Living and working in the USA (way OT huh?)

[lilserenity]

Heya,

First: why post this on a thinkpad forum? Well there's a big US contingent here, two - it is computing related ish and three - i'm writing it on my T23.

Now to keep this short, because I know I can write too much The basic thing is I'm in England presently, an undergraduate student working towards my BA Honours Degree in Geography. I'm also a part time/full time (depending on what time of year it is) system's administrator (or should I say *the* system's admin') and deputy site manager at a play work scheme, an after school club for 4-11 year olds (what I was originally employed for).

I am indeed a thinkpad enthusiast and general computer geek (I've admitted it at last, but I think I'm a cool geek ) and have a good 13 years behind me now in experience (Yes I am 21, but I started figuring out Commodore 64 BASIC when I was 8...) and know the odd thing or two.. Basically relevant stuff I know is HTML, PHP, MySQL, MS Access, Windows NT (& 2000/XP) Admin, C/C++, and I know my i845 chipset to a i440BX and enough to say the 440FX chipset is a load of... and probably some other bits I forget. (Like M68k assembler is not very useful these days in my mind...)

My website goes into much more detail and is under construction, again but for the last time (until it looks dated in a few years) at http://www.lilserenity.com

Basically I have really fallen in love with the USA, in a big way - despite the fact nobody really understands me when I talk, but I can live with that

I was wondering if anybody could tell me what the job market is like for IT/Computing sector related jobs at present? I have a pretty good portfolio even if I do say so myself of my work to date, notably a DBMS for my current employer which has been a steady ten months paid work, so its a professional contract as it were. As such I will have a degree (not masters though) and a pretty [censored] good reference in the form of my current employer.

Secondly; does anyone know what the likelihood of me getting some kind of work as a foreign citizen and getting some kind of permanent grounding is going to be like? I don't expect to be able to make this big move till 2006 so urgency is not a concern, and I have a lot of time to plan ahead and be proactive. (hence me working on my resume and portfolio)

Also - you might be interested to see what this DBMS malarky is about - you'll get some idea of the level I'm pegged at through it perhaps. The URL is (Do NOT pass this beyond this forum):

Sorry this is such a weird thing to be asking here, and probably somewhat confusing as I;m still trying to figure out a real good starting point, but I am trying to be pro-active about this and get cracking on this now, since I loved the USA so much, I'm going back again this winter (December/january - back to Chicago... yes I am mad, brrrrr! and well - I really want to make this happen, it's really given me something to aspire to at last.

Suffice to say, the DBMS I am working on (almost complete), Brighton and my present job are not the pinnacle of my aspirations...

I think thats about it... for now

Thanks everybody!

Vicky
ps: will it help if I tell Immigration that I will start spelling colour - color?

[JHEM]

Vicky luv,

Mark's not here either!

Regards,

James

(Ducking and running!)

[lilserenity]

Heya James,

Ummm. Call me a slow thing dragging a mill stone and half a hectare's worth of cattle behind me, but that went straight over my head!

You're not referring to my ex-house mate - did I mention him here?

It took me long enough to laugh at "That 70s Show" (which I am now suffering withdrawal symptoms from, [censored]! Can't say the same for the Fox Weather reports in the morning though [censored] that woman was more whacked out than I am on drugs, and I don't take drugs for the record, well the odd paracetamol now and then

Yours,
Severely confused of England.
(some things will never change )

[JHEM]

Hi All,

Ahhh **** that shows how awake I am!

That was obviously not meant to go to this list!!

Sorry for being so far afield.

BTW, was the subject Mark our friend Mark Gardner?

Regards,

James

[lilserenity]

Hehe ok I'm with you now. Meanie :p

giggles

I had been throwing up all night (no, not alcohol induced, as I hardly drink alcohol) and not really with it, so goodness knows what the UPS guy made of me at 9am looking white as a ghost; let alone getting an email address correct. One off moment I guess.

And yes this post really was meant to go here, I am trying to get as much information as I can together, from all the places I think their just might be someone with some info/advice etc.

As for whether it was for Mark Gardner - yes it was, why?

Vicky

Edit: I didn't think I had mentioned the grumpy old so and so that was Mark my ex-housemate. His sole response to "Happy Birthday" (and it was his birthday for the record) was a soul shattering "Ugg". Miserable so-n-so, but thats another matter entirely. Still, didn't think I had mentioned him here and now I know for sure I didn't; until now..

[JHEM]

Mark is good people. Tell him I said Hi.

I hope you get lot's of encouragement and useful info WRT the potential move.

Of course you might want to look into someplace a little more hospitable WRT climate if you're coming over during the winter.

Say......... Florida for instance.

That is, if it's still there!

Regards,

James

[lilserenity]

Thanks James, your kind words are appreciated, it's quite daunting for a 21 year old, but hey, I did 3,000 miles almost on the back of a motorcycle this summer so I can do it... *eeep* Seriously, thinking positive here...

As for somewhere more hospitable at winter, well don't forget I work with children that have the unerring liking to playing outside when its 40F or colder After 4 hours of that, feet like ice cubes come to mind (and thats with running around to keep warm).

As for living in Florida... well I have not made it that far South yet, but I was really enamoured with Chicago, I mean *really*, I'm not going to get sentimental (cos believe me you I can) but it really felt like I was home.

As for Florida still being there - well, maybe I'll get a couple of Jamaican's to lassoo down the hurricanes I'm not sure if I'm 'allowed' to say that, rebelling against the politically correct era I was born into (read: being tongue in cheek/silly).

