Hi Collin,
Welcome along to this forum, do take a good look around as there's an absolute wealth of information, advice and tips in every section which should help with your evaluation about the potential move.
I used to work for 3 USA software and IT houses and saw many Americans come over via internal transfers etc. I've mentioned it previously here, a lot loved the 'honeymoon' period of being here, and then once longer term aspects came into view, most of them quickly ran off back to the USA! That said, plenty have of course remained here and there's a significant contingent of Americans all over the UK who are here, will remain here and never want to go back !
If companies are willing to sponsor you then I'd guess your experience is one of a very senior level of retail management. I'd then extrapolate that your potential salary level here in the UK would be in the upper bracket, which should give you a level of quality of life that perhaps is comparable to what you have in LV. That said, the reason many of the ex colleagues I knew who ran off back to the USA was the longer term costs of living and the general lack of larger salary increases for their long term ambitions/situations. This was around the 1999-2008 time period. Since then, rents and living costs have skyrocketed and most of the UK with a particular concentration in London and the South East are beyond insane levels for most people.
Manchester has a smaller 'insane' area and so does Birmingham, there's also much more affordable places a little further out from these cities which can lower your cost of living with respect to the salary level you'll get.
I'm not trying to put you off or anything as I know nothing of your personal situation nor the career move you are going for (in terms of salary) but do your due diligence and homework for things you and your family need and must have and what could be jettisoned in case costs for everything you want are more than you make/are comfortable with in spending.
My background is Financial IT and I used to work for the makers of Quicken/Quickbooks/TurboTax so have seen first hand/directly the levels of pay, taxes, outgoings many people have. Some of it is particularly ugly in terms of people's mismanagment of money, some of it was exemplary!
Given it's been about 8 years or so since the last financial worldwide correction, then the 'next one' is pretty much due again now (every 8-12 years or so there's a correction of sorts) added to that is the whole EU referendum aspect, then if there is an exit from the EU, then the UK could feel the negative effects in conjunction with an economic slowdown over the next 5+ years or so at least. All Jobs and industry sectors will be impacted and one of the first sectors of casualties of economic slowdowns is the retail sector.
Whenever I'm in LV, I do a couple days of shopping where I want stuff and always nip into the two main outlet malls!
My 'initial reaction' would be for you to stay in LV or within the US but I fully understand if you wish to look into a move here!
Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!
Hi Dennis,
Thank you, and yes - I have been tearing through this forum already! So many interesting posts!
It would be impossible for you to put me off, don't worry. The cost of living is not something that scares me. To further my career, I am basically at the point where I would need to relocate to a major market (Vegas is not a major market, but notable only because of tourism). Having said that, We are talking LA, San Fran, NYC, or arguably Miami. All of those options are ridiculously expensive. Three of those four have insufficient public transportation as well. Meaning that for how far out I would need to live in order to afford it - at least part of it would involve driving, if not the whole commute. Just as a for instance, a 45 minute train ride from London gets me to a very affordable place. Translated to LA - that driving commute is well over an hour, and I'm paying for parking as well. NYC terms would mean living in a VERY questionable neighborhood. Etc. Having spent a good amount of time with friends and family in London area, it actually makes much more sense as far as a lot of things.
No matter what, coming from someone who has lived in Vegas on and off for 12 years - it's not a place worth living. This is a great place to come for college, or to go crazy for a few years (which is not my thing). But, I have a family, and it's genuinely one of the worst places I can imagine raising my kids. So, I also want to leave before they are old enough to realize what sort of town this is. Other LV concerns: the weather. No one likes this weather. Even if you "like the heat". No one likes 2-3 months of 40C+ (also too hot for kids to play outside). Beyond that, you have the hours of operation. The luxury stores here are open until 11pm during the week, and midnight on the weekends - That includes Sundays, Holidays, and anything else that might be sacred to a person. I could go on about LV if you are interested, but I will stop for now. Travelers here typically have this idea that it would be a pretty nice place to live, without realizing that you need to make a lot of sacrifices to make it work. Like you are describing, most people stay for a short period, and run home because of the shock.
On a retail note, yes, of course my sector is typically the first hit in any recession. That is something that I am used to, and have lived through. Las Vegas was also one of the hardest hit US cities during the recession in 2008. If you are interested, you should look it up! It was devastating to this city (another reason to go, because the city's entire economy is based on service industries). Good news is with Luxury retail, is that unless that brand is hit hard enough to start closing stores, then you can easily weather the storm. If they are going to stay open, then they are still going to need someone to manage it. Since all of the brands that I have worked for and likely would work for, are European powerhouse brands - they don't just start shutting doors like that. Again, if you are interested more in my industry, I am happy to continue. But, I will stop for the sake of the boredom of others. It just seems as though you might have particular interest in LV/retail, so I thought I would give a fairly detailed answer here!
More factors in my decision:
Education: The education in England is far superior to that of the USA, not that I even need to say that. We all know. As another LV note: not only is the USA way behind the UK in terms of education, but Nevada ranks at the very bottom of the US too (typically 48th or 49th). So, staying in Vegas would also mean paying for private school, which for my two kids would average out to be $1000 per month. Ouch!
Vacation time: My industry is notorious for not giving enough Paid Time Off. When you start with a new company, you frequently start with 5 or 10 days per year, and a handful of federal holidays. Obviously, the standard in England (okay, and most places that are not the USA...) is far beyond that! Moreover, Vegas again, means working on all holidays. That also means that we have major blackout periods for taking the small amount of PTO that one does receive.
Culture and History: I am a history nerd, and want to be somewhere with more of it. I have traveled quite a bit in Europe, and would love to do more of that. However, with a growing family - overseas travel is becoming more and more difficult. Living in the place that I would like to explore, would simplify that quite a bit, as well as the length of that travel. Building on that, I am also really deep into genealogy, and since most of my family were "recent" immigrants here, that means that all of my research is in Europe. Being there would be a big benefit for that, especially for my English family. I know that might spark a question, so my great-grandfather was from North Shields.
Weather: I love the weather in the UK. Everyone thinks I am nuts. I have been there when it's freezing and damp, and it feels like it's in your bones. I love it. I am from Seattle, and although we don't have the dampness that you get in England - we are dreary, and the sun is not common for a large bit of the year. I miss it! My wife is the same way! Perhaps we are crazy... I'm actually okay with that.
Okay, I shall stop. This is rapidly turning into a dissertation.
Thanks for the welcome, and I am happy to elaborate and discuss anything here!
