Employment & Career Guidance: In Honor Reykjavik 2015

[NT.Thunder]

Started another thread before seeing this.... Will post in here and close off the other.

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Hey guys,

I need some advice that spans multiple topics. I thought I would put it all in the one thread and those who care to discuss can.

So, I've been presented the opportunity to interview for a job in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday night.
If I was to be successful, it would be life changing to say the least but there is part of me that is filled with trepidation.


1. I'm fairly comfortable with the interview process and am confident that I know enough to make a good impression. But we'll see. There's sure to be some curly's thrown in and i'm not great at thinking on my feet.

2. If I was to be successful, it could mean moving to the UAE in the next 2 months. Major to say the least given i've lived my 30 years in a radius of 150kms.

3. My wife is currently pregnant and will be entering her 3rd trimester at the time I leave. There's a very good chance that she won't travel with me (not worth the risk) and will give birth in Australia. It's our first and the thought of not being there is hugely distressing.

4. Moving to a country which follows strict Sharia law makes me nervous. Neither of us are racist and neither of us party (very small drinkers at the best of times) but the penalties of very small misdemeanors are real.... really real!!

5. To gain non residence tax, I believe we need to cut ties with everything we have built in Australia. Sell the house, sell the car, sell the furniture, offload the family pets (devastating), withdraw from all insurances etc etc.... This is a scary one.... What if things don't work out over there? What if Australian laws are changed to effectively exile us (unlikely but who knows in the current climate)?


Does anyone on this board live over there or been in a similar situation?
Do you have suggestions? Advice? Do's and Do not's?

As I mentioned, the opportunity is once in a lifetime and if all went successfully, it could set us up for a life time..... i'm just worried it comes with significant risk.

Can't wait to hear thoughts. Cheers
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Good luck Wicksy - I was asked to apply for a position in Abu Dhabi a few months ago. Our family was really excited and were looking forward to it when the position was pulled and we found ourselves back in Darwin.

I've got a lot of mates that have been working as ex-pats there, Kuwait and Saudi for the last 20 years. Many of them love it. There is a real ex=pat community and if you have a look around the net you'll find forums dedicated to discussing exactly what you've mentioned above.

They mainly live in gated communities from what I can gather and regularly get together for a few drinks and dinner parties which is fine if it's behind closed doors.

Look into your package in regards to any schooling you may need, leave etc. Are you being paid in USD?

I'm not sure about specifics, have a look for the expat forums and no doubt many of these questions will be answered or stickier.

All I can say is I've known plenty of people who do and have worked there and they love the lifestyle.

Good luck

 

[wicksy]

Good luck Wicksy - I was asked to apply for a position in Abu Dhabi a few months ago. Our family was really excited and were looking forward to it when the position was pulled and we found ourselves back in Darwin.

I've got a lot of mates that have been working as ex-pats there, Kuwait and Saudi for the last 20 years. Many of them love it. There is a real ex=pat community and if you have a look around the net you'll find forums dedicated to discussing exactly what you've mentioned above.

They mainly live in gated communities from what I can gather and regularly get together for a few drinks and dinner parties which is fine if it's behind closed doors.

Look into your package in regards to any schooling you may need, leave etc. Are you being paid in USD?

I'm not sure about specifics, have a look for the expat forums and no doubt many of these questions will be answered or stickier.

All I can say is I've known plenty of people who do and have worked there and they love the lifestyle.

Good luck

Thanks mate and bad luck regarding your position. Hopefully something else comes up soon.

 

[NT.Thunder]

Thanks mate and bad luck regarding your position. Hopefully something else comes up soon.

Wasn't too worried. It would have been really exciting but the offer was totally out of the blue from an ex employer so good to know an old boss was still thinking about me

I'm happy where I am, was just one of those once in a life opportunities which would've made leaving my current role a little difficult.

My motivation was also that to the travel opportunities from Dubai are endless. A few years based there and you could just travel the world at a fraction of the cost from here.

Good luck.

