Work in Australia - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: silent
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 11:14:02 am
content: Hello.I would like to ask people living in Australia for an opinion about work in this country (large cities). I am considering moving there (probably Sydney with it's metro network would be my choice) and would like to hear an opinion from native people from the industry.How hard is to get a job there (for programmer in embedded systems / electronic engineer), how about the "quality" of the available jobs (corpo=low, science=high)?For comparison - i live in a big city in Poland; there are a lot of jobs for programmers, no problem getting one at all, but most of them are really crap - corporation, no self-development, just a factory (I used to work for a well-known corpo during my studies (you probably have their products at home or at least seen them many times) - it was totally crap). It is quite hard to get a little more ambitious job. The second thing is the crappy economic situation of course (i.e. person with average salary in the big city is unable to rent a small flat itself in a good condition, close to the city center and have the good living conditions (by "good" i mean no need of buying the cheapest food in the supermarket and be able to save some money) ).

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 12:04:45 pm
content: If you are good and enthusiastic enough, there is always a job.Cost of living in our big cities is very expensive, but any sort of engineering job will be good enough paying to live a decent lifestyle.We don't have anything like the industry that the US, or parts of Europe have, so choice can be limited at times.For example, I once mentioned on the Amp Hour that in the US, Texas Instruments at one plant alone was at one time advertising for more engineering jobs than what would be in all of Sydney - or was it all of Australia? In any case, such jobs are usually fairly limited here.Start looking at the online job ads for starters.Also, some employers won't consider you at all unless you have a working visa already.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 12:30:58 pm
content: I am an American that lived and worked in Sydney for two years. It isn't hard, if you have talent.In order to get a working visa, you must have an offer of work. This, for me, was the hardest part, so if you plan to move to Aus, then I suggest you start looking for jobs and shopping your resume out several weeks before you actually go. When you land, you'll have a tourist visa good for 90 days. Use your tourist visa time as job interview time.Sydney is a wonderful place, and the Australian people are a good people. I have more friends from my two years in Australia than I have from my combined 37 years in the US.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 23, 2014, 12:41:44 pm
content: Quote from: Rigby on May 23, 2014, 12:30:58 pmI've been all over myself, by far the nicest people was Japan, but very very busy and crowded.Brazil had the best looking women though,.

author: kaindub
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2014, 12:15:58 am
content: Witam SilentWhat you describe about your Polish city just about describes Sydney's unattractions. They always say the grass is greener on the other side . (Hope that translates to Polish).Whoever told you Sydney has a great metro system clearly has not visited Sydney. In my experience we have one of the worst public transport systems in the world; a city spread out over a vast area and traffic jams of vast proportions each morning AND all day Saturday.Myself, being of Polish background have visited Poland. You will be shocked at the prices you have to pay in Sydney for food and accomadation compared to Poland. It's one of the most expensive cities in the world.f you are determined and have some skills, it should be possible to get a job. You do need to have a visa to work here; generally from overseas you need to be sponsored by an employer. From what I have seen, workers on these sponsored visas are paid significantly less than the local people (is it ignorance or exploitation or both)Robert

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2014, 12:33:42 am
content: IMHO affordable space close to work don't go very well together unless you are in an area where they mixed small 'industrial' zones with houses.Developing your skills is what you typically do in your spare time. Not at work. At work you just look how the old guys do their job and try to learn the good parts.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2014, 01:34:30 am
content: Just as a comparison within an hour's drive of where I live in Texas, we have TI's main office, Maxim (in the old Dallas Semiconductor building), ST Micro's US Headquarters, and we used to have National Semiconductor's Fab in my home town (a little farther away), before TI bought them.Toyota is also moving their US offices and engineering to within an hour of where I live.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2014, 02:34:45 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on June 03, 2014, 01:34:30 amTX 1, CA 0.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 03, 2014, 02:37:27 am
content: Quote from: kaindub on June 03, 2014, 12:15:58 amYep, spot on.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2014, 03:42:50 am
content: Sydney is the most expensive place to live in Australia. You will also need really good spoken English as well or you get placed at the bottom of the heap during interviews (you do know even getting interviews is hard). Many talented people who arrive and those lucky enough, end up doing crappy jobs here. It's expensive to hire Australian developers and once upon a time before outsourcing they might have been paid well. But the cost of living is high and demand is low. You are really planning to come at the worst possible time.

