G’day mate,
I recently moved over from the UK and started my career as a Recruitment Consultant so I completely understand how daunting the whole process seems. So I’ve created a little blog with some information to hopefully help you with your decisions, calm those nerves, and let the excitement take priority! We can’t wait to welcome you down under.
Welcome to my crib:
Trust me when I say I had no clue about where was best to live and looking at a map made Sydney look HUGE (especially as I’m from the countryside in the UK)! However, after being here a few weeks and exploring around the city I soon realised that it really isn't that big and there are many amazing suburbs to choose from. Don’t worry too much about how far out from Central Business District (CBD) your place will be as buses and trains are the main source of transport out here but I will tell you about that later (one thing at a time).
Here are examples of the most popular places to live:
Inner Suburbs:
Elizabeth Bay
Darlinghurst
Surry Hills
Potts Point
Woolloomooloo (yes, it's really called that!)
I have personally lived in these areas above and they are all within 30 min WALK to CBD.
Eastern Suburbs: (close to some of Sydney’s iconic beaches)
Paddington
Bondi Junction
Bronte
Rushcutters Bay
Edgecliff
Coogee
North Shore & Northern Suburbs:
Neutral Bay
Mosman
North Sydney
Manly
Freshwater
So to start with I did monthly stays in a few air BnB’s dotted around the city to see where I liked best before settling down into a property. If and when you want to start renting there are two main websites used for property listings and these are realeastate.com.au and Domain.
How do I get from A to B?
Public Transport:
As previously mentioned, trains and buses are the main source of transport in and around the city. Trains stop between midnight and 4:30am which are then replaced by night buses to ensure safety. Believe me when I say this is one of the safest cities in the world! Trams and Ferries are a part of the transport system.Then we have normal taxis and UBER.
We use Opal cards to pay for public transport, which can be purchased at a Newsagent. You can top up online, at a ticket machine or even some retailers.
I typically use google maps to plan out my routes which tells me which train/bus to get and where. Take a look at the Transport NSW for more info.
Driving in Sydney:
Guess what... we drive on the same side as the UK (the left side)! If you hold a full overseas driving license (not disqualified, learners etc) then you can drive in Australia for as long as you remain a temporary overseas visitor. In simpler terms, if you become a permanent resident then you can only drive for a maximum of 3 months and then you need to get a NSW license.
If you’re just fancying a quick road trip then there are the usual hire car companies available but there’s also another very popular option called GoGet.
GoGet is literally the easiest process ever!
Join. choose the best plan for you (depending how often you want to use the service),
Book. Find the nearest cars to you via their app, book the hours you need or a full day
Swipe. Hold your smart card to the reader on the windscreen to unlock the doors. The keys will be near the cars ignition
Go. Return the car to its pod with at least a quarter tank of fuel. They even pay for the fuel as there will be a card inside to use!
The boring admin stuff:
Phone:
Personally I had a UK contract out with Vodafone already so I went into their store and created a new Aus contract but many people use pre paid simcards, some of the top providers are Vodafone, Optus and Telstra. I’ve attached a compare website of all providers. You simply just sign up and pop your new simcard into your phone.
THE TAX MAN!!
To avoid extra tax costs you will need a Tax File Number (TFN) which you can only apply for when you’re actually in the country. It's a very simple process and you just apply online at taxfilenumber.org and you will need this to set up your Aus bank account. There’s a lot more info on ATO.
In regards to a bank account, I used Monzo a lot which doesn’t charge you a non sterling fee no matter what country you set it up in which is very handy. I would advise getting a bank account set up ASAP, make sure you take your passport and TFN in store to open the account and they will do the rest for you.
The main banks used are
Westpac
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ)
National Australia Bank (NAB)
HSBC (you can actually open an account whilst still in the UK but they charge $200AUD)
The cost of living out here is typically that of a city, it’s also slightly more than the UK but the average salaries are more so it definitely evens itself out. When I first arrived I was constantly converting everything back to GBP and you realise that it’s just normal city prices!
Recruitment in Aus:
The current market here is booming and especially now the borders have been lifted, they are crying out for workers. Which means we need recruiters like you to help place these eligible, eager workers. In Australia the market is more buoyant and it’s quite protected against what’s happening in the outside world, the only real relationship is with Asia Pacific.
So I guess you’re wondering if Aus recruitment differs to the UK, well these are the key things that I’ve noticed:
Smaller market
More relationship drive so reputation is a big thing
Not as saturated as the London market
Some excellent funding for start ups
Tech sector is really strong
Job platforms will obviously differ from country to country but recruiters in Australia mainly use SEEK, Indeed and Linked In. The same goes for databases, all companies differ but the main ones used over here are JobAdder, Bullhorn and Vincere.
So to be eligible for a sponsorship work visa to Australia you must have either a bachelors degree and 2 years recruitment experience OR at least five years recruitment experience.
Social butterflies:
So most places in and around Sydney all close by midnight, with the odd exception, so it’s more of a day drinks vibe (which means a full nights sleep and hopefully no hangover)! A lot of recruitment companies do social events and as you know it’s great to get out their and start networking. Bars will be busy every night of the week, especially when the sun is shining. I follow a page on Instagram called Bondi Lines that gives live updates of where’s busy and the queue times. If you’re looking for tickets or info about a specific event then I use EventBrite, which lists events by genre so you can find a vibe that suits you best.
The main party hot spots are
Ryan’s Bar (it’s an institution for Recruiters!)
Circular Quays
Darling Harbour
Cockle Bay Wharf
Bondi
Coogee
Double Bay
Beach, please!
Fun fact for you all... Australia has over 12,000 beaches, so if you visited one per day, it would take more than 32 years to see them all. There are so many beautiful beaches around Sydney where you can bask in the sun or surf like a dude. People tend to finish work and then go down to the beach so again it’s a great place to socialise and network.
There’s an amazing Coastal Walk which takes you about 2 hours and you cross the beaches of Bondi, Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and then Coogee. It’s a great way to get some steps in whilst enjoying the view and so there are a lot of runners on this path, if that’s your sort of thing. Definitely visit the beaches just mentioned but other popular ones include:
Manly
Shelly
Palm
Nielsen Park (known as Shark Beach but don’t worry, there aren’t any!) Freshwater
Maroubra
Aussie culture:
The Aussies have such a laid back outlook on life, you’ll always hear ‘too easy mate’ which basically is a ‘no worries’ kinda vibe. With such beautiful surroundings, it’s no shock that being outdoors is such a big factor over here. Who doesn’t want to feel the sun on their skin and the sand between their toes?
Australia’s history heavily influences its lifestyle today, and Australia’s first and oldest stories belong to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Get a feel and a true understanding into the Aboriginal way of life by doing this tour, so interesting!
Everybody is so friendly and it’s all about coming together and socialising, which is a great way to network for recruiters. Going for a coffee or having brunch is a huge thing over here, so if you’re like me and never drink coffee, I’d suggest you get practicing... flat white with oat milk please!
So that’s me signing off, I hope this helps and gives you all a brief insight into life down under. Before you go, don’t forget to check our recent job opportunities and let us help you every step of the way in this life changing process.
All the best, Emily x