Bernieboy

Slip into yer flack jacket,adjust the straps on yer kevlar helmet,and wait

thompi

lol sorry a bit too criptic for me? do you think I will get some responses? I hope so.........I am sooooooo mixed up about this it is driving me mad!

moneypenny20

Do a search of Ping Pong Poms. A lot of threads on the subject. Some do it once, some twice, there are even some who've done it three times However you'll get answers between 'yeah go for it' 'you're regret it on the deathbed if you don't', 'don't do it, it's not worth it' so good luck with getting your head around it.

My personal opinion? If you can afford it and you're not going to lose anything by giving it a go then why not but it's way more expensive here now than a few years back, fewer jobs about blah blah blah and you'll have a son you'll leave behind and another one who may struggle because of his age, so to be honest I wouldn't want to have to make the decision. Goes in the too hard box.

Bernieboy

You'll be fine mate

Pennines49

I'd stay in your situation.
NHS is free

kendalanita

Stay where you are!

Bermudashorts

You had this conversation last month. I thought it sounded familiar.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...55#post9962655

thompi

Hi Anita,

Thanks for the response, please help me.....why are you so sure we should stay in the UK, I really need your opinion.
It IS DRIVING US MAD not knowing what to do and which country will give my wife and I and our children the better life in the long run.

Help!

thompi

Hi,

Yes your right I did do a post last month and to be honest still a dilemma! I have tried applying for jobs but not really getting anywhere at the moment, I might have to go out on a reccie on my own to see how the land lies before i take the wife and youngest out there.

It is so dificult to know which direction to go in.

ozzieeagle

Personally I'd be amazed if your 19yo and 17yo would want to come.... Have you talked about this with them ?

I dont normally get involved in threads like this, but I am a father of 4.... hence my reply.

46 years.... Hmmm I'd be earning as much as I can and dreaming of early retirement... then you can do and go where you want. Migrating at your age could mean you have to stay in the work force for a fair few years longer than you would if you stay in the UK.

I'm quite pro Aussie especially after being here 30 years... in fact I'm possibly more Aus than Brit these days. If I were given a choice at 46 of staying in the workforce for another 15/16 years or migrating and possibly being in the workforce for at least 21 years or an extra 6 or 7 years.. I'd give staying serious consideration.

I'm making some possibly mis assumptions about your situation, but I reckon I wouldn't be far of the mark.

I think you've missed the boat mate sorry

Oh and to be blunt re your first foray into Australia and living in the wrong place.... If thats the dream your chasing.... It doesn't exist.... It'll be stymied by work and commitments.

thompi

Thanks, you make a good point, from what experience I have from talking to agencies about CFO and FD opportunities in OZ I continually get the response "yes mate you have great experience in Europe and the UK but your up against blokes that have had all your 26 years experience but in Oz so who would you pick if you were the employer deciding who to give a senior position to............. the Ozzie ofcourse"

I also think I can earn alot more in the UK than Oz from now through to say 55 which is when I would like to hang my boots up!

Thanks for making things just that bit clearer for me.

MissingOZ

Fish & Chips or Pie & Mash?

Would you like gravy or peas?

It's a personal decision based on personal circumstance and experiences and a decision only you and your family can make. Empathy of 'it aint easy' is all I can add. Plenty of obstacles and hurdles.........mostly put infront by yourself.

I have met some Aussies in the UK. Usually selling touristy attraction stuff, working as tandem instructors or selling booze. They all seem to head for London. Never met an Aussie family cooing over the durex and poo in the Thames or riding the surf in Cornwall though. Perhaps they have it sorted? Who knows?

Good luck.

aussietobe

Many, not all, recruiters in Oz seem to love British workers, especially white-collar with degrees and experience. You have to sell your UK experience as a plus, not play it down. And, consider taking a job slightly "beneath" you to get Australian experience.

Dumbledore

Hi there

I also work in your profession at a similar level to BermudaShorts.
I've recently pinged back to Sydney from NZ. After going back for 2 years, I found I really missed Sydney plus career opportunities much better and wide ranging than in Auckland. Do I feel a bit of an idiot for not working out we should stat in Oz before going through all the hassle of going back to NZ ? Yes. However my view is that life's too short and If you're not happy living where you are and can back track then you should.

I've been lucky that my old employer found some short term contract work for me to do for 3.5 months and I've been able to doss at a friend's place.
I'm now in the market looking for longer term work before husband comes over.

My advice / feedback is :-

1. Everyone is saying the market is " sluggish" and slow however there ARE jobs around and if you are a good candidate you just need to preserve. Roles up to $130k are quite prolific; the $130k-$200k band slow and aboe $200k very quiet. You may well need to lower your salary expectations and drop
down a level to get the Australian experience you need; then start moving back up the ladder once you have that and the market s more buoyant.

2. IMHO, the big cities -meaning Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane - are the best places to look for work. Adelaide, cairns, Darwin are very regional. Perth is fairly buoyant at the moment but very isolated from anywhere else.

3. Forget trying to sort out a job before coming over. I tried to do that from NZ and it's a complete waste of time. Even though I emphasised that I was willing I fly over for interviews -which is totally doable in a day - no-one wanted to know. Plus most of the agencies won't even forward you for a role they've advertised until you've registered with them first (just to make sure you are not an axe murderer).

4. You might want to consider looking at getting a reciprocal qualification to what you have in UK. If you are CA it's very easy to get Australian membership also ( think you just need some referees). Similarly you might want to look into CPA. Or do a PRINCE 2 project management practitioner course - fairly straightforward and can be done online - which will enhance your marketability for doing more project and consultant type roles.

5. Be prepared it may take you quite some time to find a role if you are in the $200k+ senior level bracket. My old boss -Sydney born & bred - took 5 months to find a new role as a Group Financial Controller after being made redundant.

6. The reality -and probably "safest" way of coming back is for you to come over first and find a job, before the rest of the family come to. I don't know if your wife works but if she stayed in the UK & only moved once you had work, it would take some of the pressure off and mean you would always

Good luck !

moneypenny20

Threads merged.