Big C

Hi,
Following on from Andy's thread, I'd like some advice.

I'm in IT at the mo, but with an engineering company.
I've been offered a job in Texas, on 1.25 times my current salary (similar work).
I would be working for the same company in effect, (i.e. resigning from the UK arm and being employed by the US arm), but permanantly moving (not a secondment).

I would be selling the house, car etc... and moving to Texas permanently.

What would you do??
Would you go for it???

Advice please!

C

MJW

Are you a steer, or a queer ?

fitzscoob

You only live once mate, worst case scenario, you dont like the job, you quit and relocate back to the uk, hassle yes but still doable

ChefDude

go mate.

if you don't like it, come back.

rik1471

I'd go for it, if it wasn't Texas.

Petem95

Go go go!!

Sounds like a fantastic opportunity! And as said above, if you dont like it, you can always return to the old sinking ship (Labours UK)

flynnstudio

Do it - I was offered a job in Texas once ( you must work in oil company) - stayed - got bored...I was offered twice my salary though...if they want you your obviously good and so they will double up...if they won't - that may tell you something you may want to consider about 'the stability' of the position.

Plus you can get really fat in Texas and still feel 'slim'

Oh and ask for a written 'redundancy relocation guarantee' as well ..say a guaranteed tax free payment of £10K for 'relocation back to the UK' if they make you redundant within 5 years....really shakes the viability of the position out of them...gives you piece of mind..

camk

Even if its a local deal you should still be able to keep you years of service if its the same firm and not be penalised for moving abroad by having to resign. Length of service will have a BIG impact on your vacation allowance in the US. Go for it I'd say, promise yourself a minimum of 18 months.....do no less

Crazy Chick

Same as everyone else - I'd say go for it.

You've only got one life, seize the opportunity to experience something different.

Bonehead

Go for it mate - You'll regret it someday if you dont

danwrx1980

'd say go for it, I was in a similar position not long ago, was offered a secondment to the Australian Army, gutted I never made my move before the position closed.
I'd echo the above and say go for it, but one thing, KEEP THE SCOOB!!!
Take it over there mate, and let her share the experience!!!

NotoriousREV

If it were me, I'd be posting this from Texas

Brendan Hughes

You own a rapidly depreciating RHD vehicle and want to pay shipping costs to take it over the Atlantic to a LHD country?

Sell the hunk of metal for what it's worth now, rather than losing any more, and treat yourself when you get over there

I could have kept mine when I moved to Portugal for 10 mths - five years later, very glad I didn't.

Simon K

Depends on many different factors. Kids ? family ? wife / girlfriend ?

I would rent your house out, put your car in a mates garage, i.e. not sell anything until your sure.

Then I would stop reading this web page, switch off your computer, grab a bag and pi55 off over to the US. :-)

How old are you ??

when I was 25 (33 now) I got offered a 12 month contract in Japan, accomidation, flights all paid for, £500 a day, supporting an AMercian Bank's trade floor. Never took it though, as the slag I was with my a big song and dance about loving me, and I never took it.

I love America ! Big Cars, Big money, Big silicone boob'ed women, mmmmmmmmm delicious !

SBK

Stueyb

You even need to ask ?

davegtt

If your on your own, nobody else to worry about and no responsibilities, clear out and go.

Id definately consider a move out of the country if it wasnt for the misses not wanting to leave.

Like the others have said what have you got to lose? Nothing really, any equity in the house will probably pay for a massive chunk of land in texas...lol you could have a field day. Get out there and live. Dont like it, come back and tell us all about it, in fact, we're on the net, get over there and tell us if you like it

aboredworker

American chicks dig the English... Go fill your boots

Brendan Hughes

BTW, normally I'd say keep the house and rent it out, but take tax advice first, I'm not sure if having a residence in the UK means you will have to pay (significantly?) more than otherwise. Weigh up the potential money saved against the risk of coming back to no home after a few months.

Don't know about the size/value of your house, but you might consider selling it and buying a 2-bed flat to rent and to give you a foothold for if/when you return. Rest of the money will prob. buy a nice property in Texas.

Big C

Wow.
thanks for the encouragement!

I will be able to maintain my service, so I get top whack holiday entitlement (25 days PTO - Paid time off - sounds like an Americanism to me!) + 13 stat holdays,

I've already been on the NASOIC board getting the lie of the land from like minded folks there, and a new My06 sti can be bought for $32k - no need to take my scoob over. I'll take a hit on that, but hey ho. Heck, I might even get teh missus her own too!

