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I would like to seek your opinions on a driving license because I don't have one in Singapore (already passed the basic theory test). I intend to go there on the 6th of June this year. I may have to postpone my travel date if I must get this in Singapore.
So
a) Is it very difficult to roam around in Australia if I don't have a driving license? Especially while looking for a job. Do people usually buy a car before or after they get a job?
b) Or is it good to have one?
c) Is it possible or easy to get in Australia after having a job (may be odd job for some income) because I am not sure I have time to get it in Singapore?
Heard that it may be easy to get a job offer if we were in IT industry.
So I am thinking of getting a certificate on CCNA (Certificate of Cisco Network Associate) before June 6. (may cost Sin$1800)
However, I don't have working experience in this field, although I manage to get this cert. So is it a smart idea to try this option?
(These questions may be very silly to you, I am sorry for that)
My wife and I are arguing about that. The wife told me just to get a driving license because it will become necessary in Australia. She said I may not get a job offer in IT because of lack of experiences and I may not even pass the exam before June 6 after wasting all the money. (you see how much she trust me grin emoticon ) So what she suggests is trying to get the driving license here (~Sin$2000) because I don't have time to achieve both. Her point is just to save time and money.
Why I think I may get the job offer in IT industry is most probably we are going to work in the different field / industry from our previous job in Sg. So I think I may get a job offer in IT field. I don't know and this is what I wish.
I am holding an Engineering degree in Electronics and have been working in manufacturing plants for several years. To be frank my degree is not really relevant to my job. So I think my experience is not worth mentioning while looking for a job there. And most importantly, I am already 40.
So what is your opinion on an old man like me hunting for a job in Australia?
I need your advice desperately.
Thank you in advanced,
H
Dear H,
I'll answer your questions about driving first,
a) Is it very difficult to roam around in Australia if I don't have a driving license? Especially while looking for a job. Do people usually buy a car before or after they get a job?
This is difficult to answer because it largely depends on your lifestyle, circumstances and needs. For example, if you have young children, it may not be easy to get around by just public transport alone. Also, if you have a destination in mind, or better a certain suburb you plan to live in, this question can be better addressed for transportation (or even a cycling track network) can have large feasibility variance from city to city.
There isn't a meaningful trend in regards to new migrants buying a car before or after getting a job. It depends on your preference and financial status.
b) Or is it good to have one?
Yes.
c) Is it possible or easy to get in Australia after having a job (may be odd job for some income) because I am not sure I have time to get it in Singapore?
I'm making a lucky guess you are referring to getting a driver's license. In my opinion, getting a license in Perth (not sure about other states) is easier than in Singapore. At the very least, you'll get a 90% chance reduction in encountering fuckers sabotaging you during your driving test.
Heard that it may be easy to get a job offer if we were in IT industry.
So I am thinking of getting a certificate on CCNA (Certificate of Cisco Network Associate) before June 6. (may cost Sin$1800)
However, I don't have working experience in this field, although I manage to get this cert. So is it a smart idea to try this option?
Not smart at all. Save your money to get a driver's license instead
My wife and I are arguing about that. The wife told me just to get a driving license because it will become necessary in Australia. She said I may not get a job offer in IT because of lack of experiences and I may not even pass the exam before June 6 after wasting all the money. (you see how much she trust me grin emoticon ) So what she suggests is trying to get the driving license here (~Sin$2000) because I don't have time to achieve both. Her point is just to save time and money.
I always listen to my wife's advice. Look how great I am doing. So my advice to you: Listen to your wife.
Why I think I may get the job offer in IT industry is most probably we are going to work in the different field / industry from our previous job in Sg. So I think I may get a job offer in IT field. I don't know and this is what I wish.
If you are looking for a mid career change and the IT industry is your targeted field, it is perhaps a good idea to take up a short course in Australia and use that experience to enter the job market. At least, that eliminates the hassle of convincing your employers about the validity of your overseas qualifications. During your studies, volunteer the knowledge you are gaining to the community. Eg, giving up a little time on the weekend to fix computers for the needy. During your job interviews you can tell the employer, "Hey look, I know my stuff and I have been doing this." Beats telling them, "I have no experience but I'm willing to learn."
