Plan my future - Seeking advice on avenues to take.

Hello all, this is my first post although I've been a recurring lurker here for a while.   I've learned a great many things from this site and in my research on various UK government websites.
Brief Background:

So I'm an American wishing to start a life in the UK.  Much like so many others here.   

I'm a graduate student pursuing a Master's degree in Information Science with a concentration in Information Architecture.   I will graduate in the summer of 2007.  (Either May or August, depending on how aggressively I plan my schedule for the next academic year).

For the last 6 years I have been a full time employee of the University in a professionally appointed role.  I am a Database Adminstrator and Application Developer.   I mostly create proprietary budget software for internal use of the University. 

I make a decent salary for a small college town in the midwest, however it's not close to the $70,000/£40,000 level that earns me points on the HSMP.

As I've said, I still have a minimum of 14 months before I graduate, with 18 months seeming just as likely.  But I'm thinking now is time to get a plan together to decide what I do next.

Looking forward, I can conservatively get 50pts on the HSMP application with my Masters and work expirence.  I could stretch that to 60 if my technical skills of being a DBA and skilled programmer warrant the extra 10 points on job expirence; however this still leaves me 5pts shy.   Looking over the other categories, I think earnings are the only thing that I could change.  I don't want to get a PhD, or an MBA,  nor will I be marrying anyone anytime soon.

In my mind, the most solid option would be that when I graduate I take a job in a large city like San Francisco or Boston where my pay will surely fall above the required threshold.  However, this does mean an extra year of looking forward while I wait for the 12 months of paystubs to come in.   However, I'm concerned if that would also reset the job expirence to zero.  I'm not able to make out whether they want the expirence to be in a single job or if it can be split.

I've read up on this new 'points system' but outside of knowing that it was announced, I don't know how it would effect my particular situation.

Anyone have any comments or advice on what I should be doing, and perhaps offer a different route for me to pursue.

Thanks, and I look forward to be an active poster,

Duane-O

Why not try for a job in the UK then a work permit?


Victoria

I at first thought that would be the best option, allowing me to transistion directly from my masters program to my desired city and the 'real world'.   But every time I look at job sites, they all seem to indicate that you need a work permit already.  Perhaps I'm just not looking in the right places. 

I was also under the impression that finding a job (while still in the US) with a company willing to go through the hassle of sponsoring me for a work permit was the most difficult route to take.  I'd love to know that I'm wrong. 

The upside is that I do feel confident about my skills, and know that Information Architecture is a rapidly expanding field with job opportunities everywhere.

If you get a good skill broker you can cut through much of the red tape.

I was interested to know why the UK when Information Architecture would have lots of opportunities in Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz, and the like?