Chortlepuss

I think the point about jobs is one worth considering if you're moving to QLD - If you're in IT without niche skills you may find yourself struggling to find work. Govt and Health were key areas of demand for IT workers/consultants/contractors - work has dried out and there are a lot of excellent people on the market in Brisbane. I have never been out of work for any length of time in the UK and Australia (PM/BA) but am now unemployed and it's not looking good at all. Brisbane is a lovely city, and sunshine coast a great place to live but you need to make the commute as easy for you as possible and that means avoiding driving long distances. I think you have to choose between living near a nice beach and living somewhere where your ride to work is reasonably civilised. I have known many people broken by the commute from the Gold Coast. From what you read about Perth here, I get the impression that the work is a little easier to get there, and living near a beach is more achievable. I prefer Brissy to Perth, but would rather be employed! Finally I have to say that if you could get work in Adelaide, that may be worth exploring - My favourite city in Australia!

What a superb thing to ask! It might have got me out of a pickle a couple of times (when I just assumed that they would get that prior to interview, after all, common courtesty..' Going to give this a go

i'd second that - very few PM vacancies around (or BA either). Roles have hundreds of applicants, all very well qualified. If they know the recruiter they're in - local contacts are everything here. Brisbane is probably the worst job market in Australia at the moment, unless you have SAP or something v specialist. I would advise anyone in IT thinking of coming to QLD to seriously consider their position before giving up any contract in the UK.

Tis truly bleak here in Brisbane, only rarely do people get back to you. Plus even if you do get the job, get the contract, give your notice, the new job can be pulled at the last minute. The worst offenders are the agencies in a rush - You're perfect, you have to send an updated CV this minute, they want to fill the role in a few days - almost guaranteed to be time wasters! I wish the market would turn to become an employees market again - then these people may start to show a little respect

I have exactly the same problem in reverse!! Am unemployed in Brissie, desperate to get home, and working again (Jobs in IT hard to find here). It's natural if you're out of work to think that it would be betterat home - because it usually is - with old mates, relatives etc around and familiar things. I Have to stay here for at least two more years due to schooling, uni - everyone else loves it here, but as i can't get work, we are short of money so the whole 'look on it as a holiday; thing doesn't work for me. One thing I would say is that your money goes a long way in the UK and in your place I'd be travelling to places like Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, New York etc... while you can. These are all out of reach for many based in Australia due to cost and distance, but they're nearby and cheap cheap cheap from where you are. Don't forget Ireland and scotland!! Also enjoy the UK - it's a beautiful country, even if the weather is awful - great exhibitions, art shows, theatre - all the stuff that is not always available or affordable in Oz. The time will fly by!

I believe there is work is in Syd or Melbourne. Can't comment for Perth. Currently in Brisbane and unemployed along with hundreds of other ICT project managers, BA's etc. Avoid SE QLD if you need to work in a hurry!

We can handle the heat, the humidity in summer sucks and that's what gets to you. QLD in winter is perfect! What looks great with rose tinted glasses doesn't always stay great with the benefit of experience.... In retrospect I probably would have been better moving to Melbourne where the climate suits me more, and where there are better job opportunities. Funny, on a holiday to QLD pre-emigrating I met a young couple who told me 'it does get a bit boring when it's sunny every day' It took me five years to agree with them! My husband and one daughter love the sunshine - Another daughter can't wait to go somewhere cooler. Everyone is different.

It's a big change, you're bound to be nervous! Try to enjoy your flight - very soon you'll be on here with everyone else sharing your experiences!!

I'd use the opportunity to reach out to others in your trade here to understand the real skills demand as well. My profession IT/BA is on the shortage list - it is seen as a skill in demand. I have 10+ years experience, two degrees and industry quals. You will see a lot of roles on Seek in Brisbane - but what you don't know is that hundreds of applicants go for these roles. You need to match criteria exactly - so BA roles requiring 2 years, 5 years experience are out of bounds for me as according to agencies 'no one wants to employ someone more experienced than them' This is NOT the land of giving people a fair go, regardless of the hype. I have read here about plumbers, sparkies, builders all being out of work because their quals weren't quite what Oz wants, even though they can do the job standing on their heads! I'd wager this happens in many professions - but you need to find out from someone who works in your trade in the area that you want to move to

I would think very carefully about leaving a secure job in the UK to come to Australia. I left a secure job in IT, having never been out of work in the UK and am currently unemployed. There are hundreds if not thousands of highly qualified applicants chasing work in QLD. UK sterling does not go very far here - even 350K GBP would bring you $500K AUD - where I live that would get you a very scruffy three bedroom house in an OK area, or a slightly nicer house way out of town. As for better for kids? I disagree. My kids largely grew up in the UK, we moved over when they were teenagers. They have done well here, but no better than they would have in the UK. As for the idea that you spend all your time outdoors, I'd also disagree. I'm a keen hiker and went walking daily in the UK, rain or shine. I loved my walking holidays, although all that mud and rain got a bit trying! We lived next to a national park in the UK. One of the things the kids said they miss most about the UK was the countryside. Here (QLD) it is sometimes so hot you don't even want to go outside. Daring to pop for a swim without smearing yourself in krypton factor 50 is a recipe for disaster. I don't walk much here, although south of Brisbane (1-2hours) there are some fantastic bushwalks. It's just not on my doorstep! You have young kids, can't you just pop over for a short time without burning your bridges? - keep your house, take a secondment from work? Try before you buy? I love Australia, but in retrospect, could have enjoyed some very long holidays here and saved tens of thousands of pounds if I'd viewed it from the UK.

