Sigh, I can't decide what to do. My wife's job is transferring to Geneva, they have offered us a nice relo package (not gold plated but good) and a cost of living adjustment for the move. Her new job in Geneva looks exactly like the work she wants to do. If she does not take the Geneva job she will be unemployed (but at least able to collect unemployment). She was unemployed the first 9 months in 2009 and had a horrible time finding a job and had to take a large pay cut when she finally got one. Shes been trying to find other jobs here but hasn't found many opportunities.

The flip side is I make a lot more money than her, even after the cost of living adjustment to salary to move to Geneva I still make more here with a much lower cost of living (her work estimates +50% cost of living increase from here to Geneva). Here, in USA, I have people contacting me about once every couple months, hoping to have me come in for interviews even when I am not looking for employment so that leads me to think I am in a much better field for finding a job ... at least here in US. I was hoping to be able to keep my job in some fashion but work remotely from Geneva but today I was told by my boss "no".

So how bad, realistically, is the job market for a non-french speaking (but willing to learn) US citizen who would be in Geneva on a spouse visa? Specifically database stuff?

I've done some preliminary searching and sending out my CV to places in Geneva but I think they see USA and throw it in the bin without reading my email where I state I will have a spouse visa.

From a pure financial standpoint it doesn't make sense to quit my job to move to Geneva, but it hurts me to see the pain my wife goes through trying to find work here. I'm so torn.

Based on the research I have read here her Geneva salary would be enough for us to survive on but unless I get a job there we wouldn't have much "play money" to travel etc which is one of the big attraction points for us to move.

I know nobody has the correct answer of what we should do .. the decision is just driving me crazy and am hoping for some indication of the job market there.

What is your line of work and qualification ? 'Database stuff' ?, Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server... DBA, Developer... etc ?

SQL Server developer, over 10yrs experience, the last 4 being the data warehouse developer for a finance company (commodity futures trading primarily, not banking).

Hmmm, I guess anybody choosing SQL Server for a career path should let their partner make the next career move choice. Don't wanna screw up twice do ya ?

Port your career to Oracle. The world is your oyster.. There will be plenty of work here for you, the Visa will be the tricky part.

Well, I don't know if this is an option but you could let your wife accept the job in Geneva without you quitting your job just yet. Every new job has a trial period. Perhaps it will not be the dream job she thought but in the trial period either the employer or employee can decide to terminate the contract with very little notice. So there is a risk in the trial period. So initially you could stay in the US at the start, continue to look for a job but don't quit the current one.

Over the years I have seen many couples and families opt for living apart temporarily. Sometimes it makes sense as it gives you a bit of a safety net.

You sound like a really nice guy to consider your wife's needs but as you said, there is no correct answer. I hope you find a good solution. Good luck.

same what she said,

tried I , then see

Surprisingley, i were actually looking around if there's some nice opportunities out there (not that i want to change me job ), so here's a link that have some opportunities for sql developers including Warehouse / Business Intelligence and language of some of the adverts is English.

http://www.jobup.ch/searchJob.asp?Ty...om=BasicSearch

Contact the advertisers, call them and tell them you'll be here soon and will have a permit issued as your wife is coming to work here, this will make them more easy discussing with you as no permit problem will be involved.

If i come across other options i will keep you posted.

Thanks, the plan would be that she moves right away, stays in temp housing looking for an apartment etc and when things are more settled on the Geneva end and we've found our apartment the dog and I would come over. So I would be a "trailing spouse" by a few months. She had a pretty good idea of the job since she worked there in Geneva for 4 months earlier this year and has been doing it remotely from here for a couple months after that. The "try it out for a while" is tough because if she doesn't stay for at least a year (might be 2 for some of the benefits) we have to pay back all the moving expenses, temporary housing, air tickets etc... ouch

LOL I don't know how any company can afford programmers after paying for Oracle and the army of DBAs it takes just to keep it running optimally

Bah, Oracle, it's no good, keep with SQL

Seriously tho', contrary to what I've seen on the job market myself, it seems Geneva is a little more accomodating to someone that does not speak French, but does speak English, than someone trying to work in the German speaking part of Switzerland in IT, but doesn't speak German.

Just a 'little' observation of mine, but you never know...

if you can afford it then do it. do realize EVERYTHING is much much much more expensive, quality of life is much less I find compared to the USA (this is if you have health care and the whole blabla) and the European dream of the Americans...well it is not all that.
try it for a while and keep a good relationship with your current ewmployer just in case

Make sure that she applies for your family reunion permit as soon as she arrives as it will take around 4 to 8 weeks, this will make your life easier and will open doors for jobs, employers have so many restrictions now regarding work permits, so unless you have one, you hardly can get a job

I'd say come over

It seems you have a skill in demand here and there are plenty of english speaking international companies here.

I've met a few men who were trailing spouses here and all have rather enjoyed the few months 'off' when they arrived.

Note to self: if coming over plan it to be during ski season. When does ski season start? How much are lift tickets?

ski season start middle december usually. season pass is about 1 k
otherwise areas within 2 hours from GE are about 60 chf

gut feeling: move to geneva.

rational: seems like your wife has tougher times than you to find a job. give her the chance, you have more chances to get a job if you decide to travel back.

maybe an idea:
- does any of the companies that try to recruit you have an european office? you could join their european office, work remotely from geneva. travel within europe is easy (unless the icelandic volcano wakes up).

MrVertigo's post sparked an idea in my mind, why not start working as a consultant for one or even all the companies that called you for interview, being an sql developer, you can work remotely from anywhere.

More freedom, more income and you'll be with your wife

Thanks Mowvich and MrVertigo good ideas.. I have asked about that (remotely for other companies) and so far no bites.

I also looked to see if there was a company in Zurich, as there are more financial companies there that could use me, that would allow me to work remotely but come in for a few days a month or something, but visa gets tricky then.

I don't know... its a battle. The financial side of my brain is saying "don't do it - especially not now in this economy" .. but the other side of my brain is saying that I could see myself years in the future as an old geezer thinking "man I should have lived a little and went to Geneva - even if it meant burning through some retirement savings for a year or two"

60CHF for a lift ticket? Really? wow... I think I found something that actually isn't more expensive in switzerland

SQL Server is Microsoft - Nuff said!

If there's anything that microsoft has ever done right, it's definitely sql

Well, I feel obliged to protect Microsoft products

But tbh I'm not a DB person. At least not in the SQL/Oracle sense. So my input to that type of discussion would be rather minimal...