What bits and pieces to bring with me?

tonydude · 15-04-2013 09:00PM #1

Heading to Brisbane in exactly 4 weeks time with the girlfriend on a whv to experience whats on offer, hoping to get a job and get somewhere to stay. Heading into this with my eyes wide open with the realisation that it might be difficult to get a job and may need to move to a different location to get a job. Im a carpenter and shes a beauty therapist. Small things im unsure about are
whats the usually things people bring with them i.e is packing my laptop with me a good idea and which is better backpack or suitcase? Heading into the Winter months there now so whats the ideal clothing I should be packing ? Any help would be appreciated

Noo · 16-04-2013 02:32AM

Yes yes a million times yes for bringing your laptop! Its the number 1 thing people end up getting sent over after they get here.

AngryHippie · 16-04-2013 06:24AM

Laptop is a must.
Full driving license is a must
Clothes wise, Brisbane Winter is not incredibly cold, but if you are getting your farm work/regional work done in the winter, it gets pretty cold once you go inland, you may need some hoodies and warm clothes.

I'd advise getting the regional work done asap to line up your second year. Leave it late and it will bite you in the arse.

Bring resumes, written references, copies of any trade certs tickets etc. that you've got, many won't apply, but most site tickets can be covered by a VOC on-site (you'll find out all about those if you go into construction)

I'd suggest bringing a copy of irish bank account details and contact someone you know in Bris to get a postal address straight off the bat, as trying to get post sorted to a hostel is a pain in the balls.

Get on SEEK.com.au work the networks for work contacts and you should be fine. Be prepared to fork out a couple of hundred dollars to get white card, RSA, Blue card and whatever other industry qualifications you may need to get a job. Most of these can be completed online, I'd suggest doing the white card in the next few weeks so you can hit the ground running. All you will need is a postal address, I don't believe its IP restricted.

Keep an open mind, get in touch with people you know over here and have fun!

messymess · 16-04-2013 06:31AM

Make scanned copies of your passport and drivers license and have them stored in your email also.

stefan idiot jones · 16-04-2013 08:21AM

Bring photographic proof of the work you have done, make a really impressive resume which makes you stand out from the rest. I am a carpenter myself and the jobs get snapped pretty quickly so leave nothing to chance paperwork wise.

I arrived here in November but had to wait a few months for my tools before I could commit to something. Although over Christmas it is a quiet time there was still loads of opportunities.

Remember all your 110v tools are useless here.

I have fallen on my feet as a maintenance officer in a nursing home which I had never considered before, so you just don't know what you will stumble across.

Good luck and bring your sunnies, although it was hailing golfballs two hours ago.

tonydude · 16-04-2013 10:44AM

Thanks for the help guys, was unsure about the laptop but its coming with me now, in the process of getting the white card also ,thxs

observed · 17-04-2013 12:01AM

A simple one that I found handy was an Irish extension lead with 4 plugs on it. You will only have to buy one adaptor then when you get out here for laptops, chargers, etc.

Zambia · 17-04-2013 12:06AM

Buy a small laptop here its about 300- 400 bucks. Then you have a decent plug in lead adaptors make life to hard and large laptops are a pain.

Get a wireless dongle from virgin, dodo that will be about 20-30 a month and internet is sorted.

Bring unlocked mobiles , a sim card is 2 bucks here.

Bring cash lots of cash.

markymark21 · 17-04-2013 10:35AM

Forget a laptop. Get a little netbook or tablet. The battery lasts way longer and they weigh only a fraction of what a laptop does. Handy if you plan on travelling

LittleT · 18-04-2013 11:03AM

Bring lots of undies they cost a fortune over there!!!

tonydude · 18-04-2013 02:03PM

LittleT wrote: »

Bring lots of undies they cost a fortune over there!!!

Heard that alright

stefan idiot jones · 19-04-2013 09:08AM

Chef sauce, as many bottles as you can smuggle and I'll gladly pay you top dollar for them, and vegetarian gravy granules.

Every scrap of evidence you can find however irrelevant you may think it is now, scanned and on hard copy ready to go. Evidence, evidence, evidence.

Books are quite dear here so get yourself a kindle and I'll sort you out with a couple of thousand books if you want.

tonydude · 20-04-2013 01:47AM

stefan idiot jones wrote: »

Chef sauce, as many bottles as you can smuggle and I'll gladly pay you top dollar for them, and vegetarian gravy granules.

Every scrap of evidence you can find however irrelevant you may think it is now, scanned and on hard copy ready to go. Evidence, evidence, evidence.

Books are quite dear here so get yourself a kindle and I'll sort you out with a couple of thousand books if you want.

lol evidence ? in relation to qualifications and such ?

stefan idiot jones · 20-04-2013 02:19AM

In relation to renting, house ownership, references from employers, references from clients you may have done some chippy work for (and photos), bank/savings accounts, birth certs, trade qualifications, funds you have brought with you, up to date addresses and phone numbers for your references (they did contact the two that I gave them), recent garda checks, new contact details (address and mobile), an up to date cover letter for your resume.

I had sent off my resume online a few times but they get lost in the inbox with all the other applicants, so to get ahead send off your scanned resume and also turn up at their door/office/workshop and introduce yourself in person with your hard copy resume as it will at least put a face to the application. You have to be quick as some jobs I was tracking got snapped up quickly.

The more organised and professional you look and sound the better chance you have than people who aren't. It also helps to meet eye to eye with the foreman/boss directly than some secretary who has to trawl through hundreds of emails. After a while, I'm sure they stop opening up emails.

Be prepared, be very prepared. Overkill, anything to get you ahead from the next guy.

Testament1 · 20-04-2013 03:40PM

When you get over here get yourself down to a pub and try to get to know a few people around the place. You'd be surprised what work you can get through word of mouth with a bit of networking. Worked for me anyway!

trippyfella · 23-04-2013 03:05AM

Unless u work on a laptop, netbook will suffice. But u definitely need either one. Esp if you are jobhunting.

And plenty of undies is always a good idea

What bits and pieces to bring with me?

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