For those interested, the unemployment rate in Australia is about 4.5% and they say that about 4% of Australians are "unemployable" (i.e. not interested in working for whatever reason). In other words, the unemployment is almost zero and they have a booming economy (particularly mining) and have a population smaller than Canada's.
I appreciate all of the advice.
Was that the BHP Billiton job fair that came through Alberta?
It's been a decade since I was in Australia, but a relative who was recently there was telling me that it's quite expensive right now. When I was there it was same prices as Canada for the most part except that our dollar was worth about $1.25. I also was told at the time they liked Canadian workers because they worked harder than the locals did. I did consider trying to land a job there and live there, regret not doing it.
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Couple other things... dollar is about on par at the moment. It's a factor... I self-f'ed myself in the ass when I moved here, dollar was on par then too. It was about thirty cents lower a few months later, so if I moved my cash over then, I'd have a lot smaller mortgage today. But then, if you're that good at currency trading it doesn't matter where you live.
If you end up deciding on Brisbane and the timing of your move is pretty variable, weather-wise, Brisbane winter and Calgary summer are the same thing. So moving at that time gives you some time to acclimate and transition. Conversely, leaving Calgary -20 for Brisbane 35 in the summer will kick you upside the nutsack.
1) Depends on your... 'thang'. Melbourne is more metro / cosmo, Perth and Brissy more laid-back, Adelaide operates in slow motion.
Adelaide and Melbourne weather sucks, might as well be in Canada. Well, not that bad, but still bad, it sometimes snows and crazy shyte like that. Perth weather is the nicest, like Brissy but less humid.
Perth is a long freakin' way from anywhere else, but if you like a Perth kind of lifestyle, there's enough around it that you won't feel the need to go anywhere else very often.
All are very nice cities in their own right, I'd consider what kind of lifestyle you enjoy... if you're an urban kinda guy, you'll enjoy Melbourne the most. Adelaide is a very quiet town, kinda like a huge suburb. If the most important thing to you is enjoying a relaxing weekend outdoors, preferably out of town, you'll like Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth. Consider city size as well; Melbourne is a major city of 4M+ people, Brissy is about twice the size of Calgary, while Perth and Adelaide are Calgary-ish in size.
The deadly animals thing is ridiculously overstated; Aussies think the same thing about Canadians living among the bears and wolves, and it's equally relevant in normal day-to-day life.
2) Visas: You'll want a 457, don't let them dick you around with some substandard piece of crap. The 457 buys you 4 years; if you dig it, you can apply for permanent residency after two.
Taxes: I haven't crunched the numbers, but gut feel says that it's pretty similar to Canada.
Wages: Higher than Canada. If they try to pay you the same as what you make in Calgary, they're hosing you.
Yea what this guy said. Except the snow. I've lived 4 years in Melbourne and the only snow I saw were two lines on a mirror. But of course you can ski in the Alps if you are into that sort of crazy activity.
Yea what this guy said. Except the snow. I've lived 4 years in Melbourne and the only snow I saw were two lines on a mirror. But of course you can ski in the Alps if you are into that sort of crazy activity.
haha, yeah, I admit that I overstate the case. But I've become soft... it's been 8 freakin' degrees in the morning lately. 8 degrees! By the time I get to work on the motorbike, my nuts are saying hello to my kidneys.
If skiing or snowboarding are important to you, the east coast of Oz gets you a 3 - 4 hour flight to Queenstown, NZ. I thought it was important to me when I came over, but it turns out that scuba diving has filled the void for me personally.
haha, yeah, I admit that I overstate the case. But I've become soft... it's been 8 freakin' degrees in the morning lately. 8 degrees! By the time I get to work on the motorbike, my nuts are saying hello to my kidneys.
Yeah I know, I'm gonna miss it...unless someone offers me a 457 haha. Heck, would be happy with a 485!
Was that the BHP Billiton job fair that came through Alberta?
Yep, that was it.
To be honest the companies that were represented were not that diverse although there were some decent presentations on the Australian culture, economy, lifestyle, employment prospects and immigration. There were only two companies represented in my particular field. I was actually quite surprised when one of them contacted me within a week. Since then we've had a telephone interview and exchanged a few emails.
I am very happy with my current job which I've been at for over 7 years and it would be really hard to leave. So, if I do go it will be based on an offer that I can't refuse.
This thread and everyone's feedback (minus the spider vid ) have really made me feel more comfortable about going there. Thanks to all.
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BHP (and the rest of the mining houses) having been hiring up a storm lately. It's a good time to make the move - I think the situation and opportunities in Australian mining companies are very similar to that of Calgary's O&G industry in the early 2000's.
Edit: on reading your job description, I'm wondering if you work for the same large consulting company that I do.
Last edited by Mad Mel; 06-11-2011 at 05:40 PM.
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Don't listen to the haters, Melbourne is amazing. So much culture and stuff to do, plus it has the best public transport system in just about any city I've ever been to.
I've lived in Brisbane as well, that would be my choice if you're a family man. So many Beutiful beaches to take the kids to, and the weather I found was very hot but having lived in Canada all my life, the heat was a refreshing change.
Another thing I forgot about, because I wasn't eligible... you should be eligible for LAFHA (Living Away From Home Allowance). Basically, because you are here on a visa and Australia isn't your regular home, part of your salary ($32,000 for a single person, I think) becomes non-taxable. Your employer has to set things up appropriately. Talk to them, because it makes a huge difference in your take home pay. I bought a home here, so obviously Canada was no longer my home that I was returning to, so I became ineligible.
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What is supply chain management. Have that department, not a clue what it means? Purchasing or something.
Purchasing is part of it. It also usually includes Supplier Administration/Expediting, Contract Formation, Contract Administration, Materials Management, Traffic & Logistics & Inspection. Supply Chain (or Procurement) is usually responsible for the procurement/contract strategy and execution for goods and services that need to be contracted, i.e. can't be performed in-house.
The scope of services really depends on the type of company. For instance, a big operating company will have a purchasing department and maybe a contracts department but not the rest. An engineering company that executes big projects will have all of the disciplines mentioned above and sometimes more. However, almost all companies have buyers, many have expeditors (although it's usually just someone who's doing another job filling that void), most have logistics and many have (at least in-house) inspection.
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Last edited by Red Slinger; 06-12-2011 at 11:31 AM.
Just kidding, I only lived in Hendon for a while...
