Guest RubyTuesday Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Hi, We are currently at the start of a very long journey which will hopefully end with me and my family living in Aus. We are hopeful that we will be granted a 175 or 176 visa with my husbands skill being welding. With the financial crisis in the UK at the mo we dont think it would be wise to sell up and move just yet so are hanging in there until things improve - fingers crossed! I'm goin to use the next few years getting everything ready for when we can apply. I am unhappy in the job I am in just now and want to retrain, so i can have a job i enjoy when in Aus, and so to my reason for posting!! I am stuck as to which path to choose - teaching or nursing. From what we have read on here my husband thinks that a nursing job would be much easier to find and the majority of the nurses seem really happy in their jobs. Not that the teachers dont, but ive struggled to find teaching posts on here. Either way, Teachers and Nurses please give me your honest opinions on your experiences getting a visa, finding a job and working out in Aus. If it helps we are currently looking to live in Victoria if/when we do move. Also if anyone has advice on which course they recommend I take here in England, because I'm sure I've read my qulifications need to be assessed. Cheers, Rach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnes Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Hi and welcome to the forum I really cant comment on the teaching post but I'm a paediatric nurse and was offerred a job in Brisbane after attending the London Expo in Oct. I'm still in the process of waiting for registration with the australian governing body and when that comes through can then apply for visa's etc. I've been advised that this can take about 6 months all told, though it all depends on what visa you go on. Nurses, Midwives and teachers are in demand and you have to ask yourself what you would prefer to do. Paeds nurses are especially in demand as are midwives. If you are going to go into this profession I would advise that you do a degree course and not a diploma course if you can. What do you do at the moment?. Nursing is a great job but the hours are long and unsociable, weekends, nights, bank holidays christmas etc. At the expo I attended both nursing and teaching were well represented and it would be worth looking out for the next one in your area and go along and speak to as many people as you can. I think they have them in Leeds, Birmingham and London though there could be others. well worth a google. Good luck in whatever you decide Lynne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RubyTuesday Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Hi Lynne, Thanks for your reply and welcome. This site has been great so far, could spend all day on here! I am currently in banking, no qualifications. I could get onto the pre registration diploma now but would prefer to do the degree, just means i need to go to college for a year first which isnt a major problem. Teaching was my first preference because i have done some volunteering in my local primary and also as you said, nursing comes with the unsociable working hours, could i do that with 2 small children plus my husband works away - tons to think about, my brain hurts!!! What's an expo, i'm a newbie!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnes Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 expo is a big(ish) exhibition which covers every aspect of emigration to australia, jobs, finance, visa, housing, removals. They have representatives from all these area's and more, tickets cost about £15 but well worth it, they are usually on a weekend and I would reccommend a Sunday, we went on a Sat and it was packed. I think they are held about 3 times a year but I could be wrong. Last one in London was October and I vaguely remember reading somewhere on this site that the next one is march/april next year but I cant be certain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Well teaching is going to be a 4 year training course plus a year for QTS before you even start to think about moving so that is a very long time down the track for you. The current cohort of teachers in Australia is ageing and there are dire predictions about the proposed staffing of schools in another 5 years but that also means that they are trying to encourage more people here to do teacher training and also trying to make the profession more appealing to teachers who are trained but who have moved on to other things rather than teach. It is going to be a long haul for you. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WARDStoOZ Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Hi there Rach...! I just wanted to agree with Lynne that if you are looking to end up in health or something similar and you are planning to move in the near future the expos can be incredibly helpful...! Here's the link for the Opportunities Expo which is the one both Lynne and myself attended in October: Opportunities Australia - EXP08 Take care, Dan xx :emoticon-signxmas: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RubyTuesday Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Thanks for that Dan, i'll take a look. I think my 1st choice would be teaching and as you say Quoll, its a long road until I would be qualified, but worth it I feel. Nursing was my 2nd choice because of our thoughts that it would be easier to get employment even before we move out. Any teachers or nurses out there tell me of their experiences in either profession in Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LX_RV86 Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Hi Rach I'm a teacher (in the UK: Secondary ICT with Business Studies) and training is difficult! I'm an NQT and can't apply for my Skills assessment until I've completed 12 