Anyone here ever move to another country because of a job opportunity?

Im interested in knowing if anyone of you peeps have ever moved far from home because of a job opportunity or something similar?

I'm having thoughts about moving to the US after my education. A good friend offered me a place in a team of developers in Chicago (I hope it'll still stand when i graduate, he said it would but who knows!)... It might be my chance to get experience in professional development and see where I can go from there.

What turns me off about moving to the other side of the globe is moving away from my friends. Sure hopefully I'll make friends in the US aswell, but what if I dont? What if all my colleagues hates swedes?:eek:

Anyone have any experience of this and can share some words of wisdom? :afrog:

Americans love Swedes. Just of the female variety. :afrog:

I've moved to 'follow the market' or get into a different area of programming or for new experiences. I guess what you need to keep in mind is that you come first, before the convenience of your friends. You'll always end up making friends wherever you go. If not outside work, it'll be at work itself. But friendship isn't something that should keep you rooted to a place, that's just naive and immature. You'll see in x years that they really do come and go and you accept it and move on. However, my views may be a little extreme because I've never really had many friends since I've moved so much. :afrog: :afrog:

Just remember you will need a work visa to come in and work. With the way the economy is going here right now that might be an issue.

I live in southern California where it's warm. Chicago is on the cold side but if you're moving from Sweden then you should be used to cold weather. I don't think you'll find too much anti-swede reactions in the US. People in the US tend to accept you for who you are more than where you come from since the US is made up of people from all over the world. I moved from Los Angeles out into the desert to build a small inexpensive home so I wouldn't have to pay a mortgage for half my life and then I thought about where I was going to work. If you really make the big bucks you might have different plans.

Yeah I hope the economic situation is a bit better once I've graduated (which will happen in 1½ years!)

I figured the climate in Chicago would be pretty similar to what we have where I live now, but I must admit I wouldnt mind a bit more heat. Perhaps I could have that as a goal...to move further south ;) But as for now I dont care much for the cold, I just want to get myself a successful career after university :afrog:

Don't worry, Chicago is in the mid-continent. The winters can be really cold (slightly moderated by the lake), but the summers will provide you with LOTS of heat (also moderated by the lake).

The women may provide you with lots of heat, too, as there is a "foreign male" effect that works for Europeans.

I might have to stop off in shannon for the flight, I will come say hi!

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Originally Posted by Atheist

A good friend offered me a place in a team of developers in Chicago

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If you enjoy paying lot and lots of taxes and BS government fees, dealing with an incomprehensibly corrupt government ruled for decades by a one-party machine, a ridiculously high cost of living, the highest fuel prices and fuel taxes in the US (outside of California of course), traffic that either moves at 25+ mph over the speed limit or (more often) not at all, plenty of violent crime but no legal way to defend yourself, etc... Then you will absolutely love Chicago.

//former Chicago resident

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Originally Posted by homer13j

If you enjoy paying lot and lots of taxes and BS government fees, dealing with an incomprehensibly corrupt government ruled for decades by a one-party machine, a ridiculously high cost of living, the highest fuel prices and fuel taxes in the US (outside of California of course), traffic that either moves at 25+ mph over the speed limit or (more often) not at all, plenty of violent crime but no legal way to defend yourself, etc... Then you will absolutely love Chicago.

//former Chicago resident

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All true, but they do have the Cubs which renders all of the other things you mention totally irrelevent. :D

I don't know how far it is from Sweden to Illinois, but I moved from the State of Maine to the state of California for a job many years ago. That is over a 3,000 mile move and I didn't know a single soul. (Moreover, isn't anyone that will disagree with the irrefutable fact that there are 49 states in the U.S. - and then there is California)

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Originally Posted by Hack

All true, but they do have the Cubs which renders all of the other things you mention totally irrelevent. :D

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That is, if Atheist is just jumping at the chance to be the fan of a team that has consistently blown every single chance to go to the WS for over a century.

