Job Hunting Tips for OZ

[londoncabby]

Why do you wan to go down under to pay off those socialist tax carbon tax consumption tax income tax water tax car tax house tax alcohol tax cigarette tax

Dun you know the Tax office will take almost 50% of your pay from your paycheck so you really working for garhment plus all those old timer pension now is collecting your 50% tax withhold from paycheck and all the ang moh bum who collect DOLE there is sitting at street corner drunk all day from your 50% wage

You crazy or what?

50% tax??????!!!!!!!!!

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

[Rafael Vandervaart]

bro... the decision for me to go settle there is of my own..that's not part of the discussion here..Perhaps my parents can question my decision ... not anyone else..
Cheers..


(Ps:btw my parents are thrilled..Some place pleasant for them to spend part of their golden years.)

 

[Aussie Prick]

50% tax??????!!!!!!!!!

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Yes that is Australia for you. At a recent budget speech the Oz PM Rudd declared "in some parts of Australia an income of A$ 200,000 is not alot of money to live on anymore" so you actually need to earn A$400,000 per year.

Now lets see that's only S$ 600,000 - one peanut. Most Singaporeans should have no problem making this amount.

What a disaster Australia is.....

 

[Aussie Prick]

bro... the decision for me to go settle there is of my own..that's not part of the discussion here..Perhaps my parents can question my decision ... not anyone else..
Cheers..


(Ps:btw my parents are thrilled..Some place pleasant for them to spend part of their golden years.)

I hope the costs there dont make you cry too hard........or maybe you might just have a heart attack.

 

[Rafael Vandervaart]

ok.thanks for ur concern.

 

[Aussie Prick]

ok.thanks for ur concern.

Good Luck. Remember Sydney is more Expensive to live in than New York.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/18/2192181.htm

Sydney more expensive to live than NY: report



Expensive: High density housing in Sydney (Getty Images: Ian Waldie)
A new report says Australia's housing market is one of the least affordable in the developed world.

 

[IWC2006]

Please read the post properly.

Well, refering to your earlier post "there's a huge difference interviews between permanent staff and contractor staff" is not the right phrase. Perm or contractor staff(even for IT) both requires the same technical competency. The interview questions are more or less the same, though the perm job might have to go through another round of interview (usually with a HR and very senior mgt, or a business head) to test their cultural fit and career aspiration. I'm a hiring manager myself so I know what I'm talking about. I have years of hiring experience even when I was with a bank in sg.
BTW, if u want get into Macquarie as a perm, you have to sit through a 3 hrs Physcometric test, this is not mandatory for contractors. (I don't work for Maquarie though)

Nowdays, is much harder to get a perm headcount(btw this is a global issue) as there's a lot of overhead involved. Contract staff is easier to get hiring approval. For specific project requirement, there could be situation the perm pool do not have the skills thus they go out to market to source for this specialised skillset. In this case, the firm is willing to pay premium , sometime pay the contractor above the threshold to secure the resource.

Also, your theory about contractor 'got to work much harder' is also misconception. When you are in a project, no one cares if u are a contractor or perm, they just have to deliver by the deadline. There's no flavoristism or special treatment for perm staff. In fact, contractors usually leave on the dot because they have the mindset 'I'm being paid by the hours' so I won't work any longer. Some of them will find excuse they can't finish the work on time and come back on weekends to 'catch up' with their work because they will get paid on weekends whereas the perm won't. If u are refering to government jobs perhaps this might be the case, but not for private and certainly not in a bank. Also, because perm staff are measured by their performance, they usually prepare to work the extra mile since they take it as their career advancement though they are pay a lot less. There's no performance measurement for contractors thus most of the time they get renewed based on what the hiring manager and feedback from people who work with them. If the project prolonged , very likely contractrors get renewed till the project is over.

There are also very solid contractors being offered perm but they declined (for tax or personal reasons) but they are being treated like a perm though they are paid a lot better. Also, they tend to think and work like a perm and not picky about working extra hours and demand overtime pay. Short term contractors mindset are different as they just want to 'get in' and lookup the next one who can offer them higher rates.

