Australia, should I go or stay?!

SeanSSS

Hi,

I have been thinking of going down under for quite a while, but I can't decide if I just want to go because everyone keeps going on about it, or that I actually want to go! it seems like there is almost social pressure to go! Been living in London and my contract finishes around march so can't decided if I'll stay here and look for a new contract or take the plunge and try Australia (Melbourne) for a while.

I have recently started getting somewhere with a passion of mine in London (writing music with friends, and looks promising) and don't want to throw it all away for what might be a mirage, but on the flip side I am still young (29) and perhaps should go and enjoy life and sunshine while I'm young!

Could someone please be honest about their experiences there?

Are there good opportunities in areas that are not construction etc?

Is it tough to get on your feet when you arrive?

Is it that great a place to potentially damage your career prospects for what may end up a extended holiday?

Is it that good that you could throw away a chance at developing your passion into something you are proud of?

What did you like/dislike about the place?

I would like to hear anyones experiences of being over there in a similar situation?

Cheers!

S

catbear

If there's scope for travel to be part of your future work then i wouldn't bother giving up on something that shows potential.

dr.kenneth noisewater

You can only get the WHV until your 31 so now is probably be the best time. I believe you also need to be under 31 if you want the 2nd year visa.

SeanSSS

Thing is I have some friends there now, so would be a good time but typical that things would start taking off where I am at the same time when its the perfect time to go. Maybe a holiday over there for a few weeks is the way to go just to see if it floats my boat, although quite expensive.....

skeg16

Just do it!!! Nike

Im 22 and have a good IT job but Im planning on booking flights for the end of Sept '14

I feel that if I don't go know I will never go. Yes I will be mad throwing away a good job/family/friends/GAA etc. but I think that if I don't go I will look back on it in 10/15yrs and regret it.

You are much older than me so you may be in a different situation but at the end of the day would you not like to see the world??

Ireland is not going anywhere!!!

I have family in Sydney, my brother says there is plenty of construction work and there is always hospitality work to be got. They are always telling me that Melbourne is supposed to be even better for work and the cost of living there is cheaper!!

Good luck with your decision!!!!

bestleftfull3

skeg16 wrote: »

Just do it!!! Nike

Im 22 and have a good IT job but Im planning on booking flights for the end of Sept '14

I feel that if I don't go know I will never go. Yes I will be mad throwing away a good job/family/friends/GAA etc. but I think that if I don't go I will look back on it in 10/15yrs and regret it.

You are much older than me so you may be in a different situation but at the end of the day would you not like to see the world??

Ireland is not going anywhere!!!

I have family in Sydney, my brother says there is plenty of construction work and there is always hospitality work to be got. They are always telling me that Melbourne is supposed to be even better for work and the cost of living there is cheaper!!

Good luck with your decision!!!!

I'll echo Skeg16 currently in a very well paid permanent job in Dublin at the minute but need to get out of ireland for a while I'm 23 and I think been this age is a good time to go for life's experiences myself and the girlfriend will be booking flights in October as she will be just finished college and graduated. Going to initially holiday in dubai for four days and then onto sydney she has an uncle there and I have a number of my friends who have been there the last 6 months! obviously it will be yough at first getting an apartment etc but that's always going to happen no matter where you go.

Work won't be easy but apply everywhere and get to all the agencies.

I honestly cant wait to go I love a challenge !!

