Greetings

Hello to anyone reading this post. I have just come across this website which looks full of useful information. I was looking online for some information on Employment opportunities in Australia having made the decision to return there this year.

I'm very much an Ordinary Joe, 56 years old, with little savings, and few prospects. I returned back to UK in 2009 due to the ill health of my Father. He sadly passed away last year and I have remained here in Britain. Since 2011 life seems to have really taken a downward turn for me and I now feel sadly I am stagnating here, going from bad to worse as my heart is in Australia and I feel I should at least try to make a go of life there. So any information and help I can pick up here on this site would be greatly appreciated. I am planning to return to Perth, W.A in the next few months.

I have read that Western Australia has been in something of a slump in recent years following the Mining boom turning to a slump. So I am worried about job prospects there for an ageing unskilled Pom? I have been thinking of starting up again my own business, (Gardening, Patio Cleaning and General labour work) This worked well previously when I was over in Brisbane, so I guess it's an option.

I'm sure there are many people who will think I'm mad to do this at this time of my life. Only time will tell. I just feel it is better to Try and Give it a go, than to sit back each day wondering and waiting for something to happen. I decided around the New Year that it was better to Fail trying than to sit on my backside as a Coward, afraid to take a chance. As I say, I know at this time of life it is a massive gamble, but who knows, it could work.

I'm pleased to join this website, and hope to get to know a few people. All I can say is truly any information and advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Yes I have been in Oz before and know quite a lot, but even so, I am the type who always likes to learn and know more about life. My best wishes to everyone and thanks in advance.

Hallo OwenJohn and welcome to our forum.

What a lovely guy you are to go back to UK to look after your father...

You obviously have an Australian passport if you are thinking of coming back downunder, so you will have no visa and immigration issues.

Yes life in Perth is getting tough at the moment because of the downturn in the mining industry. But if you feel that you need to come back to Oz for your own personal reasons, then just do it. Yes the unemployment rate is not good here, but if you can offer a DIY/Gardening/Cleanup business and your rates are reasonable, I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work for you if your prices are sensible and you advertise in the right places.

Let us know what you decide and if you arrive in Perth and want to start a business..... contact our Admin and chat about advertising on our forum.

Hi Owen John,

Welcome. So you have Permanent Australian Permanent Residency or Australian Citizenship?

B

Hello, many thanks for the reply. Yes I have PR and have just got my Resident Return Visa to come back so all of that is looking good. I was just looking to do some more research on best places for work, and for finding somewhere to live.

Good Luck with your plans and best wishes,

Many thanks for the welcome and the encouraging words. I am sure it is a big change in Perth as the place was Booming a few years back. Let's hope for a pick up in the economy there in the next few years.

Regards and thanks again,

Hello, many thanks for the reply. Yes I have PR and have just got my Resident Return Visa to come back so all of that is looking good. I was just looking to do some more research on best places for work, and for finding somewhere to live.

Good Luck with your plans and best wishes,

Hi Owen John,

 

Welcome. So you have Permanent Australian Permanent Residency or Australian Citizenship?

 

B

Many thanks for the welcome and the encouraging words. I am sure it is a big change in Perth as the place was Booming a few years back. Let's hope for a pick up in the economy there in the next few years.

Regards and thanks again,

Hallo OwenJohn and welcome to our forum.

 

What a lovely guy you are to go back to UK to look after your father...

 

You obviously have an Australian passport if you are thinking of coming back downunder, so you will have no visa and immigration issues.

 

Yes life in Perth is getting tough at the moment because of the downturn in the mining industry. But if you feel that you need to come back to Oz for your own personal reasons, then just do it. Yes the unemployment rate is not good here, but if you can offer a DIY/Gardening/Cleanup business and your rates are reasonable, I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work for you if your prices are sensible and you advertise in the right places.

 

Let us know what you decide and if you arrive in Perth and want to start a business..... contact our Admin and chat about advertising on our forum.

Assuming as others have said that you have the right to return then I think there is a lot to be said for giving it a go, would you consider somewhere other than WA though? You are right to recognise there is a slump right now so other states may be easier from an employment perspective.

That said the benefit of being unskilled is you will probably be less picky about what you do and will not be seen as 'over-qualified' for jobs in Woolworths, Bunnings etc.

I'm not sure about the in's and out's but there are things like Uber and other types of delivery service where you use your own car.

56 is a difficult age - I'm over 50 so not judging, empathizing. I certainly feel young but not treated by others as if I am! And they are probably right If you are fit, healthy, in good shape and looking good for your age then that will be an advantage (& no reason not to get working on that if you're not!) as ageism is rife in Australia, although I'm not sure it's any worse than the UK.

