# Returned to home country, sharing some tips



## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

Hello people

As you probably know, there have been no updates from me since quite a while. I'm back in my home country (India). Returned yesterday night. I was in Australia (Sydney) for 2 months (June 12th to August 11th). I could have pushed on, but so much of stress kept building up in me due to my job search that it took a serious toll on my physical health as well. I used to feel pretty weak for a while, but I just ignored it, assuming that it's nothing serious. Last week, when I couldn't bear it anymore, I consulted a doctor and came to know that I'm suffering from low blood pressure, anaemia, sever weight loss (lost over 10 kgs in 2 months) and poor muscle mass, all as a result of the extreme mental stress of job search accumulated ever since I came to Australia. On top of that, due to not having a table to use my laptop (I had taken up a cheap accommodation which just had a bed) and a constant bad posture, my spinal cord has flared up, and it can be a slipped disc (can't be sure until I have has a scan). Medical exp3enss are too high in Australia, so I rushed home so that I wouldn't have to suffer anymore and end up spending a fortune in case of emergency hospitalisation there. What made it more painful, was that I got a lot of calls during my last week of stay in Sydney (due to an improved job market), but I was not in a position to proceed. It became more about life and survival for me, than job or career. I probably need a long time to recuperate, and for all I know, my career as a software developer may be over. I may have to consider an alternate, less stressful career once I'm fit, due to the massive mental and physical damage I have been dealt with during these 2 months. 

Based on my experience, I wish to offer some advice to people who wish to immigrate to Australia, or are already there and hunting for jobs. The focus will be on IT, because I'm not so sure of other professions. But it should hold good:-

1) NEVER consider moving alone, on your own, without having some close friends or relatives in Australia. It can take a serious toll on your emotional well-being. Having someone else in the same situation as you and hunting for jobs, would be the most ideal situation. I went to Sydney without knowing anyone there personally. Although I did make a lot of friends during my stay, it could never be the same as knowing someone beforehand. By the time I knew enough people there, it was too late and the damage was done.

2) People who are into software development, please be aware that it may take a while for you to secure a job. And the chances are pretty slim if your total experience is less than 7 to 8 years. I had only 5 years of experience, and I'm sure this was one of the main reasons for me not getting satisfactory responses until August arrived. The developer roles in Australia are quite senior, and even if they mention they need someone with 3+ or 5+ years of experience, they are actually looking at people having over 7 or 8 years of experience. This need not concern you if you are into Microsoft Business Intelligence, a Business Analyst or a QA professional, because these people are getting jobs with fewer years of experience as well. Networking is pretty decent too. Don't get me wrong, even developers with less experience eventually do end up with a job, but it takes pretty long usually.

3) Make sure you have enough funds to last you for at least 6 months. If this isn't possible, at least try to have a spouse/partner back in your home country who is still working, and can provide the funds you need to sustain yourself until you secure a job in Australia. This is another area where I went wrong. I only had funds to sustain myself for 2 to 3 months, and had no other source of income. People talk about casual part time jobs, but they aren't really that easy due to intense competition from students (because their minimum wage is lower). Also, working for too long in an odd job may make you rusty with respect to your core competence. 

4) DON'T compromise too much on accommodation. You need to pay at least 150 to 160 AUD per week for a shared accommodation in Sydney (perhaps a bit lower in other cities), to be able to stay comfortable enough to aid you in your job search. I took up an accommodation which cost me 110 AUD per week, to save costs, but it was pretty bad in so many ways. It also contributed to me picking up my back problem, because there was no living room (hence, no table) and I was forced to use my laptop on the bed, in a slouched position. 

5) ALWAYS have a backup plan in case you aren't able to secure a job in Australia within whatever time frame you deem fit. Of course, it helps to be determined to stay and make it. But you should never push yourself beyond a certain limit, especially when you feel that things are not going your way. You can always come back to Australia and try again. Trying too hard may actually do more harm than good, as it happened in my case. I am still holding on to my Indian job, but I can't really consider that a 'backup' anymore because I seriously doubt if I'll be able to work in my stressful profession any time in the near future.

6) AVOID these months - June and July, then November to February - like plague, when you move and begin you job hunt. November to February, as you already know, is the holiday season. June and July too are pretty dry, due 5to the end and beginning of the new financial year. I believe this as my biggest blunder - landing in Australia in the middle of June. By the time the job market started getting better in August, I was too worn out, both mentally and physically, to push on anymore. 


I'd like to end my long post here. I may still try to return to Australia after a few years, but I don't know what my profession would be at that point. It is indeed a lovely country filled with opportunities, and I'm sure you can make it big if you play your cards intelligently. I didn't do that. I wish everyone here the best. I'll continue to be active here, as much as my health permits me, because I don't want to be selfish. Things didn't work for me, but my inputs may help others. And of course, I still have a ray of hope that things may work out for me as well in Australia, at some point in the future.


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## KeeDa (Sep 1, 2014)

Your health situation sounds bad mate. Please take good care.

We appreciate you sharing and writing frequently throughout this short journey. Your contribution is commendable. Thank you and get well soon.


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## htsunil (Jul 1, 2015)

Sorry to hear this... thanks for the ground level info.


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## happieaussie2016 (Sep 28, 2011)

Get well soon Bro..... Health is more important than anything any country like Australia or US can offer. Hope you become fit and active soon.


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## ravi1984 (Feb 28, 2015)

Sorry to hear this. Tc of ur health.


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## josh.machine (Aug 4, 2011)

Get well soon mate, sorry to hear about your experience. I too know many folks who have returned back due to whatever reasons but atleast they didn't suffer physically so much. I am sure you can bounce back from this and try again in a few years once you have 7-8 years under your belt.


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## krish4aus (Jun 22, 2015)

Hi Friend,

Unfortunate to hear about your health, you have helped many in this forum. I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you get all you desire. 

Thanks for taking time to share the inputs but would advise you to take complete rest and relax.

Regards,
Krish


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## wildweasel (Mar 25, 2015)

Thanks a lot for sharing your troubles with us. Really sad for you to have faced health issues.

It takes a lot of courage to make life changing decisions and to make it successive months, must be really stressful for you.

Do take your time to settle down, relax and rest yourself as that's the most important thing in life.

p.s: If you dont mind, could you share your experience as a developer, which stream etc in PM. I can possibly try to provide you with some help(Job wise), if your interested.


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## wolfskin (Nov 12, 2014)

That's bad man. Hope you come out of the trauma soon, with due respect could I ask, have you been outside India (like any onsite kind of assignment) and lived alone for more than 6 months. 
I am assuming that you might be aware of the point number 2, 3, 5 and 6 beforehand moving to Oz.
This is how I / may be most of the people plan to move outside India (No matter what country you are moving).
1.	Ask yourself! are you pissed off living here, are you annoyed with the city traffic, are you irritated with casual (“chalta hai ”) attitude of people around you and office, are you frustrated with work life balance no outdoor activity except those stupid city malls – Then you don’t belong here.
2.	Read the whole internet about the country you are planning to move.
3.	If you have enough fund I mean double the amount what you need initially to survive in a new country, start the Visa / PR process.
4.	Respect your wife’s decision (for married else parents). Don’t rely on your friends too much.
5.	Are you seriously home sick, then don’t opt for this move?
6.	Studying a job market is always hypothetical, a lot of factors depends on grabbing a job. Be bold be strong and keep trying.
7.	And on the top of everything be mentally and physically strong before you land in a new country. I take this no less than a mission.
I would say go again to Aus and this time nail it.


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## hiya_hanan (Sep 11, 2013)

Hey Funkyzoom,

Seems like you have taken too much tension onto your body and brain. This is the moment of peace in your life especially when you are back into your home country. Just don't think of anything as of now, Relax Relax Relax & Relax I would suggest !

Get yourself fit, go for some medical checkups and be back on Track. " Health is Wealth"

Appreciate your feedback, it is definitely a pristine & an honest one. Take good care of yourself and All the best !


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## debojyoti (Dec 22, 2013)

*hey*

Good luck Funky Zoom,
Take care of your health.
I must say that it takes a lot of guts to admit the mistakes, chalk out the lessons learned and start afresh.

I am sure that you will surely consider that you have gained a lot of experiences during these 2 months.

I wish that you recuperate soon, reassess the situation and bonce back again with positivity and confidence.

Last but not the least, many many people including me will learn a lot from your experience that you had shared with us all.

Good luck!!


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

wolfskin said:


> That's bad man. Hope you come out of the trauma soon, with due respect could I ask, have you been outside India (like any onsite kind of assignment) and lived alone for more than 6 months.
> I am assuming that you might be aware of the point number 2, 3, 5 and 6 beforehand moving to Oz.
> This is how I / may be most of the people plan to move outside India (No matter what country you are moving).
> 1.	Ask yourself! are you pissed off living here, are you annoyed with the city traffic, are you irritated with casual (“chalta hai ”) attitude of people around you and office, are you frustrated with work life balance no outdoor activity except those stupid city malls – Then you don’t belong here.
> ...


I suppose my answer to your first question answers everything else. I had not even been out of Bangalore (my hometown) for more than 30 days, let alone abroad. That's one of the main reasons I faced so many issues. So I only had the inputs from others to rely on. Not blaming them, but experiences are individual. Unless I actually put myself out there, there was no way for me to know how things would turn out. 

Yeah, I may go to Australia again, but not in the near future, and most likely not as an IT professional. 

Considering that I was never away from home all my life, I certainly would like to believe that my 2 months stay in Australia was a significant life achievement in itself, irrespective of what the final outcome was (regarding my health and job search).

There was no way in the world I could generate so much of funds unless I robbed a bank, due to lot of family and financial commitments (although I am unmarried).


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## shorefisher (Nov 11, 2014)

Funkyzoom everything is a experience in Life, you are like a candle who burnt yourself to give light for others....Everything that you said or did will serve as an experience for others who can plan so well for their career switch. All our blessings are always there with you for your speedy recovery.

Do not allow things to take a toll on your job, as empty mind is devils workshop. But we also need to keep in mind that Health takes higher priority, than wealth and everything else in this world.

Take Care


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## Nostalgia Nut (Feb 11, 2009)

Oh my god! So sorry to hear this funky zoom! I agree with others that health is always first priority compared to everything else. You've been so helpful to this forum and it's really commendable that you've continued to share more tips even after your job search didn't work! That's very very admirable! Good luck for your future. Take care of your health. Immigration can always happen again in a few years.


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## wolfskin (Nov 12, 2014)

funkyzoom said:


> I suppose my answer to your first question answers everything else. I had not even been out of Bangalore (my hometown) for more than 30 days, let alone abroad. That's one of the main reasons I faced so many issues. So I only had the inputs from others to rely on. Not blaming them, but experiences are individual. Unless I actually put myself out there, there was no way for me to know how things would turn out.
> 
> Yeah, I may go to Australia again, but not in the near future, and most likely not as an IT professional.
> 
> ...


Man I respect your decision... But achieve what you have initially thought for. May be not now may be after sometime.
You know what, now you have lived in Australia for 2 months and got some real life experience which was unfortunately not sweet, but after a while you will forget all the bad experience and only good feelings about being in Australia will remain with you and through the life you will keep on comparing things between India and Australia. 
That’s what I am into after coming back from UK after living some years there.
Wish you success to achieve your dreams. Take Care buddy...


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

wolfskin said:


> Man I respect your decision... But achieve what you have initially thought for. May be not now may be after sometime.
> You know what, now you have lived in Australia for 2 months and got some real life experience which was unfortunately not sweet, but after a while you will forget all the bad experience and only good feelings about being in Australia will remain with you and through the life you will keep on comparing things between India and Australia.
> That’s what I am into after coming back from UK after living some years there.
> Wish you success to achieve your dreams. Take Care buddy...


Thank you!

The thing is, I still had some funds left when I came back, even after paying for the airfare. And I'm sure that if I had held on for a month longer, I would have a job offer because I had received more calls in the last 1 week of my stay, than my previous time there. But things got out of hand.

Regarding the timing...I knew about the financial year aspect, but my idea was to settle down and look around a bit, then start off with job hunt from July. But I could never do that, and started off with job search only days after I arrived. Besides, I was told by several people that the market would open up in July, but that happened only in August. By that time, the damage was already done.

Maybe I was already stressed due to the nature of my job, during the previous 5 years. And it exploded when I was in Oz. I would seriously prefer to rethink my career, and choose a less stressful profession where I don't have clients breathing down my neck 24x7 with unrealistic deadlines. This time I survived, but I may not be so lucky in case something goes wrong again.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

debojyoti said:


> Good luck Funky Zoom,
> Take care of your health.
> I must say that it takes a lot of guts to admit the mistakes, chalk out the lessons learned and start afresh.
> 
> ...


Thank you! I don't suppose mine were 'mistakes'. I mean....I wasn't in such a situation before, so I just couldn't hold out long enough to make things happen.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

wildweasel said:


> Thanks a lot for sharing your troubles with us. Really sad for you to have faced health issues.
> 
> It takes a lot of courage to make life changing decisions and to make it successive months, must be really stressful for you.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much. Sending you a PM now.


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## andral (Aug 13, 2015)

Thanks a lot for sharing detailed information. Sorry to hear about health. Get well soon. So you can plan for next trip . I have heard from some of my friends , who are in Australia, they said Market is pretty good now . Many people are indeed getting jobs. Just that we need to follow right approach & right action, build network, join related group in meetup , keep meeting people that's important in oz. Always find an opportunity to meet people ( native Australian's ).


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## depende (Apr 18, 2013)

My respect for sharing your bad experience!

Unfortunately, there thousands of people with a similar experience! We know that every year 200,000 migrants are entering in Australia, 75% of them are leaving Australia after less then 1 year because they can't get any jobs and/or financial reasons! 10% of the 200,000 are lucky enough to get a job! The rest of the 15% are leaving Australia between 1 and 2 years! This the reality!

Nobody is proud to tell that it was a failure coming in Australia! Me, I wouldn't! That means a lot of people will never post in any forum about their bad experience. As a result, we will never know exactly how though the life in Australia is! Only if we move to Australia, you will face it!

Good luck to everybody!


