Career vs Travel? Need advice..

[FrankGrimes]

I really appreciate the advice of somersoft people and would really like some advice on my conundrum. While this is not property related I still need some direction. Please excuse the long post but you need to get the background to understand…

I’ll give a brief background to completely understand the situation. I’ve been working with the company I work for now for 5 years, I started when I was 19 as a junior and have slowly been working my way up the ladder so to speak and I’m now 24 for the record.

I’m valued within the organisation and they are pushing for career progression within the company, they pay for any training and I’m well paid for someone my age. The company has been bought out by a private equity firm and is rapidly expanding, so the career options are limitless. They have just offered me a more senior role, “IT, Communications and Process Manager” for the group and a decent salary increase from what I’m on now but the final package hasn’t been finalised, but it will be around 70k-80k+ (I’m currently a Systems Administrator and on 60k). They will hire someone in to cover my job, whom I’ll be in charge of.

Sounds great right? Yes it does.

Now the problem….

BUT, I’ve been planning to work overseas for a while (2-3 years now), either in the UK or Ireland. My Girlfriend is very keen to go on a working holiday. Don’t get me wrong, I am too, but I can’t help thinking I’m turning my back on a great opportunity here. This will help me fuel additional property/shares purchases. I have no university degree, so in a way work experience and these opportunities are vital.

I cannot see myself getting a better job in the UK or Ireland, or even when I return to Australia. But I have been with my girlfriend for over 5 years, so her wellbeing and happiness is pretty much at the top of my priorities. I’m very interested in travel, but now considering other options like just backpacking for a few months each year.. But she will be shattered  there is nothing she wants more than to work overseas.. She has already been waiting for years and waiting longer is not an option..

So I need to forgot about my career and go traveling. Who knows where I might end up? Hard to say.. Or take the job and stay? Causing angst here.. Thoughts? Comments? What have you done??

 

[geoffw]

I won't advise. We're all different, with different goals, abilities, achievements and talents.

But some thoughts, based on my own experience.

-I waited. There were not the opportunities 20+ years ago, so it was difficult to get something in my area of expertise

-When I did get something, visas were far more difficult. I was over 28 (34 actually) so I could not just work on a youth visa, which then finished at 28yo.

-We started our married life together in England. It was a very good time to do things- we were settling in to life together, and we did not have children (at least, at the start) to tie us down.

-Now that we are very settled back in Australia, we would find it extremely difficult to uproot and go OS to live again.

-However, the money sounded great before I went over. It was only after living there that I found out that it was so much more expensive to live than here. We struggled for quite some time.

-The expereince was superbly worth it for ourselves.

-When I left Oz though, I was not on the sort of rate, nor with the prospects, that you have.

 

[FrankGrimes]

Thanks Geoff. It's certainly a hard one and there really isn't a right or wrong answer.. My main issues are

- If I don't go, will I regret it? Will it affect our relationship? Probably. I'm very interested in travel, don't get me wrong here.
- If I do go, will I get another great opportunity? I will be very frustrated and dis-satisfied working from the bottom again. Will I become bitter for wasting it on 1 a year stint in the UK?

...Hmm

If at all relevant, I also have 2 IP's in Australia and some shares. This will not affect my decision but thought I'd throw it in.

 

[poppy]

Hi Frank,

I am 29 and work in IT also. My personal experience is that especially in IT, loyalty to a company will not get you anywhere. They may offer you a "fantastic opportunity", when in reality the extra hours worked mean you end up no better paid per hour. You may be able to easily get another job paying the same or more than the "fantastic opportunity", with less hours and less stress.

So, if it was me I would apply for some jobs, and find out what I'm really worth. If you find that you are in high demand, with plently of well paid jobs available either in australia and/or overseas, you may be much more confident.

Every time I have left a job my only regrets have been that I didn't do it sooner. I wonder how many other people feel the same way?

PS. I've never worked OS so can't comment on that in particular.

 

[Ricardo29]

certainly a tough one.

but im going to be brutally 'frank': the UK is a sh.ithole.

there is a reason they come here.
yes, its a lovely spot to visit and sip warm pints and cruise country roads, but you can poke living there. same with ireland.

unless youre going for big bucks and career progression (sounds like this isnt totally the case), i wouldnt go.

but thats me, not you, so good luck.

 

[Jimmyjamjars]

For me, its a no-brainer. Go travelling man !!
Opportunities for employment will always present themselves on your future path but if you put off going on a possible life-changing adventure with the person you love, who knows what adverse effect it may have on the master plan. I have advised a couple of people on this forum over the past few years on the same topic and it seems to be going ok so far.
JIM

 

[alexlee]

This is not advice, just a recap of what I've done. I make no promises about you will experience. For me it has all been positive, though I've also known people for whom it didn't work out.

