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Good afternoon everyone.

Due to the rapidly increasing crime rate in Southern Africa(it’s shocking just how bad it’s gotten) me and the wife have been considering emigrating to the good ol United States.

This may very well be the most vague question ever posted on Spiceworks, but bear with me.

What state/area is considered “good” and by good, I mean, average cost of living, good salaries, low crime rate and pretty well established(the wife just loves shopping)

I’m in an IT Management role at the moment, but about 80% of my daily tasts pertain to project management and I’m currently doing a Diploma in Business Analysis. Is it worth it for me to further my studies more before jumping on the proverbial ship or should I rather focus on something else? What jobs are in high demand in the states?

I’ve got 5 years experience in a management role and 9 years in total in IT.

The wife is an office manager, so we’re not too worried about finding work for her.

So yah, that fills my “how long is a piece of rope” quota for the year, but I you guys understand what I’m asking

14 Spice ups
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I shouldn’t say this, but DON’T DO IT!!!

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest. There was actually a news story on last week about how here in the greater Des Moines area (central Iowa) there will be a lot of IT jobs and jobs in general. I’ve heard that Austin, Texas is also a good place to look for IT work (oddly enough, that’s where Spiceworks is headquartered - is there a connection?). Although I’ve also seen recruiters posting for openings in both San Fransisco, California and New York, New York. Before jumping ship, I would see if you can find a position that meets your needs, some will even sponsor you (if you have the right credentials) and help you move. Also, I would see if you can either transfer your education credits or do remote learning to complete your studies.

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I’ve never used this site but a quick online search pointed me to it and it may be able to answer all of your questions.

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Sorry to hear about the crime rate down there…Bad folks doing bad things are everywhere…On your question if it was me since you are in school I would wait until you have that diploma - depending on how long to go - and then go from there. Midwest US - where I am from - is relativity low wages but low cost of living to go along with it. Good luck…

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Omaha, Nebraska has a lot of IT jobs available, cost of living is better than on the coasts, but parts of the city have some crime issues. I’ve heard of people having problems finding jobs when they aren’t considered citizens of the US, though.

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Avoid nyc

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Thanks guys. It’s always been a dream of mine to visit New York, but I hear cost of living is insanely high. We’ve got all the time in the world honestly and I do need to finish this Business Analysis Diploma before I can leave here, about 5 months to go.

Any sites you recommend for job hunting?

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indeed.com

it’s a “funnel site” where they pull in jobs from Monster and Dice and private websites as well as others and list them all together.

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monster.com, careerbuilder.com, dice.com

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I would look into the imagration part first, the paperwork is a very long & expensive process, especially if you do not have family or an employer that is willing to sponsor you. That process may take a few years until you are in a position to move, and will have a large effect on how you look for jobs or where you decide to settle.

Secondly, you will need to have a lot of savings put away, both the moving process & getting yourself established here will be very costly. I would say probably a minimum of $20,000 USD, more if you are wanting multiple cars or to purchase a house. Some of this could be mitigated if you have friends / family that can put you up while you get settled.

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careerbuilder.com and careerlink.com both had a lot of good postings when I was looking. Glassdoor.com is good to read up on companies and get an idea of what salary you should expect in different areas.

One thing I noticed when I was job hunting though was that a lot of companies only post their jobs on their own websites and not these job hunting sites, so just keep in mind that there may be some hunting involved.

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This sounds bad, but this more of an insult to Americans, so don’t take it the wrong way. But…

In some cases, it may be… prudent(?)… to investigate an area’s “embrace of diversity”, no matter where someone is coming from. I’d really like to hope that it’s less of an issue than it’s ever been in the history of the US, but I’ve definitely lived in / visited places where I didn’t feel comfortable, and I’m a white washed Iowan who spends a lot of time in the farm lands.

I’m just thinking that if you find job postings for IT, it’s probably an area that you don’t have to worry about rampant crime and safety issues, especially since those cities breed relatively safe suburbs, but I could definitely understand if it would help if there was an existing community that you shared something in common with so you’re not stuck at home thinking “Now what do I do?”. I’m pretty sure that would happen to me if I ever moved somewhere that wasn’t America-like (I got bored in New Castle, England and immediately went to McDonalds and just ordered things by their numbers to avoid using words). I was in high school when we had a lot of Bosnian immigrants and I could tell it was a rough transition for them not knowing the lay of the land and change in culture, but I think it definitely helped that they had enough of them to build a community to get them through it.