 

[wicksy]

Wasn't too worried. It would have been really exciting but the offer was totally out of the blue from an ex employer so good to know an old boss was still thinking about me

I'm happy where I am, was just one of those once in a life opportunities which would've made leaving my current role a little difficult.

My motivation was also that to the travel opportunities from Dubai are endless. A few years based there and you could just travel the world at a fraction of the cost from here.

Good luck.

That's one of the big drivers for us too.... The figures being bandied around would mean we'd be travelling in style too... haha
Some huge dollars getting around in that country.
What do you know about the Non-Residency v Residency tax laws that we now have? Is it hard to be classified a non-resident these days? Am hoping not to have to sell property.

 

[NT.Thunder]

There are a couple of accountants on the OP, maybe tag them and ask the question,

Maybe ottoman might know something, he's been working in Turkey I think for some time.

 

[ottoman]

That's one of the big drivers for us too.... The figures being bandied around would mean we'd be travelling in style too... haha
Some huge dollars getting around in that country.
What do you know about the Non-Residency v Residency tax laws that we now have? Is it hard to be classified a non-resident these days? Am hoping not to have to sell property.

If your talking about non-residency in Australia frm memory if you live more than half the year out of the country you are a non resident.
But other things like the source of your income etc do come into play so I would talk to your accountant

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

Love the helpful vibe of this thread! I was a hedge fund portfolio manager then set up a few businesses. Most of my work time is now spent coaching executives and building our online behavioural sciences business. Academic background in business and psychology. I may be useful to my fellow posters as a sounding board for commercial negotiations. Selling 'drinks, lollies, and potato chips' at Victoria Park in the early eighties prepared me for anything.

 

[the mighty T]

Given that I posted about Psych early, I thought it would be cool to give an update on how things have gone.

I ended up volunteering for a number of different organizations throughout the year as well as doing some counselling related paid work. A few weeks ago I completed all my applications for Masters and Doctorate programs and have already had an interview and been accepted at the University of Tasmania for next year, which is pretty cool to me.

In the coming weeks I'll most likely be interviewing with a bunch of other universities, both interstate and in Victoria, starting with the University of Queensland this Tuesday, so I'm not quite packing my bags for Hobart yet. With that in mind, it seems that moving interstate, be it to Hobart, Adelaide or Brisbane, seems more likely at the moment than hanging around in Melbourne. Therefore, any information from people that live in those capitals about the lifestyle of the place or housing/employment opportunities would be welcome.

Pete

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

Given that I posted about Psych early, I thought it would be cool to give an update on how things have gone.

I ended up volunteering for a number of different organizations throughout the year as well as doing some counselling related paid work. A few weeks ago I completed all my applications for Masters and Doctorate programs and have already had an interview and been accepted at the University of Tasmania for next year, which is pretty cool to me.

In the coming weeks I'll most likely be interviewing with a bunch of other universities, both interstate and in Victoria, starting with the University of Queensland this Tuesday, so I'm not quite packing my bags for Hobart yet. With that in mind, it seems that moving interstate, be it to Hobart, Adelaide or Brisbane, seems more likely at the moment than hanging around in Melbourne. Therefore, any information from people that live in those capitals about the lifestyle of the place or housing/employment opportunities would be welcome.

Pete

Hi Pete,
unless there is a significant difference in the curriculum and faculty, studying in the city where you want to live in the long-term makes sense. Sounds as though your academic program will be between 2 and 5 years. With clinical placements you will have the opportunity to create a strong impression with future employers. In general, job opportunities are far greater in Brisbane / Gold Coast than Adelaide or Hobart.

 

[the mighty T]

Hi Pete,
unless there is a significant difference in the curriculum and faculty, studying in the city where you want to live in the long-term makes sense. Sounds as though your academic program will be between 2 and 5 years. With clinical placements you will have the opportunity to create a strong impression with future employers. In general, job opportunities are far greater in Brisbane / Gold Coast than Adelaide or Hobart.

