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I'm at a bit of a crossroads in my life and can't decide which way to go, so I'm calling in help and advice from all quarters (I joked in my blog that I'm planning to set up an SMS poll, and let the Australian public decide reality TV style).

Here's the situation. The city I currently live in, Brisbane, is not exactly a forerunner for the industry I work in (publishing). Jobs are pretty few and far between and don't have much room for growth. I was fairly lucky in getting a job straight out of uni, but I've been there for a year and a half now and, although I enjoy it for the most part, I am getting bored. I am also severely underpaid, and struggle for money even more so than when I was a student. Technically I'm actually a self-employed freelancer, but I work for the one company 3-4 days a week and only occasionally get other work. You would think that this would mean I could set my own rate, and I do with my one-off corporate clients, but with the complicated situation in my 'day job' I have just gone along with the rate that the owner decided on. Anyway...I have pretty much decided to only stay where I am until the end of the year, and then move on to something else. Some time ago the idea came into my head that I should just pack up and move to Sydney, which is the publishing capital of Australia, all of the big companies are based there, jobs in the industry are plentiful and very well-paid. Sure, there would also be more competition, but I have just as much chance as anyone else, I would think. I have more and more friends there now (including Callatya and other FPers!), as others have made the same move, so it's not as scary as it might have been years ago. And it would be nice to live somewhere completely different. My partner, an electrician, should have no trouble getting a job, and he's ready for a change too.

Of course, there are pros and cons to everything, and that's most of the pros. Here are the cons. As any Aussie knows, the cost of living in Sydney is astronomical compared to Brisbane or just about anywhere else. Sure, the wages are generally higher, but still. My partner and I have a mortgage on an apartment in Brisbane, but we couldn't afford to buy in Sydney, so we would have to rent, which I really hate doing - I have so loved the freedom of having my own place after years of renting. We would be able to rent out our place but we would still end up paying out of pocket. There are tax benefits to having a rental property though. Then there are the massive logistics and costs of actually moving that far - and what if we decide that it really isn't for us, and want to come back to Brisbane? What if our new jobs didn't work out?

The other possibility is that we stay in Brisbane, I'll keep plugging away until I find a better job here, or I'll hold myself ransom at my current job and ask for more money to stay. Certainly there are some great things about this place that I wouldn't get anywhere else. My boss is not only very dependant on me (particularly as I am the only one there besides herself), but she also cares for me a great deal, so I feel sure something could be negotiated. However, like I said, partly I'm just bored, and don't see much potential for growth in that company.

One reason why I would consider staying in Brisbane is that I have become captivated by the idea of buying a house to live in instead of our apartment. It doesn't seem quite as out of reach as it has before, partly because the market is less crazy, partly because we have built up a bit of equity in our place now, and partly because I have some money coming to me by way of a settlement - not a life-changing amount by any means, but it could certainly help, and I do want to use it in a way that will have long-term financial benefits. My partner is unsure - he thinks we will end up stretching ourselves for it, but I think it could be doable if we look at every angle.

I'm so confused! As you can tell by the length of this post (if you've gotten this far, kudos! ). I feel like we're in a position right now where the most doors are open to us - we have relatively few ties, no children, potential in our careers - and I just don't know how to make the most of it.

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

I'd love to have you down here, but at the moment the rental market down here is insane. People are bidding on rental properties so one that would ordinarily cost you $300 is now $385 or $420 or something silly like that. Its bound to calm down soon, but ther are just so many people wanting to be here and the rental market is already saturated.
If you did do it, it would have to be the outskirts of Sydney, not Sydney city.


Thats a rough choice to make.

Is there any chance of getting work online so you dont have to face to face with clients and can do the work remotely?


For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

just beginning,

That is a big decision that you have to make, and no matter what the outcome will be, you will never know what would have happened if you had selected the other option (and there is no use in wondering about "What would my life be if ... " ).

In the end, no matter what advice you get, it is your's and your partner's decision that counts, and nobody elses, in particular if you seek advice from people that don't even know you personally.

