You have booked your flights, sorted out your accommodation but have no means of transportation. Now you have to have a look at renting a car. Most of the bigger car rental companies operate in Melbourne, so you have enough choices. We have found that the larger ones, also have larger prices. LOOK AT SPECIALS. There are a lot of specials every week. Also find out if your air carrier have discounts when booking flights. Personally I think it is more expensive. Again have look at Google!
There are two companies that are very popular and inside most budgets. Thrifty, has good weekly rates and you get a lot of km free. Thrifty start at under $40 per day and is situated at the airport.
Rent-a-bomb is a second choice. Don't let the name fool you. They have a vast array of vehicles and are accredited by the RACV (AA in South Africa) You can also rent a GPS for an extra $5 per day. The best $5 dollars you will ever spend. Rates start at $35. Bigger vehicles will attract higher rates. This rates are for smaller sedans and correct on this date.
You need to have a credit card, international drivers license and passport to pick up your car.
August 30, 2011
A place to stay
Finding a place to stay while still paying in South African Rand is difficult. The exchange rate means accommodations at $200 per night adds up to R1400+ per night. If you have to wait for a week or more to find a place, it can cost you up to R10 000. The fact of the matter is that you will have to stay somewhere.
There are a few options. Without being area specific I would like to give you a few pointers. Driving round in Melbourne, we came across a lot of Motels and furnished apartments. That could be your starting point. Motels range from $95 per night up to $500 per night. If you do not have an idea where you will be living, make sure that you rather go for cheaper accommodation outside the city centre. You may find cheap accommodation in the centre of town but have a think about parking etc.
We are living in the eastern suburbs about 15 - 20 minutes by car to the city, and most of the Northern suburb areas. There are a lot of Motels in the area. Thanks to Google, you can find a lot of listed Motels or Motor Inns. Research the accommodation and area with Google Earth if you are not sure. If you choose the Eastern suburb Motels you will find you will get value for your money. Do not expect five star luxury. It is a comfortable place to sleep, not a resort. When you have decided on your accommodation try and negotiate long stay rates. If it is out of school holidays you will get good rates.
Do not book your first night at the Motel. The long flight, the unknown and trying to find your place can be daunting. Try and sleep near the airport on the first night. It will make it easier to have a rest and then move to your temporary accommodation the next day. You can have your breakfast and do not have to buy groceries to carry around all day.
You can also have a look at furnished apartments, there are an array of them and also will provide good value for money. We found them more expensive than Motor Inns. Some people try to find a holiday home to rent, that can be less expensive if there is out of season.
Research is the best weapon. One tends to think that if a place is cheap it is not of very high standard. Most of the accommodation in the Eastern Suburbs are of very high standard, where you get what you pay for. A clean room, bedding etc. When you negotiate with the place, find out as much as you can. Look at the photos and ask for references from previous guest. I would not worry too much about the standard and the choice in the area, because it will only be temporary.
You can also contact me if you need someone to inspect it for you. I am in the process to negotiate a good rate etc with a few of the places and will publish it as soon as I have more info.
There are a few options. Without being area specific I would like to give you a few pointers. Driving round in Melbourne, we came across a lot of Motels and furnished apartments. That could be your starting point. Motels range from $95 per night up to $500 per night. If you do not have an idea where you will be living, make sure that you rather go for cheaper accommodation outside the city centre. You may find cheap accommodation in the centre of town but have a think about parking etc.
We are living in the eastern suburbs about 15 - 20 minutes by car to the city, and most of the Northern suburb areas. There are a lot of Motels in the area. Thanks to Google, you can find a lot of listed Motels or Motor Inns. Research the accommodation and area with Google Earth if you are not sure. If you choose the Eastern suburb Motels you will find you will get value for your money. Do not expect five star luxury. It is a comfortable place to sleep, not a resort. When you have decided on your accommodation try and negotiate long stay rates. If it is out of school holidays you will get good rates.
Do not book your first night at the Motel. The long flight, the unknown and trying to find your place can be daunting. Try and sleep near the airport on the first night. It will make it easier to have a rest and then move to your temporary accommodation the next day. You can have your breakfast and do not have to buy groceries to carry around all day.