This is all the stuff I had in the UK. Now unemployed and living in a crummy house in Brisbane. Australia has been kind to hubbie and kids - less so to me, and I wasn't to know that my skills (ICT) would drop out of favour.... I long to return to UK so I can start to live again! But everyone has different experiences - You are in a wonderful country, diverse, complex with great opportunities. Embrace it!

I spent 3 days cleaning a property until it was spotless. Still got professional cleaning deducted from deposit. Experience of renting here in Oz is they try every trick in the book to shaft you. Although the poster who said to stay friends with managing agent was spot on. Our agents for this house (had 2 prior) are really quick to act and the landlord has no problem fixing stuff. It's a complete dump mind you, and we're probably paying far too much rent for it but they're the best yet!

I think women miss their relationships more than men - I desperately miss my friends and family, hubbie can take or leave his - even though they're lovely people. Also if hubbie has a job he likes and you're at home this can be very lonely and demoralising. My hubbie would stay here forever. I've agreed provisionally to another two years, but not sure if I will make it! Congratulations to all those who have decided to take the step to return home - It's not always an easy decision, but life is for living, and Australia is not for everyone......

That's a great point. I don't think it's negative to point out that living on an $80K income is a struggle, or that unemployment in Brisbane is way higher than reported..... Or even that the traffic in most Autralian cities is very heavy... People sometimes come here with a sense of utopia - fuelled by moving downunder programmes, and when you find yourself living in a scruffy rental, with less disposable cash, and a nightmare commute, it's easy to think that things have gone a little **** up, compared to the vision... but there are opportunities here, they just don't come easily. And the days of moving over and trading your sterling up to a large house with pool, heaps of disposable $$, a boat at the end of your private jetty and a carefree lifestyle, are probably over for all but a very select few... oops.. hope that didn't sound too negative!!

Let's hope that's true - there may even be some jobs in Brisbane for all us unemployed ICT workers!

High cost of healthcare is one thing that springs to mind (I'm unememployed but get no benefits due to hubbies wage). Terrified of any of us getting sick But generally, the high cost of everything here is only bearable when you're earning enough $ whereas the relatively cheap costs of healthcare, dentistry, rentals, food etc in the UK means that your money goes a bit further in UK.

From my understanding at a distance, unemployment in UK is pretty regionalised. The area I come from (SE UK), unemployment is running at about 4.5% I'm an experienced IT worker and every job I go for in Brisbane has hundreds of applicants. Good quality people on the market & more often than not a role will go to someone known to the recruiter. If I was free to do so, I'd fancy my chances of getting a job much more in UK than in Brisbane. Of course it may not be so bleak down south.......

Same here! mortgage will be paid off by then, and I've kept some savings in UK account to get us home. With a family, you need to know you won't get stuck here...........

It's such a tricky situation to be in isn't it? My situation is that my hubby genuinely loves his job in Oz - he has great workmates, is doing really well. I can't remember a time when he enjoyed his work so much. He loves it here, and although doesn't earn substantially more would be happy to settle for ever. One kid at uni, other doing well at a fantastic school. And me? Unemployed, bored and worried about dwindling funds. I am struggling to get a job in IT - the market in Brisbane is worse than any I've ever seen, and highly experienced people are doing it really tough. Chances of employment so much better in SE UK where I'm from, plus I miss my family, and genuine friends. I have lots of lovely acquaintances here - people are very friendly and at a push will socialise, but none of that impromptu socialising, close banter and belly aching laughter that I'd get in the UK. Unfortunately we can't survive on hubby's wages, even with a pretty restricted lifestyle (no holidays, meals out, trips out). We had 3 holidays a year in the UK - not always long haul or fancy, but everything was so much more affordable. Here, a long weekend to melbourne for us would cost the equivalent of a month of teaching salary! So we have come to a sort of compromise - stick it out for another two years and consider returning home then. Oddly since we've discussed it, I feel a lot better - like there is light at the end of the tunnel - but I'd get on the plane tomorrow if it was down to me

I see no reason why a GIS consultant shouldn't be a management consultant - I came over on 457 as a management consultant and did BA, PM, HR, anything they gave me. I had my skills assessed a while ago as a business analyst, and from memory I just worded my application to fit what they wanted (I hadn't just done BA work). Australians seem to be a lot more adept at massaging their skills to fit criteria than poms. For instance I know someone who had a project moving office furniture and PCs for an ICT dept and called it 'Business transformation' on her resume. I did a similar role and called it 'BA'. Probably both wrong, but in your place I'd massage the app to fit the requirements.

Depends on the job. For office work/ICT I always choose a suit. Invariably interviewed by people in suits. Does get blooming hot in Brisbane though.

Understand that almost everyone who has done the same thing went through similar emotions. I was terrified. We came in on a 457 visa, the sponsor had cocked up the application and at Singapore it was touch and go whether they would let my hubbie into Australia. I went to look at the departure board and looked enviously at the flights to Gatwick. I'd have turned around in a heartbeat if I could...... Over five years on, we're doing O.K. but it's not forever for us. You'll be fine. Enjoy the flight!

Back for Autumn, crisp days and bonfire night, building up to a cosy UK Xmas. Me too soon, hope I don't have to wait too long....

You become eligible to pay tax on UK property from when you become resident in Oz (date of PR) - I'd guess the capital gain rules are the same, but best to check with an accountant - or even ask the ATO