author: staxquad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2014, 03:52:57 am
content: Lived in Elisabeth Bay when I worked in Sydney. Would walk to work through Woolloomooloo and the Royal Botanic Gardens and Hyde Park to get to Elisabeth Street or the AMP tower. Took it in stride when I had to do a couple of weeks in Burwood, having to take the train. Had a place in Milson's Point and walked to work in North Sydney for another job, but Milson's Point was dead as a doorknob, King's Cross (adjacent to Elizabeth Bay) was much livelier, and the place never closed.

author: plesa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2014, 09:01:52 pm
content: Hi, first of all sorry for this thread resurrection.I received offer from my boss to work in Canberra for next 6 months and I would like to ask someone familiar with this are about the average living expenses.Like renting a flat and car and everyday expenses for decent life in this area. I expect that Canberra will be little bit expensive place to live.Thanks

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 06, 2014, 10:41:09 pm
content: I'm not sure how it compares to Sweden but a house in Sydney is about 3 to 4 times as expensive as a similar one in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where I live.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 07, 2014, 12:02:31 am
content: Quote from: plesa on August 06, 2014, 09:01:52 pmCanberra is often called the arsehole of Australia, because its reason for existence is to house our politicians, it's our nations capital.Personally I think it's quite nice, if quite cold in winter time.Sounds like rents there have "slumped" \http://canberratimes.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/canberras-average-weekly-rents-have-slumped-in-the-past-year-20140409-36dtt.htmlStill not cheap though, expect to pay over $400/week rent by the sounds of it.http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/act-still-expensive-place-to-live-despite-fall-in-rent-prices-20140115-30vk8.htmlhttp://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Australia&city=CanberraIs it actually in Canberra itself, or one of the outlying suburbs? as that will make a big difference I think.

author: plesa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2014, 06:56:48 pm
content: Thanks both and mainly Dave for info.It will be Canberra itself, somewhere in centre. Based on google pictures and info it is nice city, nice trails. I hope that I will succeded :-)

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2014, 01:19:18 pm
content: Australia is not like Eastern Europe. The electronics industry is disappearing here in general. Automotive electronics is a basket case and electronics manufacturing in general is dying. But some good R & D is still around where the money is reasonable and there are some niche industries that are growing. If you want a job here, good English is important. It appears you have a good command of written English. I would never hire an embedded guy who cannot spell or has a poor command of English, whether born here or overseas. A bonus is if you have some personality and people skills. Some introverted engineers have trouble finding work because they don't sell themselves well. If you are a foreigner, the odds areslightlybiased against you, but the primary concern of employers is what you can do. Even so, some foreigners do masters degrees to increase their chances of getting work. Above all, you will need to demonstrate passion in what you want to do and demonstrate ability. Most companies will test a persons ability before they consider hiring them. If you have strong analogue or digital design skills, or are an ace test development engineer, it will help a lot. If you are an expert with Altium, that will also help because Altium is by far the most popular PCB package used in industry.Melbourne is one of the world's most livable cities. Better than Sydney in many aspects, except Sydney has more electronics jobs there and they do have a nice harbor. In my opinion the weather in Sydney is better than Melbourne's, but Melbourne is possibly more friendlier, slower paced and has quicker travel times. There is a major road between Sydney and Melbourne. Despite the Sydney harbour, the best view of Sydney is in the driver's rear view mirror- sorry Dave.Adelaide is unique - a very livable city. Easy to get around, great weather. The good news is it has some excellent electronics and medical research industries there. Per capita, they lead Australia in that regard. Their state government have for years done an excellent job in attracting electronics investment. I like Adelaide and have been there a few times for work. Housing is cheaper than Melbourne or Sydney there too. I found the people there to be friendly, but watch out for serial killers.Canberra has almost no electronics industry. It is full of public servants and is frequented by politicians. Perth has a some electronics industry, as does Brisbane.In any case, all cities here are relatively expensive to buy a house, due to a number of factors - mainly due to reckless government policies and low interest rates. Renting can also be expensive.The culture here is pretty ignorant of electronics engineers. Most people have no idea what they do and know nothing about embedded programmers. It is far more aware of the non-embedded software industries than hardware industries. You won't attract chicks by telling them you are an electronics engineer.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 13, 2014, 02:11:30 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on August 13, 2014, 01:19:18 pmFew of those electronics jobs are in the actual city CBD though, mostly in the outer suburbs.QuoteIneveryone'sopinion!Melbourne is famous for it's crap weather, Sydney famous for it's fantastic weather.QuoteYep, agree.QuoteIt's only a 12 hour drive!Pro tip: Australia is BIGSydney-Melb is about as short a distance between two major capital cities as you can get (ignoring Canberra, like everyone does)QuoteSydney is not a pleasant place to drive, that's for sure.QuoteIt's also where everyone goes to retireQuoteYeah, like the government approved scam that is negative gearing. Banned or very restricted in most civilised countries, but practically a right you are born with here

