My Experience 16 Months in Adelaide...

[paulm]

Hi all

 

I dip in and out of POA now and again an I am not a regualr poster but i thought I would share with you my experience here so far.

 

I decided to give Aus ago in Late 2010 and started to look into work as it was becoming more difficult to find half decent work or any work at all in the UK. I am a Quantity Surveyor so the recession hit building hard. I came to Aus after I left uni to do the cliche backpacking thing for 6 weeks and althught I enjoyed the experience I never thought or even wanted to Live here as I nievly considered Aus much like the UK and would much rather live and work in somewhere exotic.

 

Anyway I came to the decision that the UK was not going to be fixed over night and as the Tories say Britain was broken etc I sort of agreed but I still had a love for the UK and considred Aus as a temporary 'experience' until I could come back 'home' when the sun was shining again!. I had worked for myself as a QS and in other industrues I even worked on the markets and helped run bars and nightclubs to pay the bills so I am not shy of trying new things!

 

So i seriously started looking at Aus in September 2010 by going on Seek and looking at QS roles and applying, I was pleasantly suprised to see how high the wages were and initially thought wow it must cost a fortune to live in Austrlaia as everythign is relative so I did a bit if diggging and realised althought cost of living is higher is isnt extreme and I would be better off.

 

So I applid for must of been 1000s of ads and got a few resposnses mostly saying if you where here we would place you or sorry we dont recruit unless in Austrlia, had a few phone convos with peple but again not until your here. However I kept at it and made my nightime job to apply for Jobs in Aus and not give up. Then one day in December I ge an email form a a guy saying he is intrested in my CV can we arrange a call, I initially thought it wa s recruitment consulatant so didnt expect much. Turns out he was the Director of a large subcontractor in Aus who was looking for a Temp QS to work in Adelaide. I could not believe my luck ok it was only temp but this get me in the door.

 

So after two telecon interviews they offer me the job the day before Xmas eve and I had 6 weeks to arrive I decided the 2nd week of Jan I am off.

 

and so the Adventure began.....

 

I booked my flight immediatly after xmas luckily the firm would put me up in accomodation for two weeks so that was a bonus.

 

The best thing in my opinion was i did it all quickly I didnt have time to think about it as I think and have expereinced from people the longer you thing about such a big decison the more you look for the what ifs and the negatives. So i sorted a Working holiday visa out as this was suitable for what I was doing and remeber I only wanted to stay for a a little while!

 

I arrived in Adelaide on the 20th Jan on my own knowing no one so it was alittle daunting but I was prepared to give it ago as there was nothing at home, dont get me wrong I left a great family and group of friends but was determined to give this a try.

 

So long story short I started the job it was pretty good the pay was good, I found somewhere to live an little unit in Glenelg, got a flatmate who in turn opened social doors for me and I had a drinking partner from that I made a good circle of friends and confidence grows.

 

5 months in the job was ok but not for me so I strted looking again by this time I knew I wanted to stay no matter what so I needed a working Visa. I applied for a job with a big Oz firm on a large Project here in Adelaide not expecting much as most firms dont really want to to hire on a WHV. But luck stiked again I got an interview and within 4 weeks I was working in a new job with a 457 visa. I have been in this job almost a year and couldnt be happier.

 

On a personla note I live in the city with a workmate who is alos from the UK I have an Aussie bird and wild horses could not make me come back to the UK. I went back for Xmas and in Febuary after an unexpected death of a family member but even that didnt change my mind Australia and Adelaide is my home now, my parent have just finished a 3 weeks vist which was great and they love it too.

 

I am currently preparing my submission for PR and fingers crossed all goes well, just sat my IELTS test and awaiting state sponsorship.

 

are aleady here or planning on moving. If you are planning on moving or even thinking about it Just do it the lifestlyes better, carrer aspects, the people the crime rates are low. but remeber you only get out what you put in.

 

I would give the following tips:-

 

Be open minded

Be outgoing

Constantly do something that scares you and or is outside the norm

socialise and talk t people you would not normally talk to

If you have a S*it day just think could of been a S*it day in the uk where theres a recession, riots, and rain at least is sunny here

Think about things but dont over analyse

At least give Oz ago

After all home is only 24 hours away if you need to go back

You only bave one life....Live it.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Diane]

Fantastic post, thanks for taking the time to share that. As you say, sometimes being thrown in at the deep end is the best thing to happen - no time to think about it too deeply, you just grab your seat on the roller coaster and strap yourself in for the ride - if you'll excuse the somewhat mixed metaphors!

 

Also good to hear that it's been good for your career being here, as often I feel the impression people get of Adelaide is it's where people go if they don't have a career in mind! Certainly not something I've found personally, but try talking to interstate migrants - who have usually never been here - and you'd think Adelaide is the place you go to die (figuratively!!)

 

Thanks again, really enjoyed reading your post

[spanners]

Well said. It really is that easy. If anyone is moving over here, don't fret about whether 1 airline offers more luggage than the other, whether a stop in Singapore is stressful to a 3 year old or all the other cr*p that gets asked concerning minor details. If extended family is really important to you then you'll miss them. If you're not been brave enough to move to a city away from family then moving here is not for you. Aus is not the land of milk and honey and you won't live like a king if you're a pauper in the UK. Most of life is basically the same here as in the UK BUT the good things are so much better. I've been here almost 2 years and wake up everyday pleased that I'm here rather than back there.

 

Paul's list at the end is spot on.

[Guest Richie_T]

excellent post Paul, really uplifting I think. I arrived here last July on my own and have made some wonderful friends too, and probably wouldnt want to permanently move back to the UK again. Ill be there this coming xmas, and will probably be bored there except for seeing family and friends.

 

Be outgoing, and be a Yes man, rather than contemplate on invitations. You never know where one road will lead, or who u will get introduced to.

[Guest ladyarkles]

Paul, thanks for this post.

It was great to read such a positive outlook.

I also think that you are right in a lot of what you say.

 

Do your research but don't over-think things.

Get out of your comfort zone every now and then.

Make an effort, join a club, do some voluntary work, visit your nearest community centre/library and read the notice-boards, go to some local events, say hello to people, talk to your postman.

You can't sit around waiting for life to come knocking on your door - you have to go and find it for yourself.

 

This is a wonderful place to live but it's not a perfect place; there is no such thing.

Once you get your head round that, living here gets a lot easier.

 

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

 

~ Rachel

[likesshopping]

A real enjyoyable read. And I totally agree with the points you have made.

 

 

 

Sarahx

[Guest matt n mel]

Hi paul m, thanks for sharing. Love to read inspiring posts like yours! Your point about putting yourself out of your comfort zone is so true- in all aspects of life really-the best rewards come from the biggest risks usually. Hope you continue to be lucky in oz. We can't wait to go x