3RD week as a new migrant in the outback

[Leongsam]

I didn't get a "job". It's easy to make ends meet in OZ/NZ simply by providing a service. Why tie yourself to fixed working hours? It takes away all the fun and leaves you with much less time to explore your new surroundings. You also have to put up with arsehole bosses.

When I first arrived in OZ, I went from house to house offering to do odd jobs like painting, gutter cleaning, section clearing and lawn mowing. It provided me with a steady income while I developed my web design business.

Once the web stuff got going, I stopped doing the "hard" work and earned a living sitting in front of computer in comfortable surroundings instead.

Get the word "JOB" out of your vocabulary and work for yourself instead. It's a lot more lucrative. I'll give you an example... I just paid a guy $600 for 2 hours of work yesterday to fix 3 of my ranch sliders that weren't sliding properly. The chap arrived from Ireland a couple of years ago and has been fixing aluminium doors and windows since he arrived. He owns a $50,000 boat and he loves fishing. When the weather forecast is good, he doesn't schedule any jobs during that period so he can fish. He can't be doing that badly.

By the way,i would like to learn from the others that has been in OZ or Kiwiland on their experience when they first arrived and how they got their first job.The kind of problems they faced and how they are doing now.I guess this would help me and the others that just arrived. As i don't have a tertiary education, i can only settle for the entry level jobs in a rural town and that's tough.Thanks in advance for the helpful reply so far.

 

[Snooze]

Yeah that's the one,overall the chap is nice and friendly cept' the 1mil price tag on the stall.

By the way,i would like to learn from the others that has been in OZ or Kiwiland on their experience when they first arrived and how they got their first job.The kind of problems they faced and how they are doing now.I guess this would help me and the others that just arrived. As i don't have a tertiary education, i can only settle for the entry level jobs in a rural town and that's tough.Thanks in advance for the helpful reply so far.

mate, i have witnessed someone much worse off than you. A china lady who cant speak english at all, landed here. She learned her english, took humble pie working as a waitress, got scolded and humiliated by customers for not understanding english.

now she is working in the civil sector as an admin officer, studying accounting at night, bought her own house in a good suburb.

just erased off your Sinkie's mindset "to be spoonfed".

 

[vassily]

Just came back from an interview as a sales job in retravision(electronics/furniture). $18/hr, 3 mths probation. Need to get a job with perm status in order to get a housing loan, that's my main short term goal.
Can't believe the prices of landed properties here,avg of $350k.Wish me luck.

 

[Snooze]

Just came back from an interview as a sales job in retravision(electronics/furniture). $18/hr, 3 mths probation. Need to get a job with perm status in order to get a housing loan, that's my main short term goal.
Can't believe the prices of landed properties here,avg of $350k.Wish me luck.

Gd on u mate!

i met a Taiwanese chap a fornight ago, he was working in fruit farms. Guessed what, he was paid A$150 per day (w/o taxes), damn it is even more than what i am earning in SG.

 

[Leongsam]

Gd on u mate!

i met a Taiwanese chap a fornight ago, he was working in fruit farms. Guessed what, he was paid A$150 per day (w/o taxes), damn it is even more than what i am earning in SG.

In OZ, blue collar jobs are the way to go.

 

[ManBearPig62]

Need to get a job with perm status in order to get a housing loan, that's my main short term goal.

Talk to some of the brokers here (www.somersoft.com/forums). Browse a few threads in the "Financing" section and you will find them easily. They may be able to help you if you have some cash lying around.

If you want, PM me and I will send you my broker's email address.

However I believe the lending climate is still quite tight right now. Furthermore, given your present situation, a loan might not be a good idea. But even if you don't get a loan now, it's still good to learn more about the detailed requirements for one.

Can't believe the prices of landed properties here,avg of $350k.Wish me luck.

You won't believe the salaries here either, when you get to that stage. Stay the course and you'll get there soon enough. We all will.

just arrived in central qld, what a culture shock!! So different compared to melbourne.People here are not so used to seeing asian. Trying to land a job here is much tougher.

