a8 tech

Hi all
I have the option to emigrate to Australia on a 4 year sponsorship.
Everything looks great but would love some info from any uk techs over in Auz

I suppose like most I know very little of the working ways in Auz and the reaction to more experienced master technicians from the uk

I will post more questions as regarding the hole emigration process and its great to find a forum with members who have already left the dysfunctional uk shores

Regards

Jon

johnp

Hi.

I had a good experance when i went to Cairns, i started at a local dealer and found it very much like the UK, regarding the techs and their attitudes.


J

h2oskineil

I have worked in the Automotive business for the past 6 years in Perth. My company sponsored many 457 techs from the UK, Philipines to name a few.

Conditions will be very similar, expect it to be very hot in the summer months, somthing that took me a while to get used too..... Changing tyres with swaet filling your eyes isn't too much fun, but you get used to it. Evaporative air con is better than nothing, but the workshops get very hot.
Be sure your sponsor company is solid and will not go belly-up, otherwise you generally have 28 days to find a new sponsor.... or leave the country.

Audi in Perth are building a new $30M dealership.... is it Perth your looking at? I have 2 mates working there, so if you need some insider info????

Audi send their Service Advisors and tech's to Sydney on training courses, I have no idea if they are Master Tech's or not, but I would assume you'll be one of the team and your skills will determine the jobs you get. One of my staff was a Mercedes Maybach master tech and qualified on the SLR McLaren, but we never had any through the door!
There's a few R8's in Perth..... but not many that I have seen.

Good luck.

a8 tech

Thanks Lads great response.Looks like Gold coast just awaiting response but looks good.Just getting over the worrying bit about how uk techs are welcomed as you know there is nothing worse than starting a new job let alone in another country and finding your not welcome kind of thing.

Looking at tool prices over there it seems very high compared to the uk and would love to know if snap on and mac tools are widely available.

I have been with Audi for over 20 years in the uk so guess that's enough experience or hope so

As things progress I hope you don't mind me asking more Questions

Regards Jon

a8 tech

Update

I will have a series of skype interviews this week for several dealers so fingers crossed

Gold coast seems the place my wife and kids are set on but need to see what's what if offered a position

sammyg

Gold Coast Audi have just moved to a hugggeee new spanking showroom - but i guess you know this? Good luck

a8 tech

Thanks sammy

Just sorting the web cam for my interview in the morning

I have seen the gold coast dealer and its similar to my current size dealer in the uk

Alarm clock set skype set up and fingers crossed

I have studied this forum in great depth and the general feeling is as long as the wages are inline with living costs etc and I get the job in the right location then we are coming

If its meant to be it will be and the rest you make it work

Thanks everyone and I will update

a8 tech

Update

Since the interview a lot of time was wasted on Sydney and the wife just didn't like the look of it and the school fee's etc so we put it to bed and got all depressed.

Tonight after talking about what could have been I had a call with an offer from gold coast

:thum bup:

Wage is less than Sydney but hopefully they will offer a bit more

Please let this be the offer we wont as it seems fate has now shown its face

Can't sleep for thinking about it

Bermudashorts

Cost of living is a lot higher in Sydney so makes sense that salary would be, i.e. refering to accommodation costs not price of lettuces as is debated so often.

Good luck with your decision making and your moe if you go ahead. I am going up to Gold Coast tomorrow on me holidays.

a8 tech

Thanks, its been driving me bonkers all this and the initial offer is $55000 but hope they make another and with the living away from home tax benefit the numbers might just scrape us through until the wife can find work and the kids can be kids living the life they deserve

Dorothy

Not sure what this means. How will coming to Australia on a temporary visa give your kids a "life they deserve"? Can they not have a nice life where you are now or is there something magical about Australia that other first world countries are unable to provide?

Brisneyland

I don't have any advice about VAG tech but with regard to fitting in and hoping to be made welcome this was something that I found very daunting before coming here. I was working in quite a niche industry and transfered to a similar role here. I heard all sorts of horror stories about pom-haters etc. However the reality was very different. Out of the 7 people I was working alongside, there was one Ozzie (still a good friend now) 2 from Eastern Europe, one half Welsh half Phillipino, two other poms and a German. My advise would be to expect it to be different, keep an open mind, try not to start every sentence with "In England blah blah blah..." and you'll be fine. Your co-workers will be glad to see you, you're helping them out, they'll value your experience and be prepared to learn from them also and you'll be fine.

Edit : My point here was not to be too full of yourself. Even if you're not that way inclined it can be easy to see things here as backward sometimes but pointing it out to the locals is not cricket and will not win you any friends. Diplomacy is the way.

I don't know how the salary compares but I'd imagine that with 20 years experience in the UK the salary would be 30k plus, so the equivalent here should be $70+. $55 might be stretching it if you're supporting the wife and kids also.

Good luck.

a8 tech

and your suggestion would be