I often wonder why people are still Cubs fans. I stopped paying attention to them after the Sandberg era.

Oh, and I moved after college for a job. However, I went to school for the sole purpose of being able to leave the town I am from.

As Nike says (said?)....

Just Do It.

Do you want to live here permanently/semi-permanently or on a Work Visa? The current immigration state is hugely backlogged based on the current political climate, and illegal immigration being a hot topic.

Although I didn't move here because of a job opportunity ('other' reason), I think the opportunities here are limitless - again, the current political climate is having a significant play on the relatively high unemployment rate across most states which may make job placement for an immigrant (of any status) a bit problematic. It does add a work-load to the company hiring you, potentially, and they may not want to deal with the hassle.

As a few comments have shown, the State you move to can have a large impact on your lifestyle. I'm a big proponent of reinforcing states rights...

But talking about climate, if you have the luxury, you need to examine the actual climate - some people can't stand the heat, while others have a severe snow-phobia.

You may not think so, in my experience, Americans are very tolerant of foreigners; but then I speak the Queen's English so maybe that plays into it a bit.

Sure, you give up (to a certain extent) friends, but wherever you go you'll find people to be friends with. The US is a mixed spice bag with something for everyone.

First post here - so Hi All..
I thought I would chime in, seeing as I hail from across the Pond. I moved over here (Ohio) nearly 7 years ago from the UK (my wife is from over here). It has been a great experience. I don't know much about the IT industry over here (I work in Aviation) but it seems that there is still opportunity if you are willing to work hard.

Don't take shortcuts with the visa, you have to jump through all the hoops that the INS throws at you. Trying to take shortcuts with that will backfire and slow you down.

Nice to see another Ex-Pat on the forum SJW..

I lived in Chicago for about 10 years and it is a great town.
You'll have no trouble finding things to do and I can't say I've ever
met anyone with a decidedly negative opinion of Swedes.

If the door is still open, walk through. You can always move back home.

Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Astronut

First post here - so Hi All..
Don't take shortcuts with the visa, you have to jump through all the hoops that the INS throws at you. Trying to take shortcuts with that will backfire and slow you down.

Nice to see another Ex-Pat on the forum SJW..

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Getting an immigration attorney is pretty easy, and not too expensive. The paperwork is about 2 feet thick...

...I won't be moving back to the UK any time soon ;)

I don't think there are many well-known Swedish sterotypes, so I think you'll do ok :)

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(Moreover, isn't anyone that will disagree with the irrefutable fact that there are 49 states in the U.S. - and then there is California)

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I'm still waiting on the earthquake that was supposed to send it out to sea. That alone should fix all of America's economic troubles.

I have not moved out of country for a new job, but have also considered the option. Be wary of some areas that aren't "full-time vacationer" friendly. I had looked into a position in Bermuda (as an American myself), but found that the majority of residencies will only rent to natives.

On the up side, they only have had 767 reported homicides since June 2007

http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/...micide/?page=1

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Originally Posted by kleinma

On the up side, they only have had 767 reported homicides since June 2007

http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/...micide/?page=1

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Isnt that alot?:sick:

lol, yes, that's a lot.

I live in St. Louis, 300 miles south of Chicago and have gone there quite a bit. It's a nice town, but wouldn't want to live there. To big and busy for my taste. I personally couldn't leave where I live now, to connected to family and friends and have basically put my roots down.

I don't know that I'd find something worth uprooting my life and moving for. Is work really that important? I make a good living and if I had to make a different living, I'm sure I could do it without moving. But, depends on what kind of person you are, I guess.

Chicago is the murder capital of the US (just google us murder capital). More homicides there than anywhere else, although washington DC and LA really put up a good fight for the top ranking...

not that it should deter you, I don't know how "peaceful" things are where you live, but big cities are only 1 part of the US... there are plenty of other places, and plenty of safe places. I live in a suburb of New York City.. would never want to actually live IN the city, but I go there very often.