(erhmagerd, the egg shells are errywhere)

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ranhalt wrote:

This sounds bad, but this more of an insult to Americans, so don’t take it the wrong way. But…

In some cases, it may be… prudent(?)… to investigate an area’s “embrace of diversity”, no matter where someone is coming from. I’d really like to hope that it’s less of an issue than it’s ever been in the history of the US, but I’ve definitely lived in / visited places where I didn’t feel comfortable, and I’m a white washed Iowan who spends a lot of time in the farm lands.

I’m just thinking that if you find job postings for IT, it’s probably an area that you don’t have to worry about rampant crime and safety issues, especially since those cities breed relatively safe suburbs, but I could definitely understand if it would help if there was an existing community that you shared something in common with so you’re not stuck at home thinking “Now what do I do?”. I’m pretty sure that would happen to me if I ever moved somewhere that wasn’t America-like (I got bored in New Castle, England and immediately went to McDonalds and just ordered things by their numbers to avoid using words). I was in high school when we had a lot of Bosnian immigrants and I could tell it was a rough transition for them not knowing the lay of the land and change in culture, but I think it definitely helped that they had enough of them to build a community to get them through it.

(erhmagerd, the egg shells are errywhere)

You are spot on, it really is a transition & having some support group of sorts really helps. It will be the small things that get you, finding other ex-pats in your area will definitely help.

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I am in Canada and I have been offered a few jobs in the US.

Some I did nto get because the US will not give a Work Visa for certain jobs and it is deemed that their are enough Americans that could do the job.

This was all about 15 years ago so things may have changed but back then the following Job Titles could nto get Work Visas.

  1. Netwrok Admin

  2. Systems Admin

  3. Programmer depending on language.

Make sure you research what IT jobs will be allowed Work Visas.

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Upside: I will note that the Los Angeles area has a large contingent of South African ex-pat’s… and they come here due to the similarity in climate.

Downside: Los Angeles is currently overflowing with wanna-be techs who drive the value of knowledgeable techs down. It makes for a hard time to get a position.

2 Spice ups
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Just in general in the “Western” US, Texas has a lot of computer related jobs, and Colorado or Arizona often has a lot of diverse positions advertised. Depending where you live (closer to big cities) the cost of living might be higher than you want.

It’s probably easier to move to where you have family you get along with or really good friends, even if it’s not in the US. I’ve visited some other countries and debated moving from the US if I could get a decent enough job there.

If you don’t mind the cold and some snow I could have my basement ready to rent by the time you have your diploma. :slight_smile:

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Finishing your degree greatly improves your marketability here, which is important since at least at first you’ll need a company to sponsor you to come here to work. If you can hold out to finish that, it would be a good thing.

Where you go can depend a lot on what kind of climate, lifestyle, etc. you are looking for. The US is a huge country with lots of different climates and cultures! I grew up near Washington DC but enjoy the climate and culture in Southern California much better – no harsh winters, little rain, and more “relaxed”, especially outside of Los Angeles.

The kind of company you want to work for can also determine geography. Lots of web design companies in L.A. (proximity to marketing/advertising/media companies), while San Diego (where I live) has more defense, telecom, and biotech. I’ve been working in the defense industry for several years now, but am starting to put feelers out elsewhere since it looks like defense budgets may start getting cut back.

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OP,

Check out the research triangle park area in North Carolina. You have Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh. You also have nice beaches and mountains within 4 hours of each other and mild winters.

Cost of living is reasonable and it is voted as one of the best if not the best place to live in the USA. The west coast is just too expensive and the same can be said for any major city.

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AncoB wrote:

Due to the rapidly increasing crime rate in Southern Africa(it’s shocking just how bad it’s gotten)

:O! Since when?!

The places that are best to live are the most expensive and often it’s hard to find jobs. Places like Austin, Dallas, and Houston (all in Texas) have a huge demand for IT jobs, I’d try there. It’s about as hot as Africa, so you’ll fit in.

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Didn’t read any of the answers (yet), but.
Are you set on USA? or are there alternatives?
The job market in Norway (Europes Canada) is excellent, well paid jobs. crime is pretty low (the common tax evation is present though).
The state department actually has seminars in major cities worldwide to recruit people to Norways industry. Probably something in Johannesburg as well.
Check out Kongsberg.com ?

Just a thought, unless of course you are determined to go to the states.