You can also have a look at furnished apartments, there are an array of them and also will provide good value for money. We found them more expensive than Motor Inns. Some people try to find a holiday home to rent, that can be less expensive if there is out of season.
Research is the best weapon. One tends to think that if a place is cheap it is not of very high standard. Most of the accommodation in the Eastern Suburbs are of very high standard, where you get what you pay for. A clean room, bedding etc. When you negotiate with the place, find out as much as you can. Look at the photos and ask for references from previous guest. I would not worry too much about the standard and the choice in the area, because it will only be temporary.
You can also contact me if you need someone to inspect it for you. I am in the process to negotiate a good rate etc with a few of the places and will publish it as soon as I have more info.
August 17, 2011
Truths and Lies (Houses)
We spent hours looking at houses on the Internet. The two main websites are domain.com.au and realestate.com.au. We choose houses in our budget to rent and had a look at them in Google Earth. There are a few things to understand that is important to your budget and to make your choices easier.
Houses are advertised with a weekly rent. It also stipulates a bond amount. The bond is the monthly rate. If the house is $300 per week, the bond may be $1250. This is for the month and if you pay monthly that will be the rate you are paying. This bond is also the deposit you have to pay to get the house, with the first months rent. For this example $2500. Please keep this in consideration when you work out your budget.
If you want to rent there is a few obstacles that may be very pricey. You can not rent a house without seeing it. Yes, you can not rent a house over the Internet, The estate agents would not allow that. If you have somebody in Melbourne that can do it on your behalve, its fine. Secondly the house viewings are at specified times and very short. Thirty minutes at a time. You can not view houses at any other time that is occupied. Empty houses viewed accompanied by the estate agent. Do not think that you will arrive in Melbourne, rent a house the next day and move in the next day. Everything takes time.
When you view a house, you do it with all other interested people. You can obtain lists of all the houses that will be on show on a specific day and the drive around looking at them from the street. Decide on those that you want to see and then visit them when they are open for inspection. BUY A GPS OR IF YOU HAVE ONE GET AN UPDATED AUSTRALIAN MAP OR RENT ONE AT THE AIRPORT. It is difficult to find, view and drive to all the properties, because as soon as one closes the other one opens for 30 minutes. When you decide on a property, you apply at the estate agent. You need to supply your passport, visa, proof of income, bank account and references. I will discuss references and bank accounts later. It is not first come, first serve. All applications goes to the owner to decide. Most of the viewing are on Saturdays so expect a delay. If you are successful the paperwork is done and you have to pay the deposit and first months rent. As soon as everything is signed and the estate agent has inspected the property you can move in.
This may take up to week. In the mean time you have to stay somewhere. That is where your budget comes in. We will look at accommodation later. Research for accommodation and find out about discounts for weekly or fortnightly stays. Negotiate rates. We have found a lot of Motels and furnished complexes that are cheap and clean and give you a bed to sleep on. I will provide a list in further articles.
Result: When you plan to rent, allow ample time and money in your budget to stay while you are waiting to move into your house. That is also applicable to your car, rent smart to allow time to have a car while you are looking for your new house and car.
Houses are advertised with a weekly rent. It also stipulates a bond amount. The bond is the monthly rate. If the house is $300 per week, the bond may be $1250. This is for the month and if you pay monthly that will be the rate you are paying. This bond is also the deposit you have to pay to get the house, with the first months rent. For this example $2500. Please keep this in consideration when you work out your budget.
If you want to rent there is a few obstacles that may be very pricey. You can not rent a house without seeing it. Yes, you can not rent a house over the Internet, The estate agents would not allow that. If you have somebody in Melbourne that can do it on your behalve, its fine. Secondly the house viewings are at specified times and very short. Thirty minutes at a time. You can not view houses at any other time that is occupied. Empty houses viewed accompanied by the estate agent. Do not think that you will arrive in Melbourne, rent a house the next day and move in the next day. Everything takes time.
