Quote:
Originally Posted by jambo101
A blog making the rounds that you may agree with and enjoy reading.
[URL="http://www.ixdaily.com/grind/4685146e388222f3c65ba1eca674e86555a65395/"]Montreal Sucks and Everyone Knows It | Indecent Xposure[/URL]
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I just read the article and it would have probably been a good idea to add some positive things about the city, such as safety. It is undeniable that Montreal is extremely safe. There are of course amazing people in Montreal who enjoy, and are quite proud of, what the city has to offer.
Having said that, the article reflects my opinion of Montreal almost 100%. And for those of you who will reply that if I don't like it I can leave, I already did two years ago. I am quite happy I did and you do not have to worry about me anymore.
Regarding jobs in IT, it depends how lucky you are. I would say that you really need French if you do not want to settle for a low-paying job. You can end up earning a lot less than someone with the same credentials but born in Quebec, which can be frustrating. I had a high-paying job by Montreal standards, but my salary was well below the industry average for my position in North America. And no, Montreal is not mega-cheap as a lot of people claim. If you want a nice place downtown, you will have to pay good money for it.
If you want to start your own business, it would be even more necessary to speak the language, unless your clients are based somewhere else. Even though I speak French, it was a major headache to conduct business in both languages, when the world of IT works mostly in English. It was also a headache to deal with the provincial government regarding any documents, because unfortunately it is not unusual to receive really rude treatment if they detect that you are not local.
My advice would be to visit the city first. If you REALLY like it, then definitely learn the language. Don't just go to a language school unless you have never studied French in your life. Sign up for a professional course in a French university, so you get a working knowledge of the language, not just enough to be a tourist.
If you do not like the city, then do yourself a favour and find a job somewhere else. There are higher-paid IT jobs in other cities. Your job is important but you do not want to leave the office and then realize that you want to jump off a bridge because you hate the place where you live.
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