Move to Montreal?

I am currently living in Toronto and am tired of it. I have been here all my life and the last year or so, I've felt like I've outgrown it.

I've been to Montreal several times and love it. I like the vibe there, I like the lifestyle there and I believe it is better suited to me than Toronto is now.

How difficult is it to find a job being non-bilingual? I speak Spanish but I dont think will get me far in terms of employment, I dont think.

Anyways, any advice/opinions/thoughts?

Thanks!

Depending what you do it might not be that hard. I'm from Montreal. give me more details about what you do and I might be able to help you.

I find it depends on the region in Montreal, and your type of employement you're looking for that will determine what languages you need to work. There are many international companies with offices in Montreal as well.
My boyfriend is an american who only speaks english, and has made it in Montreal for 9 years now. if he made it, I'm sure you will!
The Quebec mentality and politics may take a little to get used to however.

I find it depends on the region in Montreal, and your type of employement you're looking for that will determine what languages you need to work. There are many international companies with offices in Montreal as well.
My boyfriend is an american who only speaks english, and has made it in Montreal for 9 years now. if he made it, I'm sure you will!
The Quebec mentality and politics may take a little to get used to however.

What do you mean by "The Quebec mentality" ?

Hello everyone!
I am presently living in France and together with my french boyfriend, would also like to move to Montreal (or otherwise Ottawa).
We are both bilingual. He speaks perfect French and fluent English. I speak close-to-perfect English and fluent French.
We are both specialized in Int'l Business (him: more in export, me: more in marketing), and have university degrees (him: Master's, me: BA).
The problem is, we're having a bit of trouble finding jobs.
We would like to come asap and stay on a trial basis till end of September 2008. Then we'll decide if we'd like to stay (if we can get the right papers).
Can anyone help us?
[Obviously we have no criminal records, and moderately interesting CVs]

Thanks in advance!

@ BeagleGal. I feel for ya hun. I've been sick of Toronto for a while now and I actually posted an ad on another site a couple weeks back trying to get people to go on a cross-country road trip with me. Unfortunately I'm heading out West or I'd join you on your journey to Montreal.

As for moving there, I would definitely suggest checking out some online job boards to see if there's any work in your field that doesn't require much French. But I can tell you, I've been there myself and it's beneficial to learn the language.

Happy Travels!

I live in winnipeg and feel the same way. Montreal is such a good fit for me. I don't speak french, which i now completely regret! I am in payroll but have had other types of administrative jobs from a shipping and receiveing clerk, to a costing clerk, retail management and now payroll. Any suggestions as to where to even begin looking for something new? I love things about travel, children and am just looking for something new that is me, not what everyone wants of me. Any help would be so appreciated!

Montreal is a great city and I would highly recommend it. Rents are affordable (at least compared to Toronto and most major North American cities), the city is compact and easy to get around, and there's a lot going on -- great bars, restaurants, festivals, shows, etc. The winters are brutal of course.

The job market is not as large as Toronto's especially if you don't speak French. If you work for a Toronto company that has offices in Montreal, and you can transfer, that would be your best bet. Many people I know that made the move and do not speak French found that they had to accept jobs that pay significantly less than they made in Toronto. Montreal's cost of living is of course lower, but you should take that into consideration.

To get the most out of living in Montreal I would highly recommend you learn French.

It's always better to learn the official language of Quebec because everything is in French, of course. You'll not be able to navigate through the city if you can't read the signs and whatnot.

Of course there are Anglophones who do not speak French at all and have lived in Montreal all their lives. Anyway, try to learn French before you move.

Best of luck.

It's always better to learn the official language of Quebec because everything is in French, of course. You'll not be able to navigate through the city if you can't read the signs and whatnot.

That's not entirely true. Lots of Anglophones can navigate around the city just fine without any knowledge of French. And a lot of people who work in retail and other service-oriented jobs, especially downtown, are functionally bilingual, not to mention areas like Westmount are largely Anglophone.

I think that it's entirely possible to live in Montreal without knowing French, but it will limit you to certain areas and establishments, and it's of course a handicap when you're looking for jobs.