[SweaterWeather77]

Hi everyone
currently residing in Vancouver, Canada and looking to relocate to Las Vegas due to many factors such as better weather(I prefer the desert climate), less taxes and cheaper cost of living and property.
I am in software development so I am thinking finding a job would be not super hard though an employer would have to agree to sponsor me, from what I understand?

My cons right now are two things:
- healthcare
- how is Las Vegas for kids? Do you find it's a good place to raise kids? I have a 5 year old boy so that's very much relevant to me.


Thank you!

if you are a Canadian who relocated, I would definitely be interested in hearing more about your experience.

[spectras]

I can tell regarding your profession: you will be able to find job very easy - there are a lot of casinos and lot of opportunities for SW engineers, and many of them are actually relocated from other countries/states (since everybody still thinks that there are no other industry here except hospitality - and that is far from truth).

Regarding kids, I believe it is up to the communication and connection with them.. there are traps everywhere, not only LV.

[Code Stemi]

Originally Posted by SweaterWeather77

My cons right now are two things:
- healthcare
- how is Las Vegas for kids? Do you find it's a good place to raise kids? I have a 5 year old boy so that's very

Can you expand on what you would like to know about the healthcare here in Las Vegas?

[Willy702]

Software developers are facing a tough time in Vegas and much of the US right now. The ones who do have jobs are well paid and certainly there is a lot of competition for the very best, but if an employer needs just "staff" level people its too hard to find them at a price they want to pay so it gets shipped out to Asia. Add in the fact that you need to be sponsored and you may not find it so easy to get work.

On the bright side, software developers in the US get paid a lot more than most Canadians so if you can find something you will probably be pleased. I used to help fill these jobs 10 years ago during the recession and we lived on them as they were the only thing getting hired. I stay in touch with some recruiters I used to work with and they said these positions are the worst to deal with now because half the time an employer acts like they are interested in hiring. Then after the recruiter has done the work to bring in candidates he finds out another position or project got shipped off to India.

[SweaterWeather77]

Originally Posted by Willy702

Software developers are facing a tough time in Vegas and much of the US right now. The ones who do have jobs are well paid and certainly there is a lot of competition for the very best, but if an employer needs just "staff" level people its too hard to find them at a price they want to pay so it gets shipped out to Asia. Add in the fact that you need to be sponsored and you may not find it so easy to get work.

On the bright side, software developers in the US get paid a lot more than most Canadians so if you can find something you will probably be pleased. I used to help fill these jobs 10 years ago during the recession and we lived on them as they were the only thing getting hired. I stay in touch with some recruiters I used to work with and they said these positions are the worst to deal with now because half the time an employer acts like they are interested in hiring. Then after the recruiter has done the work to bring in candidates he finds out another position or project got shipped off to India.

Interesting and totally the opposite I keep hearing from everyone else.

what about this?
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...market-simmers

I know that Silicon Valley is always hiring and I have many friends and acquaintances who left and keep leaving. Can't be that bad! But I can see that Vegas is not the same - for once there are less jobs than Silicon Valley and WA state and the salaries are much lower that California, but the taxes are lower too(no state tax) so it's still better.

I am seeing a lot of jobs in my field but I haven't applied yet. So that will be the deciding factor - no suitable job, no relocation. I am well employed now so I can be picky. Thank you for a different perspective, good to know!

I dislike recruiters as a software dev. Most are not well versed in technology at all and it's very hard to explain to them what I want to do and what I won't do. I prefer going directly to companies and interviewing with people who hire and understand the technology. Plus they make the process longer because they create an extra interview(with them) which is a waste of my time. I would rather just meet with whoever I'd work with and see what they are like. But I know many devs who like recruiters so we are all different.

I get quite a few interview invites from the US through LinkedIn but they are all East Coast and as much as I love NYC, I am not ready to relocate there.

I want to live in the desert and that is the only place I would relocate to at this point I am not originally from Canada so the cold climate was never my jam

[rmm0484]

You may also want to look at Reno. It has become a Tech hub, I know that Tesla is big out there.

There are other good cities in Nevada, as well. Reno?sparks is very nice.
//www.city-data.com/city/Nevada.html

Check out the Nevada job market:https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=techni...b125c0a5e32cc5

If you like the desert, Arizona is also lovely. I can't think of anything more beautiful than the High Sonoran desert just north of Phoenix, around Paradise Valley.

[spectras]

Originally Posted by SweaterWeather77

Interesting and totally the opposite I keep hearing from everyone else.

what about this?
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...market-simmers

I know that Silicon Valley is always hiring and I have many friends and acquaintances who left and keep leaving. Can't be that bad! But I can see that Vegas is not the same - for once there are less jobs than Silicon Valley and WA state and the salaries are much lower that California, but the taxes are lower too(no state tax) so it's still better.

I know many SW engineers who got job here from the first interview. Competition in Silicon Valley is crazy, and it is actually easier to find job in LV.

And keep in mind this: housing in Silicon Valley is 4 times more expensive, and their salaries are NOT 4 but maybe 1.5 times times higher than Vegas.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/l...77_KO10,27.htm
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/s...761_KO9,26.htm

[SweaterWeather77]

Originally Posted by rmm0484

You may also want to look at Reno. It has become a Tech hub, I know that Tesla is big out there.

There are other good cities in Nevada, as well. Reno?sparks is very nice.
//www.city-data.com/city/Nevada.html

Check out the Nevada job market:https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=techni...b125c0a5e32cc5

If you like the desert, Arizona is also lovely. I can't think of anything more beautiful than the High Sonoran desert just north of Phoenix, around Paradise Valley.

Thank you for the useful links. Reno is a bit too cold for me. I run rather cold myself and operate best in 35C-40C heat starting to feel mildly uncomfortable at 45C so my cold tolerance is very low. Right now I am in Vancouver Canada and I am always cold even in the summer. I tend to dislike AC (I can see how this could be an issue in the office); I know I am a bit of an anomaly though.

[SweaterWeather77]

Originally Posted by spectras

I know many SW engineers who got job here from the first interview. Competition in Silicon Valley is crazy, and it is actually easier to find job in LV.

And keep in mind this: housing in Silicon Valley is 4 times more expensive, and their salaries are NOT 4 but maybe 1.5 times times higher than Vegas.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/l...77_KO10,27.htm
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/s...761_KO9,26.htm

Awesome!

thank you - I plan to visit LV again in the summer and drive around the suburbs to see the areas and downtown. I have been there many times but mostly on the strip and nowhere else. At the end of summer I will start applying for jobs if I like what I see and will go from there.

[SweaterWeather77]

Originally Posted by chahunt

Can you expand on what you would like to know about the healthcare here in Las Vegas?

I am specifically interested in the employer coverage which is the only way I will take a job - what happens when someone gets sick and can no longer work. Is there a grace period when they are covered? Or do most people buy several policies just in case? may be a silly question but it is important to me.