author: andtfoot
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 13, 2014, 02:20:25 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on August 07, 2014, 12:02:31 amIf Canberra is the arsehole of Australia, what's Queanbeyan (e.g. struggle-town, Queanbe-hole, etc)?

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2014, 02:54:50 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 03, 2014, 02:37:27 amEveryone said this when I lived there, but I found it EXTREMELY convenient and over 95% reliable over the two years I was there. There was usually a bus or train coming within 20 minutes, exceptions being late at night.One of the best features of a good public transport system, which Sydney had, was that the vehicles arrived frequently and departed after a very short delay. A major failing of every US public transport system I've used was the very infrequent arrival of the buses & trains. If I know that I likely won't have to wait more than 15 minutes for a train or a bus, I am MUCH more likely to take the train or bus than I am to drive. I had a car while I was in Australia, and I think in two years I probably used it twice a month.Is the Sydney system perfect? Nope; lots and lots of room to improve, certainly. Trains and buses were often a few minutes late, and once in a blue moon, cancelled. Cleanliness could be an issue sometimes, and the train security folks were proper dickheads. Overall, compared to what is available in places I've lived within the US, the Sydney system is pretty good.It's been 10 years since I've ridden the Sydney system or even set foot in Australia, so it's all likely a lot different to how I remember it.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2014, 11:31:13 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on August 07, 2014, 12:02:31 amI'm not sure a Swede would find any part of Australia cold.

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 09:00:54 am
content: There are also those Australians, who consider one of their greatest achievements, is NEVER having worked in Sydney.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 09:24:58 am
content: Quote from: notsob on August 14, 2014, 09:00:54 amNever met one

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 10:01:24 am
content: I worked in Sydney for 40 years and retired to Tasmania. Big improvement on the weather (OK, it does get quite cold but the summers make up for that). Big improvement too in the traffic, Tasmania doesn't know the meaning of a traffic jam.In Sydney, I lived quite near the city (in the inner west area, about 6kms from the CBD) and worked at North Sydney, Public transport was great. When I moved to a job a bit to the west of the city, but still on the north shore, commute times doubled at least. The public transport system is set up to get you from the suburbs to the city and not between neighbouring suburbs. For the last 6 or 7 years I was in Sydney, I didn't have a car and didn't miss it. Now I couldn't survive here without out a car as buses are few and far between.While Tasmania is a great place to live, I wouldn't like to be looking for a job here, especially in a high tech industry.