Thanks for taking the time to respond WalterBlaknWhte , much appreciated.

Your estimates for my study time are pretty accurate, with most courses ranging between 2-4 years (assuming all things go well with placement, research etc). And the prospect of employment is something that I had been thinking about: I feel as if my opportunities will be a little limited in Tassie as a graduate.. but most first time out jobs tend to come through placement so who knows.

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

Thanks for taking the time to respond WalterBlaknWhte , much appreciated.

Your estimates for my study time are pretty accurate, with most courses ranging between 2-4 years (assuming all things go well with placement, research etc). And the prospect of employment is something that I had been thinking about: I feel as if my opportunities will be a little limited in Tassie as a graduate.. but most first time out jobs tend to come through placement so who knows.

In any case, congratulations for being accepted in the program(s). As we have read in many of the other threads, huge need and desire for mental well-being and skilful practitioners.

 

[the mighty T]

In any case, congratulations for being accepted in the program(s). As we have read in many of the other threads, huge need and desire for mental well-being and skilful practitioners.

Cheers mate, appreciate it. Certainly wasn't something I could've predicted 24 months ago and was extremely flattered to find that unis were considering me, let alone getting in!

Well as mental health issues have become more prevalent, the stigma of being identified as someone suffering from one of these conditions has slowly dissipated.. which just means more people are seeking help than ever before. So yeah, there is a significant need for those mental health care providers these days. Let's hope I'm up to the task!

 

[NT.Thunder]

Curious to see if anyone else is really noticing a big downturn in industry at the moment. I guess a combination of State and Federal elections this years coupled with major projects winding back has a lot of investors treading water but it's worryingly quiet in the NT for a lot of businesses. Amazing how much plant and equipment is going through the auction sites at the moment from companies under administration.

Some tough times out there. Have never been so quiet.

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

Curious to see if anyone else is really noticing a big downturn in industry at the moment. I guess a combination of State and Federal elections this years coupled with major projects winding back has a lot of investors treading water but it's worryingly quiet in the NT for a lot of businesses. Amazing how much plant and equipment is going through the auction sites at the moment from companies under administration.

Some tough times out there. Have never been so quiet.

Sorry to read that mate. Relevant topic to all of us with our careers and businesses.

Overall, don't think we are heading for a recession but will have low, slow growth for the foreseeable future. This is a hangover from the GFC, insufficient private consumption in the Chinese economy, past contractionary Eurozone policies etc etc. US still looks strong although recent retail spending is lower (and US economy will tank if Trump looks like he will win and he maintains his current policies. Trump victory I rate at less than 10% considering his disapproval numbers).

Economic analysis out last week showed that in Australia there is a disruption to the economy whenever a Federal election result looks uncertain (as is now).
This is distorting short-term sentiment.

Nonetheless, we can see by the recent RBA rate cut that they are underwhelmed by economic growth prospects. They are concerned by disinflation, the pre-cursor to deflation, and how deflation would put us in a vicious circle of under-consumption and under-investment. If they were really worried they would have cut by 100 basis points, like they have in the past. Looks like there will be at least 1 more 25 bp cut.

Australian economy continues to rebalance from resources-driven growth to infrastructure, other construction and services. This is happening. It is, however, most beneficial to Sydney and Melbourne (slight exception is Adelaide getting subs project). Perth, Darwin, Brisbane, Hobart and regions will probably lag in growth. Canberra is protected by public sector presence.

We have a consulting and training business and recently launched an application software business. Sectors that are going best for us: healthcare, aged care, child care, property developers, and government. Banking and asset management is steady. Auto is declining. Resources and mining services is very tough.

(Ignoring climate change debate) The biggest economic challenge of the next 30 years seems to be reconciling technology advances with labour. Eg will driverless cars/trucks/trains create greater employment by efficient supply chain productivity gains or will jobs just be destroyed. In the past, leaps in technology have lead to more jobs overall. Not sure this time: concerned that it might exacerbate wealth imbalances.

