Canada is North America's shameful violence against seals for furs center. Oh, and Waterloo is a good school.
Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
191–200 of 229 posts
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#192Earlier quoted context omitted.
While I do have a grievance with a much lower pay ceiling across Canada, those numbers are ridiculously low even if in US dollars as I assume they are. I don't put much stock in the StackOverflow survey. And I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your take on TN visas is extremely simplified. For instance software developers aren't actually allowed to have a TN visa, and instead you have to say that you're a "system…
those numbers are ridiculously low even if in US dollars as I assume they are. I don't put much stock in the StackOverflow survey. Then put stock in a the words of a guy who has actually looked for employment in Canada, and after the election of Trump is very incentivized to take a positive view on moving to Canada: as far as I can tell from the salaries posted, I'd take about a 50% pay cut, and I wouldn't be able to…
You might already use this site, but if not, definitely add it to your job search:
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#193Earlier quoted context omitted.
"The gap here is smaller ($30k vs. $50k) but still significant." Healthcare, stability and democracy (sans land/house prices) make up a lot for this.
>Healthcare, stability and democracy Healthcare: We're talking about tech jobs. The healthcare coverage you will get from any tech company paying 6 figures is going to be essentially zero cost full coverage. Stability: I have no idea what you are even talking about here, but it would be pretty hard to refer to the US as unstable from the perspective of someone working in a tech job. I suspect you pay too much attenti…
The healthcare coverage you will get from any tech company paying 6 figures is going to be essentially zero cost full coverage.
That's not been my experience. Microsoft used to offer a 100% plan, but that was unusual, and they dropped it a few years back. (Don't remember exactly when; I'd already left.) Google did not have a 100% plan, and no startup I've worked for has done better - in fact the startup I'm working for right now has no health plan at all.
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#194Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Pinapple Express" is an ironic term for what is, in fact, days of shitty weather. There are waves of heavy rain. The air might not be that cold, but you will be if you're soaked.
"Shitty" is subjective. The fact is, the Pineapple Express brings warmer, tropical-esque temperatures. I grew up in Vancouver and didn't move away till I was 18. I've always thought the rainy weather was nice and didn't think too much about it. That's just me...haha :D
Pineapple express weather is good for people who walk to their cars with an umbrella. 11 degrees C in January indisputably beats being in some snow blizzard in northern Ontario. Look how much better off we are than those suckers, ha ha!
11 degree water, on the other hand, is like out of the cold water tap. Not so great for outdoor activity. Add to that the windchill factor if you're running or cycling.
Clear, sunny weather and -3 degrees is better than pouring rain and 11 degrees.
Staying warm isn't much of an issue for outdoor activity. It's not hard to achieve: an extra layer, some head gear and gloves; being dry is more important.
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#195Earlier quoted context omitted.
While I do have a grievance with a much lower pay ceiling across Canada, those numbers are ridiculously low even if in US dollars as I assume they are. I don't put much stock in the StackOverflow survey. And I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your take on TN visas is extremely simplified. For instance software developers aren't actually allowed to have a TN visa, and instead you have to say that you're a "system…
> And I'm not trying to be argumentative, but your take on TN visas is extremely simplified. For instance software developers aren't actually allowed to have a TN visa, and instead you have to say that you're a "system analyst". Small correction. "Software engineer" has been a valid TN category since the early (?) 90s.
It's actually just "Engineer", which is pretty broad I guess. Does your diploma have to say anything about "Engineer"?
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#196This article doesn't mention one of the major reasons for talent leaving Canada: if you work there, you need to stomach a 50% pay cut in average salaries vs the US. This is true pretty much across the board regardless of tech niche on the 2017 Stack Overflow Developer Survey[1]: Machine learning specialist: US 108k, Canada 53k (49%) Embedded applications/devices developer: US 100k, Canada 53k (53%) Systems administra…
>No need to wait for an H1-B, just show up at the border with job offer & credentials in hand, assuming you've graduated college. TN visas are instant and infinitely renewable. This is false. I say this as someone with a TN visa, which I use to visit my employer a few times a year. The TN application process is onerous and takes weeks to confirm. The actual visa is indeed granted at the port of entry but can be denie…
> onerous and takes weeks to confirm
When I moved from Canada to the Bay Area, I accepted my job offer on a Friday evening, organized to get original transcripts from my university on Tuesday morning, FedEx'd them overnight to the law firm and they arrived on Wednesday. I received my TN-1 package (a thick, completely opaque set of forms, documents, letters and all sorts of other legal shenanigans) on Friday evening. I then bought my ticket to leave Canada the following Friday. All together it was 2 weeks from acceptance to arrival in the US.
Not every experience is the same, and no doubt it would have been far harder had my company not pipelined my immigration through a very prominent and large law firm.
That being said, the fact that I can be denied entry in the US at any time scares me. It scares my company. It's no secret it's expensive to hire, and even more expensive to hire new talent to replace talent that cannot enter the country. I say this as a young, educated professional with no criminal history or ties. I shouldn't have to worry about this.
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#197Earlier quoted context omitted.
If salaries and housing prices in Canada were at all reasonable, I know many fellow Canadians would move back from the Bay area in an instant. Toronto is the other major tech center which is stupidly priced (hopefully the new govt measures slow things down). If you can speak french, consider Montreal.
How about the Tri-Cities[1]? I have several friends who live there, seems like there are lots of tech jobs around. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-Cities_(Ontario)
Still very limited job opportunities compared to US tech hubs, but the cost of living is indeed not out of control.
The biggest problem there is you have to be OK living in a place like Waterloo, which is great if you like suburbs and want lots of space, not so great of you're into city living.
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#198Earlier quoted context omitted.
The word is out in the last few years though with any young developer googling Vancouver. Low pay, high cost of living not worth it. Even the founder of Hootsuite wrote an op-ed and the situation is only worse since the 2 years ago he wrote that. Something that pays 125,000USD in SF pays like 78,000CAD here. Condo's are $1000/sqft still.
> Condo's are $1000/sqft still. In the suburbs maybe.
Presales downtown are at $2k/sqft.
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#199Earlier quoted context omitted.
"The gap here is smaller ($30k vs. $50k) but still significant." Healthcare, stability and democracy (sans land/house prices) make up a lot for this.
>Healthcare, stability and democracy Healthcare: We're talking about tech jobs. The healthcare coverage you will get from any tech company paying 6 figures is going to be essentially zero cost full coverage. Stability: I have no idea what you are even talking about here, but it would be pretty hard to refer to the US as unstable from the perspective of someone working in a tech job. I suspect you pay too much attenti…
I think the democracy one might have been a shot at Trump and the broken process that allowed for his election.
US politics are pretty terrible.
Re: Canada is North America’s up-and-coming startup center
#200Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Healthcare, stability and democracy Healthcare: We're talking about tech jobs. The healthcare coverage you will get from any tech company paying 6 figures is going to be essentially zero cost full coverage. Stability: I have no idea what you are even talking about here, but it would be pretty hard to refer to the US as unstable from the perspective of someone working in a tech job. I suspect you pay too much attenti…
The healthcare coverage you will get from any tech company paying 6 figures is going to be essentially zero cost full coverage. That's not been my experience. Microsoft used to offer a 100% plan, but that was unusual, and they dropped it a few years back. (Don't remember exactly when; I'd already left.) Google did not have a 100% plan, and no startup I've worked for has done better - in fact the startup I'm working f…
Huh? I've never had a to pay a dollar in healthcare premiums at any employer. Granted, I've never worked for a tiny, tiny startup but even among white collar employers tech companies generally have top-notch health insurance.