I pretty much sum up what's in the marketplace and I don't think this just apply to Australian workplace but probably just the same in other developed countries like US or the UK.

 

[scroobal]

Isn't that the beauty of OZ. They still do very well as an advance nation with great balance in lifestyle.

Tell you a joke I had yesterday.. I was busy chitchatting with my frz (M'sian SG PR) yesterday over the phone.. (both are perm stafff).. when the clock strikes 5pm.. he stopped the interesting conversation and said it is time to go home.. Australian Culture lah.. LOL !! Na beh.. like tat also can !! wahahaha..

In Australia, we go after "happiness".. "relaxation".. and "family bond".. Enjoy your lifestyle in Australia while you can.. coz life is too short..

 

[Imperialarse]

50% tax??????!!!!!!!!!

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

So whatever you making is just half is yours to keep. And somemore now your wife must also be working so family situation suffer due to very long working hour and long commuting time. No have ERP there so easy one hour to your workplace and one hour back

No wonder this Oz not as popular as before

 

[neddy]

Smart man.

Negative gearing is the best satefy net just in case OZ heads back to the 80s era when interest rate were double digit.

But when it comes to negative gearing for properties, I do not see how the capital gains in my properties will ever cover ongoing interest payments.

It is all basic math.

Aussies are addicted to debt to the record of $1.60 per $1 earned.
Sellers are unwilling to lower the land prices.
Builders are still increasing their costs
Rudd will have no choice but increase taxes (Labor favourite solution) to pay for the deficits. Luckily, the AUD is strong.

I can almost bet a Dec rate hike to counter Rudd's addiction to the American loose money solution.

Did you watch "Addicted to Money" on ABC?

Meanwhile, I am helping myself to American's misery by spending AUD$ on USD$-priced overseas tours.

 

[Imperialarse]

Good Luck. Remember Sydney is more Expensive to live in than New York.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/18/2192181.htm

Sydney more expensive to live than NY: report



Expensive: High density housing in Sydney (Getty Images: Ian Waldie)
A new report says Australia's housing market is one of the least affordable in the developed world.

Wah lau better not go to Sydney

 

[scroobal]

I guess we have to differ on this. There is a reason why contractors are paid such high premiums - they tend to deliver higher quality via effort and time. You see that in IT, Engineering, Medicine, performance consultancy work etc.

If both Perm and Contractors are the same, the remuneration will be like water, finding the same level. Its not the case. The remuneration differential is very wide. And they can contract for the same company for years and not just project base. Unless your bank is an exception that are IT contractors that are not confined to one project but have been there for years.

Do agree with you that some prefer perm and some prefer contracting as matter of personal choice.

Remuneration differential is there for all to see. And there must be basis for it as these guys have been contracting for the same company for years.

Also, your theory about contractor 'got to work much harder' is also misconception. When you are in a project, no one cares if u are a contractor or perm, they just have to deliver by the deadline. There's no flavoristism or special treatment for perm staff. In fact, contractors usually leave on the dot because they have the mindset 'I'm being paid by the hours' so I won't work any longer. Some of them will find excuse they can't finish the work on time and come back on weekends to 'catch up' with their work because they will get paid on weekends whereas the perm won't. If u are refering to government jobs perhaps this might be the case, but not for private and certainly not in a bank. Also, because perm staff are measured by their performance, they usually prepare to work the extra mile since they take it as their career advancement though they are pay a lot less. There's no performance measurement for contractors thus most of the time they get renewed based on what the hiring manager and feedback from people who work with them. If the project prolonged , very likely contractrors get renewed till the project is over.

There are also very solid contractors being offered perm but they declined (for tax or personal reasons) but they are being treated like a perm though they are paid a lot better. Also, they tend to think and work like a perm and not picky about working extra hours and demand overtime pay. Short term contractors mindset are different as they just want to 'get in' and lookup the next one who can offer them higher rates.

I pretty much sum up what's in the marketplace and I don't think this just apply to Australian workplace but probably just the same in other developed countries like US or the UK.

