Does experience count?

I've been doing a lot of reading through here in the past couple weeks.  Its been great to read everyone's experiences, and I hope to learn from them should I choose to move(I still haven't totally decided).

I've spent my adult life working very hard to get into a good financial situation, and its important to me that I not lose that position I've gotten into.

I've got 10+ years experience in auto insurance claims, 6 of that in management.   I'm doing quite well now where I am now, but the call from across the pond is getting louder and louder in my head.   How much weight will this kind of experience carry for me?

There are lots of motor insurance companies over here! 

Finding a way to work here legally w/o being an EU/EEA or UK national or married to one will be a far greater palaver than finding a job in the auto insurance industry.

Not sure whether it counts or not?   In coming over (I married a Brit), I had approx 9-10 years experience in various aspects of the financial industry PLUS a bachelors degree...  The first job I've found that I feel I can live with (which I have now) -- I am basically starting out near the very bottom & took what amounts to (converted to $$) a $10,000 pay cut from what I made in the States (approx 1/3 less than what I made in the US).  I make less now than I made 10 years ago.  Fortunately, my husband has a good job & a good salary to go with it.

That said, I'm on the whole satisfied with most other aspects of life over here, and the benefits at my job are very very good (considerably better than my US job).  So it's been give & take.

In my experiance, after a point your experiance will count more than your qualifications.

So, I'm to understand that trying to move solo, no marriage, no engagement, no prospects, is going to be one major battle?

Sadly, it's not just a case of thinking "hmmm, I think I'll live in England now."
This links might help to explain more:
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/coming_to_the_uk.html

Thanks.  I'm not making any snap decisions anyway.   I'm researching feasiblity at the moment.  I'm not even sure I'll end up trying to do it, but it can't be totally impossible.   That would be aggrevating.

That's the good bit. It's not impossible. Go for it!

There are some professions that make a work more visa plausible: teaching and medicine are, for example, too very sought-after skills and people would move heaven and earth in some cases.

Insurance/finance, well, you have to prove you have a skill no one else has here (afterall, you can't put exisiting qualified people out of a job). And, as otterpop said, "There are lots of motor insurance companies over here!", which can also be construed as the fact that it isn't an isolated skill here.

Don't give up...I love to see enthusiasm for new adventures. If you have the hope, then that's the first step in making it happen. And the UK (any country) can always use enthusiastic people wanting to be successful.

Well, its 10 years in claims(no one likes us!).   Auto claims actually.   I've worked all aspects of claims from coverage, liability, injury, estimating, property damage, etc.   The last 5 + years, I've been in management of claims.

I've been watching job boards, and it appears there are certainly a lot of those jobs available everywhere.   Is it possible there's a shortage of people able to handle those jobs?  Hmmm.

Teaching.   Now there's something I've always wanted to do, but I've no formal training for it.   I'd love to do it though.  **begins new research**

Is it possible there's a shortage of people able to handle those jobs? 

Teaching.   Now there's something I've always wanted to do, but I've no formal training for it.   I'd love to do it though.  **begins new research**

No.  It's just that those jobs tend to have a higher rate of turnover. 

As for teaching, it is not a given that if you are a formally trained (with appropriate certification and degrees), that you will get work permit sponsorship.  MUCH depends on what type of teaching you do - secondary level maths and sciences, for example, is where this is a shortage.  Also dentistry, nursing, nurse anethetists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, radiography, ultrasonography and other nuclear medicine professionals.  Again, appropriate education and qualifications are necessary to apply for work permit sponsorship. 

And whilst it's not impossible to gain work permit sponsorship, it is exceedingly likely you will have to change fields and retrain in order to get it.  It is not only UK nationals and permanent residents who can live and work w/o restriction in the UK, but all EU nationals can as well, and an employer must demonstrate that they have made suitable efforts to find a British or EU national to fill the role first before they can apply for a work permit for a non-EU national, which may or may not be granted.  There is cost to the employer involved in this process as well. 

Good luck.