When you view a house, you do it with all other interested people. You can obtain lists of all the houses that will be on show on a specific day and the drive around looking at them from the street. Decide on those that you want to see and then visit them when they are open for inspection. BUY A GPS OR IF YOU HAVE ONE GET AN UPDATED AUSTRALIAN MAP OR RENT ONE AT THE AIRPORT. It is difficult to find, view and drive to all the properties, because as soon as one closes the other one opens for 30 minutes. When you decide on a property, you apply at the estate agent. You need to supply your passport, visa, proof of income, bank account and references. I will discuss references and bank accounts later. It is not first come, first serve. All applications goes to the owner to decide. Most of the viewing are on Saturdays so expect a delay. If you are successful the paperwork is done and you have to pay the deposit and first months rent. As soon as everything is signed and the estate agent has inspected the property you can move in.
This may take up to week. In the mean time you have to stay somewhere. That is where your budget comes in. We will look at accommodation later. Research for accommodation and find out about discounts for weekly or fortnightly stays. Negotiate rates. We have found a lot of Motels and furnished complexes that are cheap and clean and give you a bed to sleep on. I will provide a list in further articles.
Result: When you plan to rent, allow ample time and money in your budget to stay while you are waiting to move into your house. That is also applicable to your car, rent smart to allow time to have a car while you are looking for your new house and car.
Truths, half truths and absolute lies
The move to Australia, come to think of it the move anywhere, needs a mind shift. I can not tell you how important it is to research. There are a lot of websites, forums and blogs that will help you to make the right choices. But be aware of the truths and half truths and lies. Everyone perceives the move differently. Some peoples experiences differ from the rest. In Australia there are vast differences between states. Some people move to Queensland and has different obstacles than those moving to New South Wales. Then there is time. We have been in Melbourne for under a year and already we have forgotten what the important things 6 months ago. I would like to share some experiences that we could have done differently, and what we think is the most important things to do to make your move easier.
Lets start with research. We joined quite a lot of forums and spent hours reading what the people wrote. Please do the same, it would help you getting the overall picture. We knew we were coming to Melbourne so we research where to stay and where to send our kids to school. Based on the information obtained from this forums and blogs we understood that entrance to the schools were based on where you lived. Must we look for a house first and the school, or firts the school and then the house. Not the truth but not a lie. Secondary schools have areas, yes, some of them. If you want to send your kids to a government secondary school, there are a lot of them that specify that you have to live in the area. Primary schools NO. The government primary schools are not as rigid.
While we are talking about primary schools. The objective of all parents are always to get the children in a good school, with real support to their children. we have the same aspirations. Especially with kids having English as a second language, speaking Afrikaans at home. How would a kid cope to be taught in English, having English friends etc. Australia is a country that embraces immigrants and people from other countries. India, China, Sri-Lanka, Malaysia, France and English to mention a few. The schools are geared for this. My son was the new kid from South Africa for a few weeks, then newer kids arrived. Everyone accepted him and helped and supported him. The kids made him feel welcome. He started Year 6, the last year of primary school. We visited a lot of primary schools and found all of them similar. It made our choices so much easier, enrolling him in the school nearest to the house.
It is important for your kids to carry on academically when they start school, but more important is to fit in and take the cultural shock in their stride. Primary schools in Australia is the foundation of secondary school. They are taught to become students and those things that is important to be successful. There are some subjects in South Africa that they do not even mention. When they do maths, the base it on real life. They are trained to research, write, think for themselves and become independent. Do not be worried about kids trying to understand the components of a flower in a language they are not familiar with. Or how much x + x2 is. There is enough time to learn it at Secondary school, if they choose to. Incidentally they had to measure their homes this semester and now they are working out what the room sizes are, what the perimeter is etc.
Result: Primary schools are not as difficult to find, the kids are well look after and you do not have to live in the area to be accepted.