I worked at a 'Big 4' (the 4 biggest accounting firms in the world) firm until I qualified. After qualification I immediately resigned and went to London without a job. My friends thought I was nuts. Big 4 is a great environment for some long term career advancement. I took a contract job in London and had a great time. After 2 years, I quit and went to Japan, again sans job. Friends kept telling me to find a proper job somewhere and look for a transfer instead.

I didn't listen, and ended up in an industry I probably couldn't have entered in Sydney. (Japan is weird in that it's very hard to find candidates who are qualified, speak native English AND want to live in Japan).

In my case, going overseas and giving up my 'stable' big firm job was the best thing I ever did. There ARE plenty of opportunities out there, and it's only when you throw out old stuff that you allow new things in.

Friends who have not enjoyed the working holiday thing or stayed in Sydney tend to be the type who don't like new stuff or are scared of new things. They really wouldn't have enjoyed the 'go to a new city and make a life of yourself' thing that I, in retrospect, have enjoyed the most.

Don't think you have to give up investing while doing the working holiday. It's about how you work it. If you work most of the year and limit your travel to weekends and maybe one long trip a year, you can easily save more than in Oz.

It's about your personality. As long as you take a job that increases your skills, I honestly don't think you'll lose out by going overseas. Bigger economy, more people, more opportunities. When I go back to Oz this year, I come back with 6 years of working in London and Tokyo that will be looked upon favourably by employers and will be worth at least the same as if I'd stayed in Sydney.

I stress that I'm not promising anything. However, my own experience has been very positive and I don't think that many people go back to Oz thinking 'what a waste of time'. When you're 35 with kids, are you going to regret that you didn't go overseas?
Alex

 

[alexlee]

certainly a tough one.

but im going to be brutally 'frank': the UK is a sh.ithole.

there is a reason they come here.
yes, its a lovely spot to visit and sip warm pints and cruise country roads, but you can poke living there. same with ireland.

The environment isn't very nice in London, it's true. And prices are crazy.

However, I'm going to Genoa this weekend. Just going to Stansted and flying 2 hours to Italy. Part of the 'one long weekend a month' trips that I'm taking. It's a great experience.

Few people actually stay in London for life (I'm certainly not going to). Enjoy it while you're young, make the money, travel and go home with more confidence and a wider appreciation of the world.
Alex

 

[ani]

The environment isn't very nice in London, it's true. And prices are crazy.

However, I'm going to Genoa this weekend. Just going to Stansted and flying 2 hours to Italy. Part of the 'one long weekend a month' trips that I'm taking. It's a great experience.

Few people actually stay in London for life (I'm certainly not going to). Enjoy it while you're young, make the money, travel and go home with more confidence and a wider appreciation of the world.
Alex

Totally agree!

Sure it is more expensive but all those weekend trips are well worth it.

I went intending to just do casual work and travel.I started as an accounts temp in a big private hospital and ended up as a permanent accountant there with 28 staff, so travel was a bit limited

Aussies, Kiwis and South Africans were highly regarded for their skills and work ethic. I was very well paid compared to my English flatmates (like double what they got)

I came to Sydney when my visa ran out and my OS experience was only a benefit when applying for jobs here.

I'd say go and enjoy every minute. If you are half way competent at what you do and you sound it, work won't be a problem when you return.

Plus the experiences you will have as a couple will be with you forever

Send us a postcard

 

[Jimmyjamjars]

I'd say go and enjoy every minute. If you are half way competent at what you do and you sound it, work won't be a problem when you return.
Plus the experiences you will have as a couple will be with you forever

These are very wise words Ani.
JIM

 

[geoffw]

Ricardo

That is certainly an extremely negative viewpoint- but one which is possible to understand.

I'd be interested to know why you had that bad experience. It would probably be of help to FrankGrimes as well.

Any experience of the world depends on what you are yourself, as well as the world. If you didn't have a good experience, and you have a similar worldview to Frank, your view could help stop him from making a similar mistake.



Something I will add to the discussion.

I have lived in the US, as an exchange student at high school. And I have lived and worked in England. Each experience helped to develop me, to change my worldview for the better, and to grow as a person. (In fact, it was because I went to visit my exchange student families that I met my wife in the US). There were times in England when it was really tough. Like, shopping along the main street to find the cheapest liver and potatoes, because that was all we could afford.

We bought a half renovated house, and spent many many hours finishing off the reno. And sold it, 10 years later, for GBP58,000, having bought it fot GBP 50,000. Hardly the stuff to inspire future investment. But, it did mean that, many years later, I had the confidence to know that I could paint, repair, and do other things with my hands.

By going out of my circle of comfort, I extended my own abilities and self confidence. By doing it tough, I learnt something about what I really did and didn't need.

And the shared experience of hardships at the start, although very tough to cope with when it was happening, helped to really strengthen our relationship further down the track. There had been times early on when I didn't think our relationship was going to be able to cope with another month. That was 18 years ago.

 

[alexlee]

For me, the best thing was the confidence I developed from going to a new city (twice!) and building up my life from scratch. Getting a job, finding a place to live, making friends. In both cases within 6 months I was having an absolutely great time going out and enjoying the city. Compared to the friends who stayed in Sydney, I'm a lot more confident about taking risks and being willing to give things a try. This isn't something that can be learned from a book: it's knowing that you can walk into a totally alien environment and be confident that you will succeed.

These days many of my friends don't like their jobs but aren't willing to change because, quite frankly, they're scared to try something new. This confidence, if you develop it, will be very useful with investing, business and pretty much everything else.
Alex

 

[twobobsworth]

Go for it.

While you may miss out on some mulla in the short term, the experience will add to your skill set long term.

I ran a division for an investment bank and always found it better when grads came aboard after they had travelled, rather than straight from uni.

Travelling gives you a better understaning of the world and people. Not to mention where you stand in your relationship. If it doesn't work out or you don't like it you can come back in 6 months. I bet your old employer would take you back and probably pay you more!! If not employment market is strong so you would pick up another job in a flash. Not much risk if you ask me.

 

[FrankGrimes]

Thanks to all have replied so far - some definite food for thought. I've got to run, but I'll clarify a few things quickly..

It's 95% certain it would be Dublin, Ireland rather than the UK. The other 1/2 cannot get Physiotherapist work in the UK as its incredibly competitive. So the economy is alot smaller than here and has far greater work restrictions than the UK unfortunately, ie you can only work with the 1 employer for 3 months (This really annoys me). Then you have to quit and find another job..

Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow morning to post more.. Grimey

 

[alexlee]

It's 95% certain it would be Dublin, Ireland rather than the UK. The other 1/2 cannot get Physiotherapist work in the UK as its incredibly competitive. So the economy is alot smaller than here and has far greater work restrictions than the UK unfortunately, ie you can only work with the 1 employer for 3 months (This really annoys me). Then you have to quit and find another job..

Not sure if they've tightened the rules, but used to be the Working Holiday visa said you can't do a job that 'is a continuation of your career' and you can't work at the same employer for x months. When I did it in 2001-2002 it wasn't policed at all and people just worked with the same employer, in their professional capacity, for years. You'll get a feel for how tough they are about the rules from your agents.
Alex

 

[ani]

Frank

I have 4-5 friends in Dublin and loving it. Again well regarded by employers and the place is just buzzing at the moment. Social life is fantastic.

 

[geoffw]

For me, the best thing was the confidence I developed from going to a new city (twice!) and building up my life from scratch. Getting a job, finding a place to live, making friends. In both cases within 6 months I was having an absolutely great time going out and enjoying the city. Compared to the friends who stayed in Sydney, I'm a lot more confident about taking risks and being willing to give things a try.

Very well said Alex. I agree!

 

[Annie]

Well, I was born & bred in the UK (in an amazingly beautiful part of Wales, I might add) & if I hadn't gone with my 'gut instinct' & 'dreams' 17 years ago, I would never have discovered what a beautiful country Australia is, & how much I would love it here.
Always go with your dreams......if you can make good money now....you can in the future. Just have the right attitude......& you & your girlfriend have the time of your lives.
The UK is NOT a xxxxhole......I just prefer living here, & I know a whole lot of Australians who prefer living there.....it's all about your own personal experience........go for it, I say, & good luck.


Just my tuppence worth

Annie

 

[Rolf Latham]

One word

Travel



The "work" bit will haunt you for at least another 40 years

When I speak with some of my older mentors ( one lady is 101 ) they regret NOT what they did, but what they did NOT do.

Go forth in confidence and not much will get in your way except sometimes yourself.

Procrastinate and all manner of obstacles will surface,

GO !

Now ...............


ta
rolf

 

[lowb]

Hi, i'm in the same boat! I'm planning to go to the UK too, after I finish my dreary thesis this year. Although I don't have proper accrediation from my professional organization, I'll give it a go.

It'll be great to grow as a person and experience the world I think. Being in UK, going overseas once a month to Europe... you'll get to a lot of the world. However, I do worry about the job. Is it easy to get a 'professional' job if you've done UNI with work exp in Australia? At the very worst, one could settle for part-time jobs as a temporary solution (but that would kind of stink ).

Bit of risk, but if you can get a decent job from an agent before going overseas, that would rock.

all the best