A lot depends on how much capital you have to take with you - I would plan on being out of work for up to 6 months and if you get a job sooner than that's a bonus.

One thing to consider though is the impact on your pension - you could end up not qualifying for a pension in either country if you're not careful so make sure you know your facts on that, double checked and professionally verified.

Thanks for the advice and the good points you make. I would probably look at Queensland, around Brisbane having been there for a couple of years previously. The thing is I have my fully packed 20ft container in storage in Perth, so I was hoping to avoid the cost of having to move that inter state if I could avoid it as it is pretty expensive. So fingers crossed.

I am in good shape, (run 10km each day) and am blessed with good health, so hopefully that will hold. I miss the weather from Oz with the running, and yes you need sun protection there, but Rust protection here, as I seem to be getting daily soakings here lately.

I take your point on capital, and without going into detail, that is going to be very tight for me especially rental costs. This has been the main thing worrying me as I fear any income I can generate will be eaten up in rental. My pension is already shot here in Blighty and all I have to think about is the state pension I will get in due time. I lost a fortune back in 2006 - 2015, so I am basically starting from the bottom and expect a tough road ahead and a lot of working years. But always count your blessings with health of mind and body and remain positive even when the dark clouds are hovering.

I think as well an idea for work is to do some volunteer work such as at a local hospital, maybe portering or whatever is available. I do this at here and there are often opportunities that come from it.

Thanks again for the advice, all noted. Best wishes and all the best for the future,

Assuming as others have said that you have the right to return then I think there is a lot to be said for giving it a go, would you consider somewhere other than WA though? You are right to recognise there is a slump right now so other states may be easier from an employment perspective.

 

That said the benefit of being unskilled is you will probably be less picky about what you do and will not be seen as 'over-qualified' for jobs in Woolworths, Bunnings etc.

 

I'm not sure about the in's and out's but there are things like Uber and other types of delivery service where you use your own car.

 

56 is a difficult age - I'm over 50 so not judging, empathizing. I certainly feel young but not treated by others as if I am! And they are probably right If you are fit, healthy, in good shape and looking good for your age then that will be an advantage (& no reason not to get working on that if you're not!) as ageism is rife in Australia, although I'm not sure it's any worse than the UK.

 

A lot depends on how much capital you have to take with you - I would plan on being out of work for up to 6 months and if you get a job sooner than that's a bonus.

 

One thing to consider though is the impact on your pension - you could end up not qualifying for a pension in either country if you're not careful so make sure you know your facts on that, double checked and professionally verified.

Assuming as others have said that you have the right to return then I think there is a lot to be said for giving it a go, would you consider somewhere other than WA though? You are right to recognise there is a slump right now so other states may be easier from an employment perspective.

 

That said the benefit of being unskilled is you will probably be less picky about what you do and will not be seen as 'over-qualified' for jobs in Woolworths, Bunnings etc.

 

I'm not sure about the in's and out's but there are things like Uber and other types of delivery service where you use your own car.

 

56 is a difficult age - I'm over 50 so not judging, empathizing. I certainly feel young but not treated by others as if I am! And they are probably right If you are fit, healthy, in good shape and looking good for your age then that will be an advantage (& no reason not to get working on that if you're not!) as ageism is rife in Australia, although I'm not sure it's any worse than the UK.

 

A lot depends on how much capital you have to take with you - I would plan on being out of work for up to 6 months and if you get a job sooner than that's a bonus.

 

One thing to consider though is the impact on your pension - you could end up not qualifying for a pension in either country if you're not careful so make sure you know your facts on that, double checked and professionally verified.

Its actually exceptionally difficult to get a job in those stores and it frustrates me majorly when I hear people say ah well you could always work in Woolies, Coles or Bunnings. Contrary to popular belief they don't just take on anyone. I know many who come here with that attitude and get nowhere. Experience is the biggest and is required, unless a schoolie or recent leaver.

Its actually exceptionally difficult to get a job in those stores and it frustrates me majorly when I hear people say ah well you could always work in Woolies, Coles or Bunnings. Contrary to popular belief they don't just take on anyone. I know many who come here with that attitude and get nowhere. Experience is the biggest and is required, unless a schoolie or recent leaver.

Fair enough - the issue many people seem to have is they think they can get a job like that to get them by until a real job comes along and the recruiting managers spot that a mile off, that's why I thought the OP may have some benefit. In the UK similar stores (e.g. Tesco, B&Q) are actively recruiting mature candidates who have been made redundant or taken early retirement because they value their work ethic even if they don't have direct experience but maybe that is not the case in Australia/Perth - maybe I was wrong, maybe ageism is more rife, although it would actually be illegal to employ a student or recent leaver over an older candidate based on age alone.