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

hiya_hanan said:


> Hey Funkyzoom,
> 
> Seems like you have taken too much tension onto your body and brain. This is the moment of peace in your life especially when you are back into your home country. Just don't think of anything as of now, Relax Relax Relax & Relax I would suggest !
> 
> ...


You have been among the most inspiring people here, with your posts. Thanks a lot for your good wishes, I really appreciate that.


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## gkvithia (Dec 9, 2013)

depende said:


> My respect for sharing your bad experience!
> 
> Unfortunately, there thousands of people with a similar experience! We know that every year 200,000 migrants are entering in Australia, 75% of them are leaving Australia after less then 1 year because they can't get any jobs and/or financial reasons! 10% of the 200,000 are lucky enough to get a job! The rest of the 15% are leaving Australia between 1 and 2 years! This the reality!
> 
> ...


Depende your number shows 90% returning, I highly doubt this, migration is not for everyone and i agree with this, challenges are difficult but to say 90% leaving is a stretch, do you have a source for the data

To TS i respect your bravery in telling it like it is, somehow you were in a "perfect storm", i believe it was the loneliness, health issues and the fact you had never been on your own which prompted your actions and not due to lack of jobs. Like you said you would probably be hired if you stayed another month but your health was priority. 

My humble advice, reboot, recharge, realign expectations, retool if necessary and try again. i am sure you would be better prepared.

To those reading this please don't be discouraged, plan ahead and do a risk assessment, its not all doom and gloom, yes the economy is down but its down everywhere, it will pick up , this is a cycle and a fact of life.

Please have an open mind , leave your ego in your home country and see this as new beginnings, if you have to start from scratch so be it.

My observations and this im speaking from migrants from my home country "Malaysia" the ones that make it are the ones with the least expectations and left their bloated ego behind.
the ones that complain, and always depressed and never satisfied who eventually leave are the ones who back home are senior managers etc and are expecting the similar in aussie , and cannot accept the fact that one has to start over again.

anyways my humble opinion and no disrespect to anyone. If a Vietnamese refugee can be governor of SA anything is possible.


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## atmahesh (Apr 9, 2014)

Health is wealth as rightly said. We need to take care of Human machine first. I have quit my job in India due to poor health.

I am wondering why would you like to move to Aus if you are homesick ? I think bangalore is also not a bad place to work if you have right opportunity in terms of both role and money wise. 

I think you would be good fit in management role  which would be difficult to get in Australia and quit easy in India. just a thought  

You have option to stay back either in India or move to Australia after marriage. Do what you like. 

Cheers, Best of luck and get well soon. 



funkyzoom said:


> You have been among the most inspiring people here, with your posts. Thanks a lot for your good wishes, I really appreciate that.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

atmahesh said:


> Health is wealth as rightly said. We need to take care of Human machine first. I have quit my job in India due to poor health.
> 
> I am wondering why would you like to move to Aus if you are homesick ? I think bangalore is also not a bad place to work if you have right opportunity in terms of both role and money wise.
> 
> ...


To be frank, I just loved the kind of life I would be able to lead in Australia. And about being homesick...that was only a factor initially. If not for my failing health, I would have surely stayed there long enough to secure a job. 

About India...I love it too, but I don't really want to spend the rest of my life in a country with rampant corruption, overpopulation, traffic and bad roads. And of course, where everything is dependent on having money and influence (which I don't), with hardly any value for skills or talent. Don't get me wrong, I love India but a country can only be as good as it's people. And being an Indian, I take equal blame for the state of the country today. I will always be an Indian at heart and will love my country, but it's really not the kind of country I'd like to reside in on a long term basis. 

So yeah, I'm not ruling out anything at the moment. But if things fall into place at some point, I would certainly wish to make use of my residential status in Australia to actually live there. If not as an IT guy, maybe something else. Because quite frankly, I'm not really that passionate about an IT career anymore, nor am I sure that I would be able to handle such a high stress profession again. I do believe that the kind of stress associated with a developer's job, mainly unrealistic client deadlines, had accumulated over the course of my career, and what I went through in Australia may have been a catalyst to trigger my downfall.


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## atmahesh (Apr 9, 2014)

Buddy, I agree with you. Unless you are running your own startup, living in India is not best option. 

Hope you will come out of Jet lag soon. 

Cheers, 



funkyzoom said:


> To be frank, I just loved the kind of life I would be able to lead in Australia. And about being homesick...that was only a factor initially. If not for my failing health, I would have surely stayed there long enough to secure a job.
> 
> About India...I love it too, but I don't really want to spend the rest of my life in a country with rampant corruption, overpopulation, traffic and bad roads. And of course, where everything is dependent on having money and influence (which I don't), with hardly any value for skills or talent. Don't get me wrong, I love India but a country can only be as good as it's people. And being an Indian, I take equal blame for the state of the country today. I will always be an Indian at heart and will love my country, but it's really not the kind of country I'd like to reside in on a long term basis.
> 
> So yeah, I'm not ruling out anything at the moment. But if things fall into place at some point, I would certainly wish to make use of my residential status in Australia to actually live there. If not as an IT guy, maybe something else. Because quite frankly, I'm not really that passionate about an IT career anymore, nor am I sure that I would be able to handle such a high stress profession again. I do believe that the kind of stress associated with a developer's job, mainly unrealistic client deadlines, had accumulated over the course of my career, and what I went through in Australia may have been a catalyst to trigger my downfall.


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## jelli-kallu (Apr 26, 2015)

depende said:


> My respect for sharing your bad experience!
> 
> Unfortunately, there thousands of people with a similar experience! We know that every year 200,000 migrants are entering in Australia, 75% of them are leaving Australia after less then 1 year because they can't get any jobs and/or financial reasons! 10% of the 200,000 are lucky enough to get a job! The rest of the 15% are leaving Australia between 1 and 2 years! This the reality!
> 
> ...


Hello, where did you get these numbers/statistics? Would appreciate if you paste the link to the article!!


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## vinodkrish_r (Nov 17, 2014)

Im really sorry that you have gone through all this. I hope you come back stronger, IT or Non IT, wish you all the best. For now I wish you a speedy recovery. Lets talk anything else later .....


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## TheExpatriate (Feb 7, 2014)

depende said:


> My respect for sharing your bad experience!
> 
> Unfortunately, there thousands of people with a similar experience! We know that every year 200,000 migrants are entering in Australia, 75% of them are leaving Australia after less then 1 year because they can't get any jobs and/or financial reasons! 10% of the 200,000 are lucky enough to get a job! The rest of the 15% are leaving Australia between 1 and 2 years! This the reality!
> 
> ...


are these figures based on statistics ?


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

Sorry to say this but that's another "waste" of PR.

If you're not ready to look for jobs (in which you were not ready from the looks of it, seriously why would you stay in Sydney only for $110 per week? That place must be really bad.

Seriously I don't really see much point of getting a PR without actually having a job offer. I guess that's what Australian government wants to do (free money and enforcing co-existing workers to be enslaved by the employers)


This is my 2 cents, take it or not:

GET A JOB WITH 457! If you already have 3 years experience, tell your employer to nominate you through 186 direct streamline!

I know A LOT OF PEOPLE who have done this way. Otherwise, still come with 457 and apply to 189/190 onshore.

If you cannot get 457 from your home country, then I am so sorry but chances for you to get a job in Australia on a PR visa is quite similar! 457 especially for ICT workers are easy to get, no need to do anything! Very simple process. Even for simple jobs like that:
Telesales Staff Needed | IT Sector | 457 Available Job in Sydney - SEEK
they can sponsor for 457.

You're a developer?
JavaScript Application Engineer - Can sponsor overseas candidates Job in Sydney - SEEK
I can find many more! You can too!


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## vinodkrish_r (Nov 17, 2014)

Sorry to say, but thats not true. There are 1000's of people who are applying for PR and you think none of them would get a job? seriously? I know a couple of them who have got the jobs direct from offshore. A lot of people have got jobs after going there. I dont think there is any evidence to show that people are not getting jobs being a PR. 



spark92 said:


> Sorry to say this but that's another "waste" of PR.
> 
> If you're not ready to look for jobs (in which you were not ready from the looks of it, seriously why would you stay in Sydney only for $110 per week? That place must be really bad.
> 
> ...


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

vinodkrish_r said:


> Sorry to say, but thats not true. There are 1000's of people who are applying for PR and you think none of them would get a job? seriously? I know a couple of them who have got the jobs direct from offshore. A lot of people have got jobs after going there. I dont think there is any evidence to show that people are not getting jobs being a PR.


No obviously not.

What I meant there is, if you're not ready to pay $150-250 per week depending on the city for at least 3-5 months only on accommodation, then you're not ready to apply for a PR because if you have applied for 457 jobs and have not got it, then chances for you to get a job in a SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (like in a month or two) onshore with PR visa is really low.

I don't know if you have noticed it or not but Australian PR system does not really favour current or potential workers. There is no extra point for current workers, there is no extra point for people with job offers who are applying offshore. Take NZ for example, they can give you 50 points if you are working as a software developer in NZ just for being an employee there. The only advantage of employer is through 186 visa, which is pretty much asking you to be the slave of your employer so that if you were a good slave then you can get a PR, which is up to the company itself.

So OP is a victim of this system that takes advantage of people with only hopes to come to Australia without proper planning, hence wasting the amount of PR that are granted, wasting his own money, the only thing that earns from that is the Australian government.

If OP did his research well (or some people who will be in the same situation as OP), then PRs will be granted to those who actually will be using it (the ones who have offers or currently working). Now OP (and people like OP) has a PR that is just sitting in there and expiring. Don't get me wrong, but I wish OP had applied to PR when he had enough money and patience. It would be the best for everyone.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

spark92 said:


> No obviously not.
> 
> What I meant there is, if you're not ready to pay $150-250 per week depending on the city for at least 3-5 months only on accommodation, then you're not ready to apply for a PR because if you have applied for 457 jobs and have not got it, then chances for you to get a job in a SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (like in a month or two) onshore with PR visa is really low.
> 
> ...


I did the maximum research and groundwork that was realistically possible, without actually being in the country. Even when I returned, I still had some funds left, and could have survived for more than a month. If it wasn't for my failing health, I'm quite certain that i would have ended up with an offer in another month or so, because there were LOTS of positive responses during my last week of stay. 

And I don't, for even a moment, believe that I 'wasted' my PR. It was my first time overseas anyway, so I got to experience some really great things. And like I previously mentioned, I will try to find SOME way to stay in Australia and utilise my residency status, within the next 4 years.

No matter how much research we do from offshore, it is NEVER enough. Individual experiences vary vastly, so we never know what it would be like for us until we put ourselves out there and try. At least I can be much better prepared if I return to Australia, since I now know how things work there and what to expect.


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

funkyzoom said:


> I did the maximum research and groundwork that was realistically possible, without actually being in the country. Even when I returned, I still had some funds left, and could have survived for more than a month. If it wasn't for my failing health, I'm quite certain that i would have ended up with an offer in another month or so, because there were LOTS of positive responses during my last week of stay.
> 
> And I don't, for even a moment, believe that I 'wasted' my PR. It was my first time overseas anyway, so I got to experience some really great things. And like I previously mentioned, I will try to find SOME way to stay in Australia and utilise my residency status, within the next 4 years.
> 
> No matter how much research we do from offshore, it is NEVER enough. Individual experiences vary vastly, so we never know what it would be like for us until we put ourselves out there and try. At least I can be much better prepared if I return to Australia, since I now know how things work there and what to expect.


But the main reason that you were failing your health was because you didn't have enough funds. You stress when you can't find a job and when you get back to your bed you just look at your room and cry why you're in that (excuse my language) $hithole, and that's what makes your health worse. I believe that if you more money from the beginning (say $250 per week is reasonable for a bedroom accommodation in Sydney, instead of $110), then when you get back your room, you would at least feel in a relaxing mode.

I can still see that you're not enough experienced in Australia. Getting a positive feedback from a recruiter means NOTHING! At the end of the day it's the hiring manager who decides that. I've really never seen anyone interviewing in person and next week starting to work. (Anyway that's I guess out of topic, I tried to explain that in your other topic)

Also don't get me wrong but isn't it a bit gambling to get a PR if you haven't been overseas before? What if you never liked it at all? Anyway, what's done cannot be undone. We learn from our mistakes and experience is an experience, there is no good or bad one. But all I wanted to tell people here is that if you're not 100% sure what you're doing then don't just assume that thing will be alright. And my opinion is that PR should be the last thing to come to Australia for the first time.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

spark92 said:


> But the main reason that you were failing your health was because you didn't have enough funds. You stress when you can't find a job and when you get back to your bed you just look at your room and cry why you're in that (excuse my language) $hithole, and that's what makes your health worse. I believe that if you more money from the beginning (say $250 per week is reasonable for a bedroom accommodation in Sydney, instead of $110), then when you get back your room, you would at least feel in a relaxing mode.
> 
> I can still see that you're not enough experienced in Australia. Getting a positive feedback from a recruiter means NOTHING! At the end of the day it's the hiring manager who decides that. I've really never seen anyone interviewing in person and next week starting to work. (Anyway that's I guess out of topic, I tried to explain that in your other topic)
> 
> Also don't get me wrong but isn't it a bit gambling to get a PR if you haven't been overseas before? What if you never liked it at all? Anyway, what's done cannot be undone. We learn from our mistakes and experience is an experience, there is no good or bad one. But all I wanted to tell people here is that if you're not 100% sure what you're doing then don't just assume that thing will be alright. And my opinion is that PR should be the last thing to come to Australia for the first time.


No, funds was just ONE of the reasons, certainly not the MAIN reason. I suppose the biggest reason was my wrong timing of landing in Australia. And regarding funds...even those who come with enough savings to last 6 months, try to find the cheapest possible accommodation until they can secure a job. Then again.....we can't really KNOW how bad the accommodation is, until we actually STAY there. 

You don't really have an idea of my financial situation and family commitments. There's NO WAY I can generate enough funds to stay without income in Australia for 6 months, paying 250 dollars a week, considering that the wages in India are among the lowest. In fact, that's only possible for multimillionaires from India. 