author: mswhin63
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 01:41:41 pm
content: As usual no-one talks about PerthThe place is going down the dumps though for traffic but in the whole not a bad place to live.Get me outa here.As far as work, I am not really sure, it is quite variable, the mining sector is still around but diminishing, but overall technology in Australia is mostly about R & D or service industry. I did work in a lot of communication service centres till I got into Security and now a bit of consumer work.Now after 21 years in business for a niche industry I think the benefit of running a small business is dying off so I will consider looking for full/part time work after completing my degree. I hope there will be lots of option available when I finish.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 01:58:01 pm
content: Quote from: mswhin63 on August 14, 2014, 01:41:41 pmAs it should beWent to school in the west

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 02:23:50 pm
content: Quote from: mswhin63 on August 14, 2014, 01:41:41 pmWhere's Perth?

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 03:20:46 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on August 14, 2014, 02:23:50 pmIt's a small town in North Dakota with population of 9.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth,_North_Dakota

author: mswhin63
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 10:46:25 pm
content: Quote from: zapta on August 14, 2014, 03:20:46 pmI am not sure that is tongue in cheekor really did not know know where Perth is?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth, Western Australia

author: 1xrtt
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2014, 11:36:21 pm
content: Quote from: zapta on August 14, 2014, 03:20:46 pmInteresting statistics in this article. 69.2 inhabitants per square mile? Wonder where the other 60.2 went...

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2014, 04:50:21 am
content: Quote from: 1xrtt on August 14, 2014, 11:36:21 pmMultiply, don't subtract. That lovely dwelling has a size of 0.13 square miles. Calculating 69.2 inh/square mile * 0.13 square mile is left as an excercise to the reader. So is finding the missing 0.004 person.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2014, 09:31:31 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on August 15, 2014, 04:50:21 amThe missing .004 could well be the piece I left in the kitchen yesterday whilst chopping onions.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2014, 03:25:43 pm
content: QuoteI blame a succession of federal politicians100% for young first home buyers not being able to afford a home here. Not the immigrants, not the greedy investors, not those who buy their way in here, not the low interest rates - they are effects, not the root cause. When it all comes down to it federal politicianscreated this mess. Tanya Plibersek, the former minister for housing, shares much of the blame.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2014, 03:58:39 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on August 15, 2014, 03:25:43 pmHow?

author: plesa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2014, 06:37:47 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on August 13, 2014, 01:19:18 pmThanks for info. The electronic industry in purest form (analog of course) is dying around the world.Unfortunately I cannot choose the place it is given to offered job, but company will pay the accomodation (flat probably) and car rent. It can be difficult to drive on non-right side ;-)Visa can takes few months which is the biggest issue.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2014, 01:16:38 am
content: Quote from: zapta on August 15, 2014, 03:58:39 pmPoliticians LOVE high housing prices...http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2014/08/aussie-politicians-300m-property-portfolio/So why would they have any interest in making housing affordable to young first home buyers when they exploit the system they created?Here is what the politicians have done to make housing for young first home buyers unaffordable...(1) Recklessly allowing very generous tax avoidance though tax deductions on investment loan interest and outgoings(2) Recklessly not getting rid of negative gearing(3) Recklessly keeping capital gains tax on investment houses much lower than the typical marginal income tax rate(4) Recklessly allowing the rich to collect as many houses as they can(5) Recklessly allowing foreign buyers to acquire our houses and land(6) Recklessly adopting the BIG Australia policy - too much immigration(7) Recklessly imposing a punitively high stamp duty on young first home buyers (State government tax)Finally...http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/chinese-homebuyers-seek-wealth-protection-migration-options-report/story-fniz9vg9-1227023533154?nk=d28aef20a6c0cb7df5139ca9f7f5fe3dIt is up to the government to protect our interests. The politicians in successive governments since the dark days of Bob Hawke have failed young first home buying families, and they have demonstrated they really don't care about this. After all, they have their own interests to take care of.