Since 'crime' has been brought up in this thread...I've done quite a bit of research on that since moving to the US.

It's very much over-hyped by (inter)national media. Most murders and violent crime is not perpetrated against innocent victims. You have to be very much objective about any statistics quoted, and view them in context. A professional drug dealer, has a 100% chance to be shot, stabbed or otherwise injured throughout their rather short career.

(Additional example, although the murder rate in the US is about 4 times the UK, the violence against the person is about 5 times higher in the UK than the US).

However, I believe (if memory serves) that Sweden, relatively speaking, doesn't exist on the radar as far as crime goes so whatever country you move to you are going up that ladder.

Another thing to bear in mind is that there are a lot of people in this country - a lot. Absolute numbers need to be put into perspective; conceded that Chicago is reported as the 'murder capitol', it in no way indicates the relative safety of one area or another.

Personally, I'm quite fascinated with how crime is reported and dealt with, particularly since the only crime I've ever been exposed to first hand has been in the UK (admittedly, it was my younger years in the UK, and have only a dozen or more years in the US).

Anyhoooo....lets not dwell on the negatives. But Chicago is cold. Don't know how y'all can stand it... ;)

Worldwide crime stats:- http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php

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You're 66 times more likely to be prosecuted in the USA than in France

If you're in Montserrat, watch your back! Nearly 1% of the population are police officers.

Per capita, South Africa has the most assaults, rapes, and murders with firearms.

Two-thirds of the world's executions occur in China.

America puts many more of its citizens in prison than any other nation.

Two-thirds of the world's kidnappings occur in Colombia.

Venezuela is one of the happiest and most murderous places in the world.

Russia has almost twice as many judges and magistrates as the United States. Meanwhile, the United States has 8 times as much crime.

In the Maldives, there are more than 2 jails for every 1000 people.

One in every three Australians is a victim of crime.

Saudi diplomats have 367 unpaid parking fines in Britain.

In pure number terms, more crimes are committed in America than in any other nation. The same goes for burglaries, car thefts, rapes and assaults.

The United States puts 0.7 % of its population in Prison - a vastly higher percentage than any other nation.

India’s criminal courts acquitted over a million defendants in 1999, more than the next 48 surveyed countries combined.

Women make up more than 10% of the prison population in only six countries: Thailand, , Qatar, Paraguay, Costa Rica, and Singapore.

People trust Swedes! Swedish companies are the world’s least-likely to be perceived as paying bribes.

84% of people in Finland feel that they are at a low risk of experiencing a burglary - but just look at how many burglaries they have!

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I always thought Oz was supposed to be a quite place :confused:

(I can't move because of my son's medical condition. The UK's (free) NHS is all that's keeping him alive.)

Being originally from Chicagoland I think you should understand Chicago.

22% of the population are foreign-born persons who have relocated to the US in their lifetime - 1/3 of those are now naturalized citizens.

So compared to most towns in Sweden, I imagine Chicago would be a vastly different cultural affair for you.

The two largest immigrant groups to Chicago in the past two decades hail from India and Mexico. Others recent groups are Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, Mexicans, Iraqis, Iranians, Indians, Pakistani, Japanese, and of course Chinese.

Most Swedes immigrated during the 19th and early 20th century. Andersonville appears to be the last stronghold of Swedes in Chicago. You may want to sign up for their monthly newsletter:
http://www.andersonville.org/index.php/home

When you get to the US and tire of Chicago, you can then move to Minnesota which has the most Swedes of any State.

Just speaking hypothetically if 1% of the population was criminal then in a town of 1000 you'd have 10 criminals. In a city of 100,000 you'd have 1,000 criminals. In a city of 1,000,000 you'd have 10,000 criminals and in a city of 10,000,000 you'd have 100,000 criminals. Big cities are always going to have a lot of criminals because there are a lot of people. But there are places of course where the percentage of the population that is criminal is lower.

