My houseowner once a Malaysian now is Ozzie. She did mentioned how their parents come over 20 years ago. Yeah, they're a rich family those days but sell off everything for the sake of children's future. One generation has to let go everything for children's future.
Now her 3 siblings all are chartered accountants and lawyers with their own firm here.
Yeah, it's a big price to pay, but if you're saying in malaysia, I might only afford 1 children but might not giving any better to the rest.
Talk about freshies, if they can secure a job within a year, they should stay. If not, going back may be an option but has to think family's future

Since u've local exp, u supposed to be easier than us! I think u better 'shit' out no matter wat or else ur future will be doom if u wanna come back here.

To give you a better perspective I'll break it into a few parts.
1 Affordability of education - Affordability of education should not be a problem if you are a any where near decent in Malaysia. I know people who are factory supervisors who managed to send both kids to UK for engineering degrees. Plus there are lots of scholarship around and affordable private universities.

2. Quality of education - Generally australian uni do provide a slight advantage in terms of quality. I say slight advantage becuase 80-90% of the time it really depends on the students initiative to study themselves. For example, you can spend all the money in the world to enroll your child into Harvard but if he/she is not interested/not make an effort to learn by themselves, it is of no use. Conversely even if you send a very motivated person to the lousy local unis, he or she will still excel, becuase he/she took the initiative to study on thier own.

3. University degrees are only important to get that first job. That's about it. Like for me, nobody bothers to look at my uni degree once I have >5 years of experience. And just for additional info, characteristics that gets you a job includes your ability to present yourself/talk well, your enthusiam for the job and relevant experience (if you have them). NOT becuase you have a degree from so and so uni.

4. I personally don't like the Australian attitude in life. They tend to take things easy. While 1st generation will not suffer such pitfalls (as we make great sacrifice to get into Australia), the same cannot be said if your child goes though life in Australia. I've seen them. Asian kids who behave and act like Australians. Laid back, couldn't be bothered. And people who say they will teach their children to be hardworking, etc are all just talk. Why? Coz of environment, peers etc. Nobody wants to work hard if they can take the easy way out.

5. Talk about freshies, if they can secure a job within a year, they should stay. - Not everyone can secure a job and not everyone can hang around for 1 year doing nothing,.

Nowadays with the high property price, high car price in Msia, even graduates are facing their dificulties to live comfortably in Msia. I am wondering how many factory supervisor in Msia is able to afford to send 2 kids to UK nowadays? Not say that you are not right, but I can't agree with you. I know someone working only as a driver but being paid 5 digit salary after serving his boss for years and staying in bangalow in PJ. But the reality is that not all driver is so lucky.

What is the best way to transfer money back to Malaysia? The exchange rate dropped a lot lately.

Well, subjective question. It all depending on which organization you're talking about, no sweet/bitter, you'll flow accordingly.

Not sure if it'll be worth it or not, depending on the organization/ your pay/ perks/ benefits and etc.

Well if you're not married and want some overseas exposure then you probably can try it out.

Living expenses is fine unless you splurge.

Firstly you're assuming that those fresh grads will get the same amount every year. That is clearly not the case. That is also why people job hop. For a better pay. But that is a discussion for another day.

Secondly, how are you better off working as a cashier with a 2-3k salary every month in aus?

So, the implication was working as factory supervisor can live a luxury life in Msia and send 2 kids to UK for tertiary education whilst Cashier working in Australia is living a miserable life?
I am really not sure how familiar are you with the salary of cashier in Australia. I have no idea of the rest of the state in Aus. Do you believe if I tell you the cashier here is paid so much higher in AUD than the amount you mentioned in the previous post?

Note: I am just telling fact. I am not promoting that working as cashier in foreign country is better than a CEO in Msia.

1. I'm not saying every supervisor in a factory can afford to send their kids overseas. Dun put words in my mouth. I only said i know of one such person.
2. How much do u think a cashier in a supermarket in aus earns? AUD 10k pm? Aud20k pm? Cammon. Of course not.
3. If a cashier pay in aus is that good, why do i see hordes and hordes of australians wanting to get out and go to asia? HK and SG are prime destinations.

All I'm saying dun gamble yr future on a dead end job. And dun believe rumours of high paying cashiers. If any supermarket were to pay that much they will be brankrupt in no time considering how low the margins are on their products.

This post has been edited by robertchoo: Aug 6 2013, 08:28 PM

Well robert my friend, if a couple is working as driver nor cashier, they still manage to buy a bungalow house here. Life may be hard, but that's life. It's the matter of choice. They still manage sending kids to school, uni and still some social welfare, why not?
Property market in Oz is very much rely on supply and demand. Currently it's gonna come down any moment. Yeap, it's a sub-standard job all right, but still can manage to get world class uni and most parents won't starve till death.
I suggest that freshies when they finish their uni here, try their very best to apply a job locally. Give themselves a year and see the outcome. At least they're trying their very best. If not, come back to malaysia and work.
Not all Ozzie is really that lazy bum. Some who really manage well financially is going through pretty well. Some are really bad-ass.
Cashier do have high pay. It's AUD20/hr. Check it out in IGA/Woolies/Coles

My advise to freshies, a year to look on ur job profession while working casual. If not, get ur arse back home.
If u manage to get PR, come to job market asap. Since they don't recognise malaysia working experience then better come early. Come later also same case.

