How Do European Techies Go America? 17
CousinBob asks: "I'm about to finish my European MSc degree and want to work abroad (US or Canada) for a while. Some of my friends in the same position would like to move together to the same location/company just to give social life a boost. I was invited to a company once (they payed for everyting), but turned their offer down as they wanted to put me in Dilbertland. So just how do skilled and creative people find jobs across the pond? I'm just not ready to fill in my CV on a company's web page and hope they'r not locking me up in a cubicle. "
Re:What about the other way around? (Score:1)
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monster.com (Score:1)
Other places like CareerBuilder(.com), HeadHunter(.net), and HotJobs(.com) might have more info.
Of course I'm biased: I'm about fifteen feet from the machines that make monster work.
Re:Dilbertland for H1's (Score:1)
Re:What about the other way around? (Score:1)
our specialty... (Score:1)
Re:Dilbertland for H1's (Score:1)
german (Score:1)
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Re:What about the other way around? (Score:1)
Re:What about the other way around? (Score:1)
Re:What about the other way around? (Score:1)
Re:Dilbertland for H1's (Score:1)
Re:What about the other way around? (Score:1)
Admittedly it's harder for US citizens apparently, seemingly because the US is so restrictive with it's immigration policies! my Canadian housemate had a much easier ride compared to the americans she met over here.
My experience (Score:2)
What really helped me though, was I had some friends that I could stay with (people I had met through a university exchange program).
In my experience, it can be hard looking for jobs remotely. Save up some cash and come and do some footwork locally (the location where you want to live). Be prepared for several cross-Atlantic trips. Work in a place for a while and make some good contacts through whom you can network for a better position. JDEdwards (based in Denver) seems to have tons of foreign workers... every time I went down to the park to play football (soccer), we ended playing with people from all over the world, brought in by JDE!
It seems that America is much further ahead than Europe for online job hunting. It does help having a N.American address and telephone #. Use the web to find as many as headhunters possible (they'll promise you the world, but mostly waste your time). You might also have luck targetting companies that you know also already recruits H1 people.
Finally, do some research in to local salaries. I accepted a salary that I thought was really good compared to what my friends in England were starting of with. Wrong! I played hard and doubled my salary in two years! I wouldn't recommend that strategy though if you have people (family) dependent upon you. There are resources on the internet that will attempt to tell you the average salary for a particular region. There are also resources (check with web-sites aimed at people who are moving) that will give you an idea of cost of living relative to another area within America.
H1 or I-551 (green card) (Score:2)
Don't count on a green card. I got lucky -- I got a green card straight off but I know people who had to wait three or four years for them.
Dilbertland for H1's (Score:3)
1) There is a limited number of H1's available. This year they ran out of them in spring.
2) often pay rates offered for H1's are lower
3) it seems much tougher to switch jobs.
As a result many of the people I know who work over here have something shady going on. You know Mexican's are not the only ones who want to work in the US but can't.
One friend of mine came over on a 6 month tourist visa and interviewed for several months... He found an american to marry so he is still here. During the 6 months he looked he was not able to get an H1. Another friend of mine leads a start-up here in Mountain View.. He travels back to the UK every couple months so that he can say he isn't living here.
I think if you have a company which will sponser you and pay to move you across the lake you should think twice about it. As soon as you get over here start looking for something better. Although it is tougher to switch as an H1 it may be easier than anything else. Note, pay attention to what city they will put you in. If they are the only company in town it will be difficult to interview at other places.
Also pay attention to how much you will have to pay them back. One more thing... American programmers can get paid many times what you would make in Europe... but the higher cost of living here makes up for it, so be carefull about that too.