dangargoyle

Just finished my first year in Australia on 20th May 2016. How time flies. What an experience this has been! It has been awesome, exciting and worthwhile.... much, much better than what I had anticipated. In summary, what a great transformation this has been for me and my family. It was well worth it. I moved into Sydney on 20th May 2015 with my wife and 2 kids, from Africa. Had no problem settling in. Stayed in a hotel for the first 3 weeks and got my first rental property in under 1 month. Got my first temporary IT job in less than 2 months. Second 6 month contract job in less than 3 months, third better paying contract in less than 6 months and a permanent, decent job in under 8 months. Perhaps I've been very lucky, but I guess if you have the right skills in the Australian Job market, you shouldn't have any problems finding a reasonable job. Had lots of fun with the kids and priceless experiences over the past one year that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Family has really bonded and we've become much, much closer with the move. I've lost a lot of weight and am much healthier.. There's less stress in general. No traffic, no crime, no pollution, no discrimination whatsoever. I'm loving every bit of Australia and can't wait for my second year here. Looking forward to getting my citizenship in a couple of years. My only issue - Sydney is damn expensive, even with a 'decent' salary of over $130,000 PA, you still have to do a lot of financial planning to make ends meet. Anywayz, keeping a positive mindset and now hoping to win the lotto soon (Winning the Jackpot - That's the Australian Dream)..

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

Crack Another Joke - LOL!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha?

I am an Australian Permanent Resident currently looking for work in Sydney - Arrived in May, 2015. I hold a Master’s Degree in Computer Science (Distinction) from Hertfordshire (UK), a Master’s in Business Administration (Strategic Management) and a First Class Honors degree in Information Technology. I also hold the following ICT Certifications; Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional (MCITP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v8), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator 2012 (MCSA 2012), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist(MCTS), IT Infrastructure Library Certification (ITIL V3) and Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), all in Good Standing. I have over 9 years of experience in IT. Any chance you could hook me up with an IT role?

Man! That's discouraging. 6 Months is a long time....

Landed in Sydney on 20th May, 2015 with a family of 4. Been Touring the place for the last few days, from Chatswood all the way to Penrith and Liverpool. I've met and interacted with dozens of people already and am very happy with my first impressions of Sydney and the way me and my family have been received. Everyone seems very friendly and approachable. No trouble at all getting directions from strangers. I'm staying in Strathfield for a couple of weeks as I look for a more permanent area to move to within NSW. In General, everyone seems busy rushing somewhere. On the roads, drivers are very courteous and seem very composed. Everyone follows traffic rules. I got a reasonably priced Toyota Rav4 for under $3000 to help me and the kids move around.. The place is extremely organized with an effective transport network and endless beautiful suburbs.... Lovely. But extremely expensive. I need to start working. So Problem Number 1 is solved. My next challenge is to find a decent job within my first month here. I am making at least 25 well targeted job applications daily via seek and linkedin but haven't received any responses 8 days later. Strange! hmmmm. 25 seems like a very large number of applications to NOT have received any replies in 8 days? Or - Is it still too early to judge? I'm in IT and we seem to be getting over 500 new jobs being advertised within Sydney daily... Now, I consider myself to be a very strong candidate for my area of expertise (IT Management and Systems Development), but i'm really getting scared by this delay in getting job responses because Im applying for jobs at all levels including Contracts and Junior Positions and customizing my CV for each application. For now, I'm keeping an optimistic mind hoping that I will to start work within my first month here...... But I need advise and encouragement.... Am I doing this the right way? Or am I being OverZealous?

Been in Sydney for 1 week already... Sending around 25 Applications each day. MSc Computer Science

I'm emigrating from Kenya.

