Got job offer 30k - is it okay ?

[Joy.Please]

Hi Folks,

Spare some time to give your opinion.

Am in a dilemma. I am earning 12 lacs in india. Have a tier one visa. Got a job offer for 30k gross in belfast.

Should i take it up ? I am looking for a saving of at least 1500 GBP per month. is it possible with this salary (have my spouse with me) ? Have no idea about the deductions - therefore this question.

Let me know please.

Regards,
Joy

[Wanderer]

Hi Folks,

Spare some time to give your opinion.

Am in a dilemma. I am earning 12 lacs in india. Have a tier one visa. Got a job offer for 30k gross in belfast.

Should i take it up ? I am looking for a saving of at least 1500 GBP per month. is it possible with this salary (have my spouse with me) ? Have no idea about the deductions - therefore this question.

Let me know please.

Regards,
Joy

Well, as 30k pa equates roughly to £2k a month net there's no way of saving £1500......

Unless you live in bus shelter.....

[Joy.Please]

Wanderer,

Thanks for the information.

I am going to ask for a higher salary. Would you be able to suggest the amount I should ask for - to live in Belfast ?

Regards,
Joy

Well, as 30k pa equates roughly to £2k a month net there's no way of saving £1500......

Unless you live in bus shelter.....

[Wanderer]

Wanderer,

Thanks for the information.

I am going to ask for a higher salary. Would you be able to suggest the amount I should ask for - to live in Belfast ?

Regards,
Joy

Well, as 30k pa equates roughly to £2k a month net there's no way of saving £1500......

Unless you live in bus shelter.....

To save as much as you want to save I really think you are looking at a salary of around 50k, doubt anyone offers that in NI.

Or, send the spouse out to work!

[Joy.Please]

Thank you very much Wanderer. I was short on time - really appreciate your quick help.

To save as much as you want to save I really think you are looking at a salary of around 50k, doubt anyone offers that in NI.

Or, send the spouse out to work!

[kenfrapin]

30k compared to 12lakhs is not comparable at all - you are better off back home!!!
With 30k cash in hand after taxes is just £1800. Living a very normal lifestyle without any luxuries will help you save a max of £500 a month as you are with your family. Even this is really difficult. With the current exchange rate against Indian Rupees that's just close to Rs35000!!!
Now with Rs12 lakhs and sensible savings on tax you can so very easily save more than that and on top you are at home enjoying your life in your know surroundings, family, friends etc and the weather (trust me, the weather aint that great in Belfast). Plus Belfast is not a top choice for settlement and enjoying overall British life but hey, what do i know

Overall, in my opinion, not worth a dime to take the £30k salary and move to Belfast. Even living in a bus shelter wont help you meet your target savings. To save £1500, after living expenses and tax cuts you must make a gross of £50k as Wanderer has stated which is a distant dream unless you are superb and the employer is stupid or desperate.

Personally, I would jump if I get a Rs 12 lakh job back home....but alas!!!

Cheers
KP

[aliq09]

Hi Folks,

Spare some time to give your opinion.

Am in a dilemma. I am earning 12 lacs in india. Have a tier one visa. Got a job offer for 30k gross in belfast.

Should i take it up ? I am looking for a saving of at least 1500 GBP per month. is it possible with this salary (have my spouse with me) ? Have no idea about the deductions - therefore this question.

Let me know please.

Regards,
Joy

Hi ,

Forget every thing .. and be stick to your 12 Lac job! .... man! No one is paying 60K here ....... By the way what exactly you are doing in India ... if possible i can also come there

[ukdest]

Hi Folks,

Spare some time to give your opinion.

Am in a dilemma. I am earning 12 lacs in india. Have a tier one visa. Got a job offer for 30k gross in belfast.

Should i take it up ? I am looking for a saving of at least 1500 GBP per month. is it possible with this salary (have my spouse with me) ? Have no idea about the deductions - therefore this question.

Let me know please.