SeanSSS

I wanted to go when I was your age 23-24 but none of mates were up for it and wasn't willing to go by myself. I have since done some travelling by myself in china, vietnam and thailand and I think it is over-rated, you find you are just bored by yourself a lot of the time. That's why I want to be practical about this decision, because I'm 29 career is FINALLY gaining momentum and don't want to throw it away etc for nothing, to be honest if it wasn't for this chance to develop my passion (music) I would def go! It's the conundrum between, staying, plugging away at developing something that will last or just say carpe diem and take a roll of the dice, I guess when you are pushing 30 you get a different take on it!

skeg16

bestleftfull3 wrote: »

I'll echo Skeg16 currently in a very well paid permanent job in Dublin at the minute but need to get out of ireland for a while I'm 23 and I think been this age is a good time to go for life's experiences myself and the girlfriend will be booking flights in October as she will be just finished college and graduated. Going to initially holiday in dubai for four days and then onto sydney she has an uncle there and I have a number of my friends who have been there the last 6 months! obviously it will be yough at first getting an apartment etc but that's always going to happen no matter where you go.

Work won't be easy but apply everywhere and get to all the agencies.

I honestly cant wait to go I love a challenge !!

You sound like my twin....22/23, working in dublin, looking to travel, heading end off Sept/Oct and your bringing the ball and chain too (the woman)

Dubai also sounds good....you may have planted a seed ya fecker

bestleftfull3

skeg16 wrote: »

You sound like my twin....22/23, working in dublin, looking to travel, heading end off Sept/Oct and your bringing the ball and chain too (the woman)

Dubai also sounds good....you may have planted a seed ya fecker

Yeah i just really need to go I commute to Dublin everyday from the midlands its absolute torture but if I lived up here I wouldn't have the funds to be going, yeah shes coming with me took a lot of convincing 6 months to be precise then in the space of a week she came around to the idea and now she never shuts up about it !!

I've always been an admirer of Dubai just looks like paradise a place you see in films and to have the opportunity to go there to chill out and relax will be the perfect tonic for sydney!

I'm going to book my visa in March and then the flights in April (hopefully)

Have a calendar in work already marking off the the days !!

jackbhoy

SeanSSS wrote: »

Could someone please be honest about their experiences there?

Are there good opportunities in areas that are not construction etc?

Is it tough to get on your feet when you arrive?

Is it that great a place to potentially damage your career prospects for what may end up a extended holiday?

Is it that good that you could throw away a chance at developing your passion into something you are proud of?

What did you like/dislike about the place?

You seem very focussed on negative outcomes, which makes me think that maybe deep down you don't want to go?

No one on here is going to be able to reassure you that everything will be fantastic, you have really got to try it for yourself. To that end I would really go with an extended visit/holiday and see how you like the place, maybe get a break from work or some extended leave?

I came to Australia 5 years ago as part of a longer trip. We just packed in jobs in Ireland and started travelling (indefinitely). We applied for whv but had no set intention on staying here, as had NZ, US, and even S America/Asia as viable options.

I was a bit sceptical about Aus tbh as was sick of everyone at home raving about it. Mostly these were people who came for 12 months, got p1ssed/laid, lived with other Irish people in Bondi/St Kilda etc and then came home saying it was time of their lives but "i don't like the Aussies". Nothing wrong with that but it's not what I was looking for when leaving Ireland.

I travelled from NT, through WA and SA and saw some amazing stuff but nothing about the cities (where relevant work was) that would make me want to live there. Again, Adelaide & Perth have huge amount to offer but just weren't for us at the time.

When we got to Melbourne we just felt at home so quickly. Just so many interesting things to do, nice people and beautiful parks etc, all round just a much more varied and active lifestyle than we had at home.

Having been here a while now it's so hard to see us leaving. At the same time I miss a lot of Ireland and probably will head back there for an extended period (to see if resettling would work) after we get citizenship here.

In terms of your concerns about career etc. Australia has lots of skilled and professional jobs, not everyone works in construction or mining by any strectch.
Almost every mate I have has done a gap year, so having a year long gap in CV (if that happens) is not a big deal if you are good at your job anyway. I interview people here and wouldn't give a second look at someone taking a year out.
It can be tough to get on your feet. It is very expensive, even by London standards and you will burn through savings pretty quickly until you get a job.