With respect to positive feedback from recruiters...I hardly got ANY responses until August arrived. Compared to that, I certainly consider my last week in Australia pretty positive. And there were a couple of processes which had almost proceeded to the final stage, before I backed out. 

Life itself is a gamble in so many ways. We venture out of the house each day, knowing very well that we might be hit by a speeding car. But of course, that doesn't prevent us from going out. This too is a gamble in a way. And if someone does meet with such an accident, that doesn't mean they never leave the comfort of their home once they recover. Not a proper analogy I know, but just trying to convey why I don't feel that I wasted my PR. I still feel i can make it work. Even if I don't, I have no regrets. A lot of people invest and lose millions in business that fail, so compared to that, this 'wastage' is pretty minuscule so I don't really mind it that much.


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

funkyzoom said:


> No, funds was just ONE of the reasons, certainly not the MAIN reason. I suppose the biggest reason was my wrong timing of landing in Australia. And regarding funds...even those who come with enough savings to last 6 months, try to find the cheapest possible accommodation until they can secure a job. Then again.....we can't really KNOW how bad the accommodation is, until we actually STAY there.
> 
> You don't really have an idea of my financial situation and family commitments. There's NO WAY I can generate enough funds to stay without income in Australia for 6 months, paying 250 dollars a week, considering that the wages in India are among the lowest. In fact, that's only possible for multimillionaires from India.
> 
> ...


I disagree with the bad timing. I don't think it's a bad timing. I was looking for jobs in December, every day I would get 5-10 job ads from seek, 5 of them won't even be developer jobs and the other 5 of them would be different recruiters advertising the same position. So really, you would get 1-2 genuine jobs for the entire city (Brisbane). You came in a time when even I as a graduate could land a job and still get phone calls asking if I was still interested with an old position or a new position is opened within the company etc. directly from the company (not through recruiter).

Anyway I guess it's going a bit off topic here, but my main point is to get a job through 457 first.

And sorry if I offended or upset anyone.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

spark92 said:


> I disagree with the bad timing. I don't think it's a bad timing. I was looking for jobs in December, every day I would get 5-10 job ads from seek, 5 of them won't even be developer jobs and the other 5 of them would be different recruiters advertising the same position. So really, you would get 1-2 genuine jobs for the entire city (Brisbane). You came in a time when even I as a graduate could land a job and still get phone calls asking if I was still interested with an old position or a new position is opened within the company etc. directly from the company (not through recruiter).
> 
> Anyway I guess it's going a bit off topic here, but my main point is to get a job through 457 first.
> 
> And sorry if I offended or upset anyone.


It was indeed bad timing, and also that there were issues with my CV. I kept refining it and CORRECTED my mistakes along the way. I was actually on the right track. You can't really compare yourself and your opportunities with someone who hardly never had any job searching experience in the country. Or maybe you're a genius who can land jobs at the snap of a finger. Or perhaps your experience was in some niche, in-demand technology. There could be so many factors. 

As for 457...the company I worked for, never handled any Australian projects and didn't have a presence in Australia, so 457 wasn't really an option for me. I didn't know that companies from Australia would specifically sponsor 457s as well. Like I said, we as humans LEARN from our mistakes. I don't suppose mine were mistakes in the strictest sense of the word. And there are things which we won't know for sure until we TRY, unless it's something as absurd as jumping off a plane without a parachute and wondering if we'll live or die.


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## mrs_ash (Jul 5, 2015)

Dear Funky Zoom,

Thanks for sharing your experience. It is definitely going to aid people here, infact I myself learnt a lot from your experience. 
Wish you good luck to recover fron your health.
Be brave and visit the country soon...this time will more vigour and passion.

Good Luck


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## tdotguy (May 22, 2015)

I think FunkyZoom, that what you tried to do is rather brave. To have never travelled overseas before , is on its own, a pretty scary predicament. Having to travel overseas for the first time as well as pick up your entire life and relocate is an experience many of us probably can't say we've experienced first-hand. Kudos for at least making an attempt at "Living the Dream".

Having said all that, I think there are a few things that merit extra discussion:

- I'm not sure timing can be blamed entirely for your job search woes. While there may be slower times during the year, there are always jobs for qualified people. In Canada, being on the hiring side, we do notice that some months just seem "slower" than others, but that certainly doesn't prevent a company from putting jobs out there. We don't look at the calendar and state, "wow, it's Feb, this is a slow month, let's not put a job description out there".

- Resume/CV IS important. I'm not sold on this Australia format thing. I think this is hogwash. A CV should be easily readable, it should NOT contain spelling mistakes and it should be able to highlight all the important points you are looking to sell about yourself. No one really cares about about a specific format. There is no "Canadian format" for example. Try to think about it from the point of view of someone who has to look at hundreds of resumes. How are you going to catch their eye? Can you summarize everything effectively? A couple of weeks ago, we interviewed an new immigrant to Canada. We have a new Director of Development who screens the resumes to bring in only the "promising" ones. Let me tell you, he needs to refine his technique! The first time I saw this candidate's resume was during the interview, it was laced with spelling errors. The worst part of it was that there were a number of technical acronyms spelt incorrectly as well. There is no excuse for that.

- I won't talk much about the interview phase since FunkyZoom hasn't really mentioned it in his points for discussion. However, I want to list a few observations from the past few interviews I've done. All of these interviews for with new immigrants to Canada (less than one month in the country):

i) Putting skills on your CV which you cannot explain or speak with knowledge about
ii) Forgetting to put skills on your resume which you DO know about!
iii) Not answering the question you're asked. If I ask you to explain PROS and CONS about A and B, please do not talk about C and D.
iv) For God sakes, turn off your cell phone during the interview! One candidate had his phone ring during the interview, and instead of silencing it right away and apologizing to us, he proceeded to text that person back and made us wait over a minute until he was done. After he was done text'ing, he put his phone away and went on like nothing had happened!
v) If you're asked a question, please answer in a manner which allows you to easily elaborate. We are not only paying attention to your technical skills, but we are also seeing how effective a communicator you are and whether or not you know how to handle yourself socially in a professional environment. We had one fellow, who answered a completely hypothetical situation by saying, "I would say you are wrong." When we told him, hypothetically, that we could prove our metrics, he said, "I would STILL say you are wrong." This is a very easy way to stop a line of questioning dead in its tracks (something you never want during an interview) and also a very rude way to answer a colleague (even if it was hypothetical).

Anyway, FunkyZoom, I hope from a heath standpoint, you get yourself back in tip-top shape. It sounds like you have learned a lot from your experience. I hope one day, before your visa expires, that you are able to apply everything you've learned on your own, to pursue your dreams in Australia, whatever they may be.

Stay healthy!


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## tdotguy (May 22, 2015)

Please excuse some of my typos in the last message, I typed it rather quickly, and the 15 period for editing has now passed!


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

tdotguy said:


> I think FunkyZoom, that what you tried to do is rather brave. To have never travelled overseas before , is on its own, a pretty scary predicament. Having to travel overseas for the first time as well as pick up your entire life and relocate is an experience many of us probably can't say we've experienced first-hand. Kudos for at least making an attempt at "Living the Dream".
> 
> Having said all that, I think there are a few things that merit extra discussion:
> 
> ...


I do understand what you are saying. Like I mentioned previously, there is only so much groundwork that a person can do from offshore.
Regarding timing.....I agree there were jobs being posted, but I was told that most of them were preemtive posts for 'expected' jobs. My experience was also an issue. The job roles in Australia are usually senior level, and they were looking at candidates having 7 to 8 years of experience (although the posts mentioned 4 or 5 years). I had even acquired several skills which seemed to be in demand in Australia before I moved, but turns out they were not sufficient.

Another thing is, in Australia the same person is expected to know everything under the sun related to his technology. Not saying this is unreasonable, but back in India we are quite specific in what we do. I was aware of this before I left, and did a TON of preparation, but as I realised, the skills needed by Aussie companies could only be satisfied by someone having ideally around 8 years of experience in India. 

The surprising thing is, I did get a lot of responses in August for jobs which I had applied during June and July. Which means, the hiring was indeed very slow during these 2 months, and not that my applications were rejected. But by that time, my health had gone really bad. And even if I had gotten a job, I wasn't in a position to do justice to my work. 

I'm pretty sure my CV did not have any noticeable spelling or grammatical errors. I suppose my English skills are pretty decent, considering that English isn't my primary language. I double and triple checked my CV for such errors. The only possible 'mistakes' were related to the order and structure of content, which I kept refining. And since US spellings are different (and it's the default in most software), I even set Microsoft Word's dictionary to Australian English.


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## depende (Apr 18, 2013)

spark92 said:


> I disagree with the bad timing. I don't think it's a bad timing. I was looking for jobs in December, every day I would get 5-10 job ads from seek, 5 of them won't even be developer jobs and the other 5 of them would be different recruiters advertising the same position. So really, you would get 1-2 genuine jobs for the entire city (Brisbane). You came in a time when even I as a graduate could land a job and still get phone calls asking if I was still interested with an old position or a new position is opened within the company etc. directly from the company (not through recruiter).
> 
> Anyway I guess it's going a bit off topic here, but my main point is to get a job through 457 first.
> 
> And sorry if I offended or upset anyone.


Spark92 has right!
If you cannot get a job with a 457 visa then it means that your skills are not in demand! As a result, don't apply for PR visa because it will not help you! But if your plan is to come to Australia and work in a fast food restaurant, cleaning offices or as a Kitchen hand then you are welcomed. These jobs that usually Australians don't like to do are made for skilled people! Really weird country....

Funkyzoom is a good guy that have courage to post his negative Australia experience. Many people are trying to show him the mistakes that he did. But are that really mistakes? I believe that he did not a mistake because the IT market is very low at the moment and only niche skills are required!

How do you know which is a niche skill? Very easy! Type at seek web site under the category IT only "457" in and then you will see which jobs are really in demand here!!!

Sorry if I don't reply to everybody because I'm very busy at the moment. I'm preparing my boxes and languages to go back to my home country.... lane:


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## jairichi (Jun 8, 2014)

Nice post with a good amount of discussion among members. OP, I am sorry to hear about your experience in Australia. If it was me I would not even travel to Australia without a job offer after being granted a PR visa. Why the hurry to enter Australia when you have a substantial amount of time to activate your PR visa by entering Australia? You could have stayed with your current employer and kept looking for jobs and once you got an offer should have moved to Australia. Am I missing something here? Probably you had a compelling reason to move to Australia.

Also, I disagree with suggestions that one should enter with a 457 visa and then later move to PR based on employer or state sponsorship. I do not say it is a bad idea. It works out for some but not for everyone. There are certain professions say for example life sciences where it is really tough to find an employer to sponsor a 457 visa. When every country is getting strict nowadays with respect to immigration like US, UK, etc it is creating a mad rush for people to apply for PR to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These are the few countries that allow one to self-sponsor a PR visa by being abroad. There is a long wait for Indian nationalities to get a green card in US. UK's immigration rules are changing frequently. People currently in UK do not know for sure whether they will be eligible for a PR after 5 years stay in UK. Apart from immigration rules it depends on employer as the only option to get a PR is through employer sponsorship and not self-sponsorship or state sponsorship like in Canada and Australia.

The best is to gather your resources, analyze the job demand in your profession in a particular state and based on that apply for a PR visa. Once a visa gets granted stay put in the job and country where you are and look for jobs in Australia. Never give up and when an offer comes make the move. Alternatively, if you get a 457 visa make the move and make the switch to Australia PR asap as otherwise you will be at the mercy of your employer for your stay in Australia. If you plan to stay on 457 for a long time this will be added stress and extremely tough if you have a family and you are the sole person earning for your family.

These are just my thoughts after being abroad in few countries. I am in the process of applying for an Australian & Canadian PR. My whole purpose of applying for a PR is a backup option and to have my leg firmly rooted in some country without the issue of being on an employment visa.

Thank you for reading my opinion.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

jairichi said:


> Nice post with a good amount of discussion among members. OP, I am sorry to hear about your experience in Australia. If it was me I would not even travel to Australia without a job offer after being granted a PR visa. Why the hurry to enter Australia when you have a substantial amount of time to activate your PR visa by entering Australia? You could have stayed with your current employer and kept looking for jobs and once you got an offer should have moved to Australia. Am I missing something here? Probably you had a compelling reason to move to Australia.
> 
> Also, I disagree with suggestions that one should enter with a 457 visa and then later move to PR based on employer or state sponsorship. I do not say it is a bad idea. It works out for some but not for everyone. There are certain professions say for example life sciences where it is really tough to find an employer to sponsor a 457 visa. When every country is getting strict nowadays with respect to immigration like US, UK, etc it is creating a mad rush for people to apply for PR to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These are the few countries that allow one to self-sponsor a PR visa by being abroad. There is a long wait for Indian nationalities to get a green card in US. UK's immigration rules are changing frequently. People currently in UK do not know for sure whether they will be eligible for a PR after 5 years stay in UK. Apart from immigration rules it depends on employer as the only option to get a PR is through employer sponsorship and not self-sponsorship or state sponsorship like in Canada and Australia.
> 
> ...


It's actually very rare for Australian employers to sponsor candidates from offshore, where it's 457 or PR. Most people who go to Australia on 457, are actually sponsored by their current employer, to work on onsite projects in Australia. Also, it is pretty much the norm for people to first move and then search for jobs in Australia. Initially I felt that this is pretty risky too, but that is what almost everyone does. 

Only processionals who possess niche skills are sponsored.


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## int*MarTiNi (Jul 12, 2015)

Hi Funkyzoom,
Sad to head this bro ..Wish you all the best for your future endeavours


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## jairichi (Jun 8, 2014)

funkyzoom said:


> It's actually very rare for Australian employers to sponsor candidates from offshore, where it's 457 or PR. Most people who go to Australia on 457, are actually sponsored by their current employer, to work on onsite projects in Australia. Also, it is pretty much the norm for people to first move and then search for jobs in Australia. Initially I felt that this is pretty risky too, but that is what almost everyone does.
> 
> Only processionals who possess niche skills are sponsored.