On to my adivice, for what it is worth:
- Visit Sydney, but try to see it how a resident would (maybe someone from FP can give you the inside scoop).

- Contact publishing houses there and find out what your options would be. Maybe it isn't all that rosy there either. My insight into this is that my wife is free-lance graphic designer for book publishing here in New York City, another capital in that field. Life ain't easy there either, and rates are often dictated by the corporations and the general supply and demand. Publishing, in general, pays lousy, that seems to be a global issue.

- Make sure that your partner would find a job as easily as you folks envision it, not just any job, but one that he would like to have.

- If all of the above still would work out for you folks, and you are truely not bound to anything in Brisbane, then go for it.

- I would follow Callas suggestion of moving to the burbs, more space, less money, but a long commute (mine is about 1.25 hours each way).

Calla - What do you get to rent for AU$420?

Hope this helps a little,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

in the inner outer suburbs (sydney is confusing), you'd get a 3BR brick house. It would be pretty standard rental deal, no snazzy paintwork or carpet and lousy landscaping.

Where we were a year ago, it was $235pw, now its at least $300. That was for a 4BR brick uninsulated house on an 1/8 acre block.

The longerst you would commute (by car anyway) is about 1 hour 15 mins, outside of that and you have technically left Sydney and its fast motorways. By train its a bit longer to get anywhere but still not bad, public transport is improving in leaps and bounds, especially out west.
Units are cheaper, but since everyone wants to live in the city you can end up paying a mint. One of my friends lives in Randwick near Coogee Bay and pays $320pw for a 2BR apartment... at least that was what she was paying a year ago, i'd bet its gone up by now.

The opportunities are more, and the pay seems to make up for it, but in general you lose a fair bit of money in the housing area moreso than anything else.

Check out realestate.com and see what you think

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

I pay $600 a month to live in a barely two bed room falling apart house older than I am. The rent is going up to $700 next month and I have nowhere I can go until my house is built. Plus a $1700 a month mortgage. I'd say try and save money, pay your mortgage in advance a few months, take a vacation from work, go to sydney for a short term trial period. If it doesn't work out, you haven't lost anything. It would be ideal, but I know it isn't always possible. If that doesn't work, holding yourself ransom might be your other option.

i've been going through the exact same thing as yourself lately. i'm not enjoying my job and i've been seeing a lot of opportunity in the LA area. in my case i am just going to go for it and let things happen as they may. i am absolutely positive that i will succeed because i will have to. the only thing i can say is to try applying for some jobs, explain the situation and see what kind of reaction you get. some jobs are willing to pay you to come to them if they like you enough

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Another thing to look at is all the stress factor of living in the rat race of Sydney after living in a far more stress free inviorment. (sorry sydney siders) You dont have to a A1 student to know that cost of living in Sydney is far higher than Brisbane in fact some figures recently released Sydney was the dearest location to live in Aust.

A bigger pay packet is not worth any stress it causes. Is there a possibility you could get a second job totally unrelated or even with Uni degrees have you looked into private coaching?

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Heck moondawg - hubby was just offered a position at a college in boston...

money no object.

course, for me to move up there they'd have to be paying AT LEAST $100,000 a year for me to just to start to consider it.

Insane property prices up there. Our 1250sq ft townhouse here (worth about 125K in TX) is worth about 500K up there.

JB -- think about cost of living vs. the amount you'd get paid...

Thanks for all the replies everyone - I didn't expect many people to get through the marathon of that post!

Real estate is going crazy everywhere it seems! Although it seems to have leveled a bit up here. Anyway, I've been looking on realestate.com for quite a while and there seems to be plentiful 1 or 2 bedroom units of decent quality close to the city for around $300 - which is what I would be hoping to pay. Of course, that could just be the asking price, and that could well go up as you mentioned Calla, but I do have a friend who moved down recently and found a 1 bedder in Mosman for a reasonable price. Unfortunately living away from the city is not really an option, since I don't drive, but we don't need a big place - our apartment here is definitely what you'd call 'cosy', but it works well for our needs.

Ingo - there are definitely a lot of solid opportunities down there, I have email alerts set up with a few online job networks and I get at least two new alerts a day, for jobs which I am very much qualified for. You are right about it possibly being different for my partner though - we have had a look and there seems to be a fair bit of electrical work around, but that would definitely have to be more certain before we did anything. He's also considering getting his contractor's license so that he can work in that capacity rather than just get another job. I guess bottom line is, we wouldn't actually make the move until we had work under our belts - probably we would take a couple of weeks down there and try to rack up some interviews before we went.

Lucky for us, we actually did go down there last Christmas and spent a week at our friend's apartment while she visited family, so we did get a bit of a taste of life down there. It's funny, because in the past I always said "I never want to live in Sydney!", but it has really started to grow on me. I'm definitely a city person more than anything else, I love the hustle and bustle more than I love peace and quiet (I adored New York City when I went there in April).

I've got more of an idea now what's going to happen with my upcoming settlement as well, and have worked out that based on how much I could pay off our mortgage, how much our apartment would rent for, and taking into account things like rates, insurance etc, and then balancing it against what I would expect to pay for housing in Sydney - we should only be about $50 out of pocket each month, and the tax benefits of owning a rental property would more than make up for that.

I don't know, even reading back over this it sounds as though I've made up my mind to go - and I haven't really, but I do think I'm leaning more and more in that direction. I guess, when it comes down to it, nothing has to be forever - the company my partner works for in Brisbane has already made it clear that there will always be a job there for him even if he leaves (he's the best electrician they have), and by keeping our apartment up here, we'll always have somewhere to come back to if we want or need to.

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

There is a serious shortage of good (and not so good even) tradies down here JB, if he gets his licence and goes for it I'm sure he'll be busy.



For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Hi,
Your quandary is not new, I suspect that all of us at some
time or another become bored, or unchallenged with our
jobs and think that there "has to be" something better
out there waiting for us to find.

I was going to suggest that with your education, and
practical experience background that you should be able
to find people to work for, from home, using the computer
and the Internet. That would allow you to stay where
you were, perhaps moving to a new home of your own.
It sounds like where you are is a completely different
lifestyle than in Sidney. However, after reading all
the way through it, it sounds like the "bright lights
and city life" is in your eyes, and the move is
becoming more enticing.

If where you are is a dead end, and you cannot find work
over the Internet, then I'd move as well. The new culture
might be exciting but a few years from now, you may find
yourself longing for a less crowded, less complicated, and
less stressfull, life - back where you started.

Frankly, I'm the opposite. We are moving from a city
of nearly a million, if not a million, to a place where
the nearest town has a population of less than 200.
With today's communications systems, I can always find
something to do for gain on the Internet, sitting at the
keyboard in my Pj's. I'm tired of the crowds, jammed
roads, choking air, and rudeness.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

My husband wanted to live in Atlanta, GA. Of all places. So, of course I promtply told him no. Then he wanted to live in Jacksonville, FL. He picks cities to live in by how many other cities are being swallowed in by them and if they have an international airport. Well, I convinced him to move to this little island I was named after, and we've been very happy. We didn't move down here right away though. We commuted back and forth when we first got jobs, we didn't have anywhere to stay. So it was two hour drives back and forth. The town we lived in was larger than the one we live in now, but it had no opportunities. We came here and immediately found work. That was two years ago. Now we're building a house and we aren't broke all the time anymore, lol. Though when the house is built we will be. I'd say go for it. If you do feel that your life is going nowhere, go for it. You don't have anything to lose. It could turn into something great for you. Good luck with whatever you choose. Just remember, if things go bad, you can always go home.

