Job market frustrations...

I am so frustrated with the job market.

I would really like a permanent role and I am fed up of temping.

The problem is that the market is flooded with newly qualified solicitors. There are no senior positions. The trend these days is for employers to hire cheap newly qualified people and just have one key figure head. Its supply and demand, there is an oversupply and as a result salary levels have dropped. Many recruiters I have spoken to agree with my take on the market - given the difficult economic times we are in more employers are turning to cheap labour such as junior lawyers or paralegals.

I am not going to take a derisory salary. That is why I am forced to keep temping. All of the roles which come onto the market are paying a salary of 30 - 40% less than I can earn temping.

I am sick and tired of this crap but I need to keep my earning level up as I need money for the escape.

staying put...

We have decided not to put our home on the market.

In view of the poor market at the moment and the fact that I dont want to live in a rented property for the next few years we might as well stay put.

By selling I estimated that we would have an additional £800.00 per month approx in disposal income. That would be roughly one half of our present living expenses. More money for the escape fund.

But on a practical note - I dont want to rent for the next few years. Too many uncertainties, rents may rise, or we may have to move several times to find a desirable building. Noisy neighbours, student parties, rough part of the city and all that puts me off selling.

We might as well stay put until we are ready to escape. Or perhaps we need to keep this and use it as a base, given that the only place I wanted to escape to wont let us stay full time!

Back to the drawing board!

Escape to where....?

Having investigated the limited immigration options I cannot see a viable escape plan to North Amercia.

The visa options. There are no options. We are not skilled workes, we do not have family to sponser us, we have no prospect of getting sponsered by an employer (too many lawyers in north america already), we do not want to give away $500k for an investment visa.

The tourist visa - we can stay 3 months in the US or 6 months in Canada.

I wanted somewhere to put down roots, buy some land/a house live in a small town be part of a community. Because of stupid immigration rules the best that we will be able to do would be to buy a holiday home in North America. But how practical is that? Not very. I wouldnt be able to keep animals or keep my garden with having go back and forth all the time.