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Originally Posted by EntityX

Just speaking hypothetically if 1% of the population was criminal then in a town of 1000 you'd have 10 criminals. In a city of 100,000 you'd have 1,000 criminals. In a city of 1,000,000 you'd have 10,000 criminals and in a city of 10,000,000 you'd have 100,000 criminals. Big cities are always going to have a lot of criminals because there are a lot of people. But there are places of course where the percentage of the population that is criminal is lower.

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Typically (certainly the FBI do it), a 'rate' is applied. This is the incidence rate per 100,000 population. For example, the murder rate for the US in 2007 is reported as 5.6 (5.6 murders per 100,000). The point six guy feels pretty lucky...

Cities tend to have a higher rate than rural areas simply because there's a greater chance of interaction.

But here's a question - if your are Swedish, would you want to go to a place where there are more Swedes, or would you prefer to not go where there are Swedes? (Or would you be indifferent?).

Often, when I meet someone new, and they have an acquaintance who is also English they often say "Oh Joe in accounting is English, too! you should meet him!". My reply is usually, "Well, I did move from England for a reason; too many bloody English!", or "I come half way around the world to get away from England, and you want me to meet an Englishman?" ;)

Yeah I'd like to avoid swedes in USA as much as possible. :)

Just thinking... if something would happen and the job offer in Chicago isnt there anymore when I graduate (who knows in these hard economic times!)..
How does one go about finding another possible job? Do I first look for one, THEN move over...what if I dont get a job visa? But on the other hand, I cant go getting a job visa without having a possible job!

I'm a software developer in San Diego, CA. I moved here from England several years ago.

I don't know how solid your offer is but work visas (H-1B) aren't easy to get. You have to, at minimum, hold a bachelor’s degree and the target company needs to sponsor your application. There are annual quotas on H1-B applications too so take that in to consideration.

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Originally Posted by TomGibbons

I'm a software developer in San Diego, CA. I moved here from England several years ago.

I don't know how solid your offer is but work visas (H-1B) aren't easy to get. You have to, at minimum, hold a bachelor’s degree and the target company needs to sponsor your application. There are annual quotas on H1-B applications too so take that in to consideration.

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Hey Tom. Thanks for the input.
Once i finished university, i'll have a bachelors degree in computer science..so thats sorted, i'll just have to hope that the company can sponsor my application...sounds unlikely:sick:

It's not impossible, by any means. It's certainly worth trying.

It's a long shot, but I don't suppose you have any family in the US do you?

Nope, I don't know anyone in the US personally.. wouldve been a good thing if i did though.

You could come to the UK, where, even though we know you, we can pointedly ignore you. :)

I can testify to that.

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Originally Posted by TomGibbons

I'm a software developer in San Diego, CA.

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Is your company hiring? I lost my .NET/SQL Server developer job in the wake of the bank bailout fiasco and after sitting in snow for four months I'm ready for a nicer climate... :thumb:

Quite the opposite, unfortunately, we laid off about 25 people and sold one of our divisions :(

If you're thinking about a new line of work definitely don't bother with anything that has to do with construction. I have a job as a concrete pumper that you could consider part time because the hours have always been light but in all of December I only did one job. In all of January only 2 and zero jobs for February. That's how slow construction is. Of course if someone decides they want to build something and they have the funds jobs will be created but overall construction is incredibly slow.

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Originally Posted by TomGibbons

Quite the opposite, unfortunately, we laid off about 25 people and sold one of our divisions :(

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That's amazing! We laid off 3 divisions, and sold one of our people.

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Originally Posted by nemaroller

That's amazing! We laid off 3 divisions, and sold one of our people.

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How much did he go for. People can be rather expensive these days.

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Originally Posted by SJWhiteley

I don't think there are many well-known Swedish sterotypes, so I think you'll do ok :)

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There's that chef from the Muppet Show.

Not yet, but if anyone's got an opening in Scotland, I'd consider it...

Good lord, look what the cat dragged in. Welcome back!

Meh. I could have posted yesterday, but didn't feel like it..