Hi all,

I have a computer studies degree and worked nearly 2 years in a local distribution company as techician-cum-sales / technical sales.

Am thinking of studying again, and have civil engineering in mind. The reason? My gf is in Australia studying and her parents are asking her to stay there after that. What I plan to do is to study 2 years at Inti College and then the final 2 years in Australia. This would be my way of going over and getting a PR in Australia.

My question is:

Am 25 this year, starting the course next year means that I will graduate (assuming I have no problem passing the exams and no major distruptions during the course), at the of 29. A 30 year old, fresh civil engineering graduate looking for job in Australia (Perth to be specific). What do you think of my job prospect by then? Would anyone hire some 30 year old fresh civil engineering graduate?

It would be nice to have opinions from those who are currently working in Australia but to anyone who would like to help out, your views are welcomed too.

awww....so sweet.
if life is so ideal as u planned, everyone will live happily ever after.
What if.....she has to come back after her studies since i'm assuming shes graduating earlier than u. and ur 1/2 way through ur studies, u'll give up ur civil eng and come back and work just for her?

sorry man, i'm not being mean. just being honest. but if ur loaded with cash, just ignore what i say and go ahead man!

If its a ticker to Auz that you want to get via studying again, then you're better off doing a postgrad in IT, since u've already got 2 years of work experience.

hi jrhew,

No offense taken, because i know it sounds really idealistic. actually i have thought about it for months, and decided to get opinions from others now. Am aware of the things you mention, and am just thinking about my own future there right now.

How about we just assume I want to migrate to Australia and want to be a civil engineer there? Lets get back to the question wether I will be facing lots of problem getting a job at 30?

Hv to agree with jrhew, if u were to say that ur studying for career advancement, to better urself, hv thought it thru, n thats what u want etc......then by all means. Anyway a simple question, hv u thought of the fact that u might not even like it there n wont fit?
Somore no teh tarik or late night mamak stall outings lol.

Furthermore despite the equal opportunity buzzword (i might get shot for this statement) its not 100% true.
My 2 sens worth. Hehe

Why do you insist on being a civil engineer?

That's actually a great idea, however, I would have to do a final year for my degree in Australia again before getting my Masters:

An excerpt from the immigration website concerning work exemption for Masters holder:

Source:
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-ski...lifications.htm

My Adv. Diploma would only get me 1 year exemptions to Curtin's BSc. IT degree. So I would have to study another 2 years to have an Australian BSc. IT degree.

What I heard is, getting an Australian PR for people with IT degree is very tough these days. Not to mention a job... At least with an engineering degree, PR is much easier to get. Any ideas?

I have seriously gone through the pros and cons, for months, before deciding on this.

I have been there for a short trip and like what I see. Am not much of a teh tarik or mamak lover so no problem there. Hehe.


Yup, that's the thing I worry most about.

It is one thing for their government to say that employers are not allowed to discriminate, but is not a guarantee, hence am seeking those who are working there right now, to give a true picture(or at least, close) of how good a chance for a 30 year old fresh graduate would have in Australia.

After my looking at what they do, the responsibility, the challenges the face at work, I find it quite interesting and believe I will like it. I have also asked about the working life from my civil engineer friends here to get first hand information of the job. Not sure how relevant their Malaysian experiences will be in relation to the working life in Australia though, so I will need fellow forummers to help me out here.

I have looked at the course requirement, the subjects and believe I can cope. Other than that, it's also one of the job that would be easier to get a PR for. Of course, Accounting is an even better degree for getting a PR, but I don't think I will survive a day in the course : P

So bottomline your main reason is to move to OZ to be with your GF.

Let me be play devil's advocate:
1. Do you have enough cash for your study expenses (assuming you study fulltime)?
2. Are you sure she is the ONE? You're making a sacrifice to be with her. Are your parents OK with you moving to another country for some girl?
3. If you are an employer would you hire a 30 year old no-exp foreigner?

This post has been edited by cks2k2: Sep 15 2006, 01:27 AM

The thing i think could be a problem would be how people will perceive you when you go for a job interview after u grad. A freshie with 0 experience in the field, at age 20, it'll be fierce competition compared to the young guys who have just graduated. You'll also have to start at the low pay grade. Not much of a problem for the young bachelors, but i'll assume you would want to start a family by then, and a fresh grad salary would not be easy to survive on if you have a family to support.

I'd rather go the postgraduate route. You don't really have to stick to the exact area that you are working on now, there are opportunities for you to switch field to something more or less related when you are in the postgraduate programme. You could like take a Postgraduate Diploma before starting your masters etc.

The plus point of taking this route i think would be that you are now a level above, a Masters/PhD degree holder, with previous work experience who went back to further his knowledge.

Just my 2 cents.

Go and read the section on immigration points again. If you have got enough points already without having to worry about points for academic qualifications, then nothing to worry about.

Well, getting jobs for ppl with IT degrees everywhere is very tough too. Its not because of the lack of demand, the demand is sky high. The reason why the ppl find jobs so hard to find is 'cause there's too many jokers in the market holding IT degrees, while not knowing how to apply what they've learnt. My sister got her first job immediately after graduation in Melbourne without any problems, and she's a Comp Sci grad too.

Yup, you are quite correct

But besides the obvious, after my singple trip there, I do like the weather, the way of life(from observation only though), and the benefits given to PR(number one on my list... health care).

Question 1 & 2:

Fortunately, for the money part, that has been settled. Mum and dad knows my plan, and is supportive.

#3:

If you are referring to IT probably not, because ageism is very much alive in IT, no matter which country.

However, would being civil engineering graduate (yup, made my mind on that) have more of a chance? Honestly, that's the only part I am worried over.

Typically when you go on a leisure trip you see only the good sides of a place. It's totally different when you actually live there.
(About healthcare, isnt that partially coming from your tax money?)

Ageism happens in all jobs. It just feels worse in IT because of the pace.

I am not familiar with the housing market in Australia but Perth is a slow-paced town compared to Sydney, Melbourne so there might not be a lot of housing projects etc.

This post has been edited by cks2k2: Sep 15 2006, 02:04 AM

wow, man, actually i have same idea as you to study for my degree even though i at my mid 20s......

before see your post , really have doubts still wan study or not, but now get encourage by your atiitude,

dun give up , man, go for your dreams

may we both have best of luck in our future

elhh82,

Doing post-grad study is an excellent idea, and in my case it may not be suitable because am trying to get out of IT. The work and future does not get me interested anymore. My fault for choosing the wrong field when I was younger.

I guess what I am doing now is a career change.


fyire,

Your sister had good grades(I assume) and one of the main advantage is that she studied in a local (Australian) university, and that definitely helped her to secure her job.

Without work experience of at least 4 years in IT, I cannot go over under the skilled migrant visa (881).

cks2k2,

Referring to health benefits: At least you get something worthwhile at the end? What do we get from our tax money in Malaysia?

Yes, ageism is worse in IT. Well, how bad is ageism in the civil engineering field?


Neslo[#^PenG^#­],

Haha. I am not sure how I motivated you, because I am worried about my chance of landing a job after I graduate!

Everyone else,

Anyone working in civil engineering field in Australia right now?

Would any employer in Australia mind a career changer who got his second degree at 30? This I believe, is a better question to ask.

This post has been edited by trials: Sep 18 2006, 06:20 PM