I am holding an Engineering degree in Electronics and have been working in manufacturing plants for several years. To be frank my degree is not really relevant to my job. So I think my experience is not worth mentioning while looking for a job there. And most importantly, I am already 40.
So what is your opinion on an old man like me hunting for a job in Australia?
In Australia (and probably anywhere else in the world except Singapore), what matters is how good you are, not how good your paper qualifications make you look. If you are a PHD but can't contribute a thing to the organisation, you will be out in no time. So it is important to understand your biggest strength and what you can bring to an organisation. As labour cost is very high in Australia, employers look at the inexperienced as a huge risk. Most are unwilling to train an employee on the job and will expect you to do the job after a short introductory period. Training up belongs to an apprenticeship program, where learners work on an allowance rather than a full salary. To get a job without relevant working experience in the particular field, you will either have to be really convincing during the interview or confident enough to demonstrate how good you are by taking on any test thrown at you. (For example, demonstrating how to change brake pads during an interview for an automobile mechanic).
Since you have experience working in a manufacturing plant in Singapore, you can look for a suitable job in Australia where your skills are transferable. Again, I stress that any employer will be more concerned about finding somebody who can deliver the goods than how great his credentials claimed on the CV.
Imagine being the boss of a Chinese restaurant, would you care which culinary university your chef graduated from as long as he can cook up a storm that pleases your customer day in day out? Over here, the results count. Unless you are looking for simple jobs, such as a courier or a taxi driver, that rule applies universally. Old man or not, it will be wise if you can identify the aspects you can best contribute your talents in and focus on jobs in that area.
For fucks sake.
ReplyDeleteH,
ReplyDeleteJust curious. Do you already have OZ PR?
It's way better to learn driving in Oz as you learn from the Oz rule book, you familiarise yourself with Oz roads and weather conditions, you gain confidence in Oz traffic. If you make some friends, you can also ask them to teach you driving - no always necessary to learn from a professional instructor (can save money), you can buy a car and learn driving in it - so by the time you take the test, you are super familiar with your own car.
IF you already have PR, then the best advice anyone can give you is: get your boots on the ground.
No point dilly dallying in Singapore. Every day that you spend in Oz counts towards the end result:
learning new skills, making friends, fitting into the culture, learning to drive, finding a job, getting to know the geography, adding days to qualify for citizenship application, gaining experience, etc
bad idea to learn to get a car license from oz, take it from a person who did that 3 years ago. save alot more to do it in SG. There is 75-120 hrs to complete the log book.
ReplyDeletecos you did it the wrong way
DeleteI think that the buzzword, even in these slow economic times in Australia, is "local experience". Your experience abroad rarely counts for use in the local Australian context, depending on the company, so it is important to get your foot into the door via contacts or via a starting job in the industry (followed by subsequent contacts). Internships also count too.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering myself, since I am about to reach the 4-0 next year, if I ought to make the move back to Australia for a second round, but retrain in a trade course to enhance chances at finding a job. I was employed as a university professor teaching English (ESL) in Japan years back and got the Australian PR sometime nearing the end of my first 3 year-term, so I left for Sydney last spring to "acknowledge" the PR and make my first trip there. I had difficulty finding employment in Australia during the first 3 to 4 months, maybe because of the niche area of employment I was in, and tried applying for other jobs such as customer service and writing too. The constant rejections were phrased in a similar way to state that they were looking for the best suited candidate and that it in no way bears on me as a candidate, yada yada, but it does get kind of demoralizing at times.
I wonder what the chances are for people to change their career paths in Australia, that is, to take on other courses and trade certificates, and then to stay on in the new industry apart from what they used to do prior to arriving in Australia. Are there any particular stories which you can share here about success stories in switching to another field or industry? Thanks