Regards,
Joy

Hi ,

Forget every thing .. and be stick to your 12 Lac job! .... man! No one is paying 60K here ....... By the way what exactly you are doing in India ... if possible i can also come there

What you get in hand is 1850. And to have a decent life here you need that much. I am spending around that much for a life i was getting in India spending around 25K INR per month. So i would compare that salary with a 5 Lakh Salary in India.

[Joy.Please]

Thanks everyone.

Two years of my visa have already gone by. I did not move because of the recession.

Would anyone of you be able to tell - how Tier One folks are actually doing ? I read some statistic that a 85-90 % are in high paying jobs. What's the reality.

And, under what conditions would you say that a person is ready to move to UK ?

By the way, I turned down that offer. Guess what, the company came to Bangalore and recruited in droves.

Regards,
Joy

[kenfrapin]

I know very few IT guys who came here on Tier 1 and then found a job in the past 5 years. Most of my friends came here on Work Permits and then shifted to Tier 1s and so had a job in hand.
Plus these are the guys who I guess have better jobs as they have been working here for atleast 2 to 3 years, building experience and then moving on. For first timers coming here in this market, Tier 1 is only the legal means of getting to the UK but no where close to actually certifying you as a 'highly' skilled person with really good credentials.

Those days of unlimited jobs and interviews, unfortunately, are long gone now and all coming here are struggling unless they have more than 10years exp and that too in a field that is in demand. If so, such profiles have a chance of getting good jobs. But note that 'good' jobs dont mean high salaries. Perm jobs, in general, dont pay more than £35k to £40k for real experienced dudes. If lucky, they may get £60k in London but thats really a minority. The majority get pays from £22k to £28k only as most Tier 1s usually have 5yrs and below exp.

That is why the general feeling today is to best stay put in your job and probably try to get a job that pays Rs 12lakhs and above back home as there is much more scope to grow, move up the career ladder and be successful. There is no concept of appraisals in the UK. Companies usually give a bonus of 5% and increment of 2% to keep up with inflation. The Banking and Finance sector jobs are attractive because of the bonus component only which in some cases, equals a whole year's salary depending on performance. All other sectors just give standard bonuses and increments every year which is why salaries hardly ever increase out here!!!

KP

[*FC*]

I know very few IT guys who came here on Tier 1 and then found a job in the past 5 years. Most of my friends came here on Work Permits and then shifted to Tier 1s and so had a job in hand.
Plus these are the guys who I guess have better jobs as they have been working here for atleast 2 to 3 years, building experience and then moving on. For first timers coming here in this market, Tier 1 is only the legal means of getting to the UK but no where close to actually certifying you as a 'highly' skilled person with really good credentials.

Those days of unlimited jobs and interviews, unfortunately, are long gone now and all coming here are struggling unless they have more than 10years exp and that too in a field that is in demand. If so, such profiles have a chance of getting good jobs. But note that 'good' jobs dont mean high salaries. Perm jobs, in general, dont pay more than £35k to £40k for real experienced dudes. If lucky, they may get £60k in London but thats really a minority. The majority get pays from £22k to £28k only as most Tier 1s usually have 5yrs and below exp.

That is why the general feeling today is to best stay put in your job and probably try to get a job that pays Rs 12lakhs and above back home as there is much more scope to grow, move up the career ladder and be successful. There is no concept of appraisals in the UK. Companies usually give a bonus of 5% and increment of 2% to keep up with inflation. The Banking and Finance sector jobs are attractive because of the bonus component only which in some cases, equals a whole year's salary depending on performance. All other sectors just give standard bonuses and increments every year which is why salaries hardly ever increase out here!!!

KP

Fantastic post and perfectly close to reality, good job KP

Cannot add anything more to this post since it explains the reality as it exactly is.