Thats the only problem, I had to wink to let many of you folks in the US that I was being a bit sarky... jeee some people really thought I was being serious at times... *chuckles to herself*

Still it became a running joke to say "That was just noise" between me and Lorre at times; for appreciators of Steve Coogan here... (echoes.... ok Still by the end of it I was saying "soda" and she was saying "crisps"

Oh and I shall say hi from you to Mark, should be calling him in the morning some time.

Vicky

[JHEM]

Not to say anything bad about Chicago, it's one of my favorite cities in the US and I enjoyed visiting my daughter there when she was living up on N. Lakeshore Dr., but until you've experienced a Chicago winter you haven't really experienced cold.

The Chicago Loop in winter is the home of the wind they call "The Hawk", a wind too lazy to blow around you but rather prefers to blow through you!

Sarky?? YOU??? Never!

Regards,

James

[lilserenity]

Well with going this December (flying out on the 27th) through to January 14th; maybe I'll get a taste for it then, then I'll tell you whether I can hack it or not.

Maybe I'll have Lorre get me some ear muffs, and 10ft of steel to wrap me up in, that ought to do it, if I don't plan on moving very far...

As for me being sarcastic, I'll put it on my resume, I think they'd love to know that..

*shakes head* One poor girl thought I was being serious when somehow she thought I offered to drive her Escalade, lead balloons come to mind you know . Her face, jee that was funny... Considering I drive a Ford Fiesta XR2, I think she should have realised I might just of had my tongue held in a particular place, but no...

I think I'll do what the Olympic marking people do, hold up signs to describe my thinking "I'm being serious", "I'm being SARCASTIC!", "I'm blind", "I'm being bribed to mark you down!" and so forth...

Vicky

[JaneL]

>I was wondering if anybody could tell me what the job market is like for IT/Computing sector related jobs at present?
>

Dismal.

[yukit]

Try http://britishexpats.com & its forum to get some info.

AFAIK, you will need a work visa such as H1B, but it usually requires a degree in the related field.

For IT job market, some companies are still hiring despite the economy, but you need to be super qualified. It is quite different from the boom days...

[BillMorrow]

vicky..

IMO the economy is improving and you should have a shot at a job and work visa..

chicago is nice, but way too leftist for my taste..

perhaps i should establish a Jobs Exchange confrence on this board for IT professionals and companies seeking such people..??

[lilserenity]

Hiya,

Ok thanks for the little bits and pieces, helps me build a better picture of things. I shall check that forum out; looks like a good start.

Computing/IT is just one area I know I can capitalise upon - but the other area is social work related/governmental administration which is another of my key strengths.

I'll post an URL to a PDF I have which overviews the DBMS I have worked on. Thankfully my employer has said they will give a glowing report on it forever who might be interested.

Also I have a few good friends I made out in Chicago too; who said they will see when the time comes about relaying job openings to me, sounds good!

I will indeed have a degree too, the BA (Hons) Geography, which though isn't Computer Science - I have had to use one of the ICT (whats that all about It was IT in my day haha) and Mathematics Computer Labs at the Uni and sometimes I have listened in on some of the discussions/lectures with 3rd year Computer Science students and apart from probably their more advanced understanding of hardware ins and outs, I can't say there was anything I didn't understand - so I'm not kicking myself for doing the wrong degree.

Time will tell for sure, but I am being positive (but not blindly) and hopefully, whatever I may have, will shine through.

Thanks again! I'll post that link in due course...

[BillMorrow]

don't forget the oil industry..

oil exploration.. especially in the gulf of mexico..

deep down there may be vast pools created by the meteor that crashed there many millenia ago..

[lilserenity]

http://www.lilserenity.com/soviet.jpg

It's 2004, isn't it, not 1991 still is it? Blimey...

I think I found my way in, now all I need is a grey bearskin hat, a test-tube in one hand with some lime soda to make it look good inside it, a sickle and a hammer in the other hand, and appear to be running at a rate of knots from the east

That ought to do it.

[/url]

[BillMorrow]

you sound literate enough to qualify without the fur hat and running shoes..
besides, oil exploration is not such a bad thought, no..??
with less and less and more and more going to china and india this seems like a sure job..

its the best i can come up with at this moment..

[lilserenity]

Yes, sorry Bill I was meant to comment on that suggestion but yours truly has been suffering with food poisoning; its mostly cleared now but hey... Least I can't blame it on Denny's this time but myself....

hehe

Yes your suggestion is a great idea, and for one, I shall bear it in mind - certainly does look like a surefire thing.

the only reason it might not be suitable is that may draw more upon Geology, which I'm per se not doing and secondly i'm not a physical geographer, I'm more of the social science/human geography cohort.

However I shall bear that in mind and mention it to my careers advisor. (Yes that does sound posher than it really is!)

I'll keep the list updated on this...

Vicky
(hmmm lost an earring...)

[lilserenity]

I haven't yet had a chance to post that PDF, mainly because it's not finished. But will be soon (believe me you I could not fit more into my schedule even if I was paid substantial amounts to do so at present...)

But this is a jist of what I have been working on:

http://www.lilserenity.com/001.jpg
http://www.lilserenity.com/002.jpg

That's using Access 2002; also compatible with 2000 and 2003, and theoretically 97 but has not been tested, though no 2000 specific code has been used anyway (since I am not making extensive use of Unicode based stuff about the only major addition to Access 2000, and a few other bits)

Anyway hey ho - thats my baby, been working on it on and off since December 2003, not bad going considering the system has been in use for 4 months now, with little problems, and me being away for 2 months of those, I'm rather pleased how robust and well performing my brain child has been.

Anyway will post that PDF soon.