I can speak with authority now - Jersey is very nice.
It was windy like the end of the world whilst I was there. It rained pretty hard too. But the island is clearly very beautiful. Small and not massively populated. Everyone is very friendly too I noticed.
I got the impression that through the summer months, almost everyone finishes work and heads straight to the beach for a stroll along the sand. Sounds idyllic really.
St Helier is tiny. Lots of history there and an odd mix of ye olde buildings and brand new flats and offices. As I can tell, finance is the biggest employer by far on the island now. Tourism seems to be falling away now that Brits can get to Spain more easily and cheaply. So it seems that most people work in finance or in a position that supports finance or the rest of the island.
The one thing I will say, is that property is shockingly expensive. There are not many places that maake central London look almost affordable, but this appears to be one of them. The only saving grace is that a new Jersey resident must wait 12/13 years before they are allowed to purchase - which makes prices for a transient population something of a non-issue.
Apparently, a first time buyer type of property is in the ballpark of £400,000. In the St Helier harbour area, the new appartments (2 or 3 bed) are nearing £1 million. Shocking. The view would be nice in summer though ;-)
As for the interview, it went pretty well. They are looking for a very specific skill set - which I largely have and can prove - which makes me think that I have an excellent chance of getting the job since not many others can claim the same. I am unique if nothing else. They grilled me though, for 3 hours, on technical stuff!!! Blimey. Tough going by the end.
Best,
Stuart



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