ok, I did it, I really did it. this is step number one. (looking to move overseas)
 

Hi all, <BR> <BR>What a week, so many decisions and so many loose ends to either tie up, or even LIST to be tied up. <BR> <BR>Layoffs hit my company, I had a choice, I took the package. I am gonna work my butt off to find a place to work overseas. <BR> <BR>Don't know where yet, as I know a few people in London that would be a logical first step. <BR> <BR>I have posted/emailed before here and elsewhere about my agony in weighing options, and have been overwhelmed by the amount of support I have gotten - from YOU GO GIRLS to offers of resume help to lodging should I pop into their town... it has ALL been so appreciated. I know I am making the right decision. <BR> <BR>so I am gonna do it, or bust a gut trying. I've started networking, gotten my resume out there, and will plan on pounding pavement within a month or so, interviews lined up beforehand or not. <BR> <BR>I may go over with the intent of bartending or waiting tables (assuming that I can do that without having paperwork ahead of time) until I secure full time employment. I am in telecom so it may take a while! <BR> <BR>I would so dearly love to hear others stories about 'picking up and making it happen' - be it backpacking and bartending from town to town, or pounding pavement until it works out... or whatever. I have been brainstorming about ways to make this happen... <BR> <BR>thanks y'all. I'll be posting in at various times... <BR> <BR>big hugs to everyone! <BR> <BR>Beth

Good luck, Beth and let me know when you finally settle some place. We are all cheering for your BIG step. <BR> <BR> mimi

Beth, you're living the dream, even if it started with a nightmare. In my somewhat lackadaisical search for overseas opportunities, I came to the conclusion that it pays to be where the jobs are. Just getting yourelf overseas will enhance the chances if for no other reason that information about the opportunities doesn't always travel far. Good luck to you; this is the best way to approach life's uncertainty: assume it's a sign from the fates - or whomever - that's it's time to take that big leap. You'll become an icon!

Dear Beth: What you are doing is MY LIFELONG DREAM!!!!! I have horrible wanderlust and think I will never be happy unless Im living in Venice/Florence/Paris/Wherever. Im too much of a baby to do it, however. I have heard it is easier to get a job in a place like Greece without going through alot of red tape. In London, it is very hard. (A friend went over without a work permit and was forced to leave.) I think the best thing for you would be to try to get a job with an American company in Europe. Must you live in Europe?? My friend's sister, got a job in Tokyo teaching English, and all she had was a BA in English, no teaching certificate or anything. PS I am in awe of you!!!!

Beth: <BR> <BR>Good move to take the money & run. <BR> <BR>Have you investigated trying to find position with either big US or Int'l company with positions in Europe? Look at TXU --- http://www.txu.com/working/. They're known as energy company, however do have telecomm division. At this time, most of their job vacancies are in energy sector. However as you've worked in a major utility, many of your skills are transferrable to this arena. <BR>

My nephew went to London in the summer, was waiting for his room to be ready and started walking the neighbourhood. Within 2 hours he had a job bartending at a local pub! You don't ever want to look back and say "if only....." go for it and you'll make it happen. Good luck!

forgot to mention, he did have a 2 year visa which wasn't all that difficult for him to get - he's 25.

Beth, <BR> <BR>I am so envious of you. I moved from LA to Italy 4-1/2 years ago without a job, and it was quite an adventure. I ended up getting an administrative postition with an American university (Johns Hopkins) in Bologna. It was great. Walk 10 minutes to work, great people in a much less stressful environment, 7 weeks(!) of vacation a year. <BR> <BR>Alas, I have been back in LA for 1 year and 358 days, and not a day goes by that I don't wish I was back in Italia. <BR> <BR>Let me know if I can answer any questions. Ciao <BR> <BR>Russ <BR> <BR>PS I am leaving tomorrow for a week in gnu england, so if you don't get a reply from me right away, that is the reason. <BR> <BR>

John's post reminded me that I have a friend living in Italy who teaches English. And she relocated there in 1997 without a job or work permit (she was accompanying a boyfriend who did have both these things). I think she got her certificate/training to teach English at the British School. Prior to that, her work history was as a paralegal -- no teaching background, well, except for teaching Sunday school. (one element in the art of creative resume writing). In your circumstance, you've worked in telecom which means you're a "communications specialist".

Best of Luck Beth,I am sure you won't regret it.I don't know how much about the paperwork side of things,but there are plenty of admin/office jobs in the UK for staff with experience.Do you have hidden talents such as gardening,cooking ect?I am a gardener and have a waiting list of clients.It sems there is a real shortage especially in the South east/London area.Let me know if I can help with anything-employment agencies ect.

