Moving / Long Term - AUSTRALIA ALONE?

NullZer0

Hey everyone,

I have been pondering about going to Australia for a while now.
I feel that there is nothing left in Ireland for me, the country is a joke to be honest.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has done this already.

I would be going alone - with no intentions of coming back (but that may change).

I currently work as a network administrator / freelance a little too - anyone know what the job scene is like?

Also ----> I hear people saying that its very easy to make friends there... but is it really when your there alone?

BuffyBot

If you're moving, it's not really a holiday

Moved to Abroad

kittex

It better be easy! I'm trying to do this very thing at the moment... Single gal, trying to move there for 2 years or good. Not sure if I am mental really, but if I don't give it a go, I'll regret it forever.

bucks73

I have looked it into it myself but dont meet the points requirement for a skilled worker visa. I would love to give it a go for at least a year and highly recommend anyone else trying it.

A mate of mine also IT has made the move recently. He went in on a tourist visa and had plenty of interviews while I was down there recently. Because his skill is in demand he will have no problem getting a job and then a visa thru the employer.

You can check the list of skilled occupations here:
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1121i.pdf

If you are still under 30 you can get in on the 1 year working holiday visa and then while there get your employer to sponsor you so you can stay longer.

I couldnt tell you about meeting friends down there as I have a few down there already but in Sydney there are plenty of Irish and the Irish pubs are jammers at weekends. Another way to meet friends is to stay in the hostels. There are always people on their own in there also looking to meet new people.

If I was under 30 or qualified for a visa I would be gone tomorrow.

pclancy

You'll meet people and make friends within 5 minutes of being in a hostel or on a night out Ive found. IT wise im sure there is plenty of network admin work, especially in contract and for niche areas such as secuirty etc. You'll see plenty of IT jobs advertised online but theres not much point in applying for anything until you're in the country. Get a working holiday visa for a year and go down and see what you think, that wayif you do settle you could approach an employer for sponsership or apply for a longer term visa.

I'm heading to NZ in a few days and am hoping to get at least one 3/6 month tech support or network admin contracts, theres plenty of work there and Australias a much bigger place so id be surprised if you didnt find good work.

daveg

Really quick post as I'm off to bed now but we moved to Melbourne 3 months ago and apart from missing the family and friends the only negative we have found is that the sausages and cream crackers are crap!!

Seriously though the ozzies are great. Really friendly. Weather so far is superb. Loads to see and do. Beaches are amazing. So much cheaper compared to Ireland (so far I rekon what costs €1 at home costs $1 here, apart from rent and housing). So many more positives but too tired to mention. The IT industry appears to be booming so you should be fine work wise. One thing that really shocked me is the level of education here for your adverage Ozzie. So few go onto Uni here that those coming over with skills and quals are at a great advantage in the job market. That was my experience anyway. Best of luck.

Skittlebrau

daveg wrote: »

Really quick post as I'm off to bed now but we moved to Melbourne 3 months ago and apart from missing the family and friends the only negative we have found is that the sausages and cream crackers are crap!!

Hey Dave, if you're missing a decent cream cracker try the shop "Treats From Home" in the city. It's in 234 Collins Street. You'll pay through the nose for them but they should have 'em. I go in for an occasional treat of Jaffa Cakes. Can't really help with the sausages. They are a bit crap. I'd kill for a Superquinn sausage about now.

Norinoco

Hi IRock,

Landed here just over a month ago on a tourist visa, have managed to secure a job (sponsorship), a place to stay and its fair to say I know more people here in Sydney now then I ever did in Dublin. The weather is fab, the food is great and the night life will leave your liver in bits!

Loads of Net admin jobs at the moment, the IT industry is going well over here. Have a glance on www.seek.com.au to give you an idea

If you are eligible for the working holiday visa then get that.

One thing you will never be in Sydney and that lonely...i guarantee you'll meet someone you know from home within 24 hours of landing in the country!

BarryCreed

Norinoco wrote: »

Hi IRock,

If you are eligible for the working holiday visa then get that.

ive got to renew my passport asap, and may have a window of about a week to get the visa before im 31 :eek::eek:

i was worried i wouldnt be able to get a "normal" job on the holiday visa...

NullZer0

Everyone thanks for the replies!

