speedy1972

Thanks everyone for your comments. Really helpful in this decision making. Mentally, 3 days ago I had my foot on the plane........but right now I haven't left the house :-) I should have posted on here a few weeks ago. Its not a done deal yet, but looks like we might be staying in the UK unless we can make a significant improvement in relocation costs and salary. What looked like a 'reasonable' package to start with doesn't look so good right now judging by the majority of comments.

Thanks for your comments. I am seriously considering to approach them to request more for the relocation and also the base salary. Yes there is a bonus structure on top but only 10% and not guaranteed whatsoever. The PR was something I suggested early on but they wanted me to do the 457. It was all pretty quick decision making at the time, but the more I learn as time goes on, I am beginning to think it wasn't such a good deal after all. It's a massive decision and I am after a better standard of life if I go, not the opposite. Thanks again, this is all helping.

Great Post. Many thanks for taking the time to reply. Some good sound advice.

its a great quote and one that I totally agree with. Slightly different, but what about that other quote...........'The grass is not always greener' :-) although...... but the beaches are great !

The irish Guinness. I too have fond memories in Ireland for work and pleasure. I like the irish a lot. Yes I know it a good opportunity and a fast track in some ways that I have on offer. I do feel for others who are struggling to get over without a job etc. Hats off to anyone who does that. Not a chance I could do that personally now although maybe if i was younger. I do love to travel and see places and do travel a lot at the moment with work to places like Finland, Italy, Germany, Turkey and once a year to USA. However, although I there is a lot of places I haven't been (including Australia ironically) I have never been anywhere in the world (holiday or work) that I would rather live over the UK. I suppose its home although with all its faults I still like it here. I cant say I have been yearning to move to Australia until this opportunity arose - which is making the decision much harder. If I hated my current job, again the decision would be easier to make. Thanks for the comments.

Thanks Carmel. You are right. A bottle of wine....or six might be in order tonight !. I need a good sleep for a start. I have looked at the Melbourne forum and but not in any great detail. Whats killing me right now is trying to concentrate on my current job with all this going on. Very difficult.

I fully understand. I just hear so many great things about Australia. The weather, the work attitudes, the outdoor life, friendly people....the beaches !. Perhaps the reality is different, and working and living somewhere is very different to being on holiday I know. A big concern is the regret we may have at not making the move 10 years from now - but then it could be a bigger regret at leaving a job I like in the UK (+ the expense and trauma) for something that could turn out bad later on. Until recently I was up for this big time. Even sold my beloved piano. Maybe I am going through a bad patch - or reality of the situation is finally kicking in.

I thought $7k was perhaps a bit low for a relocation package although maybe some consideration to the fact we don't have any children. I cannot expect the business to pay for our cats transportation costs though, although they alone take up the entire budget. I dont know exact cost for shipping furniture over yet, but we were planning to sell a lot of things prior to going. I estimate that it might cost a total £12k sterling ($20,000 aus) for flights, cats and furniture. Thats a lot of money when they are only covering £4k sterling That's £8000 out of my pocket + visa cost which is another £1200. Puts another slant on things - but perhaps they are looking for some commitment from my side to the move also.

Thanks for the reply. I would love to come over on holiday first, but I don't have the time to do that, and was under a little pressure to accept the job after receiving the offer. Literally 3 days to consider it, and no longer as they had someone else in the wings. I have not received an official contract yet, but accepted the job in principe based on visa acceptance. A two week holiday in Melbourne (or even a week) would help make up my mind one way or the other, but time is against me. They need someone to start pretty soon and all my holidays have been taken in the UK earlier in the year. Typical.

