Happier Abroad Forum Community

Who can give me some advice on relocating for job opportunity reasons? I know many of you are experienced travelers. So you are free to give me any helpful info you can.

At a crossroads in my life. I have lived in Georgia my whole life and I never enjoyed living here from a cultural viewpoint, but the clincher is the horrendous high unemployment. I think you may remember my former post about not even getting an offer from McDonald's after FOUR interviews!!
I don't see why I should have to endure this hardship for the rest of my life if there are any options that could at least give me hope.
I have read and researched high and low unemployment as of late. I hear compelling evidence that the Plains/West/oil boom states have more opportunities.
I also have a few relatives who live out in that area. They are single without kids and maybe they could devote some time to help me out ,no?
I just don't know if it's a good gambit to go up to one of these areas because the "pickings are better" without having a job lined up to begin with.
My husband (who's gainfully employed and I don't know if he really understands the severity of long-term unemployment and the toll it takes on your mental health) did act lilke he would willingly move for me to have a better opportunity, but I think he assumes that if I actually have a job lined up...not just an interview....but a live one in the boat.
So I just really don't know what to do. It could be a gamble, but I think anything you do is better than waiting around hoping President Obama will ride to the rescue. I am done with feeling sorry for myself, I am done with looking for work in such an economically depressed small town and I want to be done with being unemployed like nobody's business.
Winston, thank you for the tip about talent agencies, because I am looking into them while I bide my time. Georgia does a lot of filming.
I don't know if this is the right forum for this topic, or if anyone has discussed this subject before, and there's a link I should have a look at.
Whoever can tell me something of any help, I'd be so appreciative. I feel like I am lost at sea without a compass or map.

miss_conduct wrote:My husband (who's gainfully employed and I don't know if he really understands the severity of long-term unemployment and the toll it takes on your mental health)

If you are a woman, why do you feel the need to have a job? Why not have a bunch of kids, raise them at government expense and devote your energies to making their and your husband's lives great?

Register with employment agencies, they'll hook you up with jobs suited to you qualifications & experience. This way you can just go to the interviews they offer you, someone should hire you eventually.

As you might know I live in the UK. Where I live has the lowest unemployment in the country (in 1987 it was around 1%!). My shared house is full of foreigners who have come here to work.

The good thing is there are loads of jobs here. Get a work permit and you're OK.

On the downside, it's expensive to live here, and foreigners are largely offered so-so jobs. The foreigners in my house are working in sushi restaurants or in hotels.

One was complaining about his job contract - but it offered better job security and conditions than mine!

It's definitely worth relocating for work, but it's not an easy life by any means.

Incidentally, I could afford to rent an apartment here, but even on an IT specialist salary it would cost half my monthly income.

I have had zero luck with employment agencies. At least where I live they have been useless for me. Now a friend of mine goes through them with success, but he knows how to operate heavy machinery. He drives a forklift.

Heck, the woman who works at this one I have been to didn't know her butt from a hole in the ground. She called me one day and asked if I could come in for a preliminary interview, but when I go there, I was told she left a few minutes ago and was unaware of what was going on.

But if they work out better for people in other places, great. I have just found them, and the Department of Labor as well, to be useless.

To cornfed: I am a die-hard career woman at heart. I can't imagine being tied down with kids and all when I might want to do some traveling one day. I would love to travel if I had the money!!

xiongmao wrote:As you might know I live in the UK. Where I live has the lowest unemployment in the country (in 1987 it was around 1%!). My shared house is full of foreigners who have come here to work.

The good thing is there are loads of jobs here. Get a work permit and you're OK.

On the downside, it's expensive to live here, and foreigners are largely offered so-so jobs. The foreigners in my house are working in sushi restaurants or in hotels.

One was complaining about his job contract - but it offered better job security and conditions than mine!

It's definitely worth relocating for work, but it's not an easy life by any means.

Incidentally, I could afford to rent an apartment here, but even on an IT specialist salary it would cost half my monthly income.