I hope you understand that I am not blaming you. I want to get this straight. I truly appreciate that you have started a nice discussion to get an idea of what to expect in Australia without having a job offer in hand. This would help members of this forum to be proactive in their job search before even thinking about reaching Australian shores. 

For me, I prefer not to go with what is routine or standard. You have the right to make your decision and you did. As I said in my earlier response if it is me I would not do the same thing what you did. 

Well, I partially agree with you with regard to people in 457 are sponsored by employers to work on onsite projects. This will apply to professionals working in IT, construction, marketing sectors, etc. Does not apply to many other professions. 

A person with a family or with limited resources will not be ready to take the risk of flying to Australia to look for a job. From my experience recruiters who were interested in my profile asked me the first question whether I have a PR or a work permit to be considered for the position? Also, employers responded that international applicants are welcome to apply but the selection will be based on priority for applicants with citizenship or PR and if they do not find a suitable person then will be available for international applicants. This is the norm in most countries as they need to cater first to their citizens and PR holders. This hugely limits the ability to find an employer willing to sponsor 457 visa.

Another thing is these so called niche skills are ever changing. Occupation in SOL few years back are now in CSOL and some are obsolete. Professions like clinicians, nurses, paramedical are consistently in SOL and they will remain so for a very, very long time. Only if one is in one of these professions one can take it as a challenge to enter Australia and look for a job. I am not saying people in other professions have not done so. Sure many would have done and succeeded. But, it is always better to be cautious. One option if it would be possible would be to take the option of a long holiday from work or work from home option (if allowed in your profession) and enter Australia and look for a job. This will help you to back to your current job even if you do not succeed to find one momentarily in Australia.

Another option is to explore the possibility of your spouse in getting a job especially in a different profession. If your spouse gets a job then this will give you enough resources to stay in Australia and look for a job a little longer.


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## timberlake (Nov 27, 2014)

Unless you're a top notch C++ or Java developer working on cutting edge ultra low latency trading platforms or algorithmic trading developer, its very rare to get sponsorship. 

I've worked as a Equities BA but in JDs mentioned on job portals, they expect experience of all assets classes such as FX, Derivs, Fixed Income in addition to knowledge of a few trading platforms and guess what, on top of that candidates with CBAP , ITIL , Prince 2 or Agile experience would be "preferred". Woo hoo... never came across JD like that !!

I'm yet to make a move , may be next month , but at least it wont hurt to do homework. I've got an offer lined up in my home country, so won't hurt if the job hunt doesn't work out. We live and learn - isn't it?


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## jairichi (Jun 8, 2014)

timberlake said:


> Unless you're a top notch C++ or Java developer working on cutting edge ultra low latency trading platforms or algorithmic trading developer, its very rare to get sponsorship.
> 
> I've worked as a Equities BA but in JDs mentioned on job portals, they expect experience of all assets classes such as FX, Derivs, Fixed Income in addition to knowledge of a few trading platforms and guess what, on top of that candidates with CBAP , ITIL , Prince 2 or Agile experience would be "preferred". Woo hoo... never came across JD like that !!
> 
> I'm yet to make a move , may be next month , but at least it wont hurt to do homework. I've got an offer lined up in my home country, so won't hurt if the job hunt doesn't work out. We live and learn - isn't it?


Yes, I agree with your point. Having something as a backup will be a wise option. If things do no not work out as expected you have a place to come back. Good luck.


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## Lord Raven (Apr 27, 2014)

Does anyone else agree to the timeline mentioned to avoid your move, June-July and November to February? I don't think offices are closed for that long, holidays are for schools and colleges probably. And I feel bad after reading the first post, what a miserable life portrayed. Good luck with your health.


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## jairichi (Jun 8, 2014)

Lord Raven said:


> Does anyone else agree to the timeline mentioned to avoid your move, June-July and November to February? I don't think offices are closed for that long, holidays are for schools and colleges probably. And I feel bad after reading the first post, what a miserable life portrayed. Good luck with your health.


I know it is quite common for employers not to hire during financial year end. During holidays even though there is no hiring freeze it takes a long time for employers to process an application. So, it would take a little bit longer than normal timeline to hear back from them. The idea is to keep applying and increase your chances to get a job.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

Lord Raven said:


> Does anyone else agree to the timeline mentioned to avoid your move, June-July and November to February? I don't think offices are closed for that long, holidays are for schools and colleges probably. And I feel bad after reading the first post, what a miserable life portrayed. Good luck with your health.


It's not that the offices remain closed during these months, but the hiring slows down drastically. They only hire in case of an urgent, immediate requirement during these months.


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## Lord Raven (Apr 27, 2014)

If not then what is the best time to land? I am making a visa validation trip then final movement was planned in January, my local friends in SYD told me to move in January at all cost. I am not sure what is going on.



jairichi said:


> I know it is quite common for employers not to hire during financial year end. During holidays even though there is no hiring freeze it takes a long time for employers to process an application. So, it would take a little bit longer than normal timeline to hear back from them. The idea is to keep applying and increase your chances to get a job.


Well, I have already made up my mind to keep 6 to 12 months of funds for me and my wife, that is 24k AUD. Considering the AUD rate, it is pretty doable. And I am sure 6 months is enough to find a decent job, if not, I am open to work on odd jobs that would keep us going. I have no intentions to return, life and culture there is so diverse, even if I do nothing over there I will still have a chance that I will survive. Problem is, I wish to maintain the same life style and standard. If my life is degraded and I live a miserable life, that is a red flag. So far, all my friends are very happy in the Oz, they are doing good jobs and earning good money. I will move with my wife so maybe she should do something there as well.



funkyzoom said:


> It's not that the offices remain closed during these months, but the hiring slows down drastically. They only hire in case of an urgent, immediate requirement during these months.


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## int*MarTiNi (Jul 12, 2015)

So people who are reading this thread getting offended or otherwise , I think the guy has presented his facts and made some suggestions . As a probable expat I would like to thank him for that and really appreciate the way he has brought up the matter and so should you. 
Remember there are two kinds of IT Professionals who want to go to Australia 
1) Who don't resign from their jobs and go to Australia first to get a job and then resign
2) Who will find a relative
This guy was the 1st one , those who think being 1st is risky, try 2nd option 
Believe me, I read his post 10 times , he never said this the same will happen to you as well. 
Also I want to say a lot of other things but let us keep that for a drink , shall we.
Cheers 
See you all in Australia.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

int*MarTiNi said:


> So people who are reading this thread getting offended or otherwise , I think the guy has presented his facts and made some suggestions . As a probable expat I would like to thank him for that and really appreciate the way he has brought up the matter and so should you.
> Remember there are two kinds of IT Professionals who want to go to Australia
> 1) Who don't resign from their jobs and go to Australia first to get a job and then resign
> 2) Who will find a relative
> ...


Yeah, you seem to have got a good grip on what I'm trying to convey. These are just MY own experiences. Not necessary that others would have it better or worse than me.


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## atmahesh (Apr 9, 2014)

Nothing wrong with their expectation, I believe. This is how it should be. In India, we don't groom a person with number of year of experience. Here everything is JUGAD and market is so dynamic in India. 

I am also in investment banking developer role. will touch base with you when I plan to travel. Thanks. 




timberlake said:


> Unless you're a top notch C++ or Java developer working on cutting edge ultra low latency trading platforms or algorithmic trading developer, its very rare to get sponsorship.
> 
> I've worked as a Equities BA but in JDs mentioned on job portals, they expect experience of all assets classes such as FX, Derivs, Fixed Income in addition to knowledge of a few trading platforms and guess what, on top of that candidates with CBAP , ITIL , Prince 2 or Agile experience would be "preferred". Woo hoo... never came across JD like that !!
> 
> I'm yet to make a move , may be next month , but at least it wont hurt to do homework. I've got an offer lined up in my home country, so won't hurt if the job hunt doesn't work out. We live and learn - isn't it?


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## Alena123 (Mar 7, 2015)

Medicare is free in Australia for PR holders? Or you had to pay for that?


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## firoz85 (Feb 23, 2015)

funkyzoom said:


> Hello people
> 
> As you probably know, there have been no updates from me since quite a while. I'm back in my home country (India). Returned yesterday night. I was in Australia (Sydney) for 2 months (June 12th to August 11th). I could have pushed on, but so much of stress kept building up in me due to my job search that it took a serious toll on my physical health as well. I used to feel pretty weak for a while, but I just ignored it, assuming that it's nothing serious. Last week, when I couldn't bear it anymore, I consulted a doctor and came to know that I'm suffering from low blood pressure, anaemia, sever weight loss (lost over 10 kgs in 2 months) and poor muscle mass, all as a result of the extreme mental stress of job search accumulated ever since I came to Australia. On top of that, due to not having a table to use my laptop (I had taken up a cheap accommodation which just had a bed) and a constant bad posture, my spinal cord has flared up, and it can be a slipped disc (can't be sure until I have has a scan). Medical exp3enss are too high in Australia, so I rushed home so that I wouldn't have to suffer anymore and end up spending a fortune in case of emergency hospitalisation there. What made it more painful, was that I got a lot of calls during my last week of stay in Sydney (due to an improved job market), but I was not in a position to proceed. It became more about life and survival for me, than job or career. I probably need a long time to recuperate, and for all I know, my career as a software developer may be over. I may have to consider an alternate, less stressful career once I'm fit, due to the massive mental and physical damage I have been dealt with during these 2 months.
> 
> ...


What doesn't kill you , ought to make you stronger. Experience is the best teacher bro. Take some time off , pull your self back together both physically and mentally and I'm sure you will be back stronger !


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## Silvi6 (Dec 22, 2014)

@FunkyZoom : I have one question, how you managed to keep your offshore job and on return join it back. Did you take long leave ? Or actually how it was ?


Thanks
Silvi


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

Alena123 said:


> Medicare is free in Australia for PR holders? Or you had to pay for that?


Medicare only covers GP visits. If you are referred to a specialist or need to be hospitalised, then it costs a LOT. That's the reason people over there purchase private medical insurance once they get a job.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

firoz85 said:


> What doesn't kill you , ought to make you stronger. Experience is the best teacher bro. Take some time off , pull your self back together both physically and mentally and I'm sure you will be back stronger !


Hope so! Thanks!


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

Silvi6 said:


> @FunkyZoom : I have one question, how you managed to keep your offshore job and on return join it back. Did you take long leave ? Or actually how it was ?
> 
> 
> Thanks
> Silvi


I took sabbatical leave. Anyway, that doesn't matter now because I most likely won't be able to rejoin my previous company. I have reached that burnout stage for developers. I'd prefer to choose a less stressful IT occupation, such as technical writer or software trainer. 

I will be taking an informed final decision about this, once I'm fit again.


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## gd2015 (Jan 27, 2015)

I have followed this thread silently and I always thought and hoped that you will land up with a job eventually.
Even though you have come back, its great to see you still sharing your experiences and being active on the forum.
I just hope you get stronger and fitter soon, make a change in career direction smoothly and then again go back.
All the very best for all your future endeavours.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

gd2015 said:


> I have followed this thread silently and I always thought and hoped that you will land up with a job eventually.
> Even though you have come back, its great to see you still sharing your experiences and being active on the forum.
> I just hope you get stronger and fitter soon, make a change in career direction smoothly and then again go back.
> All the very best for all your future endeavours.


Thanks a lot! Like I mentioned in my initial post, I wouldn't want to be selfish and not share stuff here, just because things didn't go as planned for me. 2 months isn't really enough to secure a job, so I'm pretty sure I would have had a job offer if I had pushed on for another month or two. 

I will try my best to go back to Australia at some point. Right now, I need to focus on my health, especially my bad back. I need to undergo intense physiotherapy for 2 months, and have been advised bed rest for that duration.


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## jairichi (Jun 8, 2014)

funkyzoom said:


> Thanks a lot! Like I mentioned in my initial post, I wouldn't want to be selfish and not share stuff here, just because things didn't go as planned for me. 2 months isn't really enough to secure a job, so I'm pretty sure I would have had a job offer if I had pushed on for another month or two.
> 
> I will try my best to go back to Australia at some point. Right now, I need to focus on my health, especially my bad back. I need to undergo intense physiotherapy for 2 months, and have been advised bed rest for that duration.


Good to know you have not given up. A good and speedy recovery in health with a few more years of work experience and planning it neatly next time will be the way to go forward and I believe with your determination you will succeed. The good thing about Australian PR is you can go back anytime within 5 years of you obtaining a PR unlike other countries where it is considered abandonment of PR.


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## pratikk (Aug 7, 2015)

hi all
can anyone help me as I am in two minds whether to go for pr or no...hav jus started with pte prep..but reading from all posts here..its difficult to decide..
m into sw testing with 6 yrs exp..
funkyzoom or nyone else whos been der can pm me ur cont numbr if in india or ur email id it wud be great

*Please don't use text-speak or shorten words - see Rule 6, here: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/general-expat-discussions/2397-forum-rules.html


Thank you. 
kaju/moderator*


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## jairichi (Jun 8, 2014)

pratikk said:


> hi all
> can anyone help me as I am in two minds whether to go for pr or no...hav jus started with pte prep..but reading from all posts here..its difficult to decide..
> m into sw testing with 6 yrs exp..
> funkyzoom or nyone else whos been der can pm me ur cont numbr if in india or ur email id it wud be great
> ...


To start with look at job opportunities available in your profession in Australia. Wherever you find reasonable opportunities look whether these states can sponsor you for 190 visa or you qualify for 189 visa without the need for a state sponsorship. If everything is positive then start preparing to apply for a PR to Australia. Once granted a PR visa make the first entry within the first year to activate it or if you secure a job. Good luck.


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## pratikk (Aug 7, 2015)

hi jairichi
For qualification i would have to get pte cleared which i know
what i am asking is about prospects for testers / or else atleast an odd job
for developers market is better i guess 
and also mostly market for IT around nsw area..which is again costly


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## jairichi (Jun 8, 2014)

pratikk said:


> hi jairichi
> For qualification i would have to get pte cleared which i know
> what i am asking is about prospects for testers / or else atleast an odd job
> for developers market is better i guess
> and also mostly market for IT around nsw area..which is again costly


Have a look at seek.com website to get an idea.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

A small update I got from my buddies in Australia, which might be of use to people here. These experiences are not my own, so I don't claim responsibility for the accuracy of these. Just copy-pasting the texts as I got them, and most of these texts are sent by different people:-

1) " Good that you went back. People who have got IT jobs are getting screwed from day 1. Work environment is not professional here & they are sending one liner mails to do the work".

