Salary expectations

[full nelson]

Hi All

Here's my question:
Everybody knows that recruiters in UK value UK experience the most. So to get the job in UK one has to lower his salary expectations compared to the professionals in the same area having the same experience: e.g. if I have 7+ years of IT experience, 5+ years of Java/J2EE and 2+ years of Banking/Front office derivatives, I will be competing with UK professionals who only have 2-3 years total.

So how long does it take for UK recruites to accept fully my non-UK experience, I mean in 2-3 years will I compete with professionals possessing the same experience or will it always be the same - 3-4 years lag behind

Basically what I'd like to know, it's obvoius the start will be low, just because I have no UK experience, but what are the prospects in 2-3 years? How fast the salary grows on average for a foreigner once he gains this "UK experience"?

Thanks

[Chess]

The start salary may be low but if yu work hard and change jobs and prove that you are highly skilled then your wages will increase as well....

[anderson4543]

In my experience it is merely the first UK job that you will take a salary/rate hit. Once you have proven yourself in the UK, it becomes almost irrelevant that your previous experience is outside the UK. You should command a similar rate/salary to established residents after your first job.

[mercy]

Hi full nelson,

I've have needed to confirm anderson4543.

I am a 8 years experienced total 4 years Java/J2EE/Oracle/Sql Server senior/lead developer with full of certification including Microsoft.

I got my acceptance last August. Following one month I spent time on cv preperation and applications. I did numerous phone interviews.
At last I used one week off at my previous job in my previous country to come here and look more closely for a job. I did three face to face interview here and in following weeks in my home country got one offer of 35K. Resigned immediately from my previous life at all and came here.

Note that my income must have been around 85K according to home office's earning shchema traslation. But I accepted 35K.

Before finishing three months probation I managed to get a 30 percent increase to 45K with hard work without any overtime.

Now gonna give some break and have a baby and let some time to pass to count on against 'local experience' and polish my accent.

Cheers

[webhunter]

hi mercy,

i have similar experience as yours (java/j2ee). Could you please let me know if your company is hiring.

[geneva]

My husband is a senior IT Architect. To find a company willing to sponsor him he had to take a massive hit to his salary, eventually accepting £35K. He was able to prove very quickly that he was worth a lot more, and 4 years later he is now being put forward for positions around £80-90, which he feels is closer to his market value.