vineetbahl

Dear All,

I might sound stupid asking this question but, I think it’s better to be called stupid to ask this question then, to stay all my life with guilt of not asking the question:

I am a technology consultant for one of biggest Telecommunication MNC in the world working, based out of India. Last Year I got permanent residency for Australia, and I resigned from this company in India and moved to look for greener pastures in Melbourne, Australia. While in Australia for three and half moths I tried to search for Jobs but to no avail as I could not find any decent jobs (unless working as a customer care executive qualifies as a decent job). While in Australia I figured out that nobody was giving me job in my field as I lacked local experience.

However, while I was in Australia the company I use to work in India for approached me and offered me roughly triple the salary (i.e. 1.6 Million India Rupees or $40,0000 Per Annum) now this amount may look insignificant to someone outside India however, this is quite a lot in India not many people expect to get the same. What’s more I am being approached for even higher and better paid positions by some other technologies companies in India.

Similar Jobs in Australia are paid somewhere around $125,000-$150,000 however, cost of living in Australia is huge, and more importantly in my brief stint in Australia I could not get a job offer.

My question to all of you is as below:

Given the fact Australia has far better quality of life (i.e. road infrastructure, Zero Pollution, Stress Free life) and in India I have far better financial status (i.e. full time servants at home for cleaning cooking, Chauffer driven car, minimal income tax) should I stay in India or should I move to Australia and search for a job there as I am confident one day I will find a job there.

In order assist you with making a decision on my behalf I would like to tell you that I am a
• Telecommunication Engineer (Four Years Bachelors Degree)
• Unmarried/Non-committed
• 27 Year Old
• Ambitious
• Have no strings attached in any of the countries.


Please feel free to advice from your experience as I am totally confused.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

If you are ever going to take a chance on emmigration then it sounds like you are at the perfect point in your life to do it. At 27, and with no family to support, then I would say its now... or never.

Only you can really make the choice though.

ABCDiamond

I can't think of anywhere that would give a stress free life, unless you were very very lucky.

If you are accustomed to having servants it can be very hard to adapt to what we may term a 'normal' life style. My wife is always complaining about not having servants these days.

Mamoo

Hight time you give her one and releave her from house work

upyerfud

Compared to parts of India, less visible pollution for sure, but per capita air pollution in Australia is almost the highest in the world. Equal to US, beaten only by a couple of Carribean islands and some Middle Eastern emirates. Australian greenhouse gas emissions are about 16 times higher per capita than India.
http://www.carbonplanet.com/country_emissions

Speaking from recent experience, waiting for a job offer in Australia can be soul destroying. Employment agencies and company recruitment departments work at a very slow pace, and are generally a pain in the arse to deal with. Employment prospects have not improved since last year in general. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't leave a well paid job to move anywhere at the moment without another one lined up beforehand.

Sally Simpson

If you have PR & have validated your visa, you still have time on your side.
Why not accept the job offer back in India, see how it goes & decide what you want to do in 12 months time?
Australia isn't going anywhere & the job situation may well have changed in that time.
Good luck with your decision!

Zambia

There is an old saying that its easy to fly like an eagle when in the company of turkeys.

This is a hard decision that sadly only you can make.

However I will say if your life is good in India and you could raise a family there on your salary easily I dont see the need to be here.

Mamoo

Why would u do that kind of math - converting the local salary to India - thats stupid math?
The wages in India are improving and so is the cost of living.
40K in Aus will only buy u peanuts.

how brief your stint was? You will be lucky to get a job offer in first month while you are here. took me 3 months with 12 Yrs of exp just to prove myself to get first job offer with low contract rate. Now sailing...
Are you expecting ur first job offer to be 120+.
It aint realisitc.

You look happy in India but you are doing very weird math here...
The reality of life here is:
1. You will have to work no matter what, you can enjoy weekends how you want
2. There is a lot of stress and the level of retrenchment is higher
3. Time and again you got to prove yourself, its not like some countries that baggage of 10 yrs of exp is enough.
4. Its not like you get married and your wife can stay home, i think here its imperative for both couple to work.
5. If you are thinking you will hit a jackpot of life in aus with job, house etc, i think you better look at realestate sites, what type of work you do and the scope and how long you can sustain before you can pick new skills etc..
etc etc
28/12/08 Lodged E-Visa GSM 176 (CSL) HRC 20/05/09Front loaded all docs;
CO Allocated 03/06/09;Medical Finalized 04/06/09; All Docs Met 16/06/09
VISA 03/07/09
You have already proceeded with this you are having second thoughts?

vineetbahl

Dear Mamoo,

I guess You haven't understood my question. I am being paid $40K in India and I am not converting it.

Also the fact I want to understand is: which is better when we compare apple to apple

$40K in India with 10-15% annual growth everyear plus chances of getting promotions overall in long run reaching somewhere around $80-$90 say about five years.
Or
$120-140K in Australia with 2%-5% growth and over long run a package of around $150K.

Regards,
Vineet Bahl

Mamoo

Is this realistic figures? in 5 yrs salary almost double.
If thats the case then you might want to compare the tax rates too.
Here the tax hits 40+ after u go up 120k.
In India the top slab is 30%.
If money is factor to be considered for your move, then you would be better off in India you will make good savings.
Lifestyle is another story.

DeadVim

Have a crack mate, if all else fails we can always use more taxi drivers.

(road infrastructure, Zero Pollution, Stress Free life) You may want to downgrade your expectations a tad.

vineetbahl

Hi Mamoo,

India is lot different from other countries (my current take home salary is 10 times what I use to earn in 2006). Repeating that is next to impossible for me now on however, in a span of four to five years I don't see why can't I double my take home. However, then I reach a glass limit from where going beyond shall be tough to say the least.

Now comming to Australia, I very well understand your point that taxation is a bit more. However, picture this even if I pay 10-15% more tax I still make double what i make in India today.

So given the fact that I will earn atleast $40K-$50K on top of what I make in India if I move to Australia is it a good Idea to leave India.

Regards,
Vineet Bahl

spottydog

But how does the cost of living compare in Australia to India? I wouldn't be surprised if that extra 50% salary will be more than eaten up with the additional cost of living in Australia

Bermudashorts

I think Vineet you should take a few minutes to remember what was it that made you to decide to apply for immigration in the first place. Are those reasons still valid? If so, then maybe you have to make the jump at some point and it will be hard at first. It will always be easier to stay put than to make the huge move that is emmigration.

If you currently have an income that provides you with servants, a chauffeur etc then it sounds like you have a more than comfortable standard of living and I think you are kidding yourself if you think you will be in the same position in Australia in a few years time. You have to decide how important these things are to you. My husband and I believe we will have lower incomes if we move to Australia, but we have decided that we are ok with that, we haven't tried to kid ourselves that we will be financially better off.

Sometimes I find writing the pros and cons down on paper is the best way to start making decisions.

mohogony

Only in Sydney and Melbourne would air pollution be equal to the USA. Tasmania Actually has the cleasest. least polluted air anywhere in the world. Outsdie the large cities most of OZ probably has some of the least polluted air in the world.