Secondary schools are little bit different. Academically the kids start in Year 7 (Grade 7) and then are slowly moulded into what hey want to do one day. With year 11 and 12 being the kick-off for University. Government secondary schools are area based. The private schools not. Depending on your budget, both types are equal academically. Again I'm talking about Melbourne. Like in South Africa some schools are known for its academics, sport etc. If your kids are in the year 7 -9 stage, I do not think it matters. If the kids are older and have already decided on a career path it is necessary to research the different schools. Remember they take subjects like Psychology and Applied Mathematics to prepare them for University. If you decide to stay in an area and your kids want to be lawyers. The School's legal studies class may be full.
Result: Secondary school attendance depends on where you live for government schools but not for private ones. And there are many to choose from. I take my daughter to school 5 km from our house and there is 7 schools on our way there. Three private and four government.
Lets start with research. We joined quite a lot of forums and spent hours reading what the people wrote. Please do the same, it would help you getting the overall picture. We knew we were coming to Melbourne so we research where to stay and where to send our kids to school. Based on the information obtained from this forums and blogs we understood that entrance to the schools were based on where you lived. Must we look for a house first and the school, or firts the school and then the house. Not the truth but not a lie. Secondary schools have areas, yes, some of them. If you want to send your kids to a government secondary school, there are a lot of them that specify that you have to live in the area. Primary schools NO. The government primary schools are not as rigid.
While we are talking about primary schools. The objective of all parents are always to get the children in a good school, with real support to their children. we have the same aspirations. Especially with kids having English as a second language, speaking Afrikaans at home. How would a kid cope to be taught in English, having English friends etc. Australia is a country that embraces immigrants and people from other countries. India, China, Sri-Lanka, Malaysia, France and English to mention a few. The schools are geared for this. My son was the new kid from South Africa for a few weeks, then newer kids arrived. Everyone accepted him and helped and supported him. The kids made him feel welcome. He started Year 6, the last year of primary school. We visited a lot of primary schools and found all of them similar. It made our choices so much easier, enrolling him in the school nearest to the house.
It is important for your kids to carry on academically when they start school, but more important is to fit in and take the cultural shock in their stride. Primary schools in Australia is the foundation of secondary school. They are taught to become students and those things that is important to be successful. There are some subjects in South Africa that they do not even mention. When they do maths, the base it on real life. They are trained to research, write, think for themselves and become independent. Do not be worried about kids trying to understand the components of a flower in a language they are not familiar with. Or how much x + x2 is. There is enough time to learn it at Secondary school, if they choose to. Incidentally they had to measure their homes this semester and now they are working out what the room sizes are, what the perimeter is etc.
Result: Primary schools are not as difficult to find, the kids are well look after and you do not have to live in the area to be accepted.
Secondary schools are little bit different. Academically the kids start in Year 7 (Grade 7) and then are slowly moulded into what hey want to do one day. With year 11 and 12 being the kick-off for University. Government secondary schools are area based. The private schools not. Depending on your budget, both types are equal academically. Again I'm talking about Melbourne. Like in South Africa some schools are known for its academics, sport etc. If your kids are in the year 7 -9 stage, I do not think it matters. If the kids are older and have already decided on a career path it is necessary to research the different schools. Remember they take subjects like Psychology and Applied Mathematics to prepare them for University. If you decide to stay in an area and your kids want to be lawyers. The School's legal studies class may be full.
Result: Secondary school attendance depends on where you live for government schools but not for private ones. And there are many to choose from. I take my daughter to school 5 km from our house and there is 7 schools on our way there. Three private and four government.
August 15, 2011
Looking for work (Part 2)
As discussed in the post "Looking for work" there are many ways to research jobs. If you do not receive the response that you are looking for you need to think of the second option.
This option is more complicated and more expensive because it involves travelling to Australia. It is perhaps also the better option. When you have identified the different recruitment consultants and/or companies that will be able to help you, set up appointments to see them. It does not have to be for a specific job. It is always more productive to see somebody during an interview than selling yourself over the phone or internet. Would you employ someone without meeting them, especially if they are from another country. (Remember they sometimes do not perceive South Africa the way South Africans do.)
Setup your interviews allowing time to research and setup more interviews while you are in Australia. Incidentally that is how we obtained our visa. You can be in the position that one or two companies are keen to see you. The make time to see as many as you can while you are in Australia. It will also give you the opportunity to experience your surroundings.
