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Easy. I am from Portugal. My salary there was 10k year for a developer starting. We do not have any restrictions to move and work to the UK, so I did it. When

by guilhas 10y ago

Easy. I am from Portugal. My salary there was 10k year for a developer starting. We do not have any restrictions to move and work to the UK, so I did it. When I got here recruitment an agency offered 21k and some other company offered 30-35k, but if I accepted 25k it was done deal. And the average online was arround 25k, so I accepted 25k for me it was great anyway. Another British developer got in at the same time, for the same position, and some time after I asked his salary, it was 43k. TLDR So my conclusion is cheap EU labor.

BjoernKW 10y ago
So, why only the UK then? Could be that it's cheap EU labour combined with an English-speaking society. Then again, you could work as an engineer without ever having to speak the local language in the Netherlands and Germany as well (to some extent, not all companies are amenable to non-native language speakers but I suppose most modern tech companies are). What about Ireland? From cursory research engineering salaries there don't seem to be significantly different from continental Europe. My guess is it's more about the dominance of the banking sector and its business culture, which doesn't really value engineering. After all, in banking IT often still is a mere cost centre, a necessary means to run the 'real' business.
- guilhas 10y ago
  Maybe, finace ppl are very cocky. Almost everyone in EU learns English right after kindergarten. And then movies, tv series, online mmorpg, internet stuff, English is everywhere. I would have preferred to go to Finland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, where I would be able to advance my education for free. And although UK was easier to manage in several aspects, I was ok to go to a anywhere else, buy my girlfriend (with a job in other area) was not. Ireland does a lot international recruitment, going to EU universities to get ppl.
teddyuk 10y ago
Personally I have seen more cheap labour from India rather than the EU, I have worked with entire teams of Indian contractors.
- guilhas 10y ago
  Indians need now have a 1 year only valid visa. Then they have to wait 6 months, or a year, to come another year. Not sure the details. My company also has a lot of indians, they are now trying after 1y to work remotely with them, and of course that has it challenges.

by guilhas 10y ago

BjoernKW 10y ago

So, why only the UK then? Could be that it's cheap EU labour combined with an English-speaking society. Then again, you could work as an engineer without ever having to speak the local language in the Netherlands and Germany as well (to some extent, not all companies are amenable to non-native language speakers but I suppose most modern tech companies are). What about Ireland? From cursory research engineering salaries there don't seem to be significantly different from continental Europe. My guess is it's more about the dominance of the banking sector and its business culture, which doesn't really value engineering. After all, in banking IT often still is a mere cost centre, a necessary means to run the 'real' business.

guilhas 10y ago
Maybe, finace ppl are very cocky. Almost everyone in EU learns English right after kindergarten. And then movies, tv series, online mmorpg, internet stuff, English is everywhere. I would have preferred to go to Finland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, where I would be able to advance my education for free. And although UK was easier to manage in several aspects, I was ok to go to a anywhere else, buy my girlfriend (with a job in other area) was not. Ireland does a lot international recruitment, going to EU universities to get ppl.

teddyuk 10y ago

Personally I have seen more cheap labour from India rather than the EU, I have worked with entire teams of Indian contractors.

guilhas 10y ago
Indians need now have a 1 year only valid visa. Then they have to wait 6 months, or a year, to come another year. Not sure the details. My company also has a lot of indians, they are now trying after 1y to work remotely with them, and of course that has it challenges.