Future planning for emigrating to California. (San Francisco, Sacramento: to rent, insurance, job market)

[IrishDee]

Hi everyone!!
My name is Dee, im 21 and am planning on emigrating to America next year when i graduate. Il be moving with my partner Liz and our dog Tegan, we are leaning towards California as the seemingly laid back lifestyle appeals to us both, being from Ireland we dont see much sun!! However we are open to other places in America and along the West Coast, we would like somewhere we will be welcomed as young Irish Expats. I would like to gather as much information as possible about living in California, Best places to live, work, family friendly areas, Healthcare, pro's + con's etc.

I will have a degree in English Literature and Media studies and will hopefully move in to teaching, how common are teaching jobs? We are a gay couple, are there any parts of America or California we would not be welcome? We would be looking to rent long term, we can both drive and would be renting a car also. How high is the cost of living?

Do you reccomend California as a state? i would particularly like to hear from British/Irish Expats.

Il be happy to answer any questions to help your advice giving easier!!

Dee

[Charles]

Originally Posted by IrishDee

California as the seemingly laid back lifestyle appeals to us both,

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//www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...tude-cali.html

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[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by IrishDee

[b][color=seagreen]how common are teaching jobs?

Teaching jobs in California are extremely few and far between. California is in the midst of a major budget crisis (41 billion dollar deficit) and released 26,000 teachers last month. Unemployment is well over 11%. Many Californians are fleeing the state to find work elsewhere, so maybe there will be space for you post-exodus.
Why come halfway around the world to California? If you want to live in the sunshine in an area dominated by Spanish speakers, the Costa del Sol isn't all that far from you, it's less expensive than California, and as EU members the paperwork should be easier.

[Quatermass]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

Many Californians are fleeing the state to find work elsewhere, so maybe there will be space for you post-exodus.

"Post-exodus" could be decades from now...

[CA central coast]

You'll be welcomed, don't worry about that. As far as securing a teaching job? I'd say it'll be a bit tough, but not impossible. One suggestion. You may want to change your look. You're both obviously attractive, but in a highly competitive job market I think you'll be at a disadvantage. But in San Francisco or Berkeley you may be OK. I live in an area (san Luis Obispo County) I think you'd like. Family friendly, accepting, good healthcare. Quite a few lesbians live in Los Osos, no problem. Problem is finding a job.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by CA central coast

You'll be welcomed, don't worry about that. As far as securing a teaching job? I'd say it'll be a bit tough, but not impossible. One suggestion. You may want to change your look. You're both obviously attractive, but in a highly competitive job market I think you'll be at a disadvantage. But in San Francisco or Berkeley you may be OK. I live in an area (san Luis Obispo County) I think you'd like. Family friendly, accepting, good healthcare. Quite a few lesbians live in Los Osos, no problem. Problem is finding a job.

The same applies to Sacramento, the difference being that they can just be themselves and not have to change a thing. Downtown and midtown are very accepting and there's an active LGBT presence.

[clongirl]

I'd think you'd be accepted pretty much anywhere in California nearer to the urban centers, both for being Irish and gay.

The jobs thing..well..it's just about as bad as it is in Ireland right now. Around 11% or more now and the public schools here are probably not filling positions. You might however, try contacting several private Catholic schools or even just the non denominational "elite" private schools to see what's required or if it's perhaps a bit easier to find work within the parochial school system or private sector.

Health care is pretty dismal unless you have medical insurance either private or via employer. Unfortunately, (which is a huge issue in the US) is that we don't have anything like the HSE for coverage. The costs are huge if you are required to pay out of pocket, so even a simple visit to a doctor might cost 100$ a visit not including lab tests, prescription, etc.

As for weather up in Northern Cal..the closer you are to the coast, the more of Ireland you'll be experiencing! San Francisco in particular is pretty cold and foggy a lot of the time. Come a bit more inland and the weather gets better, sometimes too hot for me around the mid 30's.

Hope it all works out for you eventually! Slan!

[Stacy From Cali]

Planning to teach may well be a tricky choice...have a back-up plan. To teach in public schools you need a California teaching credential, no matter what kind of degree you already have. This usually requires about two more years of college to obtain. Although a credential is not required to teach in a private school it is usually preferred.

Add to this the fact that most school districts are laying teachers off because of the current budget crisis. So you would be competing against these experienced teachers with credentials.

Plus the Bay Area has a huge oversupply of overeducated academics, so you would be competing for these private school jobs with people who have (or are in the final stages of getting) PhD's. The market for tenure track college and university jobs was soooo bad this year that there are many of these folks looking for whatever kind of teaching gig they can pick up.

So anyway, not a good year to be looking for a teaching job in California.

[The Floridian]

Dee -

Stay in Europe, as you'll be much better off. A lot of Irish and Brits in Malaga Spain area....

[eureka1]

If you DO manage to get jobs in the midst of the worst recession since the Depression,you can help pay off our $40 billion dollar deficit. There is every possibility that the public schools in California won't open this Fall or won't open on time. Strongly suggest you start reading the major California papers -the LA Times, the Sac Bee- online. It's free and you'll have a much better idea of what you're getting into re: jobs, rents etc. This is not a great year to come over looking for a job, with California at 11% unemployment. Try wait a year or two. Good luck, whatever you decide.