PM me if I can ever be useful for longer chat.

 

[sirlothie]

Sorry to read that mate. Relevant topic to all of us with our careers and businesses.

Overall, don't think we are heading for a recession but will have low, slow growth for the foreseeable future. This is a hangover from the GFC, insufficient private consumption in the Chinese economy, past contractionary Eurozone policies etc etc. US still looks strong although recent retail spending is lower (and US economy will tank if Trump looks like he will win and he maintains his current policies. Trump victory I rate at less than 10% considering his disapproval numbers).

Economic analysis out last week showed that in Australia there is a disruption to the economy whenever a Federal election result looks uncertain (as is now).
This is distorting short-term sentiment.

Nonetheless, we can see by the recent RBA rate cut that they are underwhelmed by economic growth prospects. They are concerned by disinflation, the pre-cursor to deflation, and how deflation would put us in a vicious circle of under-consumption and under-investment. If they were really worried they would have cut by 100 basis points, like they have in the past. Looks like there will be at least 1 more 25 bp cut.

Australian economy continues to rebalance from resources-driven growth to infrastructure, other construction and services. This is happening. It is, however, most beneficial to Sydney and Melbourne (slight exception is Adelaide getting subs project). Perth, Darwin, Brisbane, Hobart and regions will probably lag in growth. Canberra is protected by public sector presence.

We have a consulting and training business and recently launched an application software business. Sectors that are going best for us: healthcare, aged care, child care, property developers, and government. Banking and asset management is steady. Auto is declining. Resources and mining services is very tough.

(Ignoring climate change debate) The biggest economic challenge of the next 30 years seems to be reconciling technology advances with labour. Eg will driverless cars/trucks/trains create greater employment by efficient supply chain productivity gains or will jobs just be destroyed. In the past, leaps in technology have lead to more jobs overall. Not sure this time: concerned that it might exacerbate wealth imbalances.

PM me if I can ever be useful for longer chat.

Jesus talk about having your finger on the pulse!

 

[steelebottom22]

barista b

 

[NT.Thunder]

Small business owner - Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

Just love my work now and making about $140k less then I was in my last job....YAY for me!

 

[eddiebankbalance]

Small business owner - Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

Just love my work now and making about $140k less then I was in my last job....YAY for me!

Yeah but think of the money you'll save from employing kids to pilot ur drones.

And what do your drones do? Deliver pizza? I'm kinda hungry right now.

 

[NT.Thunder]

Yeah but think of the money you'll save from employing kids to pilot ur drones.

And what do your drones do? Deliver pizza? I'm kinda hungry right now.

Not really doing much at the moment :-(

No, it's going alright. I've put a lot into marketing and getting the brand out there and it's working. Knew it would be slow and I'd have heaps of trials and demonstrations to do at no cost, but I do love it.

Have a big presentation tomorrow with around 60 odd attendees from Government willing to have a look. Rome wasn't built in a day.....and when it was they just kept destroying the place anyway

 

[eddiebankbalance]

Not really doing much at the moment :-(

No, it's going alright. I've put a lot into marketing and getting the brand out there and it's working. Knew it would be slow and I'd have heaps of trials and demonstrations to do at no cost, but I do love it.

Have a big presentation tomorrow with around 60 odd attendees from Government willing to have a look. Rome wasn't built in a day.....and when it was they just kept destroying the place anyway

Spy drones? How big/small? Full HD? Flying time? Distance? Inbuilt software? Available to public, or up to gov tender?

 

[Embleberry]

I've just come across this thread in my procrastinations lol

I'm in my final semester of studying Commerce and Engineering (Mechanical), it's been a long 5 years! During my time at uni, I found an inclination towards finance and business strategy. This led to an interest in personal finance and investments along with venture capital and entrepreneurship. The deeper I got into my course the more I felt like I was being steered away from engineering. I've come to the conclusion that I am not about the learning and theory of engineering as I prefer to see outcomes and a hands on approach to design and execution. However, I am very much passionate and motivated by the products of engineering, for example, Elon Musk and what he is achieving with SpaceX and Tesla. I hope that in the future I can change people's perspectives on sustainability in every aspect - social, cultural, economic and environmental, as Musk is doing right now by challenging corporations in their respective industries.