In fact it might be a blessing in disguise given your lack of tertiary qualifications. If you can pick up a trade, or if you have any skills (mechanic, NITEC etc) which you can get certified in, you will probably be able to earn a decent income. I agree with the other posters in that a blue collar worker will have a much easier time in rural areas as compared to a white collar professional.

The houses in the country are cheaper too. If you decide to move to the city after your three years are up, you can use equity in your rural property to leapfrog into one in the city. You can keep the rural property and rent it out for some extra income.

Many young people are buying rural investment properties because the city ones are just too expensive... they then use the (admittedly smaller) capital growth from these properties to move into the city market.

Melbourne is getting more like Sydney with every passing day... expensive and overcrowded. The recent transport problems are a sign of things to come, while the median house price will hit 650K soon. You're not missing out on too much at all. :o

 

[axe168]

Gd on u mate!

i met a Taiwanese chap a fornight ago, he was working in fruit farms. Guessed what, he was paid A$150 per day (w/o taxes), damn it is even more than what i am earning in SG.

I am paying AUD$100 per day/uni student.. My indian student is laughing his way to the bank.. He told me he will save $20k in 6mths !!! Bloody migrant !

 

[vassily]

Talk to some of the brokers here (www.somersoft.com/forums). Browse a few threads in the "Financing" section and you will find them easily. They may be able to help you if you have some cash lying around.

If you want, PM me and I will send you my broker's email address.

Thanks for your info,went on to the site and found lots of helpful info.Have to tread carefully now with the uncertainty of escalating rates in the next few mths.

 

[fishbuff]

here's how a 15 year old kid trying to start his own mowing business in his neighbourhood.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1398440

 

[vassily]

its been 2 months since i've got the job. got my pre-apprv from Nab last week for housing loan.secure my first prop(3rm 1bath 1pool 2carport) at 305k. i feel more Aussie now than before. work has 20% stress level as compare to Sing and weekends are spent on redclaws at the dam(taste good).Dream come true..

 

[facadegeniality]

its been 2 months since i've got the job. got my pre-apprv from Nab last week for housing loan.secure my first prop(3rm 1bath 1pool 2carport) at 305k. i feel more Aussie now than before. work has 20% stress level as compare to Sing and weekends are spent on redclaws at the dam(taste good).Dream come true..

that's good to hear man. Im glad for u!

 

[ManBearPig62]

Congratulations on everything, NAB is offering the cheapest loans for the time being, I'm with them too.

I'm a bit surprised that prices around Emerald are higher than what I thought they were... any mining going on around your area?

See, the whole process wasn't so hard was it :p What's your next step?

 

[vassily]

Congratulations on everything, NAB is offering the cheapest loans for the time being, I'm with them too.

I'm a bit surprised that prices around Emerald are higher than what I thought they were... any mining going on around your area?

See, the whole process wasn't so hard was it :p What's your next step?

Prices in Emerald are one of the highest in central qld,next to dysart. Hope this will be the first step in owning more property in order for me to retire earlier.

 

[vassily]

Just to update my situation here in Emerald since migrating from Sinkieland since 2009.Most of the members in this forum had given me some pretty good suggestions from day 1 when i started this thread.For those that have not been to Central QLD,this place is pretty different to Melbourne;not a single Sinkie in sight.Most people in this town have not got a passport!The other day when i was having a yarn with one of my colleague at work(in a BMA mine in Blackwater),he told me he was proud to have not travel overseas as there are too many diseases and germs/virus in other countries. Most people will ask me how did i managed to pick up English in such a short time in OZ even though i've told them i"m from Singapore.They were so surprised that i've been speaking the language since young.:*:
By the way,there are good opportunities in this area for mining jobs,just started driving Cat 789 dump truck in a Blackwater BMA site and the pay is $106k /year.Much better than the sales job before.Will update in half a year time.

 

[facadegeniality]

good to hear you are doing well. Your story will be motivation for me...8 more months for me in sinkieland.