 

[ManBearPig62]

Just want to say thanks to all the contributors for this thread, I'm learning a lot.

As for negative gearing... I believe the most important thing is not to get in over your head and buy too much... which is really easy to do if you get "addicted" to it.

The trick is to have a negatively geared property that is positive cashflow after tax deductions (claims on interest+depreciation). The Somersoft forum is full of info about this.

 

[IWC2006]

I guess we have to differ on this. There is a reason why contractors are paid such high premiums - they tend to deliver higher quality via effort and time. You see that in IT, Engineering, Medicine, performance consultancy work etc.

If both Perm and Contractors are the same, the remuneration will be like water, finding the same level. Its not the case. The remuneration differential is very wide. And they can contract for the same company for years and not just project base. Unless your bank is an exception that are IT contractors that are not confined to one project but have been there for years.

Do agree with you that some prefer perm and some prefer contracting as matter of personal choice.

Remuneration differential is there for all to see. And there must be basis for it as these guys have been contracting for the same company for years.


Na, disagreed. If u are refering to contractors from consultancy firms like KPMG or Accenture, they are trained in certain framework and methodology, but basically they just reuse the same materials and model for different clients. They talk a lot but behind there's no substance and yet charging a premium. Again, they are brought in because they are perceived to have the large project implementation skills, also, the risk of project failing can be passed on to the vendor (someone got to be blame eventually).

Independent consultants can be equally dodgy. The good ones usually get snapped up quickly as they have build a strong network and through word of mouth they get a lot of jobs. Again, these are specialised skills and experience thus they deserve to command a premium.

Not all contractors are the same nor are the perms. In these days where most firms want to stay lean and keep expenses low, contractors are good alternative to fill up project roles. To fill up a perm job, a lot of justification has to be made and senior executives will challenge the department manager the neccessity to have a perm headcount, even if it might be a junior role. There is no evidence suggest contractors produce higher quality work then a perm staff. Everyone is expected to deliver high quality output. If there is please show me. They command premium because there is a market to get people in for short term work and not going into the firm's headcount. Firms are willing to pay premimum because they can book their cost as a separate component in their accounts thus not affecting their long term expense unlike hiring a perm staff.

When hiring a perm staff, is not the salary component, there's a cost associate every new headcount to the firm, that include one-off agency fee, insurance, fixture and fittings/office space, PCs, training, admin cost, bonus,increment etc etc.

As I said, if u after a specific scarce skillset then a contractor will really come into handy.

Some of them can be complacent after contracting in the same firm for a long time. We have just removed one as he really didn't 'deserve' to stay that long because his transitional skills in technology in fact are very limited.

This is not just my bank or ABC bank, such practise is across all industries (except the government jobs because they are perceived to be 'less skilled' then the commercial world - sorry this might offend those who work for the public sector but there is reason for it. As a public sector staff u do enjoy a lot more benefits and workload usually are much lower then the private sector thus more personal free time).

 

[redbull313]

Good Luck. Remember Sydney is more Expensive to live in than New York.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/18/2192181.htm

Sydney more expensive to live than NY: report



Expensive: High density housing in Sydney (Getty Images: Ian Waldie)
A new report says Australia's housing market is one of the least affordable in the developed world.

My bro-in law works for MacQuarie Bank in Sydney and lives in Paddington. He and my sis have been wanting out of Sydney for the past 4 years but they cannot sell thier paddinton townhouse. He complains Sydney has become a nasty place to live these days.

 

[IWC2006]

My bro-in law works for MacQuarie Bank in Sydney and lives in Paddington. He and my sis have been wanting out of Sydney for the past 4 years but they cannot sell thier paddinton townhouse. He complains Sydney has become a nasty place to live these days.

ha ha.what are u toking.
Sydney has always been a nasty place to live, same as the major cities such as London, NY and your beloved Spore. However, why it still voted among the world's top.10 places to live?

 

[neddy]

My bro-in law works for MacQuarie Bank in Sydney and lives in Paddington. He and my sis have been wanting out of Sydney for the past 4 years but they cannot sell thier paddinton townhouse. He complains Sydney has become a nasty place to live these days.