My family visa was Granted in February, 2015 after around 18 months. I am finally moving in May, 2015 with my wife and 2 kids - Son and Daughter, both below 5 years. We are making a final and permanent move to Sydney and are hoping to return for a visit in around 5 years when we hopefully get our Oz Citizenship in place. I have exactly 30 days before we make the big plunge. Tickets are all booked, we have our immigration agent confirmed to receive us on the other side and basically hoping for a smooth transition. Within this 30 days, a lot of big changes have to be embraced. After being in stable employment for around 10 years, I will have to quit a decent though not very well paying job, say goodbye to all remaining family and friends and begin a new life in a totally different environment. I will have to transform myself and adapt to a totally different system and culture, but which I love dearly. I must admit that it's quite a scary experience. The long wait for our visas were just a tip of the iceberg compared to what i'm going through right now. I know I will have to endure a few weeks, maybe months while still jobless as I look for employment in Sydney, I will have to meet and make new friends, find decent schools for my kids and quite literally transform myself into a new person. Being the practical optimist that I am, I am quite excited on the move and am hoping for a better life. The most excited is my 3 year old daughter who has already told all her friends and teachers that we'll be moving to Australia once school closes in April. Again, I am sincerely quite excited on the move and am hoping for a better life on the other side. This compounded by the fact that i'm moving from a third world country to a First world country, and the fact that I know a few people before me that have made the big move and seen great improvements in their lives gives me greater hope and courage that I am doing the right thing. My guiding principle in all this is as follows; Follow your heart - and right now, my heart says ---- Go for it, Because at the end of the day, its the small things in life that matter most.... That 'peace of mind' that I currently lack, that comforting drive back home after a hard day's work, those friendly neighbors, that afternoon walk on the beach with my folks, that 'system' that works and all those things in life that I long for and do not currently have in my present home. Sydney, Here I come

Just received this reply from an agent today.... Thank you for your interest in the Business System Support Manager position I recently advertised and for your application. In order to conduct timely interviews, this role is suitable for candidates who currently reside in Australia, or who have the right to work in the country. I am sorry to advise that for this reason, I am unable to proceed further with your application. Please feel free to contact us when you arrive in Australia, as we often recruit for other similar positions. In the meantime, you can stay updated on roles available in the Australian market through (deleted link), which delivers the latest jobs straight to your inbox. Feel free to contact us when you arrive in Australia to express your interest in any of these roles. Once again thank you for your application and I wish you the best of luck with your job search. Seems very Logical to me. I will now postpone my Job Search till 2 weeks before departure.

Hi @Frozen. Are these contract Java Developers Graduate level employees (eg. BSc, BBIT)? Do Papers, Qualifications and Certifications matter much when it comes to securing a job or determining the salary levels in the Australian Market? Regards, D

Thanks for the advice @Marisawright! I have to admit that I've been using a very standard (Non Customized) cover letter for all my applications unfortunately. Thanks for the tip.

Hmmm! Sounds quite logical to me... I recently got 2 emails from recruiting agencies for the position of IT Manager, who highlighted that they wanted to contact me but did not have my phone number since I had not included it on my CV. They both gave me their phone numbers and requested me to call back. I did call, but as soon as they realized that I was offshore, their interest faded away. So, should I just stop applying for jobs until I land in Sydney? I have a confirmed arrival date in May, 2015 with Tickets booked and all....

Hi Frozen, I have all round experience in IT but more specifically IT Management (last 3 Years immediate Experience (MSc (Computer Science), MBA (Strategic Management), BSc IT), I also have solid expertise in IT Security (CISA, CISM, CISSP, CEH v8), Software Development (ABAP, PHP, .NET, Java, Javascript) and Infrastructure& Support (ITIL v3, MCITP, MCSE, MCSA, MCTS, MCSA 2012, MCP). I am applying for mostly Senior Business Analyst positions but also anything that I am qualified for in IT Management and IT Security at Mid to Senior Management levels. Regards, D

Sammy1 - Wow! Just checked http://www.tradingeconomics.com/australia/unemployment-rate and it shows the unemployment rate in Australia is at around 6% and is dropping. Well, I think 'HIGH' is relative. (Just trying to be optimistic though). I am coming from an economy where the unemployment rate is around 50%, so there may be some hope.. Regards, D

"that you haven't provided a Australian number and that you are an overseas applicant (no Australian experience)" This seems Quite Logical to me.

