Travelgigg Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 Hi all I'm new to the site and having gone through some interesting posts to understand what it is we are doing and why, I felt it time to reach out and get to know some of you - especially when it comes to asking advice and hopefully sharing my own experiences. My wife and I have made the decision to break out our bubble here in SA! We live a great life in the Western Cape but the dark clouds around do not make it possible to ignore the future for our two young kids - girl of 11 and boy of 9. We both have fantastic jobs and a brilliant group of friends. But we have no "back up" foreign passport to fall on when the proverbial hits the fan - unlike our friends in the early 90's, we did not do the UK thing and come back with the passport, just hit the grindstone and voila 20 years later we need to do something, if not for our own piece of mind then for the future of the kids. We have been fortunate enough to have gone through the Visa application and were granted PR on a 189 skilled Visa in June 2013. We did our activation trip in April 2014 - had a superb time seeing some friends in Sydney. Also visited Melbourne. Both wonderful choices - which we have not made at this point. We have decided that we need to be in Australia in January 2017 latest to set up home and get into schools. So whilst this may seem premature, I want to ensure we are methodical in getting our act together before we leave; either late December or early January 2017. I'm trying to work on prioritizing the big list of things to do so that come December we have a relative easy time of selling the cars and climbing on a plane... We realise it is such an outside chance that we will get work without actually being in Australia that we will plan to build a nest egg to keep us both going for say 3 months, without touching capital. We also want to do a final LSD in Sep/Oct to finalise choice of city and see some placement agencies. I run a multinational subsidiary chemical business in SA, my wife is a Wealth Manager (CA/CFA) so both of us good experience in our fields. That said we are VERY aware we will need to go down a notch or two before getting similar positions and this could take a few years to recoup a similar job - but all part of the challenge... So as we face the tough decision of which city to choose, then suburb/school etc. I would be most appreciative of any tips in the months and weeks to come. Like, which government vs private schools would be good to consider if we were to live in Melbourne (we have some ideas in Sydney as we have friends there), also what is affordable. If we sell our home and use the proceeds for a down payment, how easy/difficult this it to find finance. We will try use whatever we get for our cars in SA as payment for cars in Australia - best to look at second hand and see i f we even need two cars.. we need to check out public transport etc. So that is our back ground. My first question to mull over is the following; if both parents work, with kids of 10 and 12 years old, how do you cater for them in the afternoons? - do they learn to catch a bus home and fend for themselves or do they go on to sports? - I realise they will need to become independent quickly. Here we have a nanny at home and an aupair to fetch and carry them, but both of these will be big luxuries I would think, especially in the beginning whilst we reestablish ourselves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 Welcome to our corner of the world. I do hope you get many answers to your questions! As I have never had school going children in Australia, I will leave that question for others to answer. I will advise though that you would be better off arriving in January, rather than December. Schools only start at the end of January. As January is the holiday month in Australia, job hunting would have to wait until February. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DXB2OZ Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 Travelgigg, what a great strategy. Advance pre can ease over so many hurdles, although there will always be those odd little curve balls, it helps to get as much out of the way as possible in advance. 1. Jobs - by all means, look from SA. Your chances are lower than looking in the country, but there are success stories and you have everything to gain. However, do not plan on looking in December. As Mara says, there is no point. The Christmas shut down is quite astounding as to the absolute nature of it. Come January, work the phones. When there is an advert and there is a phone number, call and chat to the agent. I got my job through an agent that I phoned about something completely different. 2. Documents - if there is anything you have not applied for already, would suggest you get this in place. This can include referrals from previous landlords, a referral from the estate agent who sells your house, employment references, certificates of qualifications, etc. These always take a lot longer than you think. 3. Schools - we went the government school route and chose our area based on the schools. For government schools, zoning is everything. If you are not in zone and the school is full, you will not get in. If you are in zone, they must take you. That simple. Many schools have their zoning maps on their websites or will be happy to provide one via email. Be aware that those borders can shift, so don't live to close to the edge. They do not have to talk to you until you can prove you are officially in zone (signed lease agreement, title deed, etc) but often if you contact them and explain your intention, they will help with initial information although will not enrol until you are in zone. 4. Cars - this very much depends on whether both work, and where. My husband and I are fortunate enough to both work in Melbourne CBD. I have done the commute by car a couple of times, but rush hour traffic is ghastly and I get so bored. On the train I can play with my phone, read my book, generally unwind. There is the odd delay, but it is the exception, not the norm. Traffic is very law abiding and speed limits are absolute - including the sudden drop to 40 in school zones or the minute there is a row of shops - the latter has caught us several times and it is a costly mistake. 5. Aftercare - my kids were 13 and 12 when I started working here and had never even ridden their bikes to school before. Before I started, we embarked on an intensive training program which culminated in me sitting on the couch (biting my nails to keep from interfering) while they got themselves dressed, fed and out the door. I rode to school with them (separate schools) several times, with my younger son we would cycle home together, him leading, me behind watching and letting him choose the path until I was confident. We have had to replace the garage remote several times as those keep getting lost (or laundered), but it is otherwise all good. We have had several occasions where they forgot to lock the house, several more when the garage door was left wide open and once where they forgot to shut the front door. Alarming, but the neighbors are friendly and will catch the dog, call and ask if they should shut the garage, etc. My eldest (now 14) can now cycle to the station and catch a train to town to meet her friends. During the holidays, she graciously consented to let her brother accompany her and they would sometimes meet us after work for a movie or pizza in the city. Simple pleasures and great fun. My suggestion for the kids would be to start giving them what independence you can, but raise that while they have nannies, etc you are fighting a losing battle and a lot of the training will only start once you arrive. It was the same for us. 6. Last visits. Those last few months can race away before you can blink. While you are saving hard, this also a chance for some good memories. I would suggest drawing up a final bucket list and perhaps try to do one a month. South Africa has some marvelous spots and while I adore Melbourne and feel that it is truly my home, there are some areas where it just cannot compete with CT. Good luck and happy planning. