I have been approached about a job in Darwin, for Halliburton KBR, one of the largest Civil Engineering consultants in Oz, multi-national company, possibility of travel to other offices around Oz/asia etc.
They may pay away from home benefits also as I will be going alone at first.

We have been wanting to go to Cairns for the tropical lifestyle (both love it hot and sweaty!) but were unsure because of availability of work for myself and thought we would have to go to Brisbane instead (nothing wrong with brisbane BTW!).

Do you think Darwin is an option? money should be A$75k+ for me, then when my wife qualifies as a mental health nurse she will start @ A$45k.

What does everyone think?
Anyone live in Darwin?
Anyone been to Darwin?

We have 3 kids BTW, 7,9 & 11.

Thanks,

Andy

You'll be good friend with Steve , hunting crocodiles...

Cadman,I cannot comment on the Darwin location but I used to work for Brown and Root now known as KBR.They are a good company and were the largest construction company in the world at one time.You dont say what your position will be with them but if you are an engineer or in upper management etc then the salary you have been offered is garbage compared with US standards.You should be in a six figure salary.75,000 AUD is approx $55,000 USA, I was making that twenty years ago as an Earth moving superintendant.Dont cut yourself short.Are they paying your moving expences?Here in the states they will pay living out allowances if you are more than 60 miles from your town/city hall.Promotion with this company is good if you know your job,they like you to be on time,give them some B/S,they love that!BTW I gotta a good buddy that lives in Thornton Haugh.good luck,Brian.

Cheers Brian,

I'm a civil/structural CAD drafter, 16 years experience. any idea what I should be looking at/asking for?
you see lots of cad jobs on seek.com.au for between 45-95k, the agent asked what I would expect and I said 65k? and he said they will pay more than that so who knows until I speak to them.
I'm not used to this B/S career progression bollox, cos I've been on contract for last 12 years, desperately avoiding any responsibility whatsoever!

Andy.

ps - thornton hough? very nice!

Andy! Go for the highest salary,with sixteen years experience you should have no problem getting a job with KBR.If you give too low of a salary they will jump on it and you dont have anything to negotiate with.If its too high they will knock you down,split the difference with them,they have plenty of money!!! and you will benefit from it.American firms will try their best to get you as low as possible,just remember the guy/woman thats interviewing you is only a number to these big outfits.I have found out that if you are straight with them and and are aggresive they will love it.Their main base is in Houston Texas and are part of the Halliburton company (Louisiana) who also own Tennaco and have just sold Newport News shipbuilding and drydock company in Virginia which was the largest privately owned shipbuilding .company in the world.Ladybird Johnson (ex president Johnson,s wife) used to have her finger in the pie as well and Dick Shaney the vice president used to be CEO at Halliburton.When are you having your interview?Will it be in UK or OZ? Good luck to you.PM me when you hear something,would like to know how you got on.I am retired now so dont have to worry about a job,took early retirement and now travel around the USA/Canada/Alaska and Mexico.Brian.

Were they not wandering down the main street!

Cheers

Ginny

Mate, The salaries in the US, UK and even the Australian Captitals do not and cannot compare with regional Australia. I am an Environmental Health Officer, qualified to the eyeballs with 20 years experience and I am on $55K. In the US, UK, Syney or Melbourne etc that salaray wouldnt get you for but up here in Townsville (slightly more expensive to live than Darwin) that salary is fine. $325K buys you a 4 bedroom house no more than 3 years old on 700-1000SqM with a pool and we run a brand new car and a boat. Money is not abundant but we manage quite comfortably. My wife is also an EHO on 52K and we save all that and invest it.

Hope this helps, the cost of living up here is very much less than most of the reat of Oz and certainly US/UK - I fill up my 4x4 for 22GPB a week! Its $1 per liter! Enjoy and remember, it a foot in the door.

That said, professiojnals are scarce here, very scarce so negotiate hard and get the deal you are happy with

Rob

been to Darwin twice for work for a couple of days each time.... personally loved it a very livable but quite small place....

lots to see and do around and very close to asia of course... in a nutshell i'd be positive about the idea

I was in Darwin 2 years ago in Oct and it's a great city, cost of living is a lot less than Brisbane and so are houses. It has everything you would expect in a major city to have but it is quite small (even for Australia). Cannot help with the job sit as I've no idea as I was their on holiday and it's not a place I would want to live as it's far too hot and humid but if you enjoy that sort of thing I would think Darwin would be a good choice.

There are some great beaches up their but not for swimming from as it's croc country, but inland you've got Kakadu and Litchfield NP right on your doorstep.

Cadman. That salary is not that great for someone with your experience. All I can say is go contract! Only an idiot would go permanent in engineering in Australia right now. You should be on no less than $50/hour, 45 hour week. $60/hour or more should be no problem. I work as a design engineer here in Perth. There is so much work here, it's scary. I believe Darwin is booming too. It looks like this is going to go on for another 3-5 years at least. There is not much salary difference between CAD guys & engineers (unlike the UK). I'm changing jobs in the new year to a better project with more money. Like you I'm not interested in career progression or job security bullsh*t (so called 'job security' is an excuse to pay you less). All I want to do is design substations & earn lots of money. Think of yourself, be selfish, go for the big candy. Go contracting.

As for Darwin, I was there 10 years ago & I liked the place. It was a lot more modern & cosmopolitan than I was expecting.

I spent a couple of months in Darwin some time back. There's some stunning beaches but you can't swim in the sea which is gutting. The beach markets are great. Town centre is tiny. There's great trips in the Bush, Kakadu etc if you like that sort of thing. Heaps of flies. Bad public transport. Cheap houses. The weather is hot and humid and rainy half the year and hot and less humid and dry as hell the rest.
The people are friendly - but lots of candidates for your wife's hospital too!!
Personally I wouldn't live in Darwin for any amount of money - it was nice enough but would bore me to tears. Depends what you like, I'm too much of a city girl myself. But my reles lived there for 20 odd years. Mind you they've now moved to Cairns .....

Thanks for the responses so far........

other questions that spring to mind:

they have an army base, a naval base there etc. - is it a bit of a portsmouth type town i.e. loads of squaddies etc. in the bars/pubs etc. rowdy behaviour etc.?

and following on from that, is it a good place to bring up a family?

we have 3 kids - boys aged 7 and 11 and a girl aged 9

Andy