FC

[troubled]

If it sounds so good to be true, then it is.Becareful with such job offers.Many people in UK are out of job and a job with such salary will appeal to many unemploy in UK.Home office has advised jobseekers on this issue: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... rs-warning

[jithan]

I know very few IT guys who came here on Tier 1 and then found a job in the past 5 years. Most of my friends came here on Work Permits and then shifted to Tier 1s and so had a job in hand.
Plus these are the guys who I guess have better jobs as they have been working here for atleast 2 to 3 years, building experience and then moving on. For first timers coming here in this market, Tier 1 is only the legal means of getting to the UK but no where close to actually certifying you as a 'highly' skilled person with really good credentials.

Those days of unlimited jobs and interviews, unfortunately, are long gone now and all coming here are struggling unless they have more than 10years exp and that too in a field that is in demand. If so, such profiles have a chance of getting good jobs. But note that 'good' jobs dont mean high salaries. Perm jobs, in general, dont pay more than £35k to £40k for real experienced dudes. If lucky, they may get £60k in London but thats really a minority. The majority get pays from £22k to £28k only as most Tier 1s usually have 5yrs and below exp.

That is why the general feeling today is to best stay put in your job and probably try to get a job that pays Rs 12lakhs and above back home as there is much more scope to grow, move up the career ladder and be successful. There is no concept of appraisals in the UK. Companies usually give a bonus of 5% and increment of 2% to keep up with inflation. The Banking and Finance sector jobs are attractive because of the bonus component only which in some cases, equals a whole year's salary depending on performance. All other sectors just give standard bonuses and increments every year which is why salaries hardly ever increase out here!!!

KP

Guys,

Don't underestimate cost of living in Indian cities. I'm living in one of the Indian metro, frankly speaking my gross salary is 80k per month, but i get 67k per month after all deductions (tax, PF , etc). DO you know i have to spend around 22k per month to live an average life? if you want to live a lavish life in India you have to spend at least 40k per month (lavish life in India is equivalent to average life in UK).


Don't forget the fact that even if you live a lavish life in India you cannot spared from Indian traffic, pollution, climate, law&order and finally privacy.

so how much I can save finally,

approx 45k per month for average life,
approx 25k per month for lavish life.

In India also you will not get more than 10% hike per year that too only the industry is in good position. no hike for last years due to recession.

You know I don't have good regard in overseas life until i visit UK for 2 month trip in 2008, after which my mindset has changed totally

I prefer to live and work in UK even if could save only the amount i'm
saving currently in India.

Joy what do you say ? Am i right ?

[npanglia]

Guys,
Don't underestimate cost of living in Indian cities.

I completely agree to this. India is no more a country where urban population eat just vada pao & paranthas on the road side. It is the era where urban population buy clothes from Tommy, Mango, Gucci, Espirit (If you want to validate this, visit these stores in Metros and you will see the facts if not realize)

I have lived in UK for 2 years and then stayed in India for 1 year.
Let me put it this way - In India your income doesn’t support your expenses. However atleast in UK the income levels support the expenses (assuming you get a decent average job as well).
(When I am making this statement, please bear in mind I am not in low income earning category in India)

Rightly said, the luxurious life in India = Average life in UK

I think if someone is making a move, he/she should be considering the whole package rather than just talking about GBP salary withdrawn.

At last on job security, my uncle once told me - It’s not in the hands of employer to provide job security, but it is in the hands of employee to secure his job (by doing exceptional work and possessing skills which out rightly beat the competition)

[kenfrapin]

....
Don't underestimate cost of living in Indian cities. I'm living in one of the Indian metro, frankly speaking my gross salary is 80k per month, but i get 67k per month after all deductions (tax, PF , etc). DO you know i have to spend around 22k per month to live an average life? if you want to live a lavish life in India you have to spend at least 40k per month (lavish life in India is equivalent to average life in UK).
.....
I prefer to live and work in UK even if could save only the amount i'm
saving currently in India.

Come here for sure if you plan to live, settle and integrate with the community here - I totally agree with you that life in the UK is a whole lot different with much less stress and tension in your day to day life and activities. My comments are more towards those who want to come here primarily to make and save some money. But for those who want to migrate here then its a good choice.