If you have been in contact with a few prospective recruiters, let them know that you will be in the area and ask them if you can see them, or perhaps if they can setup interviews with prospective employers. Remember that they will most likely not offer you on the spot, but keep you in mind when a job comes up. They also appreciate your effort.
It is important to take note that you have to proof to them that they will not find your degree of employee in Australia and that they will want to fork out money to get you in Australia.
A note on recruiters. It is not there job to find you work. it is easier for them to find people locally. What their main objective is, is to fill their current open positions. If they believe in you, and find your resume marketable, they will put your resume up for positions more. If you have the right degree of qualifications and will to do the job it will make it easier to market you. Remember the time difference. A lot of recruiters have mentioned to me that candidates do not understand the time difference. If you send a resume to them, it is more then likely in the middle of the night in Australia. Be prepared to be interviewed in the early morning. Three o'clock in the afternoon in Melbourne is 07:00 am in South Africa.
This option is more complicated and more expensive because it involves travelling to Australia. It is perhaps also the better option. When you have identified the different recruitment consultants and/or companies that will be able to help you, set up appointments to see them. It does not have to be for a specific job. It is always more productive to see somebody during an interview than selling yourself over the phone or internet. Would you employ someone without meeting them, especially if they are from another country. (Remember they sometimes do not perceive South Africa the way South Africans do.)
Setup your interviews allowing time to research and setup more interviews while you are in Australia. Incidentally that is how we obtained our visa. You can be in the position that one or two companies are keen to see you. The make time to see as many as you can while you are in Australia. It will also give you the opportunity to experience your surroundings.
If you have been in contact with a few prospective recruiters, let them know that you will be in the area and ask them if you can see them, or perhaps if they can setup interviews with prospective employers. Remember that they will most likely not offer you on the spot, but keep you in mind when a job comes up. They also appreciate your effort.
It is important to take note that you have to proof to them that they will not find your degree of employee in Australia and that they will want to fork out money to get you in Australia.
A note on recruiters. It is not there job to find you work. it is easier for them to find people locally. What their main objective is, is to fill their current open positions. If they believe in you, and find your resume marketable, they will put your resume up for positions more. If you have the right degree of qualifications and will to do the job it will make it easier to market you. Remember the time difference. A lot of recruiters have mentioned to me that candidates do not understand the time difference. If you send a resume to them, it is more then likely in the middle of the night in Australia. Be prepared to be interviewed in the early morning. Three o'clock in the afternoon in Melbourne is 07:00 am in South Africa.
Looking for work
You have made the decision to make the move. Now you need to start looking for work. You have the option to apply for permanent residency (PR). This process takes a little bit longer, I do not want to go into the details. All the information is available on the Australian immigration website. I will only hi lite some advantages of getting PR rather than any other options. When you receive a PR you will be able to move to Australia and you only need to start looking for work when you are settled. You also qualify for certain benefits including medical, education and certain subsidies. ( I will discuss this at a later stage).
The second option that is very popular is looking for work and getting a sponsored visa from an employer in Australia. Again the detail can be researched on the Australian immigration website. what I want to do is tell you where you can look for work. When you receive a sponsored visa you will be able to move to Australia, work and after two years apply for permanent residency. This option is also cheaper than the PR and in almost all cases your future employer would carry the costs.
But where do you star looking? The main recruitment search engines are seek.com.au and careerone.com.au and both gives you the option to upload your curriculum vitae (In Australia it is called your "Resume", so remember to change the name.) Have a look online to see the different templates for Australian resumes. The recruitment websites gives you the opportunity to look for work and set up email alerts for jobs that you would be interested in. When reading the job specs have look at the specifications regarding your ability to work. Most of the positions are limited to the fact that you must have the right to live and work in Australia. (if you have a PR, you have the advantage to apply).