2) "We are asked to do all work on our own, and BA/architects are not ready to share knowledge unlike India or US. First day itself we are expected to show deliverables".

3) "It's getting scary since all our jobs are coordinated with each other, especially architects and BAs. If they are reluctant to share information or knowledge, it's very difficult for us to perform. Not just in my company, but almost everyone here facing the same issues".

4) "Seriously, I'm going through hell even with 8 years experience and now having second thoughts about coming here. Planning to quit soon, and apply only for graduate IT roles. Trust me, the guys who have joined here are having nightmares and sleepless nights. If things don't work out, I may even quit and return to India".

5) "I didn't even get on job training for even a day. No induction, nothing. High expectations from day one."

6) "Hey man, seriously IT market is crazy here. They mention everything under job roles. Senseless. I would seriously never recommend Australia for people who are into IT. In my 3 years in US, I never came across a single job posting as absurd as crazy as what they post here."


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## vinodkrish_r (Nov 17, 2014)

Now this sounds very discouraging. I encountered the same issue in another country. High expectations without allowing people to settle. Well to the fact, high expectations are not wrong, because we are categorized under skilled resources correct? But, if there are high expectations without any proper role assigned or unclear requirements, then you might end up in trouble


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

funkyzoom said:


> A small update I got from my buddies in Australia, which might be of use to people here. These experiences are not my own, so I don't claim responsibility for the accuracy of these. Just copy-pasting the texts as I got them, and most of these texts are sent by different people:-
> 
> 1) " Good that you went back. People who have got IT jobs are getting screwed from day 1. Work environment is not professional here & they are sending one liner mails to do the work".
> 
> ...


For software development I can say that most workplaces in Australia have Joel test score of 6-8/12 ( The Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better Code - Joel on Software ).

Also noone really trains you on the job. You're expected to start from day 1. Some good companies have onboarding process where you read the stuff and do your first piece of task as part of this process which takes 1-2 weeks. This is why you see job advertisements like 5 years of experience in Java 8 because they want you to start writing lambda expressions from day 1. (despite the fact that Java 8 is not even 5 yrs old)

One thing that people don't notice about Australia is that it's not USA. People here do assume that Australia = Small USA but that's not true. People don't work systematic, you do someone else's job, someone else doesn't work etc. IT work in Australia is barely for the exciting tech industry or startups. It's mostly the government, finance and few other big industries. A lot of it are local stuff, not much to do with global market.

So this causes employees to be a "jack of all trades, master of none" where you do every piece of task but nothing to specialise. Because most work doesn't require specialisation and Australian employers look for getting the requirement done they just want to get things done as soon as possible. That's why a lot of employers are now using outsourcing in various IT areas because they are easy to be done and since it's cheaper to get people, they can hire multiple people with their expertises. So what IT workers are expected in Australia is to compete with multiple overseas outsourced people and also expected to invest in future technologies to keep up to date with latest fads/technologies so that if they get redundancy then they can find another job.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

spark92 said:


> For software development I can say that most workplaces in Australia have Joel test score of 6-8/12 ( The Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better Code - Joel on Software ).
> 
> Also noone really trains you on the job. You're expected to start from day 1. Some good companies have onboarding process where you read the stuff and do your first piece of task as part of this process which takes 1-2 weeks. This is why you see job advertisements like 5 years of experience in Java 8 because they want you to start writing lambda expressions from day 1. (despite the fact that Java 8 is not even 5 yrs old)
> 
> ...


So the conclusion that can be drawn from this is....Australia is not really the country of choice for IT professionals, especially developers. People are considering it as an alternative to the US, ONLY because the US has the most messed up immigration system in the world, and it's very difficult, if not impossible to obtain US Visas or work permits.


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## pratikk (Aug 7, 2015)

how about not keeping IT job in focus when deciding to migrate , but thinking of any alternative line / any other decent work


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

pratikk said:


> how about not keeping IT job in focus when deciding to migrate , but thinking of any alternative line / any other decent work


This is a really wise approach, to be honest. Something which most people (including me) didn't consider. 

It's not that IT jobs are not available or sustainable in Australia, but you need to play your cards in a radically different way there, compared t most other countries.


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## Prax007 (Feb 3, 2015)

Funkyzoon,
It is very disappointing to see you spreading the negative factors. 2 months of trying is really not practical enough for any country. You became pessimistic and started thinking about coming back within a month. Now, after coming back, you are writing about the negative factors with other's name. 

For a young guy like with 5 years of experience and being single, you should have high levels of optimism and its the other way around with you. Also, if i see your first post after coming back to india, you seem to say you lost 10 kilos and health has worsened so fast. Bit difficult to believe this.....i can attribute this to your negative thinking. After a month, you have decided to come back to india, you have started thinking in those terms. I am not criticizing you, i am wondering how positive your posts initially were and turned to be complete opposite within 2 months....


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

Prax007 said:


> Funkyzoon,
> It is very disappointing to see you spreading the negative factors. 2 months of trying is really not practical enough for any country. You became pessimistic and started thinking about coming back within a month. Now, after coming back, you are writing about the negative factors with other's name.
> 
> For a young guy like with 5 years of experience and being single, you should have high levels of optimism and its the other way around with you. Also, if i see your first post after coming back to india, you seem to say you lost 10 kilos and health has worsened so fast. Bit difficult to believe this.....i can attribute this to your negative thinking. After a month, you have decided to come back to india, you have started thinking in those terms. I am not criticizing you, i am wondering how positive your posts initially were and turned to be complete opposite within 2 months....


Huh? Am I 'spreading' negative factors? I have mentioned in almost all posts that these are MY experiences alone, and it might be different for others. And how do YOU know that I am writing it with others' names? Have you logged into my email/phone, to say for sure that I'm LYING about this and using others' names?

And please, don't ASSUME that just because I'm unmarried, I have no responsibilities. Not just you, even others behave the same way when they realise that I'm a bachelor. But nobody knows that my responsibilities are MUCH greater than that of married men. I'm the sole earning member of a family of 4, which includes my younger brother, mother and aged grandma. The well being of 3 others are dependent on me. I need to pay for my brother's education as well. These aren't the matters which I would ideally prefer posting on online forums, but your baseless 'assumptions' about me forced me to do so. 

You go as far as saying that you can't 'believe' that whatever I posted about my health are true. You have ABSOLUTELY no idea bout what I went through, and my history as well. Please don't come to conclusions. Also, my health had begun deteriorating much earlier, and I only realised it a week before I returned. SO it was not really 'fast', like you thought. It's easy for you to say that "hey, this guy just tried for 2 months and came back like a loser". But it goes MUCH MUCH deeper than that. No point in explaining though, because you'll mock me again anyway. 

I did mention that if I had held on for a month more, there was a high chance of me getting employed. But I didn't want to be in a situation where I lose everything in case of an emergency in Australia (because hospitalisation and medical costs are so high).


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## happieaussie2016 (Sep 28, 2011)

hi FunkyZoom,
I have been following your posts for some time now. from initially when you were waiting for a grant to later when you moved on to Australia and then when you came back.
Although i do not find your latest thread of your return to India as anything Negative I may find it a bit depressing.
Dont get me wrong I am not saying that you post is not genuine or you are spreading negative vibes but definitely it gets many people worried and depressed on the future in Aus.
Quoting from one of your earlier post on some other thread
"http://www.expatforum.com/expats/australia-expat-forum-expats-living-australia/676505-something-cheer-up-job-seekers.html"
*"The online forums are filled with so much negativity regarding job prospects in Australia, that I decided to take it upon myself to provide little bits of positive news, whenever I could. This post I made sometime back (A few pointers for job seekers) was also a part of that effort. 

Not trying to imply that people who share their negative experiences are lying, but it would bode well for aspiring expats if they approach things in a positive way!"*
These were your exact words if I am not wrong.
From being such a positive person where you yourself said that people are spreading negative feelings on the forum to writing a thread on your return from Australia which many would consider a bad experience and although may still not stop them from applying for the VISA but momentarily create a doubt in their minds.
I felt sad for you when you came back and i salute you for sharing your bad experience with everyone i just feel that you were one of the few positive persons here motiviating everyone around so i hope you will bounce back and write a new positive story which would really help people like me to move ahead.

All the best.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

suku1809 said:


> hi FunkyZoom,
> I have been following your posts for some time now. from initially when you were waiting for a grant to later when you moved on to Australia and then when you came back.
> Although i do not find your latest thread of your return to India as anything Negative I may find it a bit depressing.
> Dont get me wrong I am not saying that you post is not genuine or you are spreading negative vibes but definitely it gets many people worried and depressed on the future in Aus.
> ...


I do remember me posting that. Haven't forgotten. That's the reason I mention in almost all posts that whatever I'm saying is MY experience alone, and may not be applicable for others. I even went as far as saying that most people I know, and came to Australia around the same time as me, managed to end up with jobs. Also, earlier I was only going by what people said, because I had never seen the ground reality. Now, I have the first hand experience of what happens. STILL, I maintain that Australia is NOT really a bad country for jobs. Not at all. There are lots of jobs, and their wages are pretty high as well. It's just the matter of timing, funds and stress management, which I got all wrong. 

It's not that I'm negative now, but I'm just disappointed. A LOT. My situation is similar to someone who prepares very well for an examination, putting in his best efforts, but yet ends up failing. I'm posting my negative experiences with the SOLE intention of conveying to fellow forum members about avoiding the mistakes I made. 

Besides, something which I hadn't revealed here - I did have a history of stress related illness, which made it a lot more difficult for me to sustain myself all alone in a foreign country when I had a recurrence of it.


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## krish4aus (Jun 22, 2015)

funkyzoom said:


> I do remember me posting that. Haven't forgotten. That's the reason I mention in almost all posts that whatever I'm saying is MY experience alone, and may not be applicable for others. I even went as far as saying that most people I know, and came to Australia around the same time as me, managed to end up with jobs. Also, earlier I was only going by what people said, because I had never seen the ground reality. Now, I have the first hand experience of what happens. STILL, I maintain that Australia is NOT really a bad country for jobs. Not at all. There are lots of jobs, and their wages are pretty high as well. It's just the matter of timing, funds and stress management, which I got all wrong.
> 
> It's not that I'm negative now, but I'm just disappointed. A LOT. My situation is similar to someone who prepares very well for an examination, putting in his best efforts, but yet ends up failing. I'm posting my negative experiences with the SOLE intention of conveying to fellow forum members about avoiding the mistakes I made.
> 
> Besides, something which I hadn't revealed here - I did have a history of stress related illness, which made it a lot more difficult for me to sustain myself all alone in a foreign country when I had a recurrence of it.


Hi Funky,

I respect your post and don't think you should reveal personal things to prove something 
It is upto the individuals to see how useful this information will be. Personally , I don't think it is spreading negativity. Incase, if others feel then they can un-follow this thread. I feel that few are disappointed because they are seeing the other side of you.
For newbie like me , I know what I can expect and things to be avoided. Especially things like accomodation,what to expect from agents,resume writing,etc

I wish you a speedy recovery.

Regards,
Krish


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## nitinmoudgil (May 21, 2014)

i thought medical is covered when you get PR in australia...
am i correct or not ???


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

krish4aus said:


> Hi Funky,
> 
> I respect your post and don't think you should reveal personal things to prove something
> It is upto the individuals to see how useful this information will be. Personally , I don't think it is spreading negativity. Incase, if others feel then they can un-follow this thread. I feel that few are disappointed because they are seeing the other side of you.
> ...


That's alright pal.I haven't committed a crime, so I don't mind revealing anything whenever it is required. But I appreciate your kind words.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

nitinmoudgil said:


> i thought medical is covered when you get PR in australia...
> am i correct or not ???


Only GP visits are covered in Medicare. If you are referred to a specialist or need to be hospitalised, you need to pay from your pocket (unless you have purchased private medical insurance).


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

funkyzoom said:


> Only GP visits are covered in Medicare. If you are referred to a specialist or need to be hospitalised, you need to pay from your pocket (unless you have purchased private medical insurance).


You're wrong. Medicare covers you fully at public hospitals. It also covers specialist visits, tests and the PBS provides for subsidies on certain medications. There is however a gap that may need to be paid to specialists and for medication.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

ozbound12 said:


> You're wrong. Medicare covers you fully at public hospitals. It also covers specialist visits, tests and the PBS provides for subsidies on certain medications. There is however a gap that may need to be paid to specialists and for medication.


Thanks for the clarification. Every person I met in Oz, including those who have been staying for more than a decade, told me that medicare does not cover anything apart from GP visits.


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## kaju (Oct 31, 2011)

funkyzoom said:


> Only GP visits are covered in Medicare. If you are referred to a specialist or need to be hospitalised, you need to pay from your pocket (unless you have purchased private medical insurance).


No, that's not right.

As a permanent resident, you would only be covered for the whole bill from a GP if they bulk-bill, most don't, so you pay the difference. 

In terms of hospitals, Medicare covers all costs if you choose to be treated as a public patient in a public hospital, including specialists.

If you need a specialist outside the hospital system, Medicare pays 85% of the scheduled fee, but the specialist can charge a lot more than the scheduled fee.

What is covered by Medicare?


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

funkyzoom said:


> Thanks for the clarification. Every person I met in Oz, including those who have been staying for more than a decade, told me that medicare does not cover anything apart from GP visits.


I don't know who these people are but anyone who has Medicare knows this is not true. I have been to public hospitals and have never had to pay a cent. Perhaps the people you spoke to were lucky enough to never have to visit a hospital or a specialist. This doesn't mean that they are not covered. I encourage you (or anyone else who is under this misguided assumption) to review the Medicare website which states quite plainly what is covered.