Just to update my situation here in Emerald since migrating from Sinkieland since 2009.Most of the members in this forum had given me some pretty good suggestions from day 1 when i started this thread.For those that have not been to Central QLD,this place is pretty different to Melbourne;not a single Sinkie in sight.Most people in this town have not got a passport!The other day when i was having a yarn with one of my colleague at work(in a BMA mine in Blackwater),he told me he was proud to have not travel overseas as there are too many diseases and germs/virus in other countries. Most people will ask me how did i managed to pick up English in such a short time in OZ even though i've told them i"m from Singapore.They were so surprised that i've been speaking the language since young.:*:
By the way,there are good opportunities in this area for mining jobs,just started driving Cat 789 dump truck in a Blackwater BMA site and the pay is $106k /year.Much better than the sales job before.Will update in half a year time.

 

[da dick]

wa. miners still have macdonald's to eat . but very unhealthy. if they get fat, how to go into the minshaft????

 

[neddy]

Just to update my situation here in Emerald since migrating from Sinkieland since 2009.Most of the members in this forum had given me some pretty good suggestions from day 1 when i started this thread.For those that have not been to Central QLD,this place is pretty different to Melbourne;not a single Sinkie in sight.Most people in this town have not got a passport!The other day when i was having a yarn with one of my colleague at work(in a BMA mine in Blackwater),he told me he was proud to have not travel overseas as there are too many diseases and germs/virus in other countries. Most people will ask me how did i managed to pick up English in such a short time in OZ even though i've told them i"m from Singapore.They were so surprised that i've been speaking the language since young.:*:
By the way,there are good opportunities in this area for mining jobs,just started driving Cat 789 dump truck in a Blackwater BMA site and the pay is $106k /year.Much better than the sales job before.Will update in half a year time.

Welcome to the "regional" where the brains are left hanging out to dry.
I have been to there, so I can tell you a lot.

You really need to have a good sense of humour to live there. Leave behiind your Sinkee seriousness and do not try to make sense of everything.
I won't use the word dumb on the people there but you will get what I mean ... kekeke

The outback joke.
Where else can you find people who thought the air-con is broken when they do not know how to switch from heating to cooling. The expensive air-con technican is called in and he remove the filter so that it will not block the cold air coming through the vents.

The reason why he is still woeking there is because no one want the job and he is smart enough to charge twice the price as city folks.

Enjoy! Remember that hardship tax break!

 

[vassily]

Welcome to the "regional" where the brains are left hanging out to dry.
I have been to there, so I can tell you a lot.

You really need to have a good sense of humour to live there. Leave behiind your Sinkee seriousness and do not try to make sense of everything.
I won't use the word dumb on the people there but you will get what I mean ... kekeke

The outback joke.
Where else can you find people who thought the air-con is broken when they do not know how to switch from heating to cooling. The expensive air-con technican is called in and he remove the filter so that it will not block the cold air coming through the vents.

The reason why he is still woeking there is because no one want the job and he is smart enough to charge twice the price as city folks.

Enjoy! Remember that hardship tax break!

What's hardship tax break?
Anyway,for guys who are in Oz and are trying to get into the mining industry,they are desperate for staff now.Best way is to apply thru the BMA/Xstrata/Rio tinto website for apprentice jobs.

 

[neddy]

What's hardship tax break?
Anyway,for guys who are in Oz and are trying to get into the mining industry,they are desperate for staff now.Best way is to apply thru the BMA/Xstrata/Rio tinto website for apprentice jobs.

My accountant just asked me about that. It is item T8 on the tax return form.

Any of your colleagues bored over there?

Rt going to trial some remote control CAT.

 

[vassily]

My accountant just asked me about that. It is item T8 on the tax return form.

Any of your colleagues bored over there?

Rt going to trial some remote control CAT.

Heard of the remote Cat by RT,bad news for me.Hope it does not fair too well in the trials.

Presently the wages for mining in CQ are one of the highest in OZ so the guys are pretty happy.Most of them DIDO back to the coast after their shift. 4 on 4 off