LucasHood

I've made a few posts 6 months ago about moving to Melbourne but I haven't really done anything about it yet. I'm going to give everyone here as much info about my situation and would appreciate some advice

I am a 38 year old male approaching my 39th birthday. I've been considering the move to Australia for a long time , it must be over 5 years at this stage. I have a brother that's been living there almost 13 years and he just got married recently to an Australian girl

The number 1 reason that's preventing me from going is that my profession doesn't pay that great over there. I have a degree in Science(Analytical chemistry) and I work in the lab testing drugs made by a major pharmaceutical company

I live in a small city in the south east of Ireland called Waterford. My basic salary is 34k a year but I work 24/7 shift which adds an extra 33% and with OT on top of that I come out with about 52k-55k euro a year.

For Waterford that's an excellent Salary I pay 560 euro a month for a 1 bedroom apartment plus a few other bills such as elec,phone,internet, food,etc. I am also single with no dependents so I only have myself to look after.

The basic salaries I have seen over in Melbourne in my field range from 50-70k aus which I am led to believe isn't great at all, it compares OK to my basic of 34k euro but I haven't seen many jobs offering shift rate to bump my salary up like it is in Waterford

At the same time the reason I want to move is because my life is very boring here in Waterford, the city is small and dead and I have very few friends. I basically just work and play video games in my spare time. Perhaps the fact I am single and don't have any dependents makes the move a lot more doable.I'm also wondering if there are ways to re-skill or go into other areas over there but I do know 3rd level education is very expensive over there

I'm at the age now where I need to make a decision, first step is IELTS if I do decide to go

Beoz

Just get on with it.

Dreamy

Didn't we have this discussion recently?

Seriously, you're a big boy now, make the decision.

vikingsail

Yep, as the other two posters said. You either want to do this or not? The difference between those who do is that they get on the plane, or boat I suppose, and get on with it. If life is good stay where you are. But if something is gnawing away at you, even if it is the sense of adventure you should follow your dreams.

Many of us talk of regret for the past and fear of the future. They are oft quoted but these gems are so very very true:

I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven't.
~ Lucille Ball

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.
~ John Barrymore

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.
~ Alexander Graham Bell

Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

And of course this would not be complete without the immortal words of Rudyard Kipling from his most excellent poem 'If'....

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poe...s/detail/46473

geoff52

you need to explore the type of visa you could obtain and your job prospects
Australia is a relatively small country in terms of population and most of pharmaceuticals may be imported from larger pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities from other countries, and thus there may not be many jobs in your field in Australia or they may be in other parts of Australia than the one you’re planning to move.
These issues may help you to decide on the possibility of moving.

Dorothy

As my 92 year old mother would say, "Shit or get off the pot."

Beoz

So is Ireland.

As he said, things are a little boring, and he is wondering if there are ways of re-training - move careers. Sounds very much to me like this guy is in desperate need of new scenery.

Sometimes a move really brings the best out of people, forces them to make those changes in life which one necessarily doesn't undertake when living in their comfort zone.

The move sounds like a massive winner to me. ........ and leave the xbox back in Ireland.

geoff52

Ireland can export pharmaceuticals to the whole of EU including UK. Many companies locate to Ireland because of low corporation tax.

Beoz

Ireland can export to the whole world but that doesn't seem important here.

Sounds to me moving from a town of 50,000 to a city of 5 million has much more appeal here.

Given his current boredom levels and desire to re-train one would expect the options available in a place the size of Melbourne more appealling than Waterford.

quoll

Apply for a visa, take a career break and suck it and see. Don't burn any bridges and you should be fine.

Seems like 6 of one and half dozen of the other - either you have a job that gives you enough cash to get out and do stuff even if you have to travel a bit to do it or you get a job which means beans on toast and no cash to do stuff anyway but if you're single and keep all your options open you can try anything to see if it floats your boat.

xizzles

Go now, or forever be stuck in limbo like me. The longer you wait, the more inertia you build up, the less likely you'll ever make the leap across the (very big) pond.

BEVS

My Mum was from Waterford. All her family lived there. She was the only one to move away to England in the 50's . My Uncle was a craftsman crystal glass blower and cutter. I have some of his work.

Look. 38 or even 39 is no age at all.

Go. For. It. Have the adventure which may change your life for the better. Even if it doesn't you can still look forward and onward to make other plans in the years to come. Shake your life all up and see what comes down. You are only here the once.

Me? I emigrated at the grand age of 49 for no other reason that I could. I may well make a move again.

Good luck.

moneypenny20

If we can move out in our mid 40s with two kids and no jobs to go to, you at 38 on your own can. If you want to of course. Hey you may be bored here and not earn as much as you do there but if you don't try you don't find out. What's to lose (but the odd grand)?