Hi All This is my first post in the forum, and after a sleepless night (well quite a few in fact) I am looking for some help and constructive advice from the wider world. I am going to pour out my heart and thoughts and be completely honest and open so that I can hopefully receive some helpful comments on If I should take the plunge or not. I would appreciate anyone who can take the time to read this and offer some advice. The Job situation :- About 2 months ago I was given an opportunity by a previous UK employer to move to Melbourne - although employed by an Australian company. I am in sales and the role would be to promote and sell a product made in the UK and imported to Australia within the building and construction sector all over Australia and parts of New Zealand. This is a product I have prior specialist knowledge of and hence the opportunity. The likelihood is that I will be working from an office in Melbourne but the job would involve extensive travel and many nights away from home. The visa is a sponsored visa (457). I have been offered a relocation package of $7k, salary of $90+super and $17k annual car allowance. Current salary in the UK is £48k + company car and working from a home office. Therefore, the Australian Salary is equivalent to £53k UK salary. Most nights in UK I am at home but some european travel on occasion. My wife is settled in her UK job and earns approx £25k per annum. She would be giving up a long term job in the UK also - and therefore without a job to begin with in Australia. I enjoy my current job in the UK, great boss and people, and a recent promotion to Business Manager from Sales Executive which is great. Apart from a Skype interview I have never met the people I will be working for. One more concern to the pile. The Salary in Australia is not a big step forward compared to current salary so I do have some concerns regards to living costs as I do not currently live in a city. Rental opportunities might be limited with pets and what quality of property might we end up in ? However, the challenge of a new role, a new country and life is exciting......but for how long would the excitement last ? The UK Home life I am married (no Children) but we do have two cats, which we couldn't leave behind and they would cost a small fortune to take (about £5k !) I wasn't a cat person 4 years ago, but been converted so all you non cat lovers out there, I can understand if you think me and my wife are crazy for even considering spending £5k on taking them to Australia. They are part of our family though. my wife and I are 40. We own our own 4 bed detached home (or should I say - the bank does) - and we live in a nice part of the UK, near a big castle, the river Avon and a theatre where some bloke called Shakespeare was/is famous ;-). As UK places go, we are happy here, but always long for the beach as I was brought up as a child on the south coast (Poole). We would rent our house in the UK to begin with. On my side, family is relatively small, but parents are still around and my wife's family are quite close by. I have no brothers or sisters. For me therefore, I would miss my parents but there isn't a real social or family hold on me in the UK. Most of my close friends are no longer close by and live in different parts of the UK. I would also miss my wife's family although not quite in the same way. So - What to do and final thoughts ? Although my wife is anxious and nervous, she is very supportive of the move. She has visited Australia on holiday (loves the place) and has some relatives over there but not especially close ones. I have never been to Australia so a complete leap of faith and can only go on what I read and see on the internet and the opinions of others. I enjoy the outdoor life, cycling in the UK and we both try to keep fit and go to the gym and swim as often as possible around work commitments. Therefore the outdoor life attitude in Australia sounds great - but with the job and travel, exactly how much free time will i have to spend time at home with my wife, enjoy Melbourne, go out on the bike, swim in the sea etc. Maybe a lot, but totally unknown right now. I enjoy just about any sport - but I have absolutely no interest in Cricket and I don't follow rugby (except for the world cup), and I have no idea what Aussie Rules football is all about. Although I don't regularly go to games in the UK (perhaps 3 Liverpool games each year) I think I will miss the premier league. Is that weird or stupid and does it make any difference. I talk a lot about sports in the job I do (mostly football), and concerned that I wont have this same connection or passion in Australia with the 3 most popular Australian sports that I have no interest in. I love motor racing though, but not quite the same is it. Perhaps I can learn to Love Aussie rule rootball, who knows. I am concerned about leaving a good career in the UK and making a massive mistake. On the flip side is this the opportunity of a lifetime and should we take the risk ?. Perhaps only we can answer that one. Sending my cats by container is a major worry (apart from the expense) and not something I would want to do again in the other direction if things don't work out. What about the healthcare cover. Yikes - Just been quoted about $180 every two weeks for family cover...and that includes a corporate discount. Then theres the visa cost - not covered by the company which is going to set me back about £1200 for both of us. Am I over thinking all of this, or is it just coming to a head. I suppose its not something I was looking for and something that came looking for me and in all the chaos, not had the time to fully consider everything over a long period like many do. If I go, I really don't wish to be a 'whinging pom' as they say, and if I go its going to be all or nothing. Feel the world is on my shoulders right now. PLEASE HELP !:wacko: