12 tips for living & working in Australia | Inside Scoop

12 top tips for living and working in Australia from someone who knows

Physiotherapist Sari Coakley moved to Australia in 2019. Here are some of her number one tips for moving and settling Down Under.

Get certified copies of all important documents before coming over. You may need university transcripts or degrees certified. Find these and have them before you move over. It will be a lot easier to obtain these when you are in Ireland.
Apply for a police check in any country you have lived in for more than 6 months before you travel. This can be a hold up for visas, and also for registering with a professional body in Australia.
Ask any landlord you’ve rented from for a rental ledger. Having a record of rent you have paid will be useful when you go to apply for a lease. Landlords look favourably on applicants who can prove they are reliable and pay rent on time.
You will need a sizeable chunk of change for a bond/deposit for a rental.
Stay in a hostel when you arrive, even if you already have friends here. A hostel will introduce you to a wide range of people and get you set up with a good social group from the start. You will get tips about where to eat, best deals and might even team up with someone there to move into longer-term accommodation.
Banks in Australia charge you withdraw from an ATM run by a different bank. Commonwealth Bank has the most ATMs and they have a great internet banking set-up so I’d definitely recommend them.
Join Facebook groups. Join Live Work Australia and Irish Around Sydney/Melbourne etc for the city you plan to live in. There are always jobs and furniture being advertised there and social meet ups.
Use Facebook Marketplace to furnish your rental – most accommodation comes unfurnished.
Join sports clubs. They are a great way to meet like-minded people and embrace the outdoor lifestyle. There are so many different sports clubs and social groups in Australia that there is something for everyone.
Make sure you have enough savings before you leave. I would aim to have $5,000 to $7,000, depending on if you plan to travel first or if you have a job already lined up. The cost of living in Sydney is expensive (although Dublin seems more so) and you will be constantly partying with your new food friends in the initial few weeks.
Research your visa options. The last thing you want to do is spend money on an application for a visa you don’t qualify for! You have two options for finding out your visa options: doing the research on your own or consulting with a specialist, such as NexVentur.
Have a look at the jobs market before travelling. Explore employment options, start reaching out to recruiters, have references ready and your CV and LinkedIn profile up to date. Network with recruiters at agencies such as NexVentur.

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