Robin, <BR> <BR>I did exactly what your friend did. I went in June 1997 and took the CELTA (Certificate for English Language Teaching to Adults) course at the British Council in Milan. Then I taught in Bologna, before the JHU job came along. Where did your friend live and teach?

Russ, <BR> <BR>Originally she'd started out in Rome. Right now she's in LaSpezia. Her husband is in the navy (in '99, she met & married an Italian). They'll be in Spezia until Sept. & at that time, he'll be reassigned.

One of my fellow students from my CELTA course teaches outside La Spezia; a British woman named Annabel Ross. Maybe your friend knows her.

Hi Beth, you lucky girl, doing what we all want to do! I have a friends in London and one of them is in the Public Relations/Telecom business, I will ask her for tips for you..Good luck,Ta~

HI Beth, <BR>While doing my own investigating about positions overseas, I recall reading that the #1 overseas jobs were teaching, primarily English. You may want to look into what credentials are needed. <BR>Good luck, remember there are no endings, only beginnings... we are all rooting for you!!!

russ- <BR> <BR>I'll ask Liz if she knows Annabel or has met her.

Now we'll have another "resident expert" for wherever you end up! Brava!

Best of Luck! Like others have said teaching English is an option in many countries. I worked with a women a few years back who taught English in Japan for 2 years - she spoke no Japanese (when she went, she did when she came back). Only requirement was a BS degree and hers was in Computer Science. She taught at a girls school outside Tokoyo and really enjoyed it. Sorry I do not know much about jobs in Europe, but I have heard it is hard for Americans to get work papers, etc. (not to discourage you,but you need to be aware of the difficulties too).

I heard there are openings teaching English in Prague. I'll post whatever I find.

Beth, Best of luck to you. You do realize that we will all be here waiting to hear updates from you-both before you leave and after you arrive wherever you end up? My advice is to go for the big adventure while taking as many small and comfortable steps as possible in order to make the whole move feel less overwhelming during any moments of doubt. You have an ambitious but completely do-able plan. I'm sure we all wish we could go with you. <BR> <BR>Again, best of luck, Beth! <BR> <BR>linda

Take a look at this website, <BR> <BR>http://www.transitionsabroad.com/ <BR> <BR> <BR>

beth, <BR> <BR>congratulations! it's a great decision. <BR>i hate to sound like i'm raining on your parade, but i must warn you about a few things if you choose to try england first. my husband and i recently did the same. americans MUST have a work permit, BEFORE arriving in the u.k. to work. they treat this very seriously and most employers will insist on you having your own work permit before even talking to you. the reason why is because they must pay a lot of money and go through a thorough interrogation to explain why you are more qualified than a u.k. resident. put simply-it's not worth their trouble. the only way around this is if you have a grandparent with u.k. ancestry, you can apply for a special permit. or, if you have a parent with citizenship in one of the e.u. countries, so that you may apply for it as well, then you would be allowed to work legally. i suppose it is possible that you may find work in a bar or restaurant, i really don't know. but i am fairly certain any other 'above board' type of work would be impossible unless you were hired from the states. other countries, like italy, may be more lax about this. good luck!!!

Amy, Do you know how to go about getting this special permit in UK? My father was born in England, and of course so were his parents and grandparents, etc. I would love to know how to go about this. Thanks.

Beth, as you know, I'm thrilled for you, but at the same time know the kind of stresses you are going through. <BR> <BR>Have you thought of doing a search on-line to find agencies that help you find jobs overseas. I just did that and found a number of them. I'm not sure what your area is but telecommunications experts are much in demand, world-wide. And there are quite a few organizations that can help you find a job and, perhaps, do the necessary paperwork. <BR> <BR>Also, try www.federaljobs.net. There aren't LOTS of jobs, but there are a few and I would think the more technical jobs (i.e. telecom) would be more in demand. And, if you are working for the Federal government, you won't need a work permit. The only problem is that, by Federal law, you are limited to 5 years in the job. That can be extended a year or 2, but that's about it. But 5 years can help you meet a lot of folks and really broaden your network for the next job.

Susan, what you need is a 'Certificate of Entitlement for the Right of Abode'. To get it, you apply at the nearest Britsih Consulate and complete form IM2A and IM2D with supporting documents. You can find full details at http://www.fco.gov.uk/ukvisas/dynpage.asp?Page=472 and click on INF7. <BR>With this certificate and your passport, you will be able to enter UK freely to live and work as you please. It does not, however, give you similar entitlement in other EU countries. To do so you need to get a UK passport. <BR>Best of luck.

