cheapie

There is an account mgmt position in Pune, India. I would be an expat which means my living expenses would be covered and it would be a nice jump in pay. It would be a good opportunity but I've never considered living in India because it has always seemed IMHO to be a ****hole.

Have any of you been there and what do you think? On the plus side, they speak English through most of the country don't they?

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Itsme

I have not spent any time in India, but have worked in many other countires over the years, and have always found a way to enjoy myself.

In today's world the web sure helps with much more info than anyone could read.

I just used Google and entered search terms "living in India" and found lots to read. What I would look for is one or two online forums where expats already there provide their experiences.

Merlin

Would that spiffy new television of yours work over there?

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DarkFury

Heh... maybe you can give them some "reverse tech support".

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gear02

My parents have been expats for the last 5-6 years and they're trying to convince me to do the same. You'll make/save a lot of money as your living expenses are paid and as you say has a bump in terms of income. Plus, standard of living over there is very low, so you might almost be able to live like a millionaire compared to here. If you can stand/almost stand the living conditions there, you might be able to come out far ahead.

Plus, it'll be easier to do it now rather than later since your kids are still not school age.

Ask to see if you'll get a travel allowance (i.e. paid flights back to the US), whether you'd get an allowance for communting (some places might not be suitable for you to drive, and you might have a driver, etc.)

cheapie

i could take lowering my standard of living. but i don't want to subject my family to terrible pollution or just plain ****ty conditions.

LegendKiller

My roommate during my internship was Indian. He didn't really convey what the standard of living was there. I know his family were all crammed into a two bedroom apartment, 9 people. I know that he was relatively unclean. Some of his food was great (others crap) and that the country is difficult to understand if you venture too far out of the developed areas. There are many different languages spoken there.

It'd be an impossible sell to steph, who values Target too much.

gear02

Well...you also have to realize that expats aren't normally housed with many locals. Typically in places that are very different from their original countries, expats are usually housed in apartments or complexes that cater to expats and usually have nice amenities.

But really, I'm speaking from my experience, and I know nothing about your situation or your potential posting to India. You should ask for more details, especially about housing, transportation, education (for your sons), etc.

Jeffbx

I haven't been there, but we have an office there & many people I work with are Indian. From what I understand, If you're keeping your current US salary, you can live like a king there... you could hire yourself a few servants & nannies for next to nothing. The cost of living is MUCH lower in terms of food, housing, transportation, etc. However, the infrastructure leaves much to be desired. Poor communication lines, frequent power outages & very crowded conditions are standard. Not too many places with air conditioning, and it can get really hot there. Lots of different languages, but many people speak English (it's taught in most of the schools there).

It would be a heckuva cool experience for you & your kids, tho. I say go for it, if you can convince your wife!

cheapie

two non-negotiables....broadband and espn.

Merlin

What type of exit plan would your company have? That is, how long would you be there and what would be their plans for bringing you back?

cheapie

lol. good questions which i'm sure would be answered if i pursued the job.

cheapie

apparently they're still looking for S&M folks over there. i spoke with a division GM about the opportunities and he suggested a course of action if i'm actually interested. i'm pretty sure i'm going to follow up the conversation with a couple of calls to a couple divisional HR people and see what, if any, opportunities would be there for me.

gear02

Since my last post, I actually visited India and Pune. You have to realize that India as a whole needs a lot of infrastructure work, but there are places that are amazingly nice. Pune is a small city and it feels pretty great. I think it might be a good place to be.

Here are some living condition questions for you (I haven't thought about the career stuff, but you should):

Is there a good international school for your sons?
Where will you be housed?
Will you have a car and driver?
How long is your assignment?
What is the pay and the allowances? Do you get an allowance to travel home to visit?

But don't expect to live the way you do now. India doesn't have large megamarts for food, apparel, etc. The trend is heading that way, but I couldn't find a walmart-equivalent. There's a large move theater in Pune that's very modern. There are some really good restaurants in the area. The roads are a little rough in places and it might take a while to adjust to drive there (hence the question about a car and driver so you don't need to risk your neck with their crazy driving). They mostly speak English, though there will be a few people who you might not understand, but India's unofficial national language is English.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Jeffbx

Funny, I went there since you last posted this, too (Bangalore & Mumbai).

I'd echo all of Gear's comments, and add:

- Forget about eating beef. The do sell it there, but it's hard to find & the quality is questionable. They eat mostly lamb, chicken & seafood (and veggies, of course). Many restaurants & shops are vegetarian only.
- Set aside your American expectations of cleanliness. Public places are NOT always kept clean, mainly because of the sheer number of people there.
- There's a moderately high risk of mosquito borne malaria in the entire country. For SURE you would want to talk with your doc about proper vaccinations (HepA, HepB, Malaria, Tetanus... I can't remember all of them)
- You will want to have a driver to get you to & from work. You do NOT want to have to navigate the roadways there. Cost for this is pretty minimal.
- Pune may not be as bad, but some public places in big cities are swarming with beggars, and they see a foreigner coming from a mile away. There are places you won't even want to visit because of this.

Cool opportunity though - good luck!