months in the UK first, so that was 3 years BSC degree, 1 year PGCE 1 year NQT (including a masters in SEN) you need to have done 4 years at uni to go as a teacher as well! It's all very long and frustrating! From what I've seen of Oz, the schools look excellent! What area would you be teaching if you decide to go as a teacher? Do you have a degree already? If you need any advice, let me know Regards Alex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest itskaren Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Hi, We are currently at the start of a very long journey which will hopefully end with me and my family living in Aus. We are hopeful that we will be granted a 175 or 176 visa with my husbands skill being welding. With the financial crisis in the UK at the mo we dont think it would be wise to sell up and move just yet so are hanging in there until things improve - fingers crossed! I'm goin to use the next few years getting everything ready for when we can apply. I am unhappy in the job I am in just now and want to retrain, so i can have a job i enjoy when in Aus, and so to my reason for posting!! I am stuck as to which path to choose - teaching or nursing. From what we have read on here my husband thinks that a nursing job would be much easier to find and the majority of the nurses seem really happy in their jobs. Not that the teachers dont, but ive struggled to find teaching posts on here. Either way, Teachers and Nurses please give me your honest opinions on your experiences getting a visa, finding a job and working out in Aus. If it helps we are currently looking to live in Victoria if/when we do move. Also if anyone has advice on which course they recommend I take here in England, because I'm sure I've read my qulifications need to be assessed. Cheers, Rach My sister is a teacher and I am a nurse. I personally would recommend nursing as it is more flexible with young children. You can work nights, weekends etc. My husband and I were 'like passing ships in tghe night' when the children were little however, I did manage to take home 50k GBP (full time) working for a nursing agency which obviously helped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RubyTuesday Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Hey Alex, I want to teach primary, pref under 7's I think. From what I have been told by my careers advisor, because its been so long (10yrs) since I last studied, I should do a 1yr diploma to get me back into it, 4 yr degree which also means I can do my QTS at the same time, and then as you say, 12 months working in UK before I can get my skills assessment, 6 bloody yrs!!!!! Thats a long time, we wanted to move while the kids are young, they will be leaving home before we get there haha. I dont need to get my degree to get a visa, i'll freeload on my hubby's, it is just something I have wanted to do for a while, but put it off as I thought I had loads of time, how wrong. I think it takes about the same to do the nursing degree, a yr less for the diploma, lots to think about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RubyTuesday Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Hi itskaren, For some reason i thought teaching would be better, maybe because its more 9-5 ish! My husband works away Mon-Fri so i would be totally reliant on grandparents, which wouldn't be as straight forward as it should be!! That salary sounds cracking though!! Are you in the UK or Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest itskaren Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Hi itskaren, For some reason i thought teaching would be better, maybe because its more 9-5 ish! My husband works away Mon-Fri so i would be totally reliant on grandparents, which wouldn't be as straight forward as it should be!! That salary sounds cracking though!! Are you in the UK or Australia? That was when I was in the UK. It is good money that's for sure. We didn't have any child care so had to do it all ourselves. So I workd nights and weekends. It is crap as a couple but we just needed to do it. :yesxmas: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest itskaren Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 That was when I was in the UK. It is good money that's for sure. We didn't have any child care so had to do it all ourselves. So I workd nights and weekends. It is crap as a couple but we just needed to do it.:yesxmas: Sorry! I am now in Australia and have been for a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brandyoz Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Hi, I am a Drama teacher in the UK and I have been teaching for 9 years now. I cannot comment on Nursing jobs, other than what I have read on here, and I would hazard a guess and say that your husband is correct. I have been granted my 175 in April 08, which took around 9 months, flew to Aus in August for 3 weeks and activated my VISA. I shall be returning in August 09 when I have saved a little to help me get set up in Brisbane. I have been constantly looking for teaching jobs in Brisbane/surrounding areas, and they do come up every so often. (Drama jobs that is). I look on seek.com.au and there is another site for Brisbane News | Breaking News from Brisbane and Queensland | The Courier-Mail where I have found some other Drama jobs. Bear in mind I am looking for something specific- a Drama teaching job in Brisbane!! I think that for a job in teaching say IT or English, it would be much easier to find something! I would research this too! After applying for the the 175, I found that I had to take the IELTS English test that gave me extra points for my VISA- even though I have a degree in Theatre Studies and English!! You will have to have your skills assessed, as I did, but this does not take me long. I love teaching and the Aus teaching system appears to have a private and public sector. I have recently