[thelist] OT - What is the average living rate abroad ?

[James Hardy]

VOLKAN ÖZÇELİK wrote:

>My best choice is England. My fiancé has been there, and she says it's
>a good place to live, and I am sure I'll like there (after I get used
>to the English accent and English jokes :) )
>  
>
You never get used to our sense of humour, you just learn to put up with 
them.

>Leaving aside the cultural shock that I will possibly face in 3-4
>months time, I wonder
>
>* What is the acceptable average living rate in England ( K pounds/year) ?
>  
>
Well that is a tricky one, England is not entirely homogenous, the cost 
of living in London is substantially higher than in Manchester. Most 
people coming from abroad seem to gravitate towards London. Average 
salary in London is I believe between £20-30k, I wouldn't like to 
support myself in london on less than than. Of course it all depends on 
what you consider acceptable, The biggest cost is housing. Rents are 
high, and the cost buying a house is just stupid at the moment, if you 
can live in a single room in a shared house, you should manage on that 
no problems. Personally, I like to have my own flat and would consider a 
room or a studio unacceptable, so it is a matter of personal preference

>* How easily can I find a developer position in England ?
>  
>
The job market for developers is pretty strong at the moment, all of the 
have-a-go web designers of the dot com bubble have gone back to whatever 
it was they did before the decided to (and failed to) become internet 
millionaires, so there seems to be a demand for people with real skills

>* Is there legal a policy that restricts employment from abroad?
>  
>
Yes, you don't indicate where you are from so I can't answer anything 
specifically. If you are a citizen of one of the 15 countries that were 
members of the EU before 2004, you can just turn up and work. If you are 
a citizen of one of the 10 newer members states, you have to register, 
but that is just a number keeping excercise, there should be no 
problems. Beyond there, things become trickier. 
http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/ has a breakdown of what you will need 
to do. You may need to find an employer willing to take you on and 
"sponser" you.

>* Is "equal employment opportunity" term used and accepted there?
>  
>
Yes most job adverts will say "We are an equal employment opportunity" 
and go on to list the things they do not discriminate against
<PersonalAnnoyance>
I don't know why they do this, as he UK has legislation that requires 
companies to not discriminate, so all they are doing is stating a crime 
that they do not commit. Why not list some more crimes they don't 
commit: "Barclay Bank does not commit rape", "British Telecom does not 
engage in acts of genocide", "Enron does not commit fraud" (well maybe 
not the last one), it would make as much sense!
</PersonalAnnoynce>
there has been anecdotal evidence that int he last couple of years 
people with an identifiably muslim name have had difficulty getting 
jobs: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4079064.stm
Not sure how widespread that is.

>Given that
>1) I am experienced in ASP / Java / Server-side business logic
>development / SQL / Client-side scripting / CSS / Usability &
>Accessibility / Standarts Compliance;
>2) I know enough visual design (color theory, color schemes, color
>combinations, some fireworks) to suit my needs, so that I can easiliy
>co-operate with a creative designer. However I'm a developer not a
>visual-designer;
>3) I know the .net framework, c# and ASP.Net but I am more competent in (1).
>4) I am a really fast-learner; I love researching, I love being
>innovative, I love trying to look at problems from different aspects.
>  
>
All seem valuable skills to get a job. http://www.jobserve.co.uk/ is a 
very good techie minded job list

Good luck!

-- 
James