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## Silvi6 (Dec 22, 2014)

Yes, that's right. Recently my friend who went on PR couple of months back was admitted to hospital for back pain and got treated free due to Medicare. He stayed in the hospital for 3 days and even specialist like Physiotherapist was also treating him.


Thanks Silvi


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## nitinmoudgil (May 21, 2014)

thanks for the lime light guys.. you rock...


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

funkyzoom said:


> So the conclusion that can be drawn from this is....Australia is not really the country of choice for IT professionals, especially developers. People are considering it as an alternative to the US, ONLY because the US has the most messed up immigration system in the world, and it's very difficult, if not impossible to obtain US Visas or work permits.


Yeah for instance I started my current work about 6 months ago. I am the only developer in my team and no one knows how easy/hard one task is. So ever time I meet with the project manager, the PM gets super angry at me because I could not do all the tickets that were assigned to me, but everytime I tell PM that I cannot do more than some amount of tickets and PM assigns me more than what I tell.

When I started my job first time, my team assigned me to do a ticket and I asked them how do I do this? There is no documentation and this project contains 2500 classes and 200,000 lines of code. They gave me blank stares. Plus it's a very specialised technology that I am working on so debugging does not even work in a usual way (most of the time I have to print out stuff and analyse, for those who understand programming it's because classes are designed such way that fields and their values are not human readable so we have static methods to return human readable stuff) There are even worse stuff that has happened before me.

So yeah in short Australia is not the country for IT jobs despite their "Software Engineering" shortage. There is no "Software Engineer" shortage in Australia, the shortage is in Software Engineers who know technology x for y amount of years. (Replace x and y for company's needs)

I studied in Australia, my first job experience was through university's research work. Thanks to that then I managed to get a traineeship because even traineeship position required prior experience. Later on I got an internship in a large software company (which has thousands of software engineers in India, but only 30-40 in Australia) because they look for even more experience in software engineering. For my first two work places I mostly used stackoverflow, there was nobody holding my hand and showing me things. Last one was very specific technology and I had enough experience to understand things better so did not use stackoverflow that much.

After I graduated I found a job in an Australian based company. This time there were more Senior people around me but for my entire experience there all that I learnt from people around me was to use predicate operator ) instead of assigning a variable values with if and else; and keep the coding style consistent within a class (damn IntelliJ uses CTRL + ALT + L shortcuts to format the code and that locks most Linux distros)

So yeah this is my experience. Another thing I wanted to tell is, you probably have noticed that American companies number their employees. Such as Software Engineer I, Software Engineer II, Senior Engineer I and so on. Well I noticed that there is such thing called Associate Software Engineer but they don't hire that in Australia as these people supposed to be full time software engineers requiring training. I talked to one of these companies and they mentioned they mostly hire Associate SWEs in India.

Also for those who are in IT you probably heard a consulting company called ThoughtWorks right? Well as an example of their project they do pizza delivery apps (for Dominos) and stuff like that, that you expect from a local software boutique company. So that kind of summarises the majority of work being done in Australia.

If I were a high school student again I would've definitely chosen Canada to study and work as they have a lot more top tier companies and positions (like Facebook for example)


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

funkyzoom said:


> Thanks for the clarification. Every person I met in Oz, including those who have been staying for more than a decade, told me that medicare does not cover anything apart from GP visits.


You do get covered if it is public hospital and you are a public patient, but usually there is a huge waiting list and as soon as you're treated they want you out as soon as possible. (I can tell that this is true for good public hospitals in Brisbane, don't know about other cities with one exception, Sunshine Coast where I had taken someone to Caloundra Hospital and it was terrible, you can check reviews online if you want, so places like that won't have huge waiting list but you won't be treated well) Another thing is when your GP refers you to someone, you're bound with that referral.


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## kaju (Oct 31, 2011)

spark92 said:


> You do get covered if it is public hospital and you are a public patient, but usually there is a huge waiting list and as soon as you're treated they want you out as soon as possible. (I can tell that this is true for good public hospitals in Brisbane, don't know about other cities with one exception, Sunshine Coast where I had taken someone to Caloundra Hospital and it was terrible, you can check reviews online if you want, so places like that won't have huge waiting list but you won't be treated well) Another thing is when your GP refers you to someone, you're bound with that referral.


Again, it depends. If you genuinely need something urgently (accident, immediate sickness, etc) you get seen right away. Waiting lists for outpatient and elective surgery vary. If you are there on this basis you need will be assessed and you'll be categorised as needing to see a specialist (for free), within 30 days, 90 days or 1 year. That's for Brisbane, it varies in other States. In Perth, the median waiting time is 1 month. For less urgent cases, several months. Remember this is for outpatients and elective surgery. Urgent non-elective surgery is done right away and the relevant specialists services are free, at all public hospitals if you choose to use Medicare rather than Private Insurance.

If your GP refers you to a private specialist, (you have the option of asking for a public specialist referral, it's entirely your choice, but may well take significantly longer if not urgent) you can certainly ask for a different referral, often the GP will have a list of several private specialists for each specialty type.

Or you could go to any public hospital and wait to be seen, sometimes several hours if it's not urgent, and they will assess you and use the hospital's specialists, (which are very often the same private specialists that you pay more to see sooner, and have the choice of which to use) at no cost to you. 

Private insurance allows you to nominate whatever specialist you want and may often be a lot faster for non-urgent treatment. But for genuinely urgent treatment you'll get that right away through Medicare anyway, at no charge. 

The point is, if you need to be seen quickly, you will be - at no cost. Australia is recognised as having some of the best medical care, and some of the highest standards, anywhere in the world.


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

kaju said:


> Again, it depends. If you genuinely need something urgently (accident, immediate sickness, etc) you get seen right away. Waiting lists for outpatient and elective surgery vary. If you are there on this basis you need will be assessed and you'll be categorised as needing to see a specialist (for free), within 30 days, 90 days or 1 year. That's for Brisbane, it varies in other States. In Perth, the median waiting time is 1 month. For less urgent cases, several months. Remember this is for outpatients and elective surgery. Urgent non-elective surgery is done right away and the relevant specialists services are free, at all public hospitals if you choose to use Medicare rather than Private Insurance.
> 
> If your GP refers you to a private specialist, (you have the option of asking for a public specialist referral, it's entirely your choice, but may well take significantly longer if not urgent) you can certainly ask for a different referral, often the GP will have a list of several private specialists for each specialty type.
> 
> ...


Last bit I have disagreement. It completely depends on the hospital. If you go to a bad hospital's ER they might just tell you that your situation is not emergency because nurses determine your emergency priority and they can give you lower priority and you might just wait in the waiting room for several hours to be served and get no doctor at all. Next day you call your doctor and learn that the problem you had could be actually bleeding in your brain and urgent spinal tap is required to find that out so you go to another hospital which is known to be a good one and get it done.


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## kaju (Oct 31, 2011)

spark92 said:


> Last bit I have disagreement. It completely depends on the hospital. If you go to a bad hospital's ER they might just tell you that your situation is not emergency because nurses determine your emergency priority and they can give you lower priority and you might just wait in the waiting room for several hours to be served and get no doctor at all. Next day you call your doctor and learn that the problem you had could be actually bleeding in your brain and urgent spinal tap is required to find that out so you go to another hospital which is known to be a good one and get it done.


Any hospital can make mistakes, although they tend to be few here, fortunately. The strength of the system here is that if that happens, there's generally no shortage of publicity and the problem is generally addressed rapidly. 

Truthfully, I would feel as safe as a public patient presenting on an emergency basis at an Australian public hospital (which I have unfortunately had to do on several occasions for both very serious sicknesses and major injuries) as I would in the most developed European countries, (I have lived in couple of them too) and of course in the US, you tend to get the care you pay for...

I have the highest level of Private Insurance and you know what? I haven't used it. I've chosen to be treated as a Medicare patient every time in an emergency (and the treatment is then both identical, and free), and only used the private cover as an outpatient. The same for both my kids, who have both separately been admitted on an emergency basis in the past.


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## Vijay24 (Jun 13, 2013)

When I came in 2013, I landed in mid of November which is total dry scene in job market and had to stay just for 4 days in Perth and 4 days in Melbourne (with my own brother) and after that had to go back due to constant pressure from home. That was my first stay from home in 10 years for more than 8 days (excluding holidays).

The second day I landed in Perth, I felt like an alien on some other planet, although I had researched hell lot about the place, lifestyle, culture and how the situation will be etc etc. But still I couldn't withstand of being lonely in an unknown place staying with unknown people. Forget hunting for job, I was not even in mood to prepare food on my own. That was my situation. And as I said earlier due to frequent phone calls from back home, I had to go back.

Later I joined the same company in Bengaluru and worked for 18 months. Each day my mind was in Australia and constant thoughts like if I did a big mistake of coming back as age wasn't my side (you know how it is in our community, if you are above 28 you should get married and have kids by 30 blah blah)

I joined the same company again on Jan-2014 and worked till June-2015. Right from the day I started the new work I was under lot of frustration, I became a fool to give up in 10-12 days which I had dreamed for over an year. Then once I started to work and parents suggested to get married and then you can go back to Aus. That marriage part is a big story to tell  anyways. I postponed my marriage plan and now back again in Aus in July (you know it). It's been more than a month, I hardly got calls or emails for my job application. But that's how it is, the process is very slow. You may get calls after 2-3 months as well. 

In my India days after I went back in 2013, I took a break for 10 days and went to Bangkok and Phuket ON MY OWN with guidance from a friend on places and activities to do there. That's where I got enough confidence and strength to live on my own and live alone anywhere. Trust me it helps when you are alone, you realize a lot about yourselves and that gives enough kick to live independently, you see life in a different perspective as well. I suggest you to take a break after your health gets better and go on a holiday for some 5-8 days to some Asian country and see how it will change your life. Not necessarily to Bangkok


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

Vijay24 said:


> When I came in 2013, I landed in mid of November which is total dry scene in job market and had to stay just for 4 days in Perth and 4 days in Melbourne (with my own brother) and after that had to go back due to constant pressure from home. That was my first stay from home in 10 years for more than 8 days (excluding holidays).
> 
> The second day I landed in Perth, I felt like an alien on some other planet, although I had researched hell lot about the place, lifestyle, culture and how the situation will be etc etc. But still I couldn't withstand of being lonely in an unknown place staying with unknown people. Forget hunting for job, I was not even in mood to prepare food on my own. That was my situation. And as I said earlier due to frequent phone calls from back home, I had to go back.
> 
> ...


Very sound advice! I'd certainly consider a vacation, making use of the funds left over from whatever I had allocated towards my survival in Australia. 

I'm targeting March 2017 or July 2017 comeback to Australia, but that's tentative because I still have too many loose ends to tie up.


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## HARDEEP (Jul 9, 2015)

funkyzoom said:


> Very sound advice! I'd certainly consider a vacation, making use of the funds left over from whatever I had allocated towards my survival in Australia.
> 
> I'm targeting March 2017 or July 2017 comeback to Australia, but that's tentative because I still have too many loose ends to tie up.


Hello Funkyzoom,

First of all I wish you Super Speedy recovery. May you get well very soon and I pray for your success in all your future endeavors ,does not matter wherever you wish to live. 
It is not and End ... So Just do not be disappointed. 
Pray Him , HE is Supreme and HE does respond us. 

Stay Blessed...


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## DesiBabu (May 26, 2015)

funkyzoom said:


> Very sound advice! I'd certainly consider a vacation, making use of the funds left over from whatever I had allocated towards my survival in Australia.
> 
> I'm targeting March 2017 or July 2017 comeback to Australia, but that's tentative because I still have too many loose ends to tie up.


Fnkyzoom,

looking at all of your points since beginning of this thread,i see you had really ddreadful exerience and i personnally would not recommend you to risk your health again in 2017.


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## R.P.G (May 29, 2015)

funkyzoom said:


> A small update I got from my buddies in Australia, which might be of use to people here. These experiences are not my own, so I don't claim responsibility for the accuracy of these. Just copy-pasting the texts as I got them, and most of these texts are sent by different people:-
> 
> 1) " Good that you went back. People who have got IT jobs are getting screwed from day 1. Work environment is not professional here & they are sending one liner mails to do the work".
> 
> ...



I dont agree with these points. Infact, even in INDIA situation s pretty similar.I have complete Opposite texts from my Friends. They are happy with their assignments and pay. Everybody knows Australian IT job industry is not Huge unlike US. So, No.of jobs will be obviously less.

Moreover, because of these cost cutting measures, companies are not employing enough resources and everybody is occupied with something, so,these practices of One liners are common these days and they expect you to dig something on your own.

Today's IT industry expects you to be "Adaptable" for learning/handling new tasks in short time. Most of the software products are already Tailor Made for different Businesses and they available as plug & play. companies dont want to spend more time and money on trainings. They want you to work from day one, *That is reality*. This is where certifications comes into picture. May be they expect us to take external trainings and certifications. For example take SAP trainings/certifications, they will cost you 3 lakhs (4500 USD approx). If you cleared your certification they expect that, you are ready to take tasks from day One, so, they dont see any reason to train you again.


just my thoughts, According to my friends, industry is not that bad in Oz. On contrary, some of my friends (colleagues) were in US since last 6 months and haven't scored their first job yet. 
Moreover, People Choose australia not only on Career perspective but considering other lifestyle perks it offers.


On lighter note, I suggest you to get a girlfriend soon and plan a holiday( If not get married soon). Having a companion in ups and downs is a great thing.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

HARDEEP said:


> Hello Funkyzoom,
> 
> First of all I wish you Super Speedy recovery. May you get well very soon and I pray for your success in all your future endeavors ,does not matter wherever you wish to live.
> It is not and End ... So Just do not be disappointed.
> ...


Thanks a lot!


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

R.P.G said:


> I dont agree with these points. Infact, even in INDIA situation s pretty similar.I have complete Opposite texts from my Friends. They are happy with their assignments and pay. Everybody knows Australian IT job industry is not Huge unlike US. So, No.of jobs will be obviously less.
> 
> Moreover, because of these cost cutting measures, companies are not employing enough resources and everybody is occupied with something, so,these practices of One liners are common these days and they expect you to dig something on your own.
> 
> ...