Fair enough - the issue many people seem to have is they think they can get a job like that to get them by until a real job comes along and the recruiting managers spot that a mile off, that's why I thought the OP may have some benefit. In the UK similar stores (e.g. Tesco, B&Q) are actively recruiting mature candidates who have been made redundant or taken early retirement because they value their work ethic even if they don't have direct experience but maybe that is not the case in Australia/Perth - maybe I was wrong, maybe ageism is more rife, although it would actually be illegal to employ a student or recent leaver over an older candidate based on age alone.

Technically it's illegal but there are ways and means, like telling someone they are over qualified. $18 an hour for a 15 year old as apposed to $27 an hour for someone older who hasn't got any more experience in the role. Fortunately where I work they do value experience in the role and weren't at all bothered by my age. Bit offensive to say it's not a real job, it is and its relatively well paid too for an unskilled one. All the three mentioned are very heavily unionised and as such are very well regulated and look after their staff very well in my experience anyway.

Its actually exceptionally difficult to get a job in those stores and it frustrates me majorly when I hear people say ah well you could always work in Woolies, Coles or Bunnings. Contrary to popular belief they don't just take on anyone. I know many who come here with that attitude and get nowhere. Experience is the biggest and is required, unless a schoolie or recent leaver.

I suppose it's the same with most big companies, and dependent on their policy on ageism. I would never for a moment expect finding a job to be an easy process with the likes of the companies you quote. I think that's why I prefer to go it alone and work hard to establish a small business if possible. (although I see W.A looks to be on the floor right now and not in good shape) On a different note, Bunnings are taking over 250 stores in UK now. Should add a bit better competition to B & Q

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-38842021

I think if you have the attitude of 'giving any job a shot' and not being picky, you will find something until you can establish a business yourself. If for some reason you struggle, get over to QLD its doing much better than WA by all accounts.

Cal x

Technically it's illegal but there are ways and means, like telling someone they are over qualified. $18 an hour for a 15 year old as apposed to $27 an hour for someone older who hasn't got any more experience in the role. Fortunately where I work they do value experience in the role and weren't at all bothered by my age. Bit offensive to say it's not a real job, it is and its relatively well paid too for an unskilled one. All the three mentioned are very heavily unionised and as such are very well regulated and look after their staff very well in my experience anyway.

Huge apologies - it was definitely offensive for me to say 'real job' and not what I meant at all. What I was trying to say that there are people that are skilled and qualified in a particular profession who cannot get work in that profession when they first migrate and believe it will be easy to get a job in hospitality or retail because particular qualifications or skills are not mandatory, and get upset when they are told they are over-qualified. Of course that could be an excuse because of their age but in my profession there are no pay differentials by age and I have rejected people well able to do the job because it was obvious they were going to use it until something better came along and recruitment is expensive and disruptive to a team.

Hopefully the OP will get something where his maturity is valued.

Ehhhhhhhhh You got me thinking now, because I must admit I am partial to a bit of State of Origin, XXXX and that QLD way of life. I was there before and loved it, but as I said previously, my container is in storage in Perth, and it would cost a fistful of dollars to send it interstate. But we will see. I knew W.A had hit hard times, but didn't realise it was in as bad a shape as many people seem to be saying. Thanks by the way for the info.

I think if you have the attitude of 'giving any job a shot' and not being picky, you will find something until you can establish a business yourself. If for some reason you struggle, get over to QLD its doing much better than WA by all accounts.

 

Cal x

It's not quite as bad as what your hearing Owen, especially in your position with no big mortgage / negative equity etc. Rents are cheap at the moment. Give Perth a go and if it not work out your a small plane journey away from your next destination.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am leaning towards Perth as my Container full of possessions is there, and would set up as a Gardener and General cleaning operative, (Patio's Driveways and stuff). So who knows? Hopefully there would be enough work available if I can advertise and promote myself. Thanks again for the advice.

It's not quite as bad as what your hearing Owen, especially in your position with no big mortgage / negative equity etc. Rents are cheap at the moment. Give Perth a go and if it not work out your a small plane journey away from your next destination.

Good luck mate. Sometimes you just have to dive in!

OJ while you are thinking about general gardening etc. a suggestion from an older poster, there are plenty of retired/older people I know where we live on the Sunshine Coast that really appreciate someone reliable to help with "odd jobs" that they are beginning to find difficult.

My husband is still pretty fit, but even I have persuaded him that it's daft to mow the lawn in mid summer, and I prefer that he doesn't climb ladders to do the gutters etc.

Sadly we know quite a few friends who have lost their husbands, and really need someone to do do those odd jobs that their husbands used to do.

You might not make a fortune, but word quickly gets round if you are reliable.

Could call yourself "Rentaman"!!!!! not quite sure what other offers you might get though.

Good luck