Deep-fried pizza.
Can't beat the local delicacy of salt'n'sauce on your chips here in Edinburgh!
Tech Job Scotland
51–60 of 62 posts
Re: Tech Job Scotland
#52I have always wanted to live in Scotland, does anyone know how common it is for companies to provide sponsorships for work visas?
Both Edinburgh and Glasgow (the only cities I've worked in) have very diverse populations - European, American, Asian, Indian, Australian. As a "local", no first hand experience of applying but I'd infer it's pretty common, sure.
Re: Tech Job Scotland
#53In terms of the technology sector, Scotland and especially Edinburgh is an exciting place to work. Edinburgh does have the traditional banking industry, but also great companies such as Amazon and Skyscanner, with a collegiate/academic environment. There are also many career and techie opportunities within the many start ups.
I found it's a city with good worklife balance. I have made the most of the techie meet ups and I have really enjoyed my time here with the Hip bars and restaurants and affordable accomodation! I have not had an issue with being English in this cosmopolitan city.
Re: Tech Job Scotland
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
Oh come on, Scottish Nationalism ≠ Nazi-ism/EDL-ism Scotland's "Nationalism" is about gaining independence and actually becoming a nation, not about violent and misguided idealism. In fact, Alex Salmond (leader of the Scottish National Party, the majority party in Scottish Parliament) has come out for more liberal immigration policies, to encourage positive economic immigration[0]. Compared to the UK government's inc…
For me its about being represented slightly more than we currently are, with the London centric politics of Great Britain. One arse in charge of 6 million is 10x more democratic than one arse in charge of 60 million.
Exactly, Scotland (and most other parts of the UK) won't ever get as much attention in Westminster as the South-East of England, and our parliamentary representatives are that much further away from us.
You could say that your vote's power is inversely-proportional to the size of the democracy, but if you look at how the complexity of communication scales, then surely smaller democracies are able to function much more effectively than larger ones (cf. small vs. large [software] teams).
I'm voting yes because, although I plan to travel after I get my degree from Edinburgh, independence would give me more (and potentially better) options for living in the EU in future.
Re: Tech Job Scotland
#55If you're English, be prepared for some weird attitudes (you're sometimes treated as "an enemy" just because you're English). It's nothing terrible (certainly not as bad as racism towards racial minorities (I'm searching for the correct way of saying this, not having lived in the UK for many years, but I guess that's better than "people of colour")), but it gets tedious after a while. [English; lived in Scotland for…
I'm a Scot, and lived in London for a few years. I had the exact same experience in reverse - if you're not from England and decide to live in the South East of England, prepare to get slagged. I now live in Glasgow, the city which has such a bad and undeserving reputation, and despite my posh-scottish accent, I've not had one issue with anyone I've worked with. From a business opportunity perspective, I can say quit…
A classic example is Boswell's first encounter with Johnson in 1763:
"Mr. Davies mentioned my name, and respectfully introduced me to him. I was much agitated; and recollecting his prejudice against the Scotch, of which I had heard much, I said to Davies, 'Don't tell where I come from.'--'From Scotland,' cried Davies roguishly. 'Mr. Johnson, (said I) I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it.' I am willing to flatter myself that I meant this as light pleasantry to sooth and conciliate him, and not as an humiliating abasement at the expence of my country. But however that might be, this speech was somewhat unlucky; for with that quickness of wit for which he was so remarkable, he [...] retorted, 'That, Sir, I find, is what a very great many of your countrymen cannot help.'"
Had Boswell been more thin-skinned or less stubborn, we might have had no Life of Johnson, and so no Johnson either.
Re: Tech Job Scotland
#56If you're English, be prepared for some weird attitudes (you're sometimes treated as "an enemy" just because you're English). It's nothing terrible (certainly not as bad as racism towards racial minorities (I'm searching for the correct way of saying this, not having lived in the UK for many years, but I guess that's better than "people of colour")), but it gets tedious after a while. [English; lived in Scotland for…
As an Englishman (from the south-east to boot) who married a Glaswegian I can relate to this. I was held personally responsible for most of the ills befalling Scotland and my protestations that I had been on poll tax demos etc fell on deaf ears.
But that attitude did change and I put it down to the creation of the Scottish parliament. From about 2000 it started to become the focus of the most of the real political arguments, or at least that's how it seemed to me, and the anti-English thing became much less specific. More of a "we don't like the English except for the ones we've met" kind of thing.
As an aside, it's also the reason why I believe that the Scottish parliament may have killed the chance of independence. It seems to have taken some of the sting out of the, very real, ruled from London mentality. At least for issues that actually affected people day to day.
Re: Tech Job Scotland
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. No one in the history of the world has ever conceded that their version of a bad thing is the same as another version of the bad thing.
As jeffbr states, look at the policies of the SNP before unfairly categorising them. Scotland just voted in equal marriage for same-sex couples with the First Minister of Scotland, and leader of the SNP, strongly in favour. It really isn't a prejudiced or authoritarian nationalist party and has a record to back that up.
I don't agree. I think the Scottish Nationlist's are racist towards the English, and they're happy to incite hatred in the electorate by raising the spectre of the Evil English raping and pillaging it's way through Scotland.
They asked for a referendum to be held on the anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. To what end?
Perhaps Jingoism is a better term than Nationalism.
Re: Tech Job Scotland
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
As jeffbr states, look at the policies of the SNP before unfairly categorising them. Scotland just voted in equal marriage for same-sex couples with the First Minister of Scotland, and leader of the SNP, strongly in favour. It really isn't a prejudiced or authoritarian nationalist party and has a record to back that up.
I don't agree. I think the Scottish Nationlist's are racist towards the English, and they're happy to incite hatred in the electorate by raising the spectre of the Evil English raping and pillaging it's way through Scotland. They asked for a referendum to be held on the anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. To what end? Perhaps Jingoism is a better term than Nationalism.
And for what it's worth, I don't begrudge Scotland it's independence. Good for Scotland I say. But I'm calling it as I see it.
Re: Tech Job Scotland
#59Re: Tech Job Scotland
#60Some interesting looking companies there. Might be merit in running a more local session, e.g. for folks in Scotland's own main cities that might not be aware of their options? I speak as someone working in Glasgow who's heard of only a few of those sponsors.
You'll find a lot of the tech scene (in Edinburgh at least) go to Tech Meetup[0] every 2nd Wednesday of the month, and you'll soon hear who's hiring in the introduction go-around. Hell, it's a rare occasion when neither Skyscanner or Amazon aren't hiring more developers. [0]: http://techmeetup.co.uk/
I think Skyscanner and Amazon are always hiring new developers. If they don't say it, they probably just forget to plug it for a moment. Just go and ask them anyway. Also http://www.tmvse.com/Recruitment/
(Disclaimer: Toshiba kindly sponsor my site http://opentechcalendar.co.uk/ :-)