When I used to work there I had the same problem, high salary but high rent & bills. Here's the salary is less but my rent is low, cost of living is low & I save more! If you've got an average job in the UK, consider yourself poor or working class, because you have to work to pay them bills. Here I used to work for 6 months then chill & travel the next 6. Still miss London though, had some good times there

If you're American, under 30 you can go to New Zeland to work on a Work-Holiday visa for 1 year, that's renewable.

miss_conduct wrote:To cornfed: I am a die-hard career woman at heart. I can't imagine being tied down with kids and all when I might want to do some traveling one day. I would love to travel if I had the money!!

This seems odd. I can understand a female choosing to take some high paid, made-to-seem glamorous corporate whore job over raising children, although I would generally see it as a tragic mistake. But to choose working at McDonalds (or not even that) makes no sense.

Renata is correct both Australia and New Zealand have working holiday opportunities. However, since you are married, I am not sure your husband would want you to do that. You might want to go to the midwest to look for employment. If your husband is able to still work and you have family that can help I would look in that direction.

New Zealand has some gorgeous scenery (wasn't it where Lord of the Rings was filmed?) Australia I have always wanted to see up close. I have always wanted to visit Denmark and I heard unemployment is low there.

It's a rare woman in today's American culture that can rear children and do it well. Motherhood is best left up to the professionals, and as I see it, more power to the more traditional women who know what they are doing. My personality doesn't seem suited to it. I can be ballsy at times (more in a give it all you got kind of way) not a mean-spirited American female type of way!

I suppose, realistically speaking, the West would be an easier place to navigate. What part of the UK were you referring to btw? I have been to London, great city overall.

Oh and btw, I am 36. Is that a little old to apply for a work permit?

30 is the cut off age, so you won't qualify at 36, unless someone hire's you & they sort a work permit for you.

For the UK, check which one you qualify for > https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
For NZ > http://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/workin ... rtunities/

miss_conduct wrote:Who can give me some advice on relocating for job opportunity reasons? I know many of you are experienced travelers. So you are free to give me any helpful info you can.

At a crossroads in my life. I have lived in Georgia my whole life and I never enjoyed living here from a cultural viewpoint, but the clincher is the horrendous high unemployment. I think you may remember my former post about not even getting an offer from McDonald's after FOUR interviews!!
I don't see why I should have to endure this hardship for the rest of my life if there are any options that could at least give me hope.
I have read and researched high and low unemployment as of late. I hear compelling evidence that the Plains/West/oil boom states have more opportunities.
I also have a few relatives who live out in that area. They are single without kids and maybe they could devote some time to help me out ,no?
I just don't know if it's a good gambit to go up to one of these areas because the "pickings are better" without having a job lined up to begin with.
My husband (who's gainfully employed and I don't know if he really understands the severity of long-term unemployment and the toll it takes on your mental health) did act lilke he would willingly move for me to have a better opportunity, but I think he assumes that if I actually have a job lined up...not just an interview....but a live one in the boat.
So I just really don't know what to do. It could be a gamble, but I think anything you do is better than waiting around hoping President Obama will ride to the rescue. I am done with feeling sorry for myself, I am done with looking for work in such an economically depressed small town and I want to be done with being unemployed like nobody's business.
Winston, thank you for the tip about talent agencies, because I am looking into them while I bide my time. Georgia does a lot of filming.
I don't know if this is the right forum for this topic, or if anyone has discussed this subject before, and there's a link I should have a look at.
Whoever can tell me something of any help, I'd be so appreciative. I feel like I am lost at sea without a compass or map.

Moving to a place where they are hiring makes sense. You might line up two weeks of interviews, then take a trip there. Ideally with your husband.

But is he open to relocation? You said it was your relatives out there, not his. He may not want to leave Georgia.

If he is open to work, and wants to work, nothing wrong with you lining up interviews for the both of you, via your relatives. Not everyone is an outgoing type, so nothing wrong with you helping him figure out where to go. But do try to listen. If you can identify what could excite him (better job, better fishing, whatever) then you will have an easier time getting him up and moving.

If you do have to be the spark in the family right now, do what you have to do. But try to defer to him as much as possible in any area you can. Male egos are fragile.

BTW I thought the area between Atlanta and Athens was doing well. Along with Forsythe County and north of there. And Alpharetta and north of there. Of course that doesn't mean they are handing out good jobs necessarily.