On salaries, even if one makes £40k here, it is still considered average if you want make a little nest egg and save for a rainy day. If you plan on spending every penny of you money, then £35k itself is a good salary as you can do a lot and live in luxury - well just about i guess

For 1lakh a month gross, you take home about 80k and save 40k which is, in UK terms, making £1500 gross, take just £1200 home and save close to nothing as you need atleast £1000 for an AVERAGE life here. To save Rs 40k which is £600, one needs to make atleast £1600 net after tax and thats like £26k in the UK!!!!

So going by that I think to put some figures to my reasoning with lifestyle and saving power, you should only come to UK if save much more than your Indian Salary without having to live like a beggar when in the UK - is this correct?

So here goes :

India UK
12 lakhs £36k
18 lakhs £48k
24 lakhs £65k
30 lakhs £80k

Note that taxes are a lot higher, NI is on top of that and there is no tax saving avenues compared to India at all. EDIT - If you have young kids, then your wife cant work as Child Minders charge as much as £800 a month so there wont be 2 earning members in the family. This directly means if 2 of you ear Rs 8lakhs back home its not worth coming here with 1 person getting £40k - plus expenses sky rocket when you have a child. But hey, nobody thinks of all this, they just pack their bags and come here

This is just my own guesstimate - members can add to this and give their inputs so we get a better insight

But given today's market, we in the UK will tell you that all you can get as a perm employee is a max of £48k - so whats the point????????

KP

[LearningCurve]

Interesting discussion going on here.

And I would have thought like this, being in Joy's position, take the 30K offer come into the UK and then look out to move into a better paying job!

Although I agree is difficult, but what even more difficult in the 1st place is to secure a job before coming into the UK.

And in my humble opinion, if you were able to save 35k / even 45k on your 12L job back in India, it's still a good deal to be able to live in the UK while saving GBP 500. But again this is entire subjective, it depends entirely on the individual based on various many factors.

[kenfrapin]

....
And I would have thought like this, being in Joy's position, take the 30K offer come into the UK and then look out to move into a better paying job!
...

I agree to this but with Joy having ambitious plans of saving upto £1500, accepting a job at £30k will not suddenly help you secure a job of £60k unless you wait for a considerable amount of time like say 2 or 3 years. This is because
1. When you apply for jobs stating upto £60k, they will never give you that much if your previous salary was £30k. Agents will take your current salary into account and drive a hard bargain to just give a max of £5 to £8 increase from your previous package and sell the Company benefits as a juicy Carrot.
2. If a job advert states between £40k and £60k, agents tend to USUALLY ignore candidates getting salaries below the min mark set by the client. This is to weed out applicants as there tend to be too many applying for posts that are not relevant to their skillset

Note that hikes are just 2% with bonuses varying from 10% to 20% on meeting Target Expectations which they term as OTE in the adverts.

So while I agree one can take a £30k job, its very important to set expectations straight at the outset and clarify that its not that easy to make that big jump in terms of pay very soon from a low to high salary

KP

[namastelondon]

....
And I would have thought like this, being in Joy's position, take the 30K offer come into the UK and then look out to move into a better paying job!
...

I agree to this but with Joy having ambitious plans of saving upto £1500, accepting a job at £30k will not suddenly help you secure a job of £60k unless you wait for a considerable amount of time like say 2 or 3 years. This is because
1. When you apply for jobs stating upto £60k, they will never give you that much if your previous salary was £30k. Agents will take your current salary into account and drive a hard bargain to just give a max of £5 to £8 increase from your previous package and sell the Company benefits as a juicy Carrot.
2. If a job advert states between £40k and £60k, agents tend to USUALLY ignore candidates getting salaries below the min mark set by the client. This is to weed out applicants as there tend to be too many applying for posts that are not relevant to their skillset

Note that hikes are just 2% with bonuses varying from 10% to 20% on meeting Target Expectations which they term as OTE in the adverts.