I suppose it's less of an issue if you're moving with your partner. I recently relocated for a new job, moved in, signed rental contracts, broadband, etc, only to lose my job in unpleasant circumstances after 5 weeks. If you are in a new place, without a support system, it can be very hard if it all goes t* up, and it can put strain on relationships. My bf (of 4 years - not a casual thing) and I really struggled, mainly cos I was so upset and lonely that I clung to him. I had no time to build up a local support system before it all went wrong.

so, I suppose the upshot is, it's worth thinking about how you will manage, financially and socially, if it does all go t* up.

-------------------------------------------------
I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

Well I am still too young to have experienced what you are dealing with now at a tender age of 18. At the moment I am still studying at Uni and already missing the highschool time when I had no worries for anything apart from studying.

Anyway, back to the topic before I get drifted away further. I have moved and lived in 4 different countries in my life. Mainly because my father is an academic staff at an university and earlier due to him studying over seas. We've lived in China, Singapore, Canada, and Australia. We started in China, and 5 years ago, a family of 3 can live for $2000YUAN a month, which is less than $350AU per month. And that covers everything for the whole month. Then we moved to Canada and experienced a totally different lifestyle. Being first time in a western country, everything is new and we were very careful with spending money. I lived with my parents in a 1 bedroom flat for a year, the tendent lived upstairs from us, so I can say we lived in the basement. In 2001, my father got his first decent job in a western country in Australia where he is employed as a fulltime lecturer. That's when we immigrated to Australia. Living expense rose immediately to rent of $250AU a week. Now our family is established in a new environment with my dad promoted as a Associate Professor and my mother owning her own business in the CBD and me enrolled in one of the top university in australia.

Ok, all those decisions and changes were based on one thought, bit crazy but it worked for us.

If we can afford the worse that might happen if we choose this way, we can do it.

Also, real estate is on big rise now, most people spend their whole life paying off mortgage. Even in melbourne, the property price is on a huge rising spree. Our property has increased in 100K in the last 5 years. It's amazing!!!

Good luck with your decision. Go with it and even if you fail, try try again. But best wishes you will succeed in what ever you choose.

Big updates on my situation...and a 360 degree spin.

I have been convinced, by the insistence of my mother during a phone call last week, and by the encouragement of most everyone I've consulted, to not work at all next year. For the first time in my life, I'm going to do what I've TRULY always wanted - become a full-time writer. The whole reason I did my degree in the first place was because I've been writing since I was five years old - but i kind of got side-tracked by the more stable, and admittedly often more exciting, career path of magazine publishing. I've realised that if I don't take a step back from the relentless pursuit of this industry, I will look back in thirty years' time and realise that I never did what I really wanted to do. The fact that I have some money coming my way means that this is a real option for me right now. Plus, like my mum said, it's the perfect way to take something really bad that happened to me and turn it into something really good. What could be more cathartic?

So the plan is: put aside enough to live off (modestly, but I'm used to that) for a year, supplement it with a state arts grant if possible, and also continue to take on occasional freelance jobs - but not so many that I don't have time to write. Actually, I've told my current boss and she has invited me to keep on in my role as deputy editor of her publication, but only come in for a few days every month to do so - it only takes me that much time to produce an issue anyway, and she'll have other, more regular staff to work on it as well. So not only will I not be completely losing touch with the industry, I will also manage to keep a fairly regular income, and have a chance to get out of the house on a regular basis, take a break from my writing and ensure that I'm not becoming too solitary and hermitised (which I have a real tendency to do). Hopefully by the end of it all I'll have a novel that may or may not be published - but even if it isn't, at least I'll have had the chance to try and get a feel for what it's like to produce a lengthier work (I've written mostly short stories and novellas to date).

I can't explain what a weight has been lifted with this decision - it's the first time I've thought about the year ahead without dread and anxiety. And it's inspired my partner to go ahead and get his contractor's license, so he can start running his own jobs and having more flexibility in his own life to do the things he loves.

Hooray for decisions!

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

That's AWESOME JB! Be sure to keep us posted on the project and of course the date for the first Book Launch Party and Book Signing!!! Congrats!

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"it's the neck, it creaks under the weight of too much heavy thinking."