Well....maybe the people who texted you positively were a lot more competent, or had more international exposure compared to those who texted me. Anyway, as per your post, it is indeed true that expectations from us are pretty high in Australia. Someone with 8 to 10 years experience in India, can usually handle only jobs roles meant for 4 to 5 years of experience in Australia. I got the feeling that I was underqualified for the Australian market ever since I started applying (looking at their requirements), and it turns out I was right.

And thanks for your suggestion regarding a girlfriend. I'll consider that, but I need to get my left back on track, both in terms of health and career, before anyone would consider me a potential husband/boyfriend material. I mean...who in her right mind would be ok with someone struggling with stress, poor health and no real career at the moment, when they have tons of other, more desirable options? 
Hehe!


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## R.P.G (May 29, 2015)

funkyzoom said:


> Well....maybe the people who texted you positively were a lot more competent, or had more international exposure compared to those who texted me. Anyway, as per your post, it is indeed true that expectations from us are pretty high in Australia. Someone with 8 to 10 years experience in India, can usually handle only jobs roles meant for 4 to 5 years of experience in Australia. I got the feeling that I was underqualified for the Australian market ever since I started applying (looking at their requirements), and it turns out I was right.
> 
> And thanks for your suggestion regarding a girlfriend. I'll consider that, but I need to get my left back on track, both in terms of health and career, before anyone would consider me a potential husband/boyfriend material. I mean...who in her right mind would be ok with someone struggling with stress, poor health and no real career at the moment, when they have tons of other, more desirable options?
> Hehe!


ohh..common, you should start with leaving your drawbacks behind..love is blind my friend.


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## sk2014 (Apr 7, 2014)

For people in IT, dont directly assume that since you have 5 years of experience in India so would directly get job here. The level of skills Australian employers expect are different. 

I am working as a software automation tester but sometimes I also have to do the job of a build engineer, merging branches/ grafting changesets, pushing the build to production etc (something which I had never done)

Documentation is minimal, you are expected to learn and do everything on your own with minimal supervision.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

sk2014 said:


> For people in IT, dont directly assume that since you have 5 years of experience in India so would directly get job here. The level of skills Australian employers expect are different.
> 
> I am working as a software automation tester but sometimes I also have to do the job of a build engineer, merging branches/ grafting changesets, pushing the build to production etc (something which I had never done)
> 
> Documentation is minimal, you are expected to learn and do everything on your own with minimal supervision.


I never got to know this before I left, in spite of doing a lot of groundwork so I had to pay a heavy price for it. 5 years of Indian experience is hardly sufficient to get a job in Australia, unless it's some niche or in-demand skill.


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## ArchV (Aug 25, 2013)

First of all, It's sad to hear that you didn't make it this time. Certainly you've learned a lot from this experience, and hopefully you'll get better soon. Never lose the faith, keep your head up and at least you learned something new even though it was the hard way.

I appreciate every piece of information you gave us. Thanks and better luck next time.


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## spark92 (Nov 8, 2010)

R.P.G said:


> I dont agree with these points. Infact, even in INDIA situation s pretty similar.I have complete Opposite texts from my Friends. They are happy with their assignments and pay. Everybody knows Australian IT job industry is not Huge unlike US. So, No.of jobs will be obviously less.
> 
> Moreover, because of these cost cutting measures, companies are not employing enough resources and everybody is occupied with something, so,these practices of One liners are common these days and they expect you to dig something on your own.
> 
> ...


I met with a Software Engineer Manager from world's largest online shopping company and largest cloud company (no need to mention the name). He is an Australian and told me that his company does hire a lot of engineers from Australia for positions where they're expected to perform multiple tasks from various technologies, compared to Americans where they're expected to specialise. After what he said, I've been following the company and every month at least there is one hiring event where people fly over US to interview people in Australia to take them back to USA. I also heard that they offer good salary (ie $170k instead of usual $130-140k that they offer to Americans)


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

ArchV said:


> First of all, It's sad to hear that you didn't make it this time. Certainly you've learned a lot from this experience, and hopefully you'll get better soon. Never lose the faith, keep your head up and at least you learned something new even though it was the hard way.
> 
> I appreciate every piece of information you gave us. Thanks and better luck next time.


Thank you so much! Yeah, I have no regrets at all, that it didn't work out this time. I learnt a lot, and also established a reasonably good professional network in Australia. So whenever I decide to go back, things will hopefully be much easier.


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## atmahesh (Apr 9, 2014)

FunkyZoom, thanks for creating this thread. You have seen both the sides of the coin. 
The experience you have shared and other's remarks/comments will surely help people who are planning to move. 

Cheers, 



funkyzoom said:


> Well....maybe the people who texted you positively were a lot more competent, or had more international exposure compared to those who texted me. Anyway, as per your post, it is indeed true that expectations from us are pretty high in Australia. Someone with 8 to 10 years experience in India, can usually handle only jobs roles meant for 4 to 5 years of experience in Australia. I got the feeling that I was underqualified for the Australian market ever since I started applying (looking at their requirements), and it turns out I was right.
> 
> And thanks for your suggestion regarding a girlfriend. I'll consider that, but I need to get my left back on track, both in terms of health and career, before anyone would consider me a potential husband/boyfriend material. I mean...who in her right mind would be ok with someone struggling with stress, poor health and no real career at the moment, when they have tons of other, more desirable options?
> Hehe!


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

A bit of info for those who thought I was spreading negativity here...and others as well.

My good friend in Sydney managed to get a job offer today for a permanent role. He is a php developer with 8 years of experience. He got this offer in just a month after he arrived. Another lady who I know, bagged a 6 month rolling contract for the role of senior Microsoft CRM developer. She had around 7 years of experience, and was in Australia for 3 weeks. 

Hope this should cheer you all up, and also prove that I'm not here to spread negativity.


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## TeamRanger (Jul 8, 2014)

funkyzoom said:


> A bit of info for those who thought I was spreading negativity here...and others as well.
> 
> My good friend in Sydney managed to get a job offer today for a permanent role. He is a php developer with 8 years of experience. He got this offer in just a month after he arrived. Another lady who I know, bagged a 6 month rolling contract for the role of senior Microsoft CRM developer. She had around 7 years of experience, and was in Australia for 3 weeks.
> 
> Hope this should cheer you all up, and also prove that I'm not here to spread negativity.


Cheers dude , you have the right attitude to come back and make it here. Focus on your rebuilding for now. Am sure this experience has taught you a lot. You will come good.


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## rrnarayan (Dec 10, 2011)

@FunkyZoom,Get well soon, bro!


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## mp71240 (Jun 13, 2015)

@FunkyZoom
How is your health buddy?
is everything fine from your end?


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## phlojo (Dec 3, 2014)

Reading through the story, I think that an important aspect is *PLANNING*. Knowing what to expect and even when not to have expectations, having some "WHAT IF"s in your back pocket - all this can make your life a lot easier when you move here. (What if you don't get a job in X amount of time? What if you find life more expensive than you thought?...) 

It's important to have a plan B - what if you have to go back, for whatever reason? It's good to be prepared for that as well.

I spent a lot of time PLANNING and still got some curve balls thrown my way.


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## TJK17 (Jan 4, 2016)

funkyzoom said:


> A bit of info for those who thought I was spreading negativity here...and others as well.
> 
> My good friend in Sydney managed to get a job offer today for a permanent role. He is a php developer with 8 years of experience. He got this offer in just a month after he arrived. Another lady who I know, bagged a 6 month rolling contract for the role of senior Microsoft CRM developer. She had around 7 years of experience, and was in Australia for 3 weeks.
> 
> Hope this should cheer you all up, and also prove that I'm not here to spread negativity.


Hi Funkyzoom,

Thanks for the info & wish you better luck next time.

Regards,

Tom


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## Danav_Singh (Sep 1, 2014)

phlojo said:


> Reading through the story, I think that an important aspect is PLANNING. Knowing what to expect and even when not to have expectations, having some "WHAT IF"s in your back pocket - all this can make your life a lot easier when you move here. (What if you don't get a job in X amount of time? What if you find life more expensive than you thought?...)
> 
> It's important to have a plan B - what if you have to go back, for whatever reason? It's good to be prepared for that as well.
> 
> I spent a lot of time PLANNING and still got some curve balls thrown my way.


The market is really good. The shortage of good developers are increasing every passing day and it will be reflected in 2016 quota which will be increased again to new high this year.
Because of higher tax breaks and fall in Australian dollar its now cheap to hire developers in Australia than in US. More and more companies are moving to Australia from US. The future of developers looks rock solid.


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## andreyx108b (Mar 15, 2015)

Danav_Singh said:


> The market is really good. The shortage of good developers are increasing every passing day and it will be reflected in 2016 quota which will be increased again to new high this year. Because of higher tax breaks and fall in Australian dollar its now cheap to hire developers in Australia than in US. More and more companies are moving to Australia from US. The future of developers looks rock solid.


I dont think quota will rise...


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

phlojo said:


> Reading through the story, I think that an important aspect is *PLANNING*. Knowing what to expect and even when not to have expectations, having some "WHAT IF"s in your back pocket - all this can make your life a lot easier when you move here. (What if you don't get a job in X amount of time? What if you find life more expensive than you thought?...)
> 
> It's important to have a plan B - what if you have to go back, for whatever reason? It's good to be prepared for that as well.
> 
> I spent a lot of time PLANNING and still got some curve balls thrown my way.


I agree with you, but there is only so much anyone can plan, without actually being in the country. I did plan as best as I could. In fact, almost everyone I knew (in India and overseas) mentioned that with the amount of careful planning that I indulged in, there is simply no way I could fail. 

I did have a Plan B, and a Plan C as well. But when I was faced with overwhelming odds, all my plans went for a toss. It is not a straightforward path, and no amount of planning can prepare a person for the reality. Some can cope up, while others can't (due to several factors). I couldn't, and I am not ashamed to admit it.


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## M_F (Apr 11, 2016)

funkyzoom said:


> I agree with you, but there is only so much anyone can plan, without actually being in the country. I did plan as best as I could. In fact, almost everyone I knew (in India and overseas) mentioned that with the amount of careful planning that I indulged in, there is simply no way I could fail.
> 
> I did have a Plan B, and a Plan C as well. But when I was faced with overwhelming odds, all my plans went for a toss. It is not a straightforward path, and no amount of planning can prepare a person for the reality. Some can cope up, while others can't (due to several factors). I couldn't, and I am not ashamed to admit it.


Did you try for part time jobs?

I am asking this because some people do suffer from home sickness and your case seems to be one of that. 

In part time jobs, people get out of the home, spend time in earning (no matter what) and spend less time on laptop and make friends. They search for the relevant job simultaneously. The busy schedule makes them less vulnerable to get hit by home sickness.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

M_F said:


> Did you try for part time jobs?
> 
> I am asking this because some people do suffer from home sickness and your case seems to be one of that.
> 
> In part time jobs, people get out of the home, spend time in earning (no matter what) and spend less time on laptop and make friends. They search for the relevant job simultaneously. The busy schedule makes them less vulnerable to get hit by home sickness.


I did try for part-time and casual jobs, but didn't succeed there as well. Students were usually being preferred, and my age (I was 28 then) worked against me because even managers in these places were around 25. Most important factor, I did not have references, and without references it's almost impossible to get a casual/part-time job for non-Australians.


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## momentum (Dec 5, 2013)

A friend of mine moved to melbourne a few months back and got a job within a month. According to him, one can uber and make handsome amount of money and there are a lot of guys doing it.


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## M_F (Apr 11, 2016)

momentum said:


> A friend of mine moved to melbourne a few months back and got a job within a month. According to him, one can uber and make handsome amount of money and there are a lot of guys doing it.


But one should have a full driving license for uber.


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## ozbound12 (Mar 23, 2012)

momentum said:


> A friend of mine moved to melbourne a few months back and got a job within a month. According to him, one can uber and make handsome amount of money and there are a lot of guys doing it.


Maybe in the early days of Uber but not anymore. I take Ubers quite a bit and often talk to the drivers. They recently dropped fares by 30% in Melbourne so, while that's good for consumers like me, it's terrible for the drivers who have to work longer hours to make what they used to make previously. Most of the fares are short fares (under $15-20) making it less profitable for them. One Uber driver I met said he struggled to make $15/hour (after all the expenses) which is less than you'd make working at a cafe.


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## TheExpatriate (Feb 7, 2014)

M_F said:


> But one should have a full driving license for uber.


Not just that

You need to have held one for at least a year


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## godspeed4476 (May 4, 2016)

Nice write-up buddy, and i hope that you have already started recuperating from the health problems you had. I had done something similar 4-5 years back. I completed my MBA in Coventry,UK. After completing my graduation, i came back to India, stayed here for a few month. The life in UK was a bit hard as compared to India, having to prepare own food, walking for miles to save on taxi cost etc. Being alone was never a problem for me, even during my more than month long travels in Russia, Egypt, Nepal. I have traveled alone and made friends there.

So, coming back to India, and having the luxuries back like, own car, own motor bike, not having to worry a lot about rent etc. it was a nice feeling to be back in cocoon again. Somewhere down the line, i felt the inkling of trying my luck in UK. Got the two year work visa (All the graduates from UK university were eligible for it). Arrived in UK, and left the country within just 40 days! I was able to secure interviews for semi-professional jobs, they did not materialise. So after getting some calls from home, and missing the luxuries of life, I moved back to India again. 

The decision was not so bad, managed to do well in wholesaling, earned very good monies by Indian standards, purchased a new luxury car etc. Got married, had a baby girl. However, recently things started to go a bit bad now in business, they dont have any chance of getting better till 2018.This has made me to contemplate the decision to move to Australia. After having a baby girl, my priorities have changed quite a bit. No longer care about luxury now, doing the same business is very difficult now( due to changes in govt policies). The only priority now would be to have a good education and standard of life for my daughter and my family.