The relocation package looks really good - Company guarantees sale of my UK house at the average valuation price from 3 independent valuers - pays all Uk house selling fees, all US house buying fees, all surveys, lawyers (both ends), several visits to and fro to see the place etc...appoints an in-country advisor to help with houses, schools, driving license etc,,.. sponsors visa and appoints advisor for me, missus, kid etc...all house moving fees (by air cargo)...

I'd have a good amount of equity to spare.
I had thought about keeping th ehouse in the Uk and reting it out, but my missus has said that she wouldn;t want it back if we returned knowing that someone else had been in it (it was a new house when we bought it).

I do have a signifcant other - she is well up for it.
I also have a little boy who is not at school yet. The real thing for me would be that my missus would not be working there initially, but the company would give her some employment assistance to help her get a job if she wanted.
I'm expecting though that the cost of living is much less in the US that she might not need to work and sould spend more time at home with our boy.

My instict is GO, but I'll muse on it over the weekend, and update with a final decision.
This is all of course subject to the Americans actually letting me in in the first place (i may have problems getting a visa - I forgot to hand one back 3 years ago) - and I need Depatment of Defence clearance!

Thanks for all the encouraging comments!~

C

davegtt

Misses wants to do it, the kids too young to have a fair opinion on it... he'll settle in well if starting school there. Dont see the problem, unless off course you cant stand the voice of an american

The Chief

Where abouts in Texas??

I went last year and i loved the place, i went to Austin, San Antonio, i've also heard Fort Worth and Dallas are good.

The house prices are fantastic i.e. 4 bed detached with a pool for 140k.

Austin has great nightlife and the people are great


I'd go like a shot

The Chief

With regards to teh cost of living - ceretain things maybe, i would say going out on the p**s can be slighly more as you are expected to tip when you buy a beer which is roughly a doller for 2 drinks, other stuff like eating out can be dirt cheap - food from supermarkets, roughly the same although meat can be cheaper.

all i will say is stuffy g*t!!!

messiah

Go - you'll regret it latrer if you don't.

there's nothing to stop you coming back if you' decide you dont like it?

flynnstudio

Americans are generally very nice people - and Texas is PURE 'good old fashioned' AMERICA!

Just don't expect to find any corners or hills when you get there

The Chief

And when you get there you really must try a Shiner Bock/Blonde and a good old fashioned BBQ.


Trust me mate just get gone, if you dont like it i'll show my ar*e in Burtons window.

And you can hold me to that

Brit_in_Japan

In this life you usually regret the opportunities you don't take rather then those you do.

A friend went out to Texas to work for about 3 years. He would have stayed longer if he'd had the chance. His apartment had a swimming pool etc. The weather is obviously far hotter than the UK, but you adjust and air-con is everywhere anyway. He was near Forth Worth, though I believe he said Austin was nice too.

Big cities are often dead in the centre at night, nobody lives in the centres of big cities like Dallas.

I reckon go for it. Worst case scenrio you stay there for a few years and then move back.

Drunken Bungle Whore

As the saying goes - it's not the things you do in life that you regret the most - it's the things you don't do.

Go for it - you may love it, you may hate it, but what the hell - you'll never know unless you go!

Markus

C,
Check that you, your significant other and the little one can all get the appropriate visa's or whatever is needed. Would be a bit of a bind if you could get in but they could not. Once that's sorted, well, you've had a look at NASIOC, which is one of the places I'd have suggested to look.

Might be worth looking to see if there are any expat groups on yahoo, msn, meetup, ect... as they can provide valuable info.

I relocated to Toronto in 2003 and haven't looked back since. Yes I do miss my friends and family, but they are not that far away, and I try to pop back once a year, or every other year. Plus with the telephone, email and webcams it's easy to keep in touch

The only other thing I'd say is that make sure if you want to come back to the UK, you have a job to come back to. I was lucky in that I was given the option that if I did not like it here, I could simply come back and keep my job, and one of the other chaps who came out here has since gone back to the UK. Helps a lot if you know you can come back and not have to worry about finding a new job.

You will kick yourself if you don't give it a shot. Good luck!

ScoobyDoo555

wouldn't even think twice, unless you've got ties here.

GO!!! These opportunities don't come every day.

Dan