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackoFam Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 Hi @Travelgigg. Your post resonated with me as we are at similar stages except we are still waiting for our visa grant. We also have a girl (12) and boy (9) and live in a wonderful bubble which we know is not sustainable in the long run. We are also looking at arriving in Jan 2017 - we are hoping for a job for my husband in Brisbane. @DXB2OZ thanks so much for the advice. Most of this is applicable to us. Especially number 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelgigg Posted February 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 Hi all Thanks @Mara @JackoFam and @DXB2OZ for your replies. This is the start of this new chapter and also always good to get as much input. This weekend we went through all our admin files and turfed out everything older than 5 years, keeping essential paperwork - what a great exercise! I especially like Mara's suggestion of the bucket list - we both travel overseas with our jobs, so now we have planned our year in terms of free weekends and a great June/July holiday with the kids a s a final fling. It seems that all of a sudden we have so little time when there are so many places and people to see in the next 12 months. But this will help with the good byes and keep us sane... Lastly, we are building our career files - a concept my wife has developed. We are compiling a chronological collection of work and colleague references - although we have had our current jobs for almost a decade, it seems important to have other views and see our progress through the eyes of another person. Not sure how much value is place on this but feel that when we arrive on new shores with nothing but a CV and this file, at least we can provide some depth in terms of our career development. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 Hey All Also new here and everything said mirrors us. Our wonderful bubble we live in is getting smaller, but so hard to let go. Biggest concern is the job market over there, heard it's tough. Once the money's flowing in everything else falls into place, but if not things fall apart rapidly. My girls are 7&9. My wife is an FD and she will be looking for an accounting job, so similar position to your wife Travelgigg. Any idea what the job prospects are like at the moment. Hard for me to find a job as I have run my own business for over 20 years, so I would have to look into buying a going concern. Jackofam we also looking at Brisbane/Gold Coast, what line of work are you and your wife in? Lastly any advice on how to make letting go easier...we have no work lined up and no support(family) over there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RYLC Posted February 5, 2016 Report Share Posted February 5, 2016 I've tagged @EmNew for you as she is an accountant recently arrived and can give advice about looking for work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackoFam Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 Hi @Thor my husband is a water resource engineer and there appear to be some jobs in his field in Brisbane but we may well end up in Sydney or Canberra. i am a Microsoft Access database developer and admin so I should be able to get a general admin job quite easily (I hope) am hoping to stay home a few months to get the kids settled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmNew Posted February 6, 2016 Report Share Posted February 6, 2016 15 hours ago, Thor said: . My wife is an FD and she will be looking for an accounting job, so similar position to your wife Travelgigg. Any idea what the job prospects are like at the moment. Hard for me to find a job as I have run my own business for over 20 years, so I would have to look into buying a going concern. Hi @Thor RYLC tagged me for a response to your query re job prospects The jobs/positions are definitely out there, so prospects are good. However that said, it was not easy to land a job. The emphasis is always on local experience, regardless of prior experience gained in any roles.I found generally dealing with recruitment agents was very frustrating - they always used the local experience trump card. I was too experienced for most jobs and not locally experienced enough for any.... I was willing to accept any role that gave me local experience. I did the Xero Certified Advisor course to get something local on my CV, and also enrolled for the CTA1 Foundations tax course to get proof of local tax theory. I started actively seeking employment at the end of October 2015. Initially I mostly applied for countless positions advertised on Seek, and did a bit of cold calling agents and accounting firms in my immediate area ( thought I would have a better chance of employment in suburbia as apposed to the CBD ) I started with broad senior financial accounting roles that included some tax, and then narrowed it down to management accounting roles, thinking that for that there could be no 'local experience necessary' excuse as the work entailed is universal and shouldn't encompass much local tax / AASB knowledge. Timing was not great as things do really wind down here from beginning of December. 2016 dawned and I applied a new strategy. I applied to companies directly where I could, and used LinkedIn as much as possible.By coincidence I stumbled across a job advertised on LinkedIn advertised by a recruitment agency I had not yet used or made contact with. I looked up their LinkedIn profile, and the fact that one of the senior consultants was also a University of South Africa Alma Mater caught my eye. A phone call to her later, and I was connecting with Saffer's in Melbourne's accounting field through LinkedIn and on the phone. This agent ( AMGE+) also took the time to point out other things on my CV that might be putting prospective employers off and gave me good advice on how to proactively address those issues. ( I had run my own accounting practice for 13 years and this was seen as a potential problem seeing as I wanted to enter the corporate world ) Then honestly it was just down to a showering of Blessings and great timing. A series of very fortunate events led to having made contact with the right people at the right time - I went from despondent about prospects on the Monday, to being interviewed and offered a job by the Friday, and it was a position that had not even been advertised yet. So, all I can say is persevere, make contact with as many people as you can. Work the phone, work your contacts on LInkedIn, make new contacts and just know that even if it takes months, it will eventually work out. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmNew Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 I can't edit my post above, but I do want to point out that @RYLC gave me a lot of encouragement, tips, and assistance with the Xero course - for which I am eternally grateful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Thanks for the tag RYLC. Thanks for the advise EmNew. Going to get my wife to join so she can PM you. How you enjoying Melbourne so far? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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