found out that to teach in both you need to be registered with the Queensland Teaching Council, for which I am about to apply. (Bear in mind this is specifically for QLD and each state will probably have their own Governing teaching body) If you want to teach in a public school, then you have to apply to the state government, which I am also in the process of doing, so as to keep my options open. This too is a lengthy process. The link below should answer some of your questions, if you are planning on QLD any way. Teacher Recruitment and Employment - Frequently asked questions I also think that you have to enjoy what you do. The money side of things does come into it, and I compared the wages from all of the different states, as well as e-mailing the different state governments for help and advice. QLD state government were VERY helpful and gave me a lot of guidance. The last thing I would do is go to school websites. I looked at a few in Brisbane and looked at the curriculum for Drama, as I wanted to know what I was getting myself into. This was useful as I could see whether I would be OK teaching the content. This would be useful for you as you may be able to see the kinds of things you would be asked to teach , and maybe even how they are assessed. Also you may wish to consider- What subject do you wish to teach? Primary or Seconday? which way you wish to qualify- I know it was a long time ago when I qualified, but I did a 3 year degree, then a 1 year PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) in Birmingham, although I could have done a B ed- Bachalors degree in Education (4yrs). This may have changed. You are right it is a lengthy process, but one I hope will be worth the hard work! I hope some of this info is applicable and helpful and I have not dribbled on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dan and rachel Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Hi Lynne, Thanks for your reply and welcome. This site has been great so far, could spend all day on here! I am currently in banking, no qualifications. I could get onto the pre registration diploma now but would prefer to do the degree, just means i need to go to college for a year first which isnt a major problem. Teaching was my first preference because i have done some volunteering in my local primary and also as you said, nursing comes with the unsociable working hours, could i do that with 2 small children plus my husband works away - tons to think about, my brain hurts!!! What's an expo, i'm a newbie!!!! hi, i don't know if it's already something you've looked at but i did a graduate teaching programme to get into secondary teaching. do you have a degree in anything because i met people transferring a really broad range of skills to teaching when i did the course. i found (find) teaching in the UK tough but have been told australia is quite different. on the other hand, my husband's a nurse and he found the nurses training a bit like watching grass grow... i hope this doesn't sound too gloomy. it sounds like you've got some time to get qualified, whatever you choose. from what i've read so far (so take lightly!) teaching is better in Australia than here but nursing can be on a par. all the best, whatever you decide! r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dan and rachel Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 hi,i don't know if it's already something you've looked at but i did a graduate teaching programme to get into secondary teaching. do you have a degree in anything because i met people transferring a really broad range of skills to teaching when i did the course. i found (find) teaching in the UK tough but have been told australia is quite different. on the other hand, my husband's a nurse and he found the nurses training a bit like watching grass grow... i hope this doesn't sound too gloomy. it sounds like you've got some time to get qualified, whatever you choose. from what i've read so far (so take lightly!) teaching is better in Australia than here but nursing can be on a par. all the best, whatever you decide! r actually forget what i just said! i don't think the gtp is recognised abroad! sorry! r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Have you thought about Social Work? It might be easier to convert you current studies for the degree course and whilst it isn't on the demand list (nor is teaching) it has an excellent career pathway here in Oz, and pays way better than nursing plus it doesn't have the horrid hours/uniform/bodily fluids either :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sandy25 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Hi there, been a nurse now for nearly 20 years. Hours no issue until I had children. I do work part-time but not part-time enough. I've found my work extremely rewarding, however being a mum I wish I could work term time. I'm constantly juggling time-owing and my caseload to attend school events and rush into the school yard daily. I thought about re-training but I'm going to try nursing in Oz first. Good luck on your journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest17301 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Don't go into nursing for any other reason than that you have a burning desire to nurse. If you do you will last 5 mins. Die hard nurses are handing in their notice and retraining....it's not exactly a 'career choice' more a 'calling.' Lol - I will get slaughtered for this but it's true. Hell... we see things no human should have to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PommieLady Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 it's not exactly a 'career choice' more a 'calling.' We definitely don't do it for the money, or recognition :wubclub: Its all about the Love Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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