What do I have to live without?

[teaphanna]

I am considering working in the UK. I am a social worker. Are there any of you out there who are social workers living in the UK from America? What are the good points and bad points of working in the UK? What would I have to give up? What is different? I heard there are some apartments without hot water.

[Sarah1983]

depends where you go i'm sure.

i haven't heard of anyone say they don't get hot water. i've been chatting with people on another message board (canada expats) and have a friend who went over in may, and another who's been there for 2 yrs and haven't heard that.

[teaphanna]

Besides being with my family 24/7, what does one have to give up in order to live overseas? I realize that if I moved outside of London from Tampa, FL that the cost of living would be a lot higher and I would have to adjust to life in a studio apartment which is fine, but i want to learn about all the little things that change for better or worse....those things that you can't possibly foresee unless you are in the situation. What is it like living abroad?

[Sarah1983]

that i can't speak to personally b/c i haven't made the move yet.

search the internet for forums (more active forums) to speak with people who are in that position. they probably have an american expatriates site. you also might want to look into some working/living abroad books. one i ordered in february was living and working in london the 3rd edition by di tolland.

[fcraker]

Hi there,

I'm looking at heading over at the end of next year and will looking for social work positions.

Can you tell me what other forums you visit for information about working and living in the uk?

[teaphanna]

I have been quite lazy about finding other websites about living abroad! I don't know as of yet!

[Pawl]

[quote:9303fcbeaa="teaphanna"]I heard there are some apartments without hot water.[/quote:9303fcbeaa]
There might be *some* but you'd have to be talking about real dumps of places with extremely dodgey landlords. Hot water is very much the norm here in the UK!
As for the other little things, hard for me to say as I'm a Brit who's never lived in the US, as others have suggested the best place to find out about that sort of thing is probably ex-pat forums.
Good luck with your relocation

[bethnbailey]

I'm a pediatric rn who is interested in working in the UK. My reason for going would be to visit family. My mom was from England and before she died I was able to get to know my aunt and some of my cousins.

My main concern is coming over with my dog. She's fully immunized (at least for the US requirements), spayed, and housetrained. I wouldn't go over for a travel assignment without her. Does anyone know what the quarantine restrictions are or what additional immunizations I would need to bring her to the UK? She's microchipped as well.

I appreciate any and all help.

[dubbayoo]

[quote:16570332f0="bethnbailey"]I'm a pediatric rn who is interested in working in the UK. My reason for going would be to visit family. My mom was from England and before she died I was able to get to know my aunt and some of my cousins.

My main concern is coming over with my dog. She's fully immunized (at least for the US requirements), spayed, and housetrained. I wouldn't go over for a travel assignment without her. Does anyone know what the quarantine restrictions are or what additional immunizations I would need to bring her to the UK? She's microchipped as well.

I appreciate any and all help.[/quote:16570332f0]

Rental properties often disallow people to have pets, so you may have difficulty finding a place for you and your dog to live together. It won't be impossible, however.

As far as the animal itself goes, http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm is the place to start for information on immunization and other requirements.
_________________
Chris Burgess
UK Ancestry visa holder from Canada.

[bethnbailey]

Thanks

[becalani]

[quote:0d3261af01="teaphanna"]I am considering working in the UK. I am a social worker. Are there any of you out there who are social workers living in the UK from America? What are the good points and bad points of working in the UK? What would I have to give up? What is different? I heard there are some apartments without hot water.[/quote:0d3261af01]

My advice would be - be prepared for everything to be different! I am an Aussie who lived in the UK for a few years, so from my experience, I did heaps of research before I went so I was sort of prepared, but it was often the small things that stood out to me:
Customer Service anywhere is generally non-existant, or at least nothing like you would have experinced coming from the States! I liked to smile and say hello as this freaked most of them out!!
Getting a bank account sorted is a nightmare - even day to day banking can be tough if you are a "foreigner". This site has great info on packages to sort out an account before you go!
As for giving things up, you can generally find pretty much anything, even stuff from home if you know where to look. It can be hard at the start knowing what brands are best, but if in doubt, ask someone!
I rented a house and we had a gas meter which meant we had to put money on a top up card and then put the card in the meter if we wanted gas. That was new to me - just wish our Estate Agent had told us that BEFORE we moved in and were without gas (hot water, heating, cooking) for four days over a bank holiday weekend in the middle of May!!
But most importantly, instead of concentrating on what you have to give up, look at what you will gain! A fantastic opportunity to LIVE in another country (not just a visitor!), fantastic memories, opportunities for travel, the list goes on...
Just go for it, I say! If you hate it, you can always come home
Hope this has helped!

[alexander20]

I liked to smile and say hello as this freaked most of them out!!
Getting a bank account sorted is a nightmare - even day to day banking can be tough if you are a "foreigner". This site has great info on packages to sort out an account before you go!