Sydney is not a first tier city for nothing. There are many reasons why your bro-in-law cannot sell his townhouse.
- First, he is asking too much. He need to price to sell, even in the same apartment complex, prices can vary as much as $50k.
- Secondly, the state of maintenance and closely related, the strata levy/sinking funds.
But compared to New York, Sydney is rather tame.

Remember that the US$ is devaluing, so Sydney is more expensive to Americans now. :-D

 

[scroobal]

Yes, you are on the right track. Always aim for positive cash flow. Negative gearing is an excellent fallback when interest rate hikes outstrip demand for rentals. Thanks for the link, I am sure the guys will appreciate it.

Negative gearing for business folks is a different ballgame and usually involves a strategy.

The error is when people start incurring tax deductible expenses when it is not necessary in order to reduce the tax liability.

Just want to say thanks to all the contributors for this thread, I'm learning a lot.

As for negative gearing... I believe the most important thing is not to get in over your head and buy too much... which is really easy to do if you get "addicted" to it.

The trick is to have a negatively geared property that is positive cashflow after tax deductions (claims on interest+depreciation). The Somersoft forum is full of info about this.

 

[scroobal]

Maybe going into specifics can help. As you are in the IT line, maybe you can explain to the rest of us why an oracle database administrator who is a contractor draws such a high hourly remuneration compared to a perm staff. I am referring to contractors remaining in the same organisations for years.

It will certainly help to clear the air.

Na, disagreed. If u are refering to contractors from consultancy firms like KPMG or Accenture, they are trained in certain framework and methodology, but basically they just reuse the same materials and model for different clients. They talk a lot but behind there's no substance and yet charging a premium. Again, they are brought in because they are perceived to have the large project implementation skills, also, the risk of project failing can be passed on to the vendor (someone got to be blame eventually).

Independent consultants can be equally dodgy. The good ones usually get snapped up quickly as they have build a strong network and through word of mouth they get a lot of jobs. Again, these are specialised skills and experience thus they deserve to command a premium.

Not all contractors are the same nor are the perms. In these days where most firms want to stay lean and keep expenses low, contractors are good alternative to fill up project roles. To fill up a perm job, a lot of justification has to be made and senior executives will challenge the department manager the neccessity to have a perm headcount, even if it might be a junior role. There is no evidence suggest contractors produce higher quality work then a perm staff. Everyone is expected to deliver high quality output. If there is please show me. They command premium because there is a market to get people in for short term work and not going into the firm's headcount. Firms are willing to pay premimum because they can book their cost as a separate component in their accounts thus not affecting their long term expense unlike hiring a perm staff.

When hiring a perm staff, is not the salary component, there's a cost associate every new headcount to the firm, that include one-off agency fee, insurance, fixture and fittings/office space, PCs, training, admin cost, bonus,increment etc etc.

As I said, if u after a specific scarce skillset then a contractor will really come into handy.

Some of them can be complacent after contracting in the same firm for a long time. We have just removed one as he really didn't 'deserve' to stay that long because his transitional skills in technology in fact are very limited.

This is not just my bank or ABC bank, such practise is across all industries (except the government jobs because they are perceived to be 'less skilled' then the commercial world - sorry this might offend those who work for the public sector but there is reason for it. As a public sector staff u do enjoy a lot more benefits and workload usually are much lower then the private sector thus more personal free time).

 

[scroobal]

I am surprised your are still falling for this troll. He has a relatives in every thread that has issues living in OZ. Remember his sister ran away from Perth. Lets not feed this guy and wreck another thread. He is not looking for an explanantion but a response from you.

Sydney is not a first tier city for nothing. There are many reasons why your bro-in-law cannot sell his townhouse.
- First, he is asking too much. He need to price to sell, even in the same apartment complex, prices can vary as much as $50k.
- Secondly, the state of maintenance and closely related, the strata levy/sinking funds.
But compared to New York, Sydney is rather tame.

Remember that the US$ is devaluing, so Sydney is more expensive to Americans now. :-D