There is a few ways to get around this obstacle. When you search for jobs add the following. If you are a Sales Manager and you would like to look for similar jobs. Use the key search words "sales manager sponsored", or "457 sponsored sales manager" jobs. It filters the results. You can use any occupation with sponsored jobs. Remember that Australia is used to look for employees internationally. If you still do not find what you are looking for. Make a note of recruitment consultants that work with sponsored jobs. Their email addresses are normally obtainable from their websites. Compile your resume and send it to them directly. It is advisable to make a few searches on the websites so that you can get a feel for what sort of jobs the Australian market is looking for.
It is very important to have your Linkedin account set up. For those people that do not know the website, Google it. For those that know it and already makes use of the Linkedin networks, keep it up to date and professional. Recruitment companies use Linkedin and sometimes Facebook to do the initial selection. I can not tell you how important Linkedin is to recruitment in Australia.
Remember when you apply, all applications need to include a cover letter. Google the way Australians want it to be written and do not be humble, advertise yourselves. This process is easy because of the internet, it can be tedious but keep doing it.
Staying with Linkedin, search the job boards and networks regarding jobs in Australia. These networks are administered by recruitment specialist and can give you the edge. If you are in recruitment yourself, have a look at the array of options you have. The recruitment industry specialise in obtaining good recruits worldwide. It is a very big industry in Australia and is always looking for more people.
Gumtree and industry specified websites can also be of help. If you are a hairdresser, go to the Australian hair organisation's websites and search for jobs and links for jobs.
Then there is Google itself. You can search all kind of jobs using "sponsored", or "457 sponsored" jobs when you search.
Most of the Australian newspapers do have employment searches online, it is sometimes difficult to filter them but remember the more you send your resume the better your chances.
The second option that is very popular is looking for work and getting a sponsored visa from an employer in Australia. Again the detail can be researched on the Australian immigration website. what I want to do is tell you where you can look for work. When you receive a sponsored visa you will be able to move to Australia, work and after two years apply for permanent residency. This option is also cheaper than the PR and in almost all cases your future employer would carry the costs.
But where do you star looking? The main recruitment search engines are seek.com.au and careerone.com.au and both gives you the option to upload your curriculum vitae (In Australia it is called your "Resume", so remember to change the name.) Have a look online to see the different templates for Australian resumes. The recruitment websites gives you the opportunity to look for work and set up email alerts for jobs that you would be interested in. When reading the job specs have look at the specifications regarding your ability to work. Most of the positions are limited to the fact that you must have the right to live and work in Australia. (if you have a PR, you have the advantage to apply).
There is a few ways to get around this obstacle. When you search for jobs add the following. If you are a Sales Manager and you would like to look for similar jobs. Use the key search words "sales manager sponsored", or "457 sponsored sales manager" jobs. It filters the results. You can use any occupation with sponsored jobs. Remember that Australia is used to look for employees internationally. If you still do not find what you are looking for. Make a note of recruitment consultants that work with sponsored jobs. Their email addresses are normally obtainable from their websites. Compile your resume and send it to them directly. It is advisable to make a few searches on the websites so that you can get a feel for what sort of jobs the Australian market is looking for.
It is very important to have your Linkedin account set up. For those people that do not know the website, Google it. For those that know it and already makes use of the Linkedin networks, keep it up to date and professional. Recruitment companies use Linkedin and sometimes Facebook to do the initial selection. I can not tell you how important Linkedin is to recruitment in Australia.
Remember when you apply, all applications need to include a cover letter. Google the way Australians want it to be written and do not be humble, advertise yourselves. This process is easy because of the internet, it can be tedious but keep doing it.
Staying with Linkedin, search the job boards and networks regarding jobs in Australia. These networks are administered by recruitment specialist and can give you the edge. If you are in recruitment yourself, have a look at the array of options you have. The recruitment industry specialise in obtaining good recruits worldwide. It is a very big industry in Australia and is always looking for more people.
Gumtree and industry specified websites can also be of help. If you are a hairdresser, go to the Australian hair organisation's websites and search for jobs and links for jobs.
Then there is Google itself. You can search all kind of jobs using "sponsored", or "457 sponsored" jobs when you search.
Most of the Australian newspapers do have employment searches online, it is sometimes difficult to filter them but remember the more you send your resume the better your chances.
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