While I hate to be a pessimist, it’s looking less and less likely that I’ll be able to get my green card, so I’m thinking proactively. Are there any good job search aggregators for the UK/EU or HK/Singapore that folks have used? I’m not looking to leave my current job for anything, but more like if there is a really good fit, I’m going to apply and figure out the details later.
My beginning has been the funds that I know from my time in the US, but for the most part their ex-North America offices are pretty small, so I need help getting outside that group.
I’d question whether you’d want to move to the UK, things are about to get messy. EU is pretty limited otherwise unless you have language skills, if you’re sellside maybe you’d be alright without languages, I’m not sure how that works.
HK/Singapore are ok if you’re happy to just go for a few years for the experience, difficult to do longer term. Also be prepped for a terrible work life balance, eg sitting in the office until 10pm when there’s nothing for you to do just because you boss is still there, it’s a Han Chinese thing, they’re old school.
Australia is another English speaking option although the industry is pretty small, old fashioned and it’s not that easy to get a visa.
Australia is actually really easy when it comes to getting a visa. It follows a points based system - so if you’re under 32 and your occupation is in the skill shortage list then it’s a relatively straight-forward and efficient process.
Getting a job is a different prospect, Sydney is the hub and it’s bloody expensive so you need to have a cushion to support yourself for 3-6 months unless you get lucky.
Yeah… It’d have to be a really good opportunity. Problems with Canada, and similar to Australia, is it’s a limited market and cost of living in Toronto and Vancouver is quite high. Calgary is a bit better, but even then it’s a very crowded market since there are just too many qualified people chasing rather few jobs. Not to mention the weather sucks.
Another region I’d consider is the middle east. Go pack up and work for Saudi Aramco in finance or something.
I’m actually looking at exiting TO and going abroad, from some preliminary analysis, living in TO is relatively cheaper than tier 1 cities like NYC or London or HK, and our salaries suck coupled with the poor Canadian dollar. Sure our rent is expensive but eating well is still affordable, good life style, safety, great place to raise a family. I love Calgary but it’s too cyclical and oil heavy (which I think is your forte - cyclical is a big consideration imo). If I recall you’re in Texas so maybe it’s relatively more expensive in Toronto, but I don’t think it’s comparable TO vs T1 cities.
IMO the most terrible resource EVER. Esp. if you are an experienced hire - only headhunters adds, zero response rate, etc., etc. I do not even bother applying there anymore, waste of time. Sadly, CFA Institute jobline does nothing but copying these lame ads, with a significant delay.
Not very much different for the European countries: 90% of the companies use it to advertise themselves, posting intern jobs at the very best. I am observing some third-rate companies of a minor size spending 4 months to find an analyst, emailing applicants that have just hired one and posting the same ad over and over again - it can not simply be true. Some ads reappearing every 3 months - it can not be true that a private equity firm of 4 is continuously replacing the same member of the team. So, not a serious resource. It has its moments of course, but in general - terrible.
HA! I’m in the same boat - green card is in process and I wonder what Trump’s going to do to affect it, if in any way. Odds are that the process will probably be delayed by a few months. In any case, I’m considering a backup option in the middle-east. I already worked in Qatar for two years, and loved the savings (zero taxes).
^ what was Qatar like otherwise? solid investment industry? decent place to live without too much of an effect on my western lifestyle (read:could I get drunk and eat bacon?)
I’d consider it for a few years for the tax savings, preferably around 2022
You can pretty much live a normal western life, with some exceptions: Alcohol is very expensive, and can only be bought with a license that you’d use to purchase directly from a government distributor (i.e. you can’t go to a public store and grab some). There are plenty of bars though, and usually they’re pretty lively (lots of western expats hang out). You’d even find sports bars. The only downside again, is the price. I remember once paying 100 Riyals (about $30) for a gin and tonic.
You won’t find bacon in any restaurants/groceries. Pork is “haram” (illegal) in Islam. I “think” there are ways to access pork, but it’s difficult and not worth messing with local laws (they could deport you, or worse, detain you).
Blatant Racism: You’ll see a lot of slave labor in plain view. But the tax-free earnings might dilute your sense of social justice. Workplace was very diverse (lots of British, American, Indian, Philippino employees). Expect the local client (who work 6 hrs/day and have 45 days of leave/year) to be extremely demanding of their consultants. Lots of bureacratic hurdles. Work often gets held up across different govt bodies. There aren’t a lot of investment opportunities (usuary being Haram as well). Engineers are in high demand with all the real estate and infrastructure development. There’s some consulting presence with EY KPMG type firms. And every construction program usually requires some small group of finance/econ guys. Housing, food, and schools are very expensive. Everything is imported, nothing grows locally (except dates). Healthcare is virtually free (and very high quality).
One thing I really enjoyed in particular was the central location. Cairo (and Luxor if you’re into tombs and ruins), Istanbul, Petra, and Athens are all a quick flight away (and cheap!).