Alec, Thank you so much! <BR>

Susan, you CAN work in the rest of the EU with only a right to abode but it requires some paperwork. What you need to do is set up a Ltd. in the UK, with yourself as employee. Then you can contract yourself out to employers anywhere in Europe (as a contracted worker, not a regular employee). My husband has the UK right to abode and this is the route he followed. It is completely legal. <BR>One last thing about the Right to Abode--he was told that it can only be issued to people with Commonwealth country passports. As my husband is Canadian, he qualified. The British embassy said he wouldn't qualify if he had only an American passport, but I check more into it if I were you. <BR>Due to the terrorist attacks, record numbers of illegal immigrants, etc., the Brits are much stricter about visas these days. While my husband's paperwork was being processed, he watched visa applicant after visa applicant being turned down, some for very minor reasons. And student visas are carefully scrutinized--you can't just be accepted by a student program, you have to show proof of enrollment, including proof of having paid tuition. <BR>

Hi all, <BR> <BR>Thank you for the support and suggestions! As well as the cautions – I know this is a long row to hoe… <BR> <BR>I’ve been on a mad race to get my resume out there to my various contacts, and, I have been brainstorming like mad as to how to accomplish this. My plan B is looking better and better to tell the truth – work in various places (not exclusive to Europe btw, I am even thinking of going somewhere WARM like the USVI first), making enough to pay room and board & a little pin money while using my savings for the commitments I still will have stateside. In a way it is like putting my life on hold indefinitely, but, what an adventure! <BR> <BR>I do think the fates had something to do with this – when I accepted my post at my current job I told myself “on my one year anniversary, I will be on my way overseas. Well, the layoff announcement came 3 days after I passed my anniversary. Simultaneously with that, my brother moved into the area to start a brand new job. We have discussed him taking over my ‘life’ while I am gone – he’ll take over my lease, phone, all utils, store my stuff (probably not even move it/he’ll use it) and keep an eye on my car (which I paid off earlier this year, yippee! The biggest monthly expense I had…) <BR> <BR>I do appreciate the offers of tips or suggestions, should anyone know of recruiters or headhunters, please do let me know! I am also intrigued by the possibility of teaching English overseas, and I have started to look into this… <BR> <BR>Thanks again, <BR> <BR>Beth <BR>

Dear Beth: I wanted to see how hard/easy it would be to get a position abroad teaching English. Most schools in Asia (China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand) either want a BA, a TESOL certificate, or both. I have applied to three schools so far. I will let you know how things progress.

Beth, Please forgive me if I'm intruding on your thread, but maybe you can use some of the info that comes up. Jane, when I checked out Alec's lead, I did wonder about having to be a member of the Commonwealth to take advantage of getting a visa with a parent/grandparent born in the UK. Guess I'll have to check into that further if I get to the point where I definitely want to do this. Has anyone else done this, where you were an American citizen, born in the US, but had a parent & grandparent born in the UK, so you could get the visa to work there without any problem? <BR>Best of luck, Beth, hope you work something out! <BR>

My granny was born in Old Windsor, England, but I never tried to get a visa to work in Britain. Do you want me to call up and ask the embassy in New York?

Just wanted to pop in since I am an Expat living in Italy and know a little about the wonders of living overseas. <BR> <BR>Anyway, it is great that you have so many people rooting for you Beth. Your first step needs to be contacting the British Consulate nearest you (really, do this before doing anything else). You should also check out http://www.expataccess.com as they have requirements, job info, helpful hints and discussion groups for many different countries. Coming here is great for support but it is not where you should be doing research. <BR> <BR>Now I need to say something that makes people angry, mainly because it is not what they want top hear, but it is important just the same. <BR> <BR>If you want to come over, great, it is wonderful, but make sure you do it legally. Especially in the world of today, illegal immigration is very risky. I know someone who came to Italy a year ago. She is a chef and was teaching at a cooking school. She never got a visa or any permits to stay. She was pulled over by the police on a random road check (this is normal here in Italy) and when they found out she was not legal, they gave her a couple of weeks to get her stuff together and then escorted her to the plane back home. She is not allowed in any EU country for 5 years and if she doesn't obey it will be a ban for life and possible jail time. Italy has enacted new immigration laws this year and they are pretty damn serious about them. <BR> <BR>Go the legal route, there are many ways to do it (I recommend student visas for people coming to Italy as you can work legally for 20 hours a week and can stay for a year). <BR> <BR>HTH, <BR>Cristina