So while I agree one can take a £30k job, its very important to set expectations straight at the outset and clarify that its not that easy to make that big jump in terms of pay very soon from a low to high salary

KP

Well the whole proposition of moving to UK changes if both partners are working. You can run your household on one salary and other salary can be saved. If we have a single earner in family then its not worth it.

[ashishashah]

BOTTOM LINE is that you will end up saving same amount in both countries. i.e 800/900 GBP in UK(for salary of 30-35K) and 60000 INR(for Sal of 10-14 lacs) considering 7-10 years of experience in IT.
Please bear in mind that this is a ball park figure ,but after staying in UK for 4 years and in India for 10 years,i think that this figure is close to reality.

So then comes "QUALITY OF LIFE"...Day to day life in UK is cool,not much of hassles..No pollution.traffic...Also WORKING HOURS are fixed...In India opposite is true...
But one more thing is social support ,friends and family(which i missed while in UK).I had "good" friends and collegues but not very close ..I admit that this is very personal but in moment of crisis we couldnt rely on neighbours to bail us out..

SO DONT BANK ON UK FOR MONEY alone..Money wouldnt motivate you after a while...You need to have a 'life' ..So if you "like" uk,go for it!!!!

[kantave]

XYZ

[kenfrapin]

Absolutely right Kantave - When I first joined this forum, I advocated the very same - come here for the life and not solely for the money.
But, in time, I realized most people posting queries here are only looking for the money that they think grows on trees here, and are ready to leave absolutely perfect lives back home, and come here on an adventure - and most of these people have good jobs and families to consider.

Even now, I agree with all your points. If one works with a decent company on a decent pay, say somewhere in the £30k range, life is way better in the UK - perfectly official work times, lot of room for a great personal and family life, great people to interact with, a much lower scale of office politics, sensible driving sense, many many polite and lovely people on the roads, ease of doing so many daily life activities, option of planning you holidays without the need of cancelling or worrying last minute, doing so many things on the net with a click of a button, professionals who stick to a given time when it comes to any household work, services that deliver what you pay them for, option of a superb community life or live in your own world and most important of all - ZERO stress in comparison with that faced in Asia which in itself easily adds another 10 years to your life.

Mind you - as is with every country, UK has its own share of problems and issues but in comparison with those in Asia, it is still a million miles ahead. Except for missing the family connection and feeling home sick, nothing actually negates the idea of settling in the UK. It is only subjective choices that makes a person either live here or move back after a few years. But if you keep it very general, then its wonderful

UK, today, is multicultural, and yet still has a lot of things going for it. This is still a beautiful place to consider settling in - if, in the end, you accept things the way they are and are ready to cope with the unusually miserable weather compared to Asia

KP

[Joy.Please]

ashishashah - what you say is exactly what I was told by my cousin. They're settled in Sydney for the last 5 years and are planning to move back to India. They no longer are motivated by money. They want to get back to Indian life - food, movies, social life, attending family functions, relatives and friends. But they do appreciate that the nest egg they have earned in Sydney will help them. But they're not getting the break to move back to India.

jithan - the figures you quoted about expenses in India are almost my figures. 90K gross, 65-70k in hand. Monthly expenses for me and my spouse 25k. But I do not agree with your assessment that good life in India = average life in UK. For me, it's the opposite. I think you're only considering office/professional life when you make that statement. There're other things to consider as well.

namastelondon - very important thing you pointed out. Other posters based in UK have not mentioned this. This can make a real difference.

