British Expats - Frustrating and desperate

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Re: Frustrating and desperate

Quote:

Originally Posted by Australia Immigration (Post 4527771)

Hi Mick

Its is good for you to give a candid overview and a reality check of what you might and regularly people do encounter - it can and in a lot of cases is tough and the transition can take between 3-5 years.

Mick whilst handing business cards etc have you tried the BNI ?

http://www.bni.com/ (Find a Chapter)

This are professional meetings that will cement you into the local business community - will take some time, bags of experience and usually very helpful business owners, only to happy to make introductions, give advice and 'network'.

The most important aspect of changing countries is building your networks once again - professional (known on the circuit) & personal (socialising).

Kind regards

Chris

Just to drop in and comment on BNI as I have had experience of them in the UK. People could only join if there was no-one else in your field in that group. It is highly professional and tough. You both have to give referrals of business to other members at the monthly breakfast meetings and expect to receive them. If you don't give a certain number of referrals in a period you are asked to leave so that someone with the same skills can take your place and give referrals. Chamber of Commerce is possibly a better bet as you get the advertising and provided you go to the social and business events can get a good profile.

Re: Frustrating and desperate

Quote:

Originally Posted by mick_newcastle (Post 4399865)

We made the move in September and nearly 6 months in to date ive had 5 days work and my wife is still waiting for her official Teacher registration from queensland.

Keep your house on - come here get established then sell is the best advice I can give, unfortunately we were not in a position to do this.

We moved to the sunshine coast and there is no IT work whatsoever going on - may have to move to Brisbane. Can't move yet until we know whats going on with her teaching.
Getting the visa is the easy bit - starting your life from scratch is the hardest part.
Australians are friendly people, will make you feel welcome, they just wont use you in business (old boy -network who you know not what you know).
Bureaucracy is unbelievable - never ending red tape - my wife had to turn a a supply teaching post down this morning as she needs to register her stuff with another office - which is a 50 page form and we are waiting on stuff from queensland education authority.
The left hand here doesn't know what the right hand is doing - think england in the 80's - and thats how things work here.
2 weeks ago my wife applied for a telephonists Job for money that wouldnt match our rent and was told she wasnt qualified.
I went for a computer consultancy/ technician job up at Noosa and the guy asked me how much my rent was - i told him $410 (not really his business to ask) - he offered me the job and offered me $400 a week.
Can't get any lower and I feel that we will get there it just is sooo hard.
Started my own Computing repair business (www.Croccomputers.com) made nothing. Nearly skint - cant afford to go back and wouldnt want to anyway.
The place is beautiful (been raining for 3 days now) - we arent going back to england.
To some up - expect to earn less than half what you did in england but trade it against how beautiful the beaches are and theres still plenty you can do for free.
Rant over any suggestions - not whinging but worried.

Too Easy - yeah Too hard

We have been in the same boat. I am out of teaching now because of lack of jobs. It also took me 6 months to even get registered and then there was no supply work at that time of the year so we waited another 4 months until I finally found a job 16 hours from Brisbane! That didn't work out because my husband couldn't find work there and even though we were in the middle of nowhere the mining industry had put rents up to a ridiculous level that we couldn't afford to buy or rent there. So we moved back here to Brisbane and I had to get out of teaching because supply teaching was my only option and it was awful.

So even though we are both in miserable soul destroying jobs that barely pay our rent for a house that is shabby, falling apart and on a noisy main road, we take the dog for a walk along the beach and convince ourselves we made the right choice!! We have been away from the UK long enough to only remember what was good so that is making it doubly hard to feel good about selling our lovely house in the UK and leaving our good jobs!

Re: Frustrating and desperate

Hi Mick, it's Chris from Northumbria Uni

I didn't know it was going so hard for you. I'm working at Teachers' Union Health in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane centre. We settled in Brisbane so we could get jobs, otherwise we'd be in Warrick with the farmers. We're living with her relatives but I hate it.

We're buying a house in 2 weeks so that will be a relief, we can invite you round, stop a few nights in the school holidays and drink beer with an Englishman not intent on spending the night on f**king pokies.

give me a call, if you don't have my number email me on [email protected]

Chris

Re: Frustrating and desperate

hiya mick, long time no chat!

sorry you had a tough time,but glad things have worked out well now for you both. we know where you're coming from believe me! i work at nambour (and hate it) for half the wages i was getting in the uk! baz was with a company painting, he's been a skilled painter for 26 years and found out after being with them for 5 months that he was getting paid $3 an hour less than the aussie brushands!

we're living at doonan, between noosa and eumundi now, where are you?

deb x