After spending the past three months trying to get a job I have finally done it! At times I’ve felt very isolated and in all honesty depressed as well as an overriding feeling of uselessness.

Now the weight has been lifted and I am so happy!

I am now a development officer at a local council which is the job I actually wanted!

All I have to do now is learn the Australian Building codes and the thousand or so Standards. Easy…

Looking forward to the challenge and I can now buy a new bike! Commuter first than a new MTB! sweet.

Showers at work and secure bike storage so no excuse not to ride in at least three days a week. 14Km each way through the parks should be great in summer/all year round!

Just wanted to spread some joy as I am over the moon!

Cheers

2hottie.

Well done you and enjoy it

Brilliant news, what a great way to start the weekend 8) I’d go out for a nice long bike ride to celebrate followed by some cold amber nectar 8)

Congratulations, but you’re in Australia, so nothing’s perfect. 😉

Well done.

I am hoping I will be saying the same in 5 days, if I’m not I will be ****ing depressed…

Nice one.

where in Oz? 4 1/2 months in for me and not much happening.

Have a beer (not on me though)

Cheers everyone,

Wife’s bought me pizza and beer to celebrate!

Mike I’m based in Adelaide where abouts are you? Tazzie?

Although jobs are out there it’s been hard getting work. I think the issue I had was mainly the time of year. Trying to find work in April and May and June has been really difficult especially getting into a government job. The tax year start in July so I think that has played a big part.

What line of work are you in?

Nice one!

Mrs Batfink moved to Sydney last Sunday, and I am following once I’ve found a job. Had a verbal offer yesterday and am just waiting for the contract!

Congratulations!

Congratulations!

When we moved here it took my girlfriend nearly 4 months to get ANY job, she started off part time and then moved up to a full time position elsewhere in the company within a few months.

Hardest thing seems to be getting a foot in the door, once you start working its all good!

Bikes aint cheap here mind.

Well done you!!!

A development officer at a local council, eh? Is the public sector there like it is over here If so… put the kettle on, break out the biscuits, feet up, and wait til retirement 😆

Congratulations! Sorry to hijack the thread but how did you find the visa process to get into OZ?

Me and the Mrs are on 457s, sponsored by her employer (with me as her “defacto” spouse).
We submitted the online form on a sunday night, and received our visas a week later – couldn’t have been simpler.
I suspect that it was this fast because of the sponsorship aspect…. but don’t know your circumstances

I have Australian citizenship through one of my parents so I think it would be fairly easy for me however I think my partner would have to apply to enter on a relationship visa as he has already had a one year working visa in the past. Moving to Australia is something we are contemplating I was just wondering how easy it is to get a job prior to leaving.

I was just wondering how easy it is to get a job prior to leaving

It’s taken me over 3 months to find something, and I work in a v-specialised industry (pharmaceutical research) with plenty of vacancies in Oz at my level. I had a visa in place, and my relocation expenses were being met by my girlfriends employer. Even given those circumstances, I have really strugged to make employers take me seriously as a jobhunter. It seems like lots of them just ignore your application if you are not actually in-country. I can understand that they must get lots of “I was thinking of moving to Australia…” applications, but I was a bit taken back.

Our Visa is a regional sponsored migration 119 class so different to most due to the wifes job. Gives us permanent residency in Australia forever. Not sure about the other types but friends are on different sorts of 457 and didn’t have too much trouble getting sorted.

Getting a job sorted before you come out is the ideal, a couple of people I know have managed it. Some firms/businesses aren’t keen to commit to someone who isn’t in the country so finding work in advance is a lottery. If you think about how many people say that they are moving to Oz then don’t I can see why some maybe reluctant.

Binners, I actually fancy doing some work and would feel rather bad not doing considering the salary I’ll be getting! More than double what I could get in the UK for my given level of experience.

As for the cost of bikes it’s not actually that bad when you look at import costs.

Now more beer!

I have a 457 work sponsored visa for 4 years, but intially was on a working holiday visa so I could start working quicker.

From talking to other people, you can have 2 years on a working holiday visa now if you do work in a regional area, lots of people work for traffic management companys, holding a sign all day long in 40c heat…. lots of Irish girls seem to do this for some reason!?

You can only work for up to 6 months for a company at once on a working holiday, but if you impressed one enough then they might try and keep you on a long term visa.

I work with someone I used to work with from the UK who recruited me, so I got my foot in the door that way. It’s definately a case of not what you know but who you know.

Not looked at import costs, I believed you had to pay GST at 10% on anything over $1000? Which is fine, when you would save the VAT at 20% if you ordered from the UK! Bought my girlfriend a bike here and it was reasonably priced.

Some parts are stupid though, set of Shimano SPD SL cleats, 15 quid in the UK, almost $50 here.