Moving to Birmingham

[BeyondJumpFish]

My girlfriend has recently landed a job at the Birmingham Hospital and is due to start around the 4th July. We both live in Hull and will obviously have to relocate.
I'm just looking for help and advise really...

I work "in IT" as a service desk analyst (1st liner) so I need to know how easy it would be to find jobs of a similar nature in Birmingham. Also, whats Birmingham like to live in? Any areas to avoid living/good places to go. Is it expensive etc. etc...
If anyone can actually help me get a job there please PM me and i'll send you my CV.

I trust you guys will give me some good advise because I'm crapping my pants about giving my job up and moving...

[EvilBoris]

Birmingham is the UK's biggest city behind London and being located right smack bang in the middle of the UK means that there are lots of company head offices there. There are loads of smaller places around it that are very easily commutable if you don't want to live smack bang in the middle of the city.

[stevie vip 99]

Brum is pretty good, lots to do and see. Decent restaurants etc.
Loads of nice places to live but as always a lot of ****holes too ha ha. What hospital? There's quite a few so maybe that would depend where you looked for a place.

[Flabio]

There are loads of smaller places around it that are very easily commutable if you don't want to live smack bang in the middle of the city.

For example: Warwick.

I really miss living there.

[BeyondJumpFish]

She's moving to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. Anyone know what its like around there?

[stevie vip 99]

She's moving to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. Anyone know what its like around there?

Most of Sutton is very nice, quite expensive area.

[BeyondJumpFish]

Yeah I kind of got that impression when I looked for flats and houses to rent. Looks nice though. Trouble is that I can't really give up my job until i find a job down there, so she may have to go without me for a while...which would suck. Any one been in a similar situation?

[stevie vip 99]

The city centre is easy to get to from Sutton, plenty of places to start job hunting.

[Gradius]

Ginger Tosser is an IT bod who lives in Brum, he might be good for advise. Me and Stevie Vip work in logistics

Sutton Coldfield is probably the nicest part of north Birmingham, i wouldn't mind living there. Not so nice places are Aston, Ward End, Nechells, Newtown, Bromford and parts of Erdington. Commuting into the city from Sutton would be easy via bus or train. Tamworth is pretty close to Sutton and is probably a cheaper option.

[QualityChimp]

Hi BJF,

Birmingham is great. I'm sure you'll have a great time here!

Jobs for you: You might want to visit all the recruitment agencies to give a copy of your CV. They're all bunched together at the top of New Street near the Victoria Square Council House. There's Hayes, First Personnel, Office Angels, Manpower and the like, but check them out online and look at sites like cwjobs.co.uk, Monster, Fish4Jobs and Reed Recruitment.

There are loads of IT support companies too like OGL, Icomm, Chapco and Netshield. Might be worth seeing if they have vacancies.

Where to live: As has been said, there are nice places and grotty places to live in most towns. Get a nice surrounding town and you'll find you rarely visit Brum itself.
Sutton Coldfield is lovely, but house prices can reflect that. The town centre is OK and you're near Sutton Park, which is one of Europe's biggest urban parks. It's humungous! So there's loads of outdoor activities there and Wyndley Leisure Centre nearby.
Aldridge is a lot smaller, but is a lovely place to live. There's a small shopping centre (with some awesome balti restaurants) and some good schools nearby. Lots of fields and canals to walk by.
Walsall has some nice areas too with some good pubs, curry houses, Arboretum and a sizeable shopping centre.
Maybe your girlfriend can ask some co-workers where they suggest is a reasonable commute from?

Things to do: I'm not sure what your interests are, but there's lots to do in Brum. Cinemas, you've got AMC, Cineworld, Star City, The Electric and the IMAX. Live Music: LG Arena, NIA, Symphony Hall, The Academy and dozens of pubs. Shopping: Bull Ring, Brum town centre, Merry Hill in Dudley etc. Sports: loads of gyms, sports clubs and nice places outdoor to be in.

Let us know what your interests are (besides videogames, obviously) and we'll let you know what's here.

Finally, congrats to your girlfriend on her new job and well done to you for having the balls to move away. It's not easy for some people, so respect is due.

As there's a few of us around here, I keep trying to organise a Midlands NTSC-UK meet up, but the apathy is overwhelming! :/

[BeyondJumpFish]

Awesome, thanks QC.

I'm looking forward to living in a place where stuff actually happens, unlike Hull. The fact its got an IMAX has brought a tear to my eye. lol.
I've got an interview on Thursday for a company called Netcom (never heard of them). Even if it comes to nought, it gives me the chance to have a look around and maybe take a look at those agencies you've mentioned.
My GF used to do archery, so i think she wants to get back into that. The only clubs that do it here are either for old people who need to keep moving, or universities.

Once I get settled I'd be up for a gathering...or a pint, whichever takes the fancy.

[Taka]

Harborne is decent too, and very close to Birmingham city centre. Walkable too in the summer if you wish.

[stevie vip 99]

Harborne is decent too, and very close to Birmingham city centre. Walkable too in the summer if you wish.

Decent is putting it mildly, its very nice and super expensive. High st is boring though

[Ginger Tosser]

My GF used to do archery, so i think she wants to get back into that. The only clubs that do it here are either for old people who need to keep moving, or universities

A couple of the guys I work with are into archery, so there are clubs around the brum area that do it (One of the guys is representing Team GB next year!).

As for IT stuff, you could try Service Birmingham to see if they have any vacancies.

[BeyondJumpFish]

Update! (if anyone cares)

I appear to have got myself a bloody job in Birmingham! Now the hunt for an abode begins. Need to get my game face on because time is short.
Im so cuffed...but I'm also ****ting myself too. This time next month I'm gunna be living in a new city.