LearningCurve - yours is another observation that others based in UK did not mention. Just about the time I saw you post, I had a tiff in office. I was asked to stay late by my bullying boss. I refused and had an altercation with him. After seeing your post, I got in touch with the UK company once again. Unexpectedly they offered me the position once again. But, finally, I declined the offer once again.

kantave - I can understand you very well. I live(d) in Bangalore. All Indian metro cities are increasingly like what you described. People have no time for each other. Yet, it is possible to have good neighbourly relationships - unless one decides to isolate oneself. That option is almost absent abroad. Besides, staying in touch with family is a possibility only in India. However, there's a catch. The slavish work conditions in India leave one with little time to catch up with one's personal life. My friend, who's based in Singapore, is able to visit his parents in India atleast twice a year. He has the money and time to travel. I, despite being in Bangalore, travel to my hometown once in a year. As for quality of work in India, I think we have to remember that IT projects worldwide are increasingly being offshored - including good work. Therefore, if one wants to be part of good projects, one has to be working in a company with an offshore facility in India - perhaps in an onsite role. If one joins a small time company abroad - I don't think they'll have better work to offer than an Indian company.

For me it's a choice between slavish work conditions in India + good personal life (don't forget domestic help at home) and good work conditions abroad + poor personal life. I prefer to go with the former. But right now I am in Sydney earning decent money (47K GBP terms) with an Indian company - saving for my flat back home. I'll be here for some more time - I can always ask for a relocation back to India. Having that option is good.

[Sky_High]

Interesting discussion

Do not forget that in UK, you have access to free schooling and free top class health care which are very expensive in Asia. In UK if you are poor, you are still a human being. In many asian countries this is not the case.

[mrajkumar]

@Joy.Please: Did you get the offer from Allstate NI, Belfast?

ashishashah - what you say is exactly what I was told by my cousin. They're settled in Sydney for the last 5 years and are planning to move back to India. They no longer are motivated by money. They want to get back to Indian life - food, movies, social life, attending family functions, relatives and friends. But they do appreciate that the nest egg they have earned in Sydney will help them. But they're not getting the break to move back to India.

jithan - the figures you quoted about expenses in India are almost my figures. 90K gross, 65-70k in hand. Monthly expenses for me and my spouse 25k. But I do not agree with your assessment that good life in India = average life in UK. For me, it's the opposite. I think you're only considering office/professional life when you make that statement. There're other things to consider as well.

namastelondon - very important thing you pointed out. Other posters based in UK have not mentioned this. This can make a real difference.

LearningCurve - yours is another observation that others based in UK did not mention. Just about the time I saw you post, I had a tiff in office. I was asked to stay late by my bullying boss. I refused and had an altercation with him. After seeing your post, I got in touch with the UK company once again. Unexpectedly they offered me the position once again. But, finally, I declined the offer once again.

kantave - I can understand you very well. I live(d) in Bangalore. All Indian metro cities are increasingly like what you described. People have no time for each other. Yet, it is possible to have good neighbourly relationships - unless one decides to isolate oneself. That option is almost absent abroad. Besides, staying in touch with family is a possibility only in India. However, there's a catch. The slavish work conditions in India leave one with little time to catch up with one's personal life. My friend, who's based in Singapore, is able to visit his parents in India atleast twice a year. He has the money and time to travel. I, despite being in Bangalore, travel to my hometown once in a year. As for quality of work in India, I think we have to remember that IT projects worldwide are increasingly being offshored - including good work. Therefore, if one wants to be part of good projects, one has to be working in a company with an offshore facility in India - perhaps in an onsite role. If one joins a small time company abroad - I don't think they'll have better work to offer than an Indian company.

For me it's a choice between slavish work conditions in India + good personal life (don't forget domestic help at home) and good work conditions abroad + poor personal life. I prefer to go with the former. But right now I am in Sydney earning decent money (47K GBP terms) with an Indian company - saving for my flat back home. I'll be here for some more time - I can always ask for a relocation back to India. Having that option is good.

[sharbt_hvr]

Well from my experience working in UK for 2 yrs and India for 4 yrs,

- quality of life is high compared to any city in India which we can't measure in money alone.

- since lot of indian companies are in outsourcing ,majority of work pressure comes from west and immature indian mgrs from their poor planning or greedy firms.

-asians can work till their death and there is fear factor to obey seniors which is opposite to european work culture..


rgds,
sharbt_hvr