Please for those already in Nova Scotia, assist us with news about the province.
Which areas are best to stay. How is rentals for apartment. What is job situation and what are strategies to pick a job.
Depends on where you're working. If you're working in Dartmouth - it may be cheaper to get an apartment over but don't know too much about that side. As far on the other side of the bridge...if you're prefer the hustle and bustle of city life then maybe try to find an apartment downtown. They tend to be a lot more expensive and you get less for your money. 1 bedroom apartments start at 900-950/month on average.
I live in Clayton park which is one the outskirts (about a 10-15 minute drive downtown)...you'll find cheaper places there but the price as i stated above will get you something a little nicer. Larry Uteck is another area close to Clayton Park that is new and being built up. Housing is newer but also more expensive. In general I'd say if you want to be close by..look for places downtown halifax or Clayton Park - easily reached by public transit. Bedford and Sackville are also not too far away as well but would most likely be a bit more convenient if you had a car.
As far as wages are concerned - I'm a software developer. Salary ranges are as follows:
Junior 35-50,000
Intermediate-50-70,000
Senior - 70,000+
Jobs are found the normal way - career beacon/linkedin/etc...but networking is probably the best way to find a job. Many companies are looking for people but are very open to employee referrals (i know mine is). The I.T. industry is growing here and there are jobs to be had...might be a bit difficult finding something if your are junior as only a few companies are hiring (IBM, NTT, CGI) but with a bit more experience, it makes things much easier.
What are important things to know and note.
The biggest thing to know is that the NS has some of the lowest wages in Canada but close to the highest taxes - hence why many people are leaving and they're making things a bit easier for people to come in but that won't last for long once the PR system hits its stride. It's not as diverse as the bigger cities in Canada so unless your middle eastern, african, indian, bangladeshi or east asian (i'm from none of those regions) you may find it a bit more difficult to adjust. The pace here is a lot slower which many people find difficult to adjust to and find it boring but I'm from a small island so it's perfect for me. Outside of Halifax, there's not much else going on in the province unless you're just visiting for the day but unless your job is in Halifax/Dartmouth......be prepared for a long commute or living in a small remote town (Lunenberg, Bridgewater, Wolfville, Kentville, Coldbrooke, etc). There's more that I can say but this covers most of the important things...Hope this helps....
Please help us with info.