At the end of the day you need to make and be comfortable with the decision. For us, packing in "good" jobs in Ireland at start of financial crisis was seen as madness by most friends and family, but it was our decision and doubts aside, we were comfortable making it at the time. After all these were same friends and family who were telling us how mad we were not to "get on the ladder" and stop spending "dead money" on rent, so I suppose the old adage "be careful who you take advice from" is spot on really...:)

GerryQuattro

Hi there,
Which occupation are you in? You can always have a look at what the market is like on seek.com.au - that will give you an idea of what you're talking about, in terms of your finances.

I jacked in a job myself in Dublin (reasonably well paid, permanent etc.), and came down to Melbourne about a year and a half ago. Best decision I've ever made. I'm not down here in Irish bars Friday-Sunday and have very little interaction with the Irish community really - it's definitely not a requirement in order for you to settle in.
In comparison to your current situation, I wouldn't have to think too long about it. Yes you'll be the other side of the planet from your family and friends, but you get over that pretty quickly
With the ratio of the price of living/wages, you'll most certainly be better off down here, with many many multiples of the opportunities that would be available at home.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Do it. You'll only regret the things you didn't do. If it doesn't work out for you, it's only a year out of your life, in one of the most liveable cities on the planet - Not exactly a bad place to be!

Best of luck anyway
GQ

lufties

SeanSSS wrote: »

Hi,

I have been thinking of going down under for quite a while, but I can't decide if I just want to go because everyone keeps going on about it, or that I actually want to go! it seems like there is almost social pressure to go! Been living in London and my contract finishes around march so can't decided if I'll stay here and look for a new contract or take the plunge and try Australia (Melbourne) for a while.

I have recently started getting somewhere with a passion of mine in London (writing music with friends, and looks promising) and don't want to throw it all away for what might be a mirage, but on the flip side I am still young (29) and perhaps should go and enjoy life and sunshine while I'm young!

Could someone please be honest about their experiences there?

Are there good opportunities in areas that are not construction etc?

I went to Oz when I was 27, stayed for a year and a half. To be honest I got quite bored, and became homesick and negative about the place. I was looking for a proper life experience but ended up stuck in the partying lifestyle, which I was trying to get away from. Lived in cairns, gold coast, newcastle, brisbane and perth. Perth was the best imo. I went to live in Asia after that and haven't really looked back since.

Its a shame to say I got the PR visa while in Oz and still have a year to go back but the place just wasn't really my thing. My advice would be give it a go for a year, you are still young. I can't understand though to this day why people rave about the place so much. irish people come home after a year and never shut up about it!

denismc

I travelled to Australia about 13 years ago when I was 26.I was like many others undecided for a long time but I took the leap and went eventually.What I liked about it was the outdoor lifestyle, what I didn't like about it was the amount of drunken Irish yahoos in places like Bondi so I quickly moved away from that scene.
A lot of the Irish over there are early to mid-twenties and are there just for the piss-up but that doesn't sound like your scene.
What Australia is great for is the outdoors and the wide open spaces which I personally loved but it may not be your thing.
Culturally it doesn't compare with Europe as you have a population of 20 million spread over an area the size of the U.S.
Looking back I was glad I went as it give me a chance to look at life in Ireland from the outside in and was great for personal growth. Would I regret it now if i hadn't gone? probably not.
Sounds to me like you have a pretty good thing going on in London and London is a place I would have loved to live for a year or 2 but I didn't.
I think you will probably have a richer experience in London than you would have in any of the Australian cities.
Also you are a young guy and will most likely have plenty of opportunity to travel in your life.
Life doesn't end at 30, it's just beginning.:)

denismc

I think part of the reason people rave about Australia so much is because they have a year of life with no cares or responsibility. Basically they are on holiday for a year.
I think if the same people had to live there full time and work full time, paying bills, raise a family etc. they would find they have to deal with much of the same crap we have here.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

lufties

denismc wrote: »

I think part of the reason people rave about Australia so much is because they have a year of life with no cares or responsibility. Basically they are on holiday for a year.
I think if the same people had to live there full time and work full time, paying bills, raise a family etc. they would find they have to deal with much of the same crap we have here.

