: New Year, Memorial Day, 4th July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Last edited by Pulaski; Feb 11th 2020 at 12:02 am.
#12
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Joined: Nov 2019
Location: Nottinghamshire, UK
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Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
Hello Craig & welcome to BE.
On your search across the east coast take a look at North Carolina:
I agree with Ben on the PTO part. I haven't seen that as an issue in the tech field. However, I do caution "unlimited PTO". I much rather have my own PTO that I have earned where I don't feel that I need to justify the use of. I never question my team taking PTO, as long as it isn't much more than 2 weeks at a time.
I also agree on checking out the entire package. You'll find that direct hire (not through an agency) FTE (full time employment) placement will likely result in better benefits and cheaper insurances. The contract / recruitment firms insurance is normally way more expensive as it is less subsidized.
The following are things that I put into action before and after my relocation that I believe contributed to my success:
Once you have a resume I don't mind reviewing it and providing pointers - just remove your actual personal information.
On your search across the east coast take a look at North Carolina:
- The Raleigh research triangle - where you will find many blue chip companies (think IBM size) and other good sized software shops. Epic Games (Fortnite developer) is based out there for example.
- Charlotte area - where you'll find many of the country's biggest banking and financial institutions - think Wells Fargo, Bank Of America for starters.
I agree with Ben on the PTO part. I haven't seen that as an issue in the tech field. However, I do caution "unlimited PTO". I much rather have my own PTO that I have earned where I don't feel that I need to justify the use of. I never question my team taking PTO, as long as it isn't much more than 2 weeks at a time.
I also agree on checking out the entire package. You'll find that direct hire (not through an agency) FTE (full time employment) placement will likely result in better benefits and cheaper insurances. The contract / recruitment firms insurance is normally way more expensive as it is less subsidized.
The following are things that I put into action before and after my relocation that I believe contributed to my success:
- Have a great Linked In page, with a photo, that sells your professionalism and accomplishments
- Find some coworkers that will give you recommendations on LinkedIn - especially if they have "snazzy" job titles (as those show on your profile)
- Decide on a location and set your LinkedIn location as that. Start doing some googling of companies that directly hire, as well as recruitment companies, and make connections on Linked In. You'll be surprised how many just accept anyone
- Get an American resume. You'll find plenty of pointers online. My rules would be no more than 2 pages, potentially only 1 page for you. Show the companies you've worked for, and the RESULTS that you have generated. For example, "Rearchitected login system using x technology. Resulted in a reduction in latency by 100ms". Ensure the terminology and spelling is Americanized.
Once you have a resume I don't mind reviewing it and providing pointers - just remove your actual personal information.
Thanks for the extensive reply, I'm glad to hear that the lack of a degree didn't pose any issues. North Carolina is definitely up on our list of places at the moment, my wife is currently doing her masters in forensic science and wants to work in the DNA area, we suspect it's going to be a lot harder for her to find the right job at first however we did see a lot of opportunities for both of us in North Carolina, as well as Virginia. However with Virginia a lot of positions seem to require citizenship and security clearance (my guess is a lot of government contracts) which puts me off there. I really appreciate the offer to take a lot at my resume, I will take you up on that at some point closer to the time!
#13
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Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
Not that I would rob anyone of an experience as I am a UKC living in USA as Tech Support for 16 years. I am moving back to England soon.
The biggest issue I found is lack of vacation time. At my current contract they have offered me a permanent job. I turned it down. They only offered 12 days paid vacation.
The biggest issue I found is lack of vacation time. At my current contract they have offered me a permanent job. I turned it down. They only offered 12 days paid vacation.
Things may have changed in the UK since I left, but my experience was that in the UK, employers staffed up enough that time off was feasible. In the US, they prefer to make their employees work more to cover. I know. Generalisations and all that.
#14
Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
This has been pretty much my experience too. The most I've had was 10 days which was PTO and sick days combined. Most places were between 0 and 10. One offered "unlimited" PTO, but in reality never granted any because it was never "a good time."
Things may have changed in the UK since I left, but my experience was that in the UK, employers staffed up enough that time off was feasible. In the US, they prefer to make their employees work more to cover. I know. Generalisations and all that.
Things may have changed in the UK since I left, but my experience was that in the UK, employers staffed up enough that time off was feasible. In the US, they prefer to make their employees work more to cover. I know. Generalisations and all that.
#15
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 97
Re: Work life in the USA compared to the UK, Software/IT Field
A bit of background, I (UKC) am married to a USC and we're both currently living in the UK. We're currently going through the CR1 visa process and expect to be state side in October this year (2020), initially in upstate NY but interested in the whole east coast depending on available job opportunities. I am a 21 year old software developer, mainly .NET. I have no degree as I was taken on as an apprentice at 17 and progressed from there. I am quite anxious about the job market, I've never had any issues in the UK but I am unsure on what to expect in the US. Also how did people find find transitioning from working in the UK to working in the US? I am curious to see if there's anyone on this forum who had a similar career path but also interested in how people found transitioning in general.
Many thanks in advance!
Many thanks in advance!
Some companies are moving towards more or even unlimited PTO, but generally speaking, it's still not competitive when compared to the UK. Don't be surprised if you're offered 15 days, including sick time. Something that occasionally counterbalances that is the individual firm's approach to PTO use. e.g. some places might not have much PTO, but are very flexible about working from home, going to doctors appointments etc, so you only really use them for genuine time off. It really just depends on the organization.