I've managed to secure a graduate job in financial services/corporate finance; however, I feel that I would still like to give an engineering role a crack in the future - although it may be difficult given where I am starting my career, working in the commercial and finance side would be an option. If anyone is studying engineering right now, most disciplines aside from civil engineering would be finding it difficult to obtain graduate jobs in their fields. There are not many around now particularly with the resource based companies (O&G and mining). Most the students in my cohort that I have spoken to have not secured jobs in engineering. My advice would be to network like crazy, having someone move you up the application process with a note to your name helps immensely - this applies for any job application really. And of course, maintain good grades a 70+/Distinction should get you passed application screening, have extra curricular activities and practice your interview skills!

If you're interested in finance, investments, entrepreneurship, sustainability, astronomy, graduate job hunting - finance/consulting/engineering, astro/landscape photography (new hobby) feel free to hit me up

 

[NT.Thunder]

My first Drone video has gone live for the sale of a 80,900 Hectare property in the Northern Territory, let me know if you or anyone you know is interested in purchasing.

 

[MegaBob]

Jesus Christ you guys live enriching lives. Credit to you, obviously, that's fantastic. I'm chugging through a commerce degree at the moment whilst working at Bunnings. Other people my age getting married and buying houses so I'm not exactly setting the world on fire, but oh well. One day I hope.

 

[Embleberry]

My first Drone video has gone live for the sale of a 80,900 Hectare property in the Northern Territory, let me know if you or anyone you know is interested in purchasing.

Great footage there! I like your website layout, nice and modern. Very slick! What are your webpage hits like for the blogs?

I noticed that you have most social media platforms there (have a FB like ) but Instagram is not listed with your other social media links. Instagram would be a fantastic platform to post short clips of Australian landscapes, city scapes and so on. Drones are the rage with freelance bloggers and travel bloggers, if you can get a share or plug from a couple of those it could really boost your follower numbers - especially if you have good content. I'm not too sure how well this will translate into business for you but potentially ad revenue or something. Public exposure is great nonetheless!

I was going to suggest you could get in contact with universities with UAV projects. In my final year project we were using thermography devices to analyse buildings and a drone with a thermal imaging camera was discussed but it wasn't feasible with the costs and privacy and health and safety concerns. However, the university did co-own a drone with an engineering firm and they had to hire an operator for a day to conduct a research project on a building in the CBD recently. I know that the university currently doesn't get too much use of the UAV for projects based in the city due to privacy and health and safety but they do use it for projects out in the sticks! Perhaps there is a market there where you can make their research projects and ideas more feasible?

 

[Embleberry]

Jesus Christ you guys live enriching lives. Credit to you, obviously, that's fantastic. I'm chugging through a commerce degree at the moment whilst working at Bunnings. Other people my age getting married and buying houses so I'm not exactly setting the world on fire, but oh well. One day I hope.

There's nothing wrong with where you're at, we've all got different paths and move at our own pace. Write down your goals and keep at it, you will get there! Make the most of your remaining time at uni, join a student society! You'll make a lot of friends and contacts there which will be good for networking in the work force and it'll help in your job applications and interviews

I remember a couple years back when I was still a bit lost with uni and life in general, I kept looking back at people who I went to high school with to see where they're at now with life - an easy thing to do now when people advertise their whole lives on facebook... It made me feel inferior that I was only "a student studying while working part time in retail on the weekends" while there are guys who were dropkicks in high school who now run personal fitness businesses and some have their own facilities and have fun every weekend; or are DJs and so on. It was only after the point where I defined my goals, stopped comparing myself against others and decided on improving myself outside of study and work that I begun to see results and have the confidence in taking risks that have led to rewarding experiences.