Thats quite true, I was living with another Irish lad who was just there for the party while I was actually trying to make an honest go of it, Super annoying i must say.

catbear

Although it might be costly i think a holiday rather than a whv might be the right thing. If you find you want to switch to whv then pop out, apply and reenter.

I came through on a holiday and i was so glad i didn't bother with a whv, saw as much in three weeks as holiday workers had in a year.

I knew then that if i never saw australia again that would be fine. I'm only here now because the money's so easy although the tide is definitely turning in some sectors.

If what you love doing can take you places then wouldn't it be more sensible not to drop it.

Cooperspale

To be honest if you really really wanted to travel to Oz, you wouldn't be asking this question and have gone already.
I know that you're just looking for re assurance but your experience of any country is going to be completely different to ours. You say that you've been bored travelling solo previously, do you have a companion this time?
As for music writing, most Australians leave here for cities like NYC & London to get the exposure and experience they feel they need.
How much do you really want to travel here, are you spending your spare time looking at what you will do in Australia or are you following your music passion?
Just because everyone and their granny is here doesn't mean it's the place to be. And you might like the sound of sunshine but the reality of summer here (for most people) is working in AC and returning home to same or worse still working out in it all day & having a measly fan or nothing at home. Australian and Kiwi sun burns like no other.
Jackbhoy makes some great points, come for a holiday and see how what you think
I initially came solo on WHV & spent a year working in 3 states/territory; NSW NT & QLD (far north QLD) and travelled most of the country. Backpackers can seem to live in a bubble somewhat; work, save, party, travel which involves scrimping, saving & blow outs. And you seem to mostly hang out with fellow travelers or transients as people don't settle for long. There is a bit of a change in this now with quite a few Irish using it as the foot in the door to sponsorship. But you will still get the Irish man in his GAA jersey swigging umpteen pints, going to see the Wolfe Tones with a great big red sunburnt face on him....mostly found in the backpacker ghettoes of St kilda/Bondi/Northbridge
I then went on 2 separate holidays, the first I still stayed at hostels and by the second I'd had enough of that rubbish (sharing a sweaty dorm room while the bunk underneath you is getting the ride of its life, is crap) Holidays; you are out of the backpacker scene and tend to go see what the locals are doing & you pay for it all when you see your credit card bill.
Then I got residency (left the Celtic Tiger as I was over the hysteria) arrived knowing no one but a friend of a friend and had to figure it all out. The first 12-18mths were the toughest but 8 years and a passport later I'm still here. I still encounter backpackers through work and that's enough for me.
It's very expensive here, no joke. I can think of nothing that is cheaper here than Europe. There is a much greater choice of live music to see in Europe, a lot of acts do not travel here. You can drive for days and you're still here, there aren't hugely different cultures between states, though give me Melbourne over Coober Pedy any day of the week. Time differences suck trying to follow any European sport.
Saying that, you are outdoors an awful lot more, even it involves a hat & sunscreen, so you read the papers less. There are much less papers; 3 nationals. You become accustomed to big spiders & know that the little ones are more dangerous. The health system is really good. The big cities are melting pots of different cultures like London. The restaurant & cafe choices in Melbourne are fantastic. People (singles, familes, couples) go out for breakfast.
In essence, people enjoy living.

bestleftfull3

I don't understand where people are getting the perception that the majority of irish people that go there just o for a holiday or a piss up for a year !

If that's the case a young person would need roughly a salary going out there which would be 25000-30000€ which is obviously money they don't have!

young people go out there to work and when they do earn the money of course there going to party of course there going to enjoy themselves, especially with the climate too they will be drinking on the beach having bbq's it's something that simply cannot be done in Ireland so why give out about doing it in Oz

catbear

@bestleftfull, WHV = working holiday visa. You know, fun etc...