Hey Beth! Good luck! Like others have said, getting a work permit in Europe isn't so easy. One thing to consider is being a nanny. I don't know what paperwork that involves but a lot of people do it so maybe it's easier. The Caribbean sounds good to me! I know an American girl who moved to Grand Cayman for a few years and worked as a bartender, so apparently it's doable. Hawaii could be fun, too. <BR>What exactly do you do in telecoms? The economy over here has taken a hit, too, so it may be rough finding a professional position.

Hi Beth, <BR>Although telecoms are tanking here in Europe as badly as they are in the U.S., there are still plenty of IT jobs available, depending on your skills. Helpdesk and roll-out/migration people remain in demand. I would check www.jobserve.com to see the wide range of possibilities. <BR>Companies are much more willing to hire you once you're over here (a pharmaceutical company got me a Belgian work permit but wouldn't even have bothered to interview me if I were back in the States)...so if you come to Europe as a nanny, student, etc., you may be more able to find employers who will take you on with a "real" job. Just make sure you do EVERYTHING legally. Cutting corners could have very negative and long lasting consequences. <BR>Be sure to check for jobs in Belgium as well. Belgian employers seem more willing to get the work permit for foreigners than most other European countries, and again, once you're here, it's easier to find jobs elsewhere in Europe. Good luck. It's harder today than it was a few years ago, when we came, but it's still possible. Expats with new work permits arrive every day. <BR>BTilke (Brussels)

Susan-you can get all of your questions answered by calling the British Embassy in DC. That's the best way to go. <BR> <BR>Beth--good luck. The only advice I can add is to tell you to listen to the people who tell you not to work illegally. It can become a huge mess. I have a friend who makes about $900,000 a year trying to get people who worked illegally in various countries and got caught back into that country. He has a small client list, which should give you some idea of how much each person pays him. It's also hell looking over your shoulder all of the time. <BR> <BR>Don't know your age, but if you're in your early-mid 20s, check out www.bunac.co.uk. They arrange work visas for students and people up to a certain age.

Beth: <BR> <BR>You are an incredible woman and I admire you! <BR> <BR>If I can help at all, I would like to. <BR> <BR>I know, from previous posts, that you have experience in the Telecom industry. I work for a Global IT consulting company. If you want, and there is a good match, I could distribute your CV to our consultants - perhaps there may be opportunities either within our company in the UK or with their clients. <BR> <BR>If your are interested then send your CV to: <BR> <BR>[email protected] <BR> <BR>Best Regards and toasting your future … Ger <BR>

Beth: Like you, I fantasize daily about living overseas. I am on the edge of my seat waiting to hear how this goes for you because it may affect my own future plans. Keep us updated! All my best wishes are with you.

Beth: <BR> <BR>If positive thinking truly has power, then this will happen for you. You've got alot of people supporting you in your endeavor and wishing you great success in this major life change. <BR> <BR>Ask the universe for what you want (and so you have!) and ye shall receive. Or another tidbit of zen -- when the student is ready, the master will appear. <BR> <BR>Keep moving one foot after the other and you'll find yourself living/working/posting overseas. <BR> <BR>P.S. A bit of prayer couldn't help. Website for virtual Jerusalem will let you put a prayer in wailing wall, http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/sendaprayer/

I did want to add one thing. Beth, you sound pretty realistic about this whole thing, so my advice may not apply to you, but others who are reading this thread and thinking about moving overseas. <BR> <BR>Please remember that no matter where you live, you will still have the same problems and hang-ups. Moving doesn't make you a different or better or worse person. You're still the same. So many people have this romantic idea that moving overseas will make all of their problems go away. I've had friends moving from the U.S. and Europe with that attitude, and I've had friends move from Europe to the U.S. with that same idea. The lessons they learned were very costly and neither couple was happy with their new homes. The Americans returned 8 months after leaving the US, and the Europeans left the US after just 6 months. <BR> <BR>Living in a foreign country can be a wonderful thing. I've done it and enjoyed it and plan to do it again. But it's not for everyone.

I have heard that two EU countries: Italy & Ireland would qualify a foreigner to gain citizenship if his/her paternal grandfather was a citizen of Italy/Ireland. Automatically one can work in any EU country once that happens. Has anyone tried/learned about this?