 Poster: A snowHead
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I know a fair few people here, or at least it seems, live either year round or the winter in the mountains. Since doing a season for a TO I have loved the idea of living in the mountains but never managed to do it, not that I have properly tried.
I just wandered how people had managed to do it, and I mean in the real world, I'm not a rich man, don't earn allot and don't expect to inherit much! I work in IT and live in the UK.
So how did you manage it? How might I? I do like the idea of owning and running a chalet or pension, but after looking about I know that would cost a fair bit and really not something I could do alone.
Any ideas gratefully recieved 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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charliwest, I came out to Munich over 30 years ago, on an IT job that I found through an employment agency in the UK. After a while, my earnings allowed me to buy a flat, eventually moving to another one closer to the mountains. Now I'm moving again but that step has largely been financed by selling my parents' house in the UK. I have enjoyed life out here. The skiing is attractive, of course, and many other things too. I rather miss the direct contact with the circle of friends I grew up with, although I still see them each year, here or there. I'm not sure what the current employment situation is; it may be more difficult to find work in the these times when companies seem to try to do with less and less staff.
I suspect that running a chalet or pension is pretty hard work. Wouldn't be for me, I think. But there are Snowheads with direct experience of that who could tell you more.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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charliwest, I came out at the end of 2007 and am still here.
We draw up a plan where the financial risk increased year on year whilst we established ourselves and each year we set ourselves go/no go targets.
I also help a lot of people like yourself fulfill their dream and a lot who work in IT is this not something that can be done from anywhere in the world.. there are a lot of people who do!!
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charliwest, I came out here in the late 90s on an industrial placement during my uni course. Loved it, found I was much more in tune with the people and lifestyle here than in the UK, so collected my finals results and left the UK the same day. I had a lot of transferable skills and was open to a variety of work. I applied for and got offered a full-time job within a month, but had a TEFL qualification as a back-up. Before leaving the UK I had set up a series of interviews with English Language schools, so I had a fall back position should I have needed it.
So far I've worked in engineering, teaching (mainstream schools), software development, medical research and medical devices manufacture. I also do freelance translation in all these areas and one-to-one English teaching. Having more than one string to your bow as well as being prepared to work in more than one branch of industry helps. Language skills in the local language(s) are a big, big bonus!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Does Queenstown count?
I emigrated from the UK about 7 years ago, got sorted with work pretty easily and been loving it ever since. Until global financial meltdown it's been a bit of a boom town and not too hard to do, as long as you can cope with the distance from family etc.
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We came back from our one week family ski holiday an Jan 2007 and decided we wanted to live somewhere we can ski. OK so we are not technially in the mountains , but we are pretty close.
So by Nov 2007 we moved to Calgary - get a lot of skiing in etc and lots of summer hiking.
Luckily OH was in a profession in immense demand in Calgary at the time (civil engineering) and better paid than the UK, so it was fairly easy. We got relocated as well, which made it all easier.
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I was coming up to retirement and in wild moment thought of following my daughter as a chalet girl, but more sensibly decided to get a job teaching in an international school in Switzerland. Got masses of skiing in and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. If you are a teacher I would unreservedly recommend it. I think Switzerland is the best country to do this, but Austria and Germany have international schools teaching in English as well.
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but you are Welsh, no?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yes, well spotted!
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Interesting reading all the positive experience of finding professionals jobs in another country successfully. This is an area I would love to explore.
So, what's the collective wisdom, contacting placement agency at the destination country vs. contact agency in your home country that specialize in international placement? Is there consensus on which is more productive?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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abc, for me it is an agency in my home country, because many countries don't have the same type of agencies. In the US similar agencies will only take cadidates who are already resident in the area where they wish to be placed, and won't even consider out of state candidates!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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charliwest, my story is pretty similar to espri, and Samerberg Sue. Got offered a job here in 1985, thought I'd ski for a couple of years and then move on... Oh well!
I would definitely recommend going for a city with access to the mountains such as Munich, Zürich or Geneva rather than trying to make a living in IT in a mountain village. The villagers have not been sitting around waiting for you to come and open up your IT consultancy/Action Photographers/Fish and Chips shop. It's difficult to get yourself established in that environment cos most of the niches have been filled by the locals, and they are not about to make room for you!
It depends on what you mean by IT, but there are jobs going here in Munich at the mo, though certainly not as many as there were a couple of years ago  Give it a try, you (probably) won't regret it!
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Wow, you all went to so much trouble!
My path...
1) Get jobs in France and quit English sensible job
2) Find yourself in interseason and throw yourself on the mercy of friendly French girl
3) Get said girl pregnant and find yourself a friendly French family, free house and still have job in winter.
There you go it's that easy! 
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You know it makes sense.
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Kaiser, I like that idea the best so far!
I know the chalet idea would be allot of hard work, but I think I would be ok with it, but its the initial capital that is the stumbling block for that one.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| charliwest wrote: |
| .............................................but its the initial capital that is the stumbling block for that one. |
Even if you've got an established business, good relationship with teh bank, can show you're profitable if you've got less than 30% deposit plus the fees then at the moment you're right!!
We've just spent 8 months going round and round this loop with 27% (plus fees etc) without success all for the sake of 3%!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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charliwest, unless you rent the chalet. Note that very few TOs own property.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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abc,
We just contacted companies directly. It was fairly easy as they had been to UK to recruit a few months prior.
Generally its fairly expensive for a Canadian company to recruit a UK engineer, so to pay agency fees on top, when its not necessary might push them over the edge and shows a certain lack of initiative on behalf of the candidate.
That said I know other professions are different.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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gryphea, was that a profession that requires UK experience?
Or just a field that's short on supply so they're happy to take you on?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| charliwest wrote: |
I work in IT and live in the UK.
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Doing what?
Send me your CV - If you are serious.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| gryphea wrote: |
abc,
We just contacted companies directly. It was fairly easy as they had been to UK to recruit a few months prior.
Generally its fairly expensive for a Canadian company to recruit a UK engineer, so to pay agency fees on top, when its not necessary might push them over the edge and shows a certain lack of initiative on behalf of the candidate.
That said I know other professions are different. |
i was looking over there at engineering but didnt get very far
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charliwest, Working in IT, then why not go contracting in UK, work 7-9 months a year and then spend best part of the winter skiing. Still get to soak up the experience of being mountain bound for a few months with no work or business to worry about, just pure skiing skiing time. Probably need to work in London to get best IT contract rates. Not the best time for IT contracts but it will pick up. Or as other have suggested base yourself somewhere like munich, zurich or geneva. What IT do you do?
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abc,
Civil engineering. Yes it required professional experience as the shortage was further up the ranks, not at graduate level
nigel b,
Timing was everything!! WOuldn't happen at the moment but might again in a couple of years time
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