I don't think they could have worded it any clearer.

bestleftfull3

I'm just saying some people have a perception that irish go to holiday, take the piss and be drunk all the time !!

I will be enjoying myself when i get out there but will also be working to !!
Work hard play hard !

pete4130

The outdoor lifestyle is good. You aren't stuck indoors with bad weather with the only option being the pub.

It is expensive here but the wages reflect that. I've struggled at times for work in the last 3 years being here, the worst being out of work for 2 months which isn't that bad.

The music scene is pretty big here. I would say its not as progressive as the UK or Ireland though.

My 3 years here I haven't traveled or seen as much as I'd like. I'm somewhat settled in Sydney and my work is fly in/fly out which eats into your lifestyle. The money is good, the work is hard, the weather is hot so it's not something I can see myself doing for more than another year or so.

Lots of Irish that come over get stuck in the trap of partying, living/socialising with other irish people and its no different to being back home but with more sunshine. Some hit the road and do their farm work, get a taste for it and spend their whole year traveling around, working different jobs, having adventures.

It's what you make of it really. Initially after landing it can be tough. Finding work, the expense of Australia for day to day living, looking for somewhere to live.

Moomat

SeanSSS wrote: »

I have recently started getting somewhere with a passion of mine in London (writing music with friends, and looks promising)

Passion and good friends can be hard to find in life. Personally I think you'd be mad to walk away from something you say is promising. Plenty of time for traveling and careers in the future, give what you have now a chance to blossom.

browne_rob5

jacksie66 wrote: »

Ever considered New Zealand? Weather very similar to home(minus all the rain). Im in Christchurch at the moment and the amount of work here is unbelievable. Wages are just going up and up..

Is that in construction or across the board?

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

SeanSSS

Moomat wrote: »

Passion and good friends can be hard to find in life. Personally I think you'd be mad to walk away from something you say is promising. Plenty of time for traveling and careers in the future, give what you have now a chance to blossom.

Deep down I think you may be right, but I also have friends in Melbourne and every so often get overcome with this feeling that I am missing out and should be over there enjoying myself rather than being in London which is a hard grind at times...although it would be great to see the Music thing blossom as we are working on something that could be promising but if something happened like my friend moving away etc I'd feel a fool for not going to Melbourne while I had the chance! Could be a case of the grass is always greener though! Could be my just my desire to escape and shake things up but not necessarily a solution to improving anything tangible in my life!...Just thinking out loud here! and probably overthinking things!

lufties

SeanSSS wrote: »

Deep down I think you may be right, but I also have friends in Melbourne and every so often get overcome with this feeling that I am missing out and should be over there enjoying myself rather than being in London which is a hard grind at times...although it would be great to see the Music thing blossom as we are working on something that could be promising but if something happened like my friend moving away etc I'd feel a fool for not going to Melbourne while I had the chance! Could be a case of the grass is always greener though! Could be my just my desire to escape and shake things up but not necessarily a solution to improving anything tangible in my life!...Just thinking out loud here! and probably overthinking things!

If you go, is it possible to get your job back in london?

SeanSSS

My contract is finishing in a few months and wondering what the best course of action is? To find another contract in london or take a chance at melbourne!

lufties

SeanSSS wrote: »

My contract is finishing in a few months and wondering what the best course of action is? To find another contract in london or take a chance at melbourne!

Ah I see, in that case give Oz a go..if you don't like it you are free to return to jolly old

SeanSSS

Its not the career holding me back it would be missing the chance to develop something with music which I have begun working on with a friend of mine which seems to have promise...so either stay here keep working on that and find another contract in london or go to melbourne and start fresh! Either way I will have to make my mind up in the coming months. Still on the fence....

bestleftfull3

well your the only one that can make the decision I doubt anyone on here will swing it for you