Where to go for work/life...
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- mattwrightgd
Hi guys thought it might be worth asking on here. So i was in Brighton for 11 years working in studios then set up on my own for 2 years but it didn't work out.
In the end i took a job in Dublin and moved over from the UK. Ive been here 3 months now and i'm really struggling with Ireland and not really into it. The job i took is good but i cant see my self staying here for a long time. I don't want to go back to Brighton or London. Im up for looking at any places really, just want to get the life / work balance right.
Any Tips or advice on where could be worth looking at would be great. Ive got over 12 years Graphic Design and Game UI experience. Just want to find the right place now feeling bit unsure on where i want to be just want to feel more settled.
Thanks Matt
- Continuity2
The problem I see with living in a city the size of London is that any gains you make on the work/life balance front are essentially wiped out by interminable daily commutes, as a direct result of it being exceptionally and prohibitively expensive to live in the city proper, let alone zone 1 or 2.
A recent acquaintance of mine who works at an agency in London is an ECD, and lives outside the city proper, mostly to keep housing costs down. Consequently, he commutes 2 hours per direction, per day.
Also to consider: the advertising and design industries are simply not conducive to work/life balance, despite any feel-good hype to the contrary from individual agencies. It's hard, long graft, which includes sometimes very late nights and weekends, particularly during pitches.
Keep all of this in mind, when looking to move for balance reasons.
- Oops, I totally mis-read. I thought I read that you WANT to go back to Brighton or London.Continuity
- Anything with passion tends to work people harder. It's unavoidable unless you really put a tremendous amount of effort into boundaries.formed
- Even then, you'll be competing with kids that will work longer/harder/more talented, also almost inevitable.formed
- Yep this ain't no industry for old men ;)Chimp
- Speak for yourself there Chimp ;-) . Passion doesn't have to die. Still working on the balance though...formed
- @formed, yep as you said it's all about putting those boundaries down. Perhaps working freelance you'd have more control.Chimp
- formed2
I don't have much to add beyond 'no place is perfect'. I've lived in tiny towns and huge cities, mid-sized cities and the middle-of-nowhere). Places, and experiences, are what you make of them. They are product of your environment - your friends, your work, your living conditions, your lifestyle, your income, your health. All, or most, of those things are in your control to change.
I'd sit back and think really hard about what you 'want'. A 'place' doesn't make everything better all by itself. It can help, but it won't do much all by itself. Consider what you are willing to change and what your expectations are.
Yes, I am old and wise. :-)
- Chimp0
I would look at somewhere cheap in Europe where you can work remotely for U.K. Based clientes. Therefore you don't have to work extreme hours just to pay the rent.
Either that or look at working in the non profit sector.
- Lisbon is hotting up for co-working spots and is in the same time-zone as London.fruitsalad
- maquito0
I worked in San Diego for months this year. Perfect weather (grey during May and June). A city with a healthy lifestyle, mixed cultures, joyful environment. 2 hours from LA, full of spots for almost every outdoor activity. If I got you right, this is the kind of place you're looking for. Idk if there's something of it's kind in Europe... It should. I'd definitely work there if it wasn't so expensive, but if you're in London, my guess is you're not going to feel the leap like myself (Uruguay).
- SimonFFM1
Barcelona is a nice place. You have the sea, a nice city and even remote areas are wonderful. The weather gives you an instant raise in comfort.
- and the Balearic Islands are just wonderful, truly amazing beautyformed
- Simon, what's an average rent there?maquito
- you can find a lot of interesting info here: http://immovingtobar…SimonFFM
- Thanks for that Simon, are you in Barcelona?mattwrightgd
- have fun, and beware of the thieves!sted
- No, I'd love to move to BCN, but my wife prefers to stay in Germany.SimonFFM
- mattwrightgd0
Thanks Guys, my girlfriend and i have a plan to get decent chunk of money saved by April then just travel around see what we like. I will try and get some meetings set up in Studios etc see what feels right. I know you take your problems with you where ever you go, i think its just turned 34 on boxing day and it got me thinking about what i really want to be doing. Spain / Portugal and France have always appealed to me as I've spent a lot of time there.
- Let me know if you need any info on Spain as I'm in Madrid now after 8 years in London and 4 in Buenos AiresChimp
- Thank you Chimp that would be Great i will email though your site :)mattwrightgd
- France actually demands work/life balance. Lunch times, legislation etc. Few do it better - but again Paris is a world of it's ownbabaganush
- Continuity0
Just a top tip about France:
Most ad agencies and design shop are concentrated in either Paris or Marseille, France's second city. Both are effectively unliveable (for different reasons in each case). The farther south you go — Marseille being the exception — the fewer job opportunities you'll find in either industry.
You could try your luck with a place like Lyon, although I really don't know what the design scene is like there.
- At one time I had wanted very badly to move to Nice, but found exceptionally few agencies in that city.Continuity
- Thanks, I did look into it before, all goes though Paris.mattwrightgd
- set1
I live in Brighton and love it, but recommend Bristol if you've had enough of London and Brighton.
- mugwart0
I'm 34 and thinking the same.
I had to fly out to Vancouver for work the other week (from a life living in and around London) and the difference was incredible.No place is perfect, learnt from living on a tropical island at 18 but this was really nice. Everyone got in on time, the moment the clock hit 6 they all left, walked home within 30 mins.
Air quality was second to none and the food was incredible.
It wasnt perfect but everyone whom i knew whom left London had a smile on their face.The English seem to have an Animal farm approach of work till you drop and watch others get richer at your expense. So my advice is to find some where that pays over time and doesn't have an additional 2 hours a day extra built into the contract.
Also aren't most game houses out side of London? I know someone starting at ubisoft in newscastle and there's a few around Manchester and within the countryside.
No where is perfect but if you can find somewhere that you can think of saving for a future, be it a little, eat and breath healthier you have a great start at life.
That or save for a face mask like the rest of us!
- Vancouver is great. Expensive, but great. Would live there.sublocked
- Another top tip from a Canadian: yes, places like Montréal and Vancouver are nice, and yes, there's universal health care and no guns, BUT (biiiiiig but):Continuity
- Labour laws in Canada are absolutely medieval. Two weeks annual leave is all the law mandates, and employers can effectively sack you on a whim at any time ...Continuity
- ... even after your probation period is done. You really, really, really need to negotiate hard, so get anything that even somewhat closely resembles ...Continuity
- ... European-style workers' benefits and protections. And, in most cases, you won't get any of it.Continuity
- *to get anything, ratherContinuity
- thanks for the heads up. Would love to live out there. So sick of London.mugwart
- nb0
What about Geneva? If I had to move there, could I make it work?
- If you are into advertising an design, check out http://www.cavalcade…, a young agency, but I like them. Geneva as a city is quite "special", I think.Longcopylover
- Like the rest of CH, it's frightfully expensive in Geneva.Continuity
- That is true. But because of that Swiss can travel everywhere and it is cheaper there.Longcopylover
- Aye. most currencies are like the Mexican Peso in comparison to the CH Franc.Continuity
- bklyndroobeki1
I do think that the neighborhoods we live in could make us/break us
- meffid0
No matter "where" you go, you'll take your gripes and problems with you.
- Yeah for sure, Its more Ireland I'm struggling with really.mattwrightgd
- mattwrightgd0
Hey Guys Happy New new year, Just wanted to say thanks for your help on this really has helped me a lot. I have list of places to look at now and check out. Thanks Matt
- Please keep us updated... and we will all follow you there.Longcopylover