+1. Agree with you.
You must educate your friend, Robert that there is minimum wage set in Australia. Working part-time in McD gets less than RM5/hr does not mean working part-time here get AUD5/hr.

And lastly, all the best to you.

Ok.let us do some simple maths. Assuming one works as a cashier at A$20 ph x 10 h a day (say u r extremely hardworking) x 5 days a week x 4 weeks a month = A$4k pm. After taxes take home pay maybe A$3.5-A$3.8k pm. Seems alot now? Secondly, consider your future in 10 years time. How much are you gonna be paid? A$28ph? That means only A$5,600 pm pre tax. Post tax probably <A$5k. How does that differ from msia? In fact if you track yr career well in msia, you can easily earn more than rm10k in 10 years time esp if yr a professional. in the end if you choose to be a cashier in aus you will still struggle the same as in msia. Maybe even worse. At least in msia you have support of family and friends.

Its not saying aus is not good. If you manage to get a decent job no prob. I know people earning >A$10k who live very comfortably in aus. But not ad cashiers or other dead end jobs.

Each country has its own pros and cons. It is definitely up to each individual whether they want to stay back in Malaysia or try their luck in a new country, in this case Australia. I believe most of them that decided to leave everything they have in Malaysia and to try it in Australia would have their reasons and have definitely taken into consideration that they will have to start from the bottom and it not all rosy. Hence, I don't see the point of disagreeing on what each type of job would earn more money in each country. It is more beneficial to the others whom seeking advice for those to share their experience with relation to the subject of the topic

Sorry but for that person who still in cashier position after 10 years is probably unrealistic. I don't believe one won't get the professional job(in related field) if you keeps looking. It may take 1,2 and even 3 years but 10 years is too long unless you don't have qualification and skill at all.

Since you put it that way, what if one in Malaysia unable to find a decent job after graduate and work as cashier for 10 years?

Career in Malaysia still pretty good considering many developed countries outsourced their jobs to Asia but is just the environment that I don't like. Most importantly is the employees in Malaysia are hard to fight for their working rights whereas Australia have a law and everything must comply with FairWork rules. Eg, being bullied? refer Fairwork. racist and discrimination in work? refer Fairwork. No salary after few months? refer Fairwork. Unfair dismissal? refer Fairwork.

Also, house might be expensive in Australia but at least those people with PR get the first home buyer discount(compare to bumiputra only in Malaysia). They also provide first home saving account for future first home buyer where you can put your savings into high interest account. This is what we call benefits and know where our tax gone to

That is another point. If you're comfortably paid A$4k-A$5k as a cashier after 5 yrs, do you want to take a pay cut to start at the bottom again taking A$3k+ as a entree level professional? The thing about pay is that its like a monster. It can only go bigger not smaller.

In msia it is never hard to find a professional job if you're armed with an overseas degree and speak decent english. Msia has a shortage of talent remember? If you are anywhere near decent and track your career well, you will climb the ladder in mnc very fast. Something unlikely in aus. Racial discrimination happens everywhere even in aus. I mean if you're overlooked for a promotion in aus, what are yr options? How can you prove its racism?

Correct. No arguments.
What i'm trying to say is dun throw away yr hard work, effort and time to get yr degree paid with yr parents blood n sweat only to end up in dead end jobs in a foreign country.

If u manage to get a professional job in aus, by all means go ahead.
But if you are a freshie dun waste yr time working as cashier or cleaners in aus. The experience gained in msia in a relevant professional job/mnc counts for more than cashiers or cleaners.

Let's get back to the fact. Cashier in Australia hardly earn $20 per hours. Period.

Like I said, career in Malaysia is still good but some people prefer a fair and square jobs. Firstly, why Malaysia has a shortage of talents? Because it was caused by the employer and probably the government. Their works are not appreciated and treated like slave. Secondly, people always don't get paid for OT and have to work even on weekend. I am fine working on weekend but at least pay me extra. Thirdly, if you have skill, you can have your good career anywhere including Malaysia and Australia. No such thing as Australia don't appreciate my skill compare to Malaysia because I am "yellow" but it will be the case if you can't speak and write good English. You have to be confident enough to mix with local(learn their jokes, have a Friday outing with them, watch the way they speak,etc)

Anyway, Malaysia still a good country and has a potential to be even better if the people can pick up the pace rather than only think of fast money in incorrect way(MLM,etc)

This post has been edited by hihihehe: Aug 7 2013, 12:45 PM

Well I would just like to give my own POV in terms of a student's perspective.

Definitely looking for a professional job is hard, but when hunting for 1, probs take around 1-2 years, it's always good to have a part time job, even working as a cashier.

Reason behind this is,

1. You don't waste your time and your parents' money.
2. You have an edge over other people who has never done any part time work before.
3. You can expand your networking rather than limiting yourself to just academic professionals in the university.

Economy is tough now and not everyone gets a job as they desire, you just have to make do with what you have.

Having said that, I am definitely coming home to Malaysia to work after working for 15 years in Australia at least. Malaysia, no matter how is still my home country. But that being said, time will tell.

I also doubt cashiers get paid A20 an hour as well. I used to work part time while studying in an upscale fine dining restaurant in sydney and my pay is only A15 an hour excluding tips. But that is about 8 yrs ago. So i gave a benefit of a doubt.

And if you have the experience and skillset u won't be going to aus or malaysia. Those places just don't pay enough. Try SG, HK or China. Those pay shit loads if you have the right skillset and low taxes.

U can also look at sg.