@EricTC said:
Prior to moving, anong emotional preparation ang ginawa nyo? Right now, para akong paralyzed with my preparation, yung tipong eto na yu eh kaso may parang resistance sa mind kasi aside from being solo, I am taking one of the biggest steps of my life. BIG move nga talaga sya at di pa pala talaga ako prepared dito.
Additionally, mga ilang months po kayo nakapag adjust sa new environment and living condition in Aus?
In my opinion, you'll never be completely ready for when you move overseas. Kahit anong daming research mo at pagtatanong sa kapwa tao about their experiences in Australia, there will always be some curveballs/unexpected stuff you wouldn't know until you actually get here. My suggestion is really to come to Australia with minimal expectations, and keep an open mind about their local culture. Culture shock is always a possibility when moving overseas, especially in a predominantly Western/Caucasian country.
Of course, as a newcomer hindi mo maiwasan magcompare between Australia and PH (kesyo mura ang bagay-bagay sa pinas, mahal ang services, etc.) for the first few months, but you'll eventually get used to things. You'll also have to learn to do things by yourself, like cooking (spaghetti at pancit canton lang alam kong lutuin bago ako nag-abroad), cleaning the house, doing laundry, grocery shopping without a car, atbp. You learn to be very independent kasi nga wala kang pamilya dito, but I feel happy to be independent kasi marami talaga akong natutunan dito.
I've been living overseas for over 10 years now, and Australia was definitely a big change for me because of the laid-back culture here. Work-life balance is a priority here, so it took me a few months to really get used to the shops closing at 5pm (so you really need to plan ahead for your errands/shopping trips). PH and Taiwan lifestyle are so fast-paced, na feeling mo kailangan talaga magcompete with everyone. But not here, dito you do the job you are assigned to do, pero walang masyadong pressure (yung tipong kailangan araw-araw na overtime).
One big issue about job hunting as a migrant is local experience, which is a catch-22 thing. Of course as a newcomer wala kang Australian work experience, but then you can't get any because no one will hire you (as they want someone with Aussie experience.) This is usually the challenge for international students and new migrants (like may PR na). You're essentially competing with local Aussies who have been working casual/part-time jobs since they were 15 years old, so minsan pagkagraduate palang nila from uni, may 3-4 years local exp na sila while you don't have any.
The tip/advice I've received as workaround for the local experience is to do volunteering or do casual/part-time jobs. So I did just that. I volunteered for non-profit orgs to do admin assistant and data entry work for over 2 years (which is 1-2 days of commitment per week lang), and my supervisor became my referee (character reference in PH terms) for the paid job I applied for. I also work a casual job in retail on the weekends, to help pay for my living expenses as a student. Both volunteering and casual job aren't directly related to my profession, but I've learned transferable skills, which I know would be an advantage when I look for a job that's more in line with my profession down the line.
Australian workplaces value soft skills/transferable skills (i.e. communication, leadership, self-motivation, etc.) more than hard skills/technical skills (using specific softwares, having professional knowledge). As a migrant, you will need to learn the skill of relating your previous experience (even if volunteering or casual job lang sya) to the job you are applying for. It may take time for you to find a job that's really aligned with your previous experience, so you need to be open to whatever job opportunities that may come your way. If you know you're strapped with cash when you arrive, consider doing casual jobs (retail, hospitality, etc) for the first few months because they can help pay your bills, give you time to prep in job hunting, and at the same time you can start building your local Aussie experience.
Public transport is not as efficient as other first world countries (Japan, Taiwan, HK, Singapore), but it's definitely better than PH. In Sydney and Brisbane, buses are sometimes early or late, so you need to budget extra time for those unreliable predictions on travel time on Google Maps. If Google Maps tells me it takes 30 mins from my house to school/work, I would double the travel time (so 1 hour ang travel time allowance ko), because Google Maps doesn't account for the time it takes to cross intersections (nakakainis pag marami kang tatawirin na intersections), waiting for the bus (nakakabadtrip kung late sya, pero mas masaklap pag masyado maaga ang dating nya at namiss mo sya).
You might be surprised by some things when you get here, though. You'll see people walking barefoot on the street, shopping malls, beach (hindi naman lahat, iilan lang). Minsan naka-pajama lang sila kung mag-grocery. May mga homeless people din sa CBD area (being a first world country doesn't mean wala silang homeless people). Minsan may madadaanan kang mga irate/angry people na bigla nalang sisigawan ang ibang tao. Australia definitely has its share or quirks or oddities, but as they say "Keep Calm and Carry On."