Itraf Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 a friend has asked me for advice, she and her husband moved to a small very small town in a rural area for his work. she has struggled to find long term work as it is a holiday destination and casual seasonal work is all she has been able to obtain. I have not had experience in this situation and wondered if anyone has who can provide some advice. she is a family friend and we have known each other since childhood so we have always been in touch with our travels and work news. she is an administrator by profession and has always secured good jobs. at present her (Australian) husband has secured a good job which has allowed them to experience life out of the city. but with this has come loss of job security and identity for my friend. In addition she has been taken out of her "work comfort zone" by having to do physically hard menial jobs such as cleaning and dish washing jobs. This has not put her off despite developing chronic pain in her arms. What has been the issues she has found challenging are: a) loneliness. Unable to make friends as the locals have not been friendly. She has tried but it makes it worse trying as they ask her why she has come here and have told her she will not find work. She the spends long hours alone. She keeps fit by long walks and cleaning their house and keeping the garden neat. Preparing her husband's meals and laundering and chores about the house. His work.boss and wife have not made her welcome, she is always polite and friendly but is finding things hard this way. b) they have no children c) work: First job she was asked what shifts she wanted dish cleaning and she said during the week. When the shift manager asked her what day her husband had off, she replied Sunday. From that time the.only shifts she was given.were Sundays! She left that job and got another but it was physically too hard. She secured another job but when the season ended that did too. Then interviews for admin positions but no.luck. She has been told by locals that she has "run.out of options" for work as it is a small place so she started a small business to look after holiday rentals but due to.local competition cannot get any work and a bit of hostility as she is on their "turf". So that has stagnated. d) she has no.family having lost her family when we were younger and so.i have always helped her and looked after her and my wife has helped her too and they are good friends. We have been to visit them but it is very far so.only.once (8 hr flight then 3 hr drive). We stay in touch regularly. e) I worry that she is becoming down.in spirit. She does not know how to rectify things. She has spoken to.her husband and he says he is finding it hard too. He finds locals are unfriendly and so she gets no solution from him. f) his parents have berated her, saying she is useless and lazy not working and told her she cant live off their son which has added to the upset. So a financial pressure as well as emotions. has anyone coped in This situation and what tips can you offer. thank you in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulya Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 I think you posted this story on another forum. It’s creepily similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Moving to a very small town in a rural area was never going to be easy for your friend. It must be very lonely for her especially not being able to find a decent job. Could they not move to a much larger town where the opportunities would be better for her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Itraf Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 (edited) 58 minutes ago, Toots said: Is it hard in rural towns normally in Australia? They must stay put for a year. I worry but give consolation, but not sure what advice I can give. Edited July 1, 2019 by Itraf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Yes it is hard in rural towns because there is not much work. I was in the same situation when I first arrived in Australia. Eventually I found work but it was 100km away, so it was at least an hour's drive every day. Does she have a car? I agree with Toots, the best solution would be for them to move to a larger town. Even though they must stay in a regional area for a year, they don't have to stay in a tiny rural town. there is usually one town which is the centre for the whole region, and it will have more jobs and more opportunities. Otherwise, perhaps she could consider joining sites like Airtaskter and Freelancer. It's not ideal because the pay is not good, but she could do jobs which are more suitable for her skills so she would feel better about herself. I recommend she joins the CWA (Country Women's Association) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Sadly, I'd say she's on a hiding to nothing especially with those kind of vibes coming from his family! Agree with Marisa, CWA is a good start but I'd also be looking at volunteering for something like the CFA - doesn't need to be out fighting fires, they have logistics positive too. On the career front, checking out what online or remote occupations she could access - selling craft, proofreading, etc and maybe even looking at ways to increase her skill set through remote learning. But, I agree, moving is probably going to be the best option! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 If neither of them are happy then it sounds like they must move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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