Thanks Bungo for our reply. My approach was to sort of 'START TESTING' the job market in Sydney at this point and see if potential employers may have a keen interest in my skills and qualifications. There is nothing on my CV or Covering letters currently to indicate that I am currently offshore. So.. for now, No employer would overlook my CV on the basis of that I am currently offshore. From you reply, It appears that most jobs in Australia are secured through one-on-one interaction with agents or recruitment agencies. I am coming from a system where most professional jobs are secured through competitive face-to-face interviews with panels/committees at the Recruiting organizations themselves eg. Board of Directors or Senior Management etc. Kindly clarify if this is the case in Sydney/Australia?

So......finally got my 189 Visa Grant in February 2015 and planning to move to Sydney in May, 2015. Now, I have a Question on Job Prospects and the right approach to take when applying for jobs. First, I have already formatted my CV to Australian Standards as advised by my Immigration Agent and have been applying for numerous IT Jobs online (Over 300 so far), all of which I am very Qualified and sometimes mostly overqualified for. I consider myself to be a very strong/qualified job candidate as I have over 10 years of experience, am Qualified at Masters degree level (from UK) and have lots of prestigious IT certifications. I am Not White - BTW. I have only included an email address as part of my contact details. However, I have not received a single invitation for an interview or request for additional details from any of the employers that I have contacted. All I receive is the standard regret email stating that 'my application was unsuccessful on that occasion.....' bla bla bla. I am now thinking there must be something that i'm doing wrong. I have been using the most popular job sites eg. seek.com.au, careerone.com.au etc and also making direct applications via company sites and job listing pages. I'm currently employed full time and this move to Oz will demand that I resign from my current offshore role (Which does not pay very well but is nevertheless quite stable). My question is - Am I doing anything wrong? Should I be using a different approach? Will applying for jobs Onshore as opposed to Offshore make any difference? Anyone with similar experiences?Regards, D

Thanks everyone for the input. I have opened a NAB account online and received read only access. My transfers are reflecting on the Online Interface... Hoping to land in Sydney in May this year. Feeling more relaxed now..

Just an enquiry! Are there any good alternatives to carrying cash amounts higher than 10,000 AUD when making the initial move to Oz? Is it easied to just carry cash and declare it at the airport? I know travelers cheques are not generally accepted nowadays. Bank to Bank transfers are impractical since on initial entry, you will not have an Australian Bank Account.

Thanks AltyMatt, I have contacted the recruitment contact and am awaiting his feedback. Regards, D

Thanks for the Advice Ozmaniac. My confidence levels concerning the 'big move' have definitely improved now.

Advice needed, I am an IT Manager with around 10 years of Experience and the following qualifications; MSc Computer Science (UK), MBA (Strategic Management), BSc IT (Hons), CISA, CISM, CISSP, MCITP, MCSE, MCSA, MCTS, MCSA-2012, MCP, ITIL V3, CEH e.t.c I am planning a move to Sydney in June 2015 with a family of Four (Wife and 2 kids both under 5 years of age). I need advice on the best strategies to find work as soon as I land in Sydney. Would like to know about the experiences of others in a similar situation. Finally, what Centerlink payments are a new 189 Visa holder entitled to? Regards, D

Recently got my 189 and planning a move to either Sydney or Melbourne. I am an ICT Specialist with over 9 years of experience in Systems Analysis and Management. I have a MSc from the UK, MBA, BSc and an array of ICT certifications (CISA, CISM, CISSP, MCITP .etc) I'm weighing my options between these 2 locations based on ease of getting an ICT job and ease of settling down generally. I have a family of 4 (Wife and 2 kids) and planning to move with all of them due to the short notice on my Initial Entry date (June 2015). I would love to settle in a mansionette within a quiet outer suburb neighborhood in future in either location. Any advise appreciated?