I think I might apply for a Visa for a year and see how it goes. The Girlfried along with me!

Beautybeanie

we have found is that the sausages and cream crackers are crap!!

I hope you haven't been getting your sausages from the supermarket.

As for the university situation, 33% of the population attend university for very good reasons but two stand out:

1. Unlike Ireland, an undergrad university degree costs an average of $30,000 at about $800 per unit. Although that cost is factored into the tax system and you pay it bit by bit (although this doesn't include post grad degrees which you pay for yourself at $1200-$2000 per unit), it's a debt held for a long time by many people and for a lot of them, that's just not acceptable. They'd much prefer the mortgage.

2. You earn much more in a trade or in business. Over here, chippies and sparkies (carpenters and electricians) are earning $100K a year, more if they're in the mining industry. Apprentices are on a good wicket too. I think it's also worth pointing out that Australia's richest people do not have a degree. In fact, our richest man, a billionaire, has a year 8 education.

Degrees are alright but they aren't everything.

mfield

I'm working in the property game in Ireland and I am now really thinking about going over to Oz for work, I am going down for a month in November to see what it's all about. My brother is down there at the minute working as a Quantity Surveyor and he was saying that there is plenty of work in that game.

I'm really looking forward to going down and seeing what it's all about as Ireland is beginning to go super dodge, especially in my game. If I don't go now, I'll never go!

martinr5232

Hi does anybody know what sort of money mechanics are earning in oz. Have had an itch to go for years but am to old now for a holiday visa so thinking of emmigration.
As far as i know mechanics is on the list of skills shortages if anybody could also confirm this.

Cheers

eamog1888

Hi, just reading all your comments and in the same boat myself.....done the 1yr wrking visa, back about 2.5 yrs now, but wondering what the scene is like for engineers (manufacturing)........

ibh

martinr5232 wrote: »

Hi does anybody know what sort of money mechanics are earning in oz. Have had an itch to go for years but am to old now for a holiday visa so thinking of emmigration.
As far as i know mechanics is on the list of skills shortages if anybody could also confirm this.


Cheers

Yea i think its on the list but i dont think the wages come close to other trades unless you are going to work in the mines.
I worked in BMW in Sydney and its a class place but the Technicians (Mechanics) always complained that the pay was quite poor. The only thing i will say is that very few that i worked with would consider doing some nixers for extra cash. They worked a flat week and after that was leisure time.
They are very receptive to Irish and British Mechanics coming over cause they like the work ethic of these people. You often find the expats are the ones who do the difficult jobs cause they are more adaptable.

eamog1888 wrote: »

Hi, just reading all your comments and in the same boat myself.....done the 1yr wrking visa, back about 2.5 yrs now, but wondering what the scene is like for engineers (manufacturing)........

Afraid that the manufacturing sector in Oz is pretty poor. They are more of a service kinda place.
But they are dying for Engineers so if you are willing to be flexible you will have no problems.
Building Services is the real market over there.

portomar

daveg wrote: »

So many more positives but too tired to mention. The IT industry appears to be booming so you should be fine work wise. One thing that really shocked me is the level of education here for your adverage Ozzie. So few go onto Uni here that those coming over with skills and quals are at a great advantage in the job market. That was my experience anyway. Best of luck.

friend of mine spent 4 months here in oz looking for an IT job and he is SERIOUSLY qualified. when you are 417 (working holiday) a lot of employers do not want to know about you. if they're trying to build a workforce the last thing they want is someone who can only stay 6 months without the mess of visa extensions/sponsorship. you will find work eventually, but it can be soul destroyingly difficult. took me 2 months, 5 hours a day on the internet to find a job paying $18 an hour, which is difficult to live on. have friends in melbourne who literally cant find work either. just keep in mind that with europe going down the pan financially, a LOT of aussies are coming home from there (and if youre competing for a job with a citizen/resident, who do you think theyll choose?), along with thousands of Irish (a guy who interviewed me said he heard theyre gonna limit the irish working holiday coz of the increase in uptakers) just come with a stack of money to sit it out until you find a job, coz the picture will get less and less rosy as Australia follows the rest of the world into the economic abyss.....

watna

We actually have an Aus/NZ forum where you'll get better answers. I'm moving this there.