I've heard that people from non IT, or non scientific (engineering, networking etc) have it even harder for getting jobs. I fall into this category, with just pure sales and some accounting experience. However, i feel that starting (or staying) in low income group in Australia would still be better than being in lower middle income group in my home country. I just hope that the decision to move Australia (if it happens), would be a positive one. I do have back up option, but at 31 years of age and with a 3 year old kid, i would be determined to make it my home there.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

godspeed4476 said:


> Nice write-up buddy, and i hope that you have already started recuperating from the health problems you had. I had done something similar 4-5 years back. I completed my MBA in Coventry,UK. After completing my graduation, i came back to India, stayed here for a few month. The life in UK was a bit hard as compared to India, having to prepare own food, walking for miles to save on taxi cost etc. Being alone was never a problem for me, even during my more than month long travels in Russia, Egypt, Nepal. I have traveled alone and made friends there.
> 
> So, coming back to India, and having the luxuries back like, own car, own motor bike, not having to worry a lot about rent etc. it was a nice feeling to be back in cocoon again. Somewhere down the line, i felt the inkling of trying my luck in UK. Got the two year work visa (All the graduates from UK university were eligible for it). Arrived in UK, and left the country within just 40 days! I was able to secure interviews for semi-professional jobs, they did not materialise. So after getting some calls from home, and missing the luxuries of life, I moved back to India again.
> 
> ...


Yes, I am doing pretty fine now. But the memories of Australia still haunt me, and I don't think I'll consider going back any time soon. 

To be very honest, it is quite difficult for non-whites to secure jobs in Australia. By 'difficult', I mean to say that it takes much longer than for someone who is of European descent. I wouldn't call it 'racism', but it seems like Australian employers are just risk-averse when it comes to hiring people. They fear that the immigrants may not be a 'cultural fit'. Also, a lot of Australians seem to have a chip on their shoulder about foreigners 'stealing' their jobs. When I was in Sydney last year, my room-mate was a student from Gujarat who worked as a cashier in Woolworths. And he often had to hear words from Aussie customers, which were usually along the lines of "You filthy Indians are stealing our jobs". The Asians (Chinese, Koreans etc.) aren't affected that badly, because they moved to Australia even earlier than the Europeans. So Indians seem to be the worst hit, because Indian immigration to Oz is fairly recent. 

All this makes things quite difficult for immigrants who aren't white. But persistence is the key here. Especially for skilled jobs, if you are able to sustain yourself for 6 to 9 months, you will eventually end up with a job in your profession. The 'struggle' is usually only for the first job. Once you are integrated into the Australian workforce (which is by no means an easy task for non-whites), then you are set for life. 

I think you have taken a wise decision by choosing to move to Australia for securing a good future for your daughter. The 'luxuries' will come to you there as well, but it's going take some time. India is 'internally racist' too, after all. In fact, it's much worse in India because we tend to discriminate among our own people. A Punjabi manager will prefer to hire Punjabis, Tamilians prefer to hire Tamilians, someone from Mumbai will want to hire Maharashtrians etc. 

I wish and hope that you have much better fortunes in Australia than me!


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## Guest (Jun 14, 2016)

funkyzoom said:


> When I was in Sydney last year, my room-mate was a student from Gujarat who worked as a cashier in Woolworths. And he often had to hear words from Aussie customers, which were usually along the lines of "You filthy Indians are stealing our jobs".


Thats because the sole purpose of these so called students is to get entry into Aus, do you think they are here for studies only. 

In my previous company, 2 of my colleagues completed their graduation after having worked for 5+ years because they didnt had money to support College Fees & Expenses at that time. We had luxuries back in India where parents took care of financial part.

So its obvious that they dont like when Indian students take up casual jobs. 

Most of the casual jobs in Coles/Woolworths are taken by Indians (not getting into specifics), have you wondered why?

I know of 3 guys who came to Australia to study "Accounts" started with casual jobs in Coles/Woolworths and employed as Store Manager. The fun part is that these guys didnt try to look for jobs in their domain once they completed UNI.


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## devxon (Aug 29, 2011)

funkyzoom did you stop working as a developer? (even in India) why?


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## pareshs (Jun 2, 2015)

I think with Australia, it it mostly to do with the timing of your arrival. The season does open up June onward for hiring and ends up until mid November. 

Its August now and I see a huge surge in the number of jobs on seek. I'm sitting here in Dubai and applying jobs and already managed to have 4 phone interviews in one week. All recruiters have a similar point, its a seasonal business when comes to hiring in Australia. You just need tap the right recruiters and it should work out.

One recruiter told me clearly if you had applied for jobs in December please dont expect a call until next year March - LOL! 

I understand the point brought forward by Funkyzoom on recruiters and employers requiring employees to be a culturally fit individual and I feel it all comes down to how you manage to convince your recruiter/potential employer that you can adapt to the culture. I gave examples during my interviews and the best part I managed to get in to second round of the interviews. Fingers crossed I will score a job soon.

Although, I feel for Funkyzoom's tough experience in Australia and I pray that he someday makes it big in Australia.

All we should have is hope and faith in the end to achieve what think we deserve.

Regards, 
Paresh


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## phlojo (Dec 3, 2014)

Hiring does dry up in December (and probably starts to slow in November), but the new calendar year often starts full speed. There's an element of luck involved as well...


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## FFacs (Jul 6, 2016)

I think there are some valuable lessons to be drawn from this thread. It should be mandatory for all would-be migrants. I'll be brutally honest: if you have less than 5 years experience and come from a different culture, you're going to find it harder. Much harder. I work in Europe currently in a senior role and assist plenty of hiring. I see the same problem. We have a glut of ICT programmers and the ilk with less than 5 years experience. Unless you really are THAT good, you need more experience. The familiarity, even perhaps cynicism, required to make those skills work in a large organisation need experience. 

I think the most difficult entry point would be an ICT uni grad from a different culture with average English and 2 years experience. The English ability will be used as an indicator of time spent in similar environments. A potential employer will see you as a risk. Will he/she understand my business needs? Will they intuitively understand their peers and colleagues? 

This mail is not to discourage, but you MUST do your research and prepare. You MUST set expectations. Take money for months of being out of work. For a couple something like 5K a month, for 6-9 months. That's AUD40K. Set up relationships before you leave. Have calls with agencies, I would also advise accent neutralisation. You don't have to pay, do it yourself, learn, practice. DOn't just speak to local English speakers, watch British, American, AUstralian TV and talk along with the programme. Is this fair? No, it's no indication of your abilitiy level at all, but people will need to make snap decisions. Unless you really are that young genius, you're going to be competing. In the first minute of a phone conversation an agent/HR is going to need confidence. If they can hire, for the same price, someone where they perceive a risk of ongoing dislocation and misunderstandings vs someone where that is not the case, which do you think they'll choose?

It worries me how many signatures I see for fresh grads with little experience, all heading off to Sydney.


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## phlojo (Dec 3, 2014)

I agree with the fact that language is important. You're less likely to get a job if people have a hard time understanding you, either on the phone or in person. Work on speaking clearly and correctly, because expressing yourself eloquently goes a long way. Heavy accents work against you, big time.


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## FFacs (Jul 6, 2016)

phlojo said:


> I agree with the fact that language is important. You're less likely to get a job if people have a hard time understanding you, either on the phone or in person. Work on speaking clearly and correctly, because expressing yourself eloquently goes a long way. Heavy accents work against you, big time.


Agreed. That why I think PTE-A is bad news. You might get those extra points compared to those taking ielts or TOEFL but it harms in the end when you can't get a job. Like I said in another thread, ACS needs to rethink their method too.


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## commie_rick (Dec 15, 2012)

funkyzoom said:


> I suppose my answer to your first question answers everything else. I had not even been out of Bangalore (my hometown) for more than 30 days, let alone abroad. That's one of the main reasons I faced so many issues. So I only had the inputs from others to rely on. Not blaming them, but experiences are individual. Unless I actually put myself out there, there was no way for me to know how things would turn out.
> 
> Yeah, I may go to Australia again, but not in the near future, and most likely not as an IT professional.
> 
> ...


thanks for the post. guts and determination, you have. unfortunately you are down with poor health, take care of your health. god speed.


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## Tazui (Sep 4, 2016)

funkyzoom said:


> Hello people
> 
> As you probably know, there have been no updates from me since quite a while. I'm back in my home country (India). Returned yesterday night. I was in Australia (Sydney) for 2 months (June 12th to August 11th). I could have pushed on, but so much of stress kept building up in me due to my job search that it took a serious toll on my physical health as well.


Hi, 
Judging from your signature I understand that you already have PR in Australia so you could come back say 3 or 4 years from now right? Even if it expires you could apply for return visa right? If yes, then take your time to think what you want to do with your life. I lived in Australia from 2000 to 2004 during my university studies and yes there were moments when I wanted to leave and never come back, there were moments when I hated a lot of people around me, my health was not good sometimes. I remember when I held a letter from university in my hands I was so happy I could just leave Australia, then 3 months later I came back to hang out with a friend in Tasmania. It's hard to explain but I have this love/hate relationship with Australia. 

I had an oversea assignment from 2013 to 2014, and this time I am married and let me tell you, living away from your wife, 2 children and parents it's hell, even though I didn't have the stress of looking for a job, I was actually the boss in the office, but just being in the middle of Central Asia and calling my wife nearly everyday drove me nuts, literally.

A colleague of mine at work, who got transferred from India to Vietnam for 1 year assignment and couldn't take it either. The guy had a private office, an assistant, stable 9-5 job, nothing was wrong, oh and I forgot to mention that he was ex-special forces in Indian army, but he cracked and asked to be transferred back to Indian within 10 months. I later asked him, he said he didn't understand either, he could spend months fighting Talibans, living away from his family for months, but never had any problems. 

I'm not a shrink and have no idea why it happens, just does. 

I have a 7 year old son and 4 year old daughter and I don't want them to grow up in Vietnam, where corruption is rampant and education system is screwed up. So I guess i'm going back again, but this time only if all of them come with me, i'll never go anywhere without them. 

Anyway, back to the topic, I wish you all the best buddy, take care of yourself, get married, enjoy life and if you want to go back then go back. I'm not sure how old you are but, i'm 34 now, looking back when I was 26 I wished for a lot of things, and those desires keep changing every year anyway. Don't bite your own elbow because you had to go back to India. And please don't listen to keyboard warriors who said you could have done this or that blah blah... They probably have never been to Australia.


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## RMG (Aug 7, 2013)

Sorry to hear FunkyZoom about your deteriorated health and tough decision to travel back.

I guess it's been more than a year from your first post, hope you are doing well and things are more clearer and in control for you.

Writing this reply only because I read your last post where you said Australian experience still haunt's you. My Friend, Experiences are always good... whether they did good to you or bad. Good will make you confident but bad you strong and less susceptible.

Take your time and don't be disheartened about critical comments you might have read here.

Since you still have a PR, Adjust your aspirations and go for it again. I am not suggesting this because Indian lifestyle is bad (like others have quoted traffic, corruption and etc) nor because PR is getting wasted ( as few have showed their frustration ) nor to prove it to any body that you can do it.

Purely because you can only win over your fears and short comings by fighting them and not by accepting them. 

Take care and have a good health.


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## binioz (Nov 25, 2012)

funkyzoom said:


> Hello people
> 
> As you probably know, there have been no updates from me since quite a while. I'm back in my home country (India). Returned yesterday night. I was in Australia (Sydney) for 2 months (June 12th to August 11th).


I was also in same boat.. I was there from Mar'14 till May'14 .. returned back home due to job search stress and deteriorating health condition.. after returning i married my girlfriend had a kid and now after almost 2.5 years i'm again planning to go back to Aus by Feb'17 .. So, you too relax- have good time in your home country and again give a try whenever you're stable (money wise, health wise, personal status wise.. )
All the Best !!


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## padmakarrao (Jul 21, 2014)

I too am in a similar boat, though not exactly same. Something that Funky zoom shared that he had never been out of Bangalore, same for me and my wife, never had been out of Mumbai. 
Last year in Feb went to Adelaide (biggest mistake) due to my 190 visa and came back to India in exactly 8 days. My wife could not take the big change kindly, she was in state of shock that we left everything and came to an alien country. Not that we did not know what we were doing, but as said by someone you know the reality when you face it. My wife was about to get into depression and I knew for me to be able to settle well I had to have my house settled first. 
I had to take this tough decision of coming back to India, so that my wife is back to normal. I was fortunate that my old company took me back to work with no compromise on salary or position. Though all of this led to a large hole in my pockets as I had sold almost everything in India and had to buy everything back, thankfully had not sold the house. 
It's been one and half year and I surely miss the risk that I wanted to take. I am sure it's not easy to settle in a new country and it would bring along lot of hurdles, but it can be one great learning. One of my friends always says that migration is not meant to give You a good life, it's meant to give better future for generations behind you. 
Hopefully if all goes well at my side, I am going to make one more attempt to be in Oz early next year and this time mostly in Melbourne.


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## funkyzoom (Nov 4, 2014)

I feel privileged to say that I finally have a happy ending. Or a new beginning, whatever you may call it. 

Check this out, for more info.
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...inally-employed-after-long-hard-struggle.html


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## greatmay (Oct 23, 2016)

Thanks so much for your kind sharing, and good to know you finally secure a job!


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## satban (Apr 19, 2016)

*Demotivated*



funkyzoom said:


> Hello people
> 
> 6) AVOID these months - June and July, then November to February - like plague, when you move and begin you job hunt. November to February, as you already know, is the holiday season. June and July too are pretty dry, due 5to the end and beginning of the new financial year. I believe this as my biggest blunder - landing in Australia in the middle of June. By the time the job market started getting better in August, I was too worn out, both mentally and physically, to push on anymore.


So basically you have charted out half of the year for not looking out for job. Which is to say the least left a sour taste in my mouth.

I empathise with your physical health problems but found the overall write up a bit demotivating.

I will probably not have time to go through the entire thread but looking at your timeline seems you have made a come back and it would be good to read about it somewhere. Hope I will pick it up on the grapevine some day.

I think what would be helpful would be to know what could be avoided in the interviews / calls from local employers that you recon led to two month of stressful hunting.


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## omsaibaba (Jan 20, 2017)

thanks a ton man. Please take care, don't take stress, stay at home , u will be fit very soon..


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## m_hegazy (Apr 18, 2017)

Sorry for that , I hope you got some experience for what happened to you


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