6 Months in Australia - Was it worth it?

It's been 6 months so far in Sydney. Moved in May 2015 with my wife and two kids both below 10 years.

So, was it worth it? I will give my honest opinion as a well educated 36 year old black man and in regard to my experiences relating to career, Family and Health and Well being over the last 6 months.

Family! It was worth it. Kids are much happier here. So much more to do.. though we miss family back home. The atmosphere is much more family friendly and there's more time to spend with family in General. Wife however got depressed/culture shock within the first month here and it's been a bit difficult for her to blend in.

Health: It was definitely worth it. Everyone in Sydney seems very Health Conscious. Gyms all over the place. So much outdoor activities and of course the Beach. Its hard to stay unfit here. I have more time to spend at the Gym and have so far lost over 10 Kgs... My weight loss journey started over 3 years ago when I weighed around 120 Kgs with a 46 inch waist. I am now at 86 Kgs with a 32 inch waist. I'm headed to 78 kgs with a target waist size of 29/30 inches. I'm free to hit the gym either early in the morning before work and just after work daily. More flexibility, more active people e.t.c

Well Being: Definitely worth it. Less traffic, less crime, less pollution. In general, a great place to raise family and live life to the fullest. I work from 8.30 am to 4.45 pm Monday through Friday. I can leave the house at 8 am and still drive and get to the office, 20 Kms away by 8.25 am. There's less hustle and more to do. More food, more lifestyle options and more freedom. Roads are safer as are the streets. e.t.c

Career: It wasn't worth it. Getting a job in Australia is difficult. I was lucky to get a job in my area of expertise, but I noticed that employers do not care much about your qualifications. It's more about who you know and your connections. Many white employers feel intimidated and afraid of well educated people from other races . Most regret letters I received mentioned the fact that I was overqualified for the positions I applied for... And as much as Id hate to admit it, Racial prejudice exists in the Australian Job market. Especially in the private sector. I consider myself very lucky since I landed my first Junior IT job in 2 months, and later transitioned to a more senior Government contract in 4 months, but its generally very rough for most new immigrants who spend years unemployed and opt for low level casual jobs down the line.... A Security guard at the office where I work for instance holds a Masters Degree in IT and is from Bangladesh. He's been in Australia over 5 years and still cannot find a job in his area....

General Feeling - In General, I still feel I made the right decision for myself and family to move to Australia. One thing you need in Sydney is Money, and lots of it. Even with a 120K per year job, it's very hard to make ends meet. It seems like everyone is working to pay rent and living from hand to mouth. There's competition everywhere including at the offices, Office politics are rife and it's easy to lose a job and unfortunately, new immigrants find it very hard to compete in most spheres of society as the status Quo dictates (Race, Language Barriers etc) The Australian dream, as I found out is about winning the lottery, and for the lucky few who do so, it's the key to all the Country and all it has to offer. For a regular working person, regardless of what you do, life is a struggle full of the usual stresses of life - Bills Bills and More Bills. If you can find a way to supplement your income or go into a lucrative business venture, it would be much better. Also, I've noticed a lot of tension between Christian Whites and Muslims, with Muslim neighborhoods appearing segregated in a way. There's more violence in Muslim areas and schools, it's like they are becoming rebels of some sort......

In the next few months, I aim to be financially free by quitting work and venturing into private business. Hopefully, I may even win the lottery and get more time to spend seeking Adventure and with family. Till then, the struggle continues. So in General, 6 months later, I'm still fighting, just at a different level....... XOXO

I'm always unsure what people mean when they say there's so much more to do...

What is there do in Sydney that you couldn't do in the UK?

I'm always unsure what people mean when they say there's so much more to do...

 

What is there do in Sydney that you couldn't do in the UK?

See the Sydney Opera House?

Well yes, but you wouldn't expect to see Westminster Palace in Sydney would you...

I don't think looking at Building A instead of Building B counts as more to do.

An almost identical reflection of Perth ... Except it gets dark early here duuh...

After 4 years here, I feel very similar. Really good post.

The outdoor lifestyle is really working for me at the moment, and having a short commute, enjoying what Brisbane has to offer, etc.

That's a great balanced post and its nice to read that despite the troubles you have had on the work front, you have climbed the ladder. Will you travel if you give up work ? Qld sounds very different to Sydney and a lot more laid back,lol, so it would be good to travel and check out all the different States (that's our plan for the future).

Cal x

A bit confused by the less traffic bit ,but otherwise a good post

Great to hear you are enjoying life here even if has been disappointing career wise.

Great post. Pleased to see the fitness successes part of your post which I wholeheartedly agree with, as it is very similar to my own experiences.

Best of luck in the future particularly with your new venture.

Great read. I think some of the more negative bits should be attributed to Sydney not Australia. To me Sydney is more like a separate country to the rest of Oz. You have to get away from Sydney to find the best of Australia.

A bit confused by the less traffic bit ,but otherwise a good post

Depends where he came from in the UK. I lived in Sydney and I find the traffic in the South of England scary by comparison

Depends where he came from in the UK. I lived in Sydney and I find the traffic in the South of England scary by comparison

I can compare London traffic to sydney but the standard of driving over here is light years behind the uk during the last 6 days I have been traveling to sydney to work a 400km daily round trip in that time I have nearly been taken out at least 7 times because people don't use their mirrors or on the phone , not to mention sitting in outside lane if m1 motor way doing 60km/h plain stupidity

my comment was about less not standard , sydney traffic is a nightmare at the best of times and they can't do much about it with the amount of new appartments going up all adding to the congestion

Spot on with the Career bit ... I still believe racial discrimination is looming large in the working environment . Was reading through a MA post on 457 visa and was saddened to see all those hate messages. Scary ....

Spot on with the Career bit ... I still believe racial discrimination is looming large in the working environment . Was reading through a MA post on 457 visa and was saddened to see all those hate messages. Scary ....

I know this is a very old thread. Yes agreed racial discrimination is pretty large here even though is is generally swept under the carpet. Aboriginal people seem to face the most, but I have also noticed it towards to recently African refugees who are struggling to find work and get accepted. I think the same applies with the Indians.

As for the 457 visa, I completely understand a lot of the Australian viewpoints on this. Local people are struggling to find work and then are having to deal with a huge influx of people on this visa and depending on industry you are in. I am not sure how some of the skills are still on the SOL or CSOL in this current